Also, they can boost their nation’s economy by being encouraged to work in sectors that men traditionally dominate. This will alter the thinking of financial lenders and provide women entrepreneurs with new possibilities to study, develop, and establish their own businesses.

Meet Selena Griffith, the CEO of Enactus Australia, who is an inspirational, successful businesswoman who has worked across sectors and is now preparing the next generation leaders for the future. She graduated from UNSW Sydney with a Bachelor of Industrial Design (Hons) and also attended AGSM and AICD. She is a Fellow of the Sydney School of Entrepreneurship, and the European Academy of Design.

As an enthusiastic generalist and life-long learner, she always pushes herself to acquire and apply new skills each year. This includes training in permaculture, Lego Serious Play, glass blowing, nautical navigation, stellar navigation, sailing, alpine rescue, mountaineering, kite surfing instruction, first aid, and fabrication, among other things. She is a keen hiker and photographer.

Besides this, Selena is self-taught in programming and built a “she shed” with a full set of tools for prototyping and building, including 3d printers, laser cutters, and CNC mills. She also reads widely and looks for opportunities to work with others to expand her knowledge and understanding of everything.

The fervent leader stated when asked where she gets her motivation from by saying, “I was raised by an artist and an engineer, so it follows that I have a strong sense of social purpose with a passion to preserve the beauty that our natural world affords. This motivates me to help develop our next generation of leaders enabled to deliver the sustainable future we would all want to live in. I love nothing more than helping others learn to ‘see’ how the world can work.”

Wearing Multiple Hats

Today, as the CEO of Enactus Australia, Selena works with university students from all over Australia to identify local social and environmental challenges and address them in multidisciplinary teams via entrepreneurial action. Through this engaged, and active, learning process, they acquire real-world skills for creating positive outcomes that will stay with them across their careers.

Every Enactus team functions as a start-up incubator and requires support with sustainable team development, governance, entrepreneurship, collaboration, mentoring, as well as community, academic, and industry engagement. Being a Not For Profit organization, Enactus Australia significantly relies on grants, partnerships, and philanthropy. This means that a significant portion of her time is spent looking for financing sources, creating grant applications, and working with partners to ensure the sustainability of their programs.

“My path to this point traverses roles in design, product development, procurement, production management, sales and marketing, design management, consultancy, academia, facilitation, and entrepreneurship both local and international,” says Selena. She further adds, “It has been enriched through a creative art and design practice, curatorial work, the publication of several text, theory, edited, and kids’books, various board roles, and election to serve a four-year term in local government.”

In her capacity as an academic, the creative leader specialized in sustainability, social impact, design, design thinking, strategic design, innovation, and entrepreneurship. She has worked in Australia, Singapore, the UK, and Central Asia at various universities, in faculties of Design, Social Sciences, Business, Engineering, and Law. Private collectors, institutions, and large-scale public exhibitions like Sculpture by the Sea and Vivid have purchased and shown her artwork.

An Experiential Learning And Impact-Incubator

The world’s largest platform for experiential learning and impact incubation is Enactus. It supports university students to develop entrepreneurship, leadership, innovation, collaboration, and impact delivery skills via developing social enterprises. While delivering positive outcomes in their local areas, participants can build a worldwide network at an early age.

Enactus was first established as SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise) in the United States in 1975. It is committed to improving the world while nurturing the upcoming generation of business leaders and social innovators. The Enactus network of international business, academic, and student leaders now spans 35 nations and more than 1600 universities. They are bound together by the shared goal of creating a better, more sustainable world.

Facing Challenges Head-on

“In industry it was juggling the needs of all my stakeholders. This led me to human centred design and systems design for solutions,” states Selena. Being at the forefront of a new disciplinary practice in academia made it more challenging to validate research methods. Persistence and consistency are the crucial two factors that helped her overcome this challenge.

Another challenge she faced was discrimination due to coming from industry and not having completed a Ph.D. However, Selena believes that to be a good educator or researcher, you do not need a Ph.D. It’s a lazily applied artificial barrier restricting the entire sector and is a better measure of social and economic privilege than capacity, ability or intelligence.

“In NFP, my challenge is staying positive when dealing with philanthropists and grant evaluators,” says the fervent leader. Their funding parameters may be rigid and prescriptive, which limits the creativity and flexibility necessary to have real impact. There is often a will to fund a project but not the associated organizational costs. In a commercial context, this wouldn’t take place. “Pro Bono services and restrictive funding are of limited use if you cannot cover operating costs. Knockbacks should not be taken; personally, they reflect the limitations of the imagination of the organization you are seeking support from, rather than the value of your project,” opines Selena.

Gained A Worldwide Perspective

As a female entrepreneur, Selena has gained a worldwide perspective on numerous issues and developed insights into social, cultural, economic, environmental, and geopolitical parallels and differences thanks to the opportunity to travel globally with her work. She states, “Every experience you have provides an opportunity for self-reflection and learning. Setting goals and reaching them is a way of continual development.”

Challenges Faced By Women In The Corporate World

Building a professional life in a field where men predominate can be a challenge for women. On top of that, they must overcome numerous difficulties they encounter. According to Selena, the challenges faced by her can be categorized into three broad:

1) Assumption that a woman cannot do the work as well as a man. The dynamic leader believes that the best way to overcome this problem is by demonstrating the opposite.

2) Sexual harassment: Her male supervisor made unwelcome approaches to Selena at every meeting, which led her to give up her Ph.D. There was no other option than to get out of an insecure situation.

3) Women who restrict you. Female co-workers can be wonderful supporters, but counterintuitively, some women deliberately and persistently hold other women back. Selena says ask HR for a copy of your file if you suspect this is taking place. Be kind to yourself; they are the ones at fault. Lead a change by making an effort to mentor and uplift other women and foster a positive environment.

Future Goals

At this point in her career, Selena wants to concentrate on the NFP sector and continue to work with young people to help them improve their skills so they can contribute to a better future. The best platform for this is Enactus. Besides this, she loves her position as the board chair of the