admin The Leader’s Globe is honoured to have interacted with some elite and finest women who have contributed in shaping our world in a positive way. We are proud of celebrating such leaders and would love to narrate a little more about them to get to know them better!
As an initiative for representing some women on their exclusionary day, we have asked them a few questions to know how they climbed the ladder of success and have inspired us all.
We asked about the success journey mantra to Anamaria Meshkurti, who is a Board Member of VR4 Business and Investor
An Inspiring Innovator with an Exciting Story to Tell
1. What do you think helped you the most to make a career as a woman?
“In my journey as a woman in my career, the most pivotal factors that contributed to my success were connections, networking, and the ethos of giving back. Establishing meaningful connections in my professional circle proved crucial in opening doors and creating opportunities. Networking provided a platform to exchange ideas, share experiences, and foster collaborations that propelled my career forward.”
2. What’s the biggest factor that has helped you become successful?
“The reciprocal nature of giving back played a significant role in my professional growth. By contributing to the success of others and helping fellow colleagues, I found a supportive community that reciprocated when I needed assistance. This cycle of mutual aid not only enriched my professional life but also strengthened the bonds within my network.”
“Maintaining an excellent reputation became a cornerstone of my success. Trust and credibility are paramount, especially for women navigating diverse career landscapes. Striving for excellence and consistently delivering quality work not only built a solid professional reputation but also challenged gender stereotypes and biases.”
3. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
“For the next generation of female leaders, my advice would be twofold. First and foremost, invest time and effort in building authentic connections. Networking is not just about exchanging business cards but cultivating meaningful relationships that transcend professional boundaries. These connections will serve as a valuable resource throughout your career journey.”
“Secondly, embrace the power of giving back. Actively engage in mentorship, support your peers, and contribute to the success of others. This not only fosters a collaborative work environment but also positions you as a respected and influential figure in your field.”
“In conclusion, as a woman navigating the complexities of a career, I found that the symbiotic relationship between connections, networking, and giving back played a pivotal role in my success. Coupled with an unwavering commitment to excellence, these principles have not only shaped my career but serve as guiding lights for the aspiring female leaders of the future.” -Anamaria Meshkurti
Coming to our next inspirational woman Kelly Bagla, who is here to transform the Legal Landscape for good. She is the CEO and the Founder of Bagla Law Firm and is here for
Bringing Change and Reimagining the Legal Architecture
1. What do you think helped you the most to make a career as a woman?
“You have to believe in yourself or no one else will believe in you! This has been my philosophy since setting out to pursue my dreams. I never let naysayers affect my resolve. I happen to be in the male-dominated field of corporate law. Rather than looking at this as an obstacle, I see it as an opportunity to stand out, get noticed and prove my capabilities. This kind of winning mindset has to be carefully developed and cultivated. And it’s something you must fight to maintain.”
2. What’s the biggest factor that has helped you become successful?
“To be a successful entrepreneur, you have to take risks. For me this meant leaving everything I knew to immigrate to the U.S. It meant investing years of my life and much expense to earn multiple degrees, with no guarantee I would ever own my own law firm or even have a job!
I was also willing to invest years of my life to work for an established firm to get the experience I needed. Then I risked leaving that stable job at a well-known firm to start my own boutique law firm. I invested everything I’d set aside to start my firm. Since then, each new company I’ve launched (four total) has involved financial risk, as well as the ever-looming risk of failure. Being a successful entrepreneur means there are no guarantees. But, to be successful, it also means that the risks you take are carefully considered, calculated and planned. In fact, as a corporate attorney, I help entrepreneurs mitigate their risks with carefully planned legal strategies.”
3. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
“Don’t blend in if you can stand out. Of course, standing out and being noticed is only useful if you have the knowledge, expertise and skills to back up your confidence! I advise young women to find their passion, set their goals and get the education, training, and on-the-job experience they’ll need to become the best in their field. Learn as much as you can, hone your skills and go after your dream! Network with successful men and women, join organizations where you’ll continually learn about the newest practices and changing landscape. I read literally scores of books each year on business, law, trends, best practices, innovation and more. Never stop learning.
This is the kind of preparation you’ll need to recognize and grab the right opportunities for you. “Grab Life by the Pearls! It’s Yours for the Taking!”” -Kelly Bagla
Talking to Sima Azadegan, who is another revolutionary woman who is the Founder of Sima Collezione is always a pleasure! She is a gift to this world and is
A Leading Lady Fearlessly Leading the Way
1. What do you think helped you the most to make a career as a woman?
“As a woman, we spend most of our lives raising a family and focusing on creating a good life for our husbands and children. Oftentimes during those years that we are sacrificing our own lives to take care of others, we often neglect our own needs and our own passion. It was at the age of 50, as I have mentioned that I had a soul awakening. I felt I had spent half of a century catering to other people’s needs and desires while my own dreams and desires were on the side. The most important reason that I decided to make a career as a woman was that I wanted to have my own life away from my husband and my own children. I wanted to experience life on my own terms and create experiences for myself that I can enjoy as well as be proud of.”
2. What’s the biggest factor that has helped you become successful?
“The biggest factor that has helped me be successful is that I only listen to my own intuition and not allow other people intervene in my decision making. It is very important for an entrepreneur to have a strong belief in herself as well as the mission that she is here to complete. To have confidence is the key!!! You have to operate with strength, bravery and perseverance in order to see your dream come about.”
3. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
“The advice that I can give other lady leaders is that there is nothing more important in your life than to follow your dreams and passion. We do have a responsibility to raise a family and good children, but a life is not worthwhile if we don’t follow our purpose and our mission. The one thing that propels us forward and brings us so much inner joy and happiness.” –Sima Azadegan
Enter another maverick woman who is the Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer at Wellex, Dr. Anushka Patchava. Other than being an exceptional personality, she is
A Visionary Soul Leading the Women of Tomorrow
1. What do you think helped you the most to make a career as a woman?
“There were three things that I believe helped me most in my career. The first was having an older brother, who at only 11 months older, was more of a twin. Being able to observe his bravery from a young age, whether it was walking, running, riding a bicycle, jumping off steps, rollerblading or diving into swimming pools – I was able to role model my own boldness based on the fact he did things and physically challenge myself to be a copycat. As we grew older, this transcended into academia, as I mimicked his curiosity to learn and that drove me to pursue science, technology and mathematics, because I wanted to do what he did.
The second thing was not being a ‘planner.’ I’ve never been good at planning, I’m terrible at being organised (unless I force myself to be for fear of missing something important, which happens a lot), and I thrive by being spontaneous and adventurous, and seek out those who are this way inclined too.
Whilst growing up, whereas people around me would be making goals, planning their year, creating vision boards – I always resisted. Innately, I guess I’ve always had itchy feet – and tended more towards spontaneity, which sometimes lends itself to irrationality too, than measured decision making and progress tracking. But what that means is that I’ve had many different careers, from Medicine where I trained in both Surgery and Radiology, to Consulting working in Innovation and the Pharmaceutical Sector, to then finding a path in Health Insurance. The opportunity to experiment has catalysed my own growth and allowed me to develop wide ranging skills, as well as travel the world and learn different cultures, systems, processes and languages. The third thing for me has been having a very strong support network – of authentic, caring and daring women, as well as men. It is in those circles, where I have been able to develop a high level of self-respect and self-esteem, as well as voice my fears and successes openly, without fear of judgement. Building deep connections based on shared values and interests is hugely beneficial to well-being – but for me my support network has also been a ‘test bed’ for ideas, and helped me define who I want to be; which is still ever evolving. In a world where change is adept – and at such pace, having this solid foundation of reliable souls – is priceless, giving me the emotional resilience and confidence I need to succeed.”
2. What’s the biggest factor that has helped you become successful?
“The biggest factor for me that has helped me be successful in the early years of my career was fearlessly being a risk-taker. Perhaps it’s because I’m a Saggitarius – and apparently this trait is one that defines us. By taking risks – whether it was running away from boarding school because I just didn’t like the feeling of being trapped or dropping out of Medical School aged 18 and volunteering in a rural, and dangerous village in South Africa, being able to pave my own paths and fight the constraints of society, and pressure of meeting the expectations of two Indian migrant parents really helped me develop a sense of authentic self. And as I progressed through my career, into what I call my middle years – I’ve been told many times now that it’s that authenticity I believe that makes people believe, and invest, in me.”
3. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
“I’d give them the piece of advice I always ignored till last year – because I thought it was’fluffy’. And that advice is taking time for self-care. To be a female leader, you have to have strong conviction, and articulate yet calm presence, and be able to be challenged and judged (whether fair or unfair) to a greater extent than our male counterparts. Unfortunately, although we’ve come a long way in society – that’s just still how it is. Stereotypes and unconscious gender bias exist – no matter how hard we’ve tried to ‘train’ it out the workplace. Self-care allows you to declutter your mind, recharge your body and most important absorb the stressors in the environment, without necessarily let it affect your well-being and health. Too often, I’ve witnessed and personally experienced the pressure to ‘be everything to everyone’; and particular as females are the ones who bear the child – making time for self-care can be critical to not losing your sense of self and identity. Don’t make the mistakes I made, and be ‘always on the go’ – that’s a sure and fast way to burn-out! Slowing down – would be the best advice, do what you love, at the pace you choose and the rest will come.” –Dr. Anushka Patchava
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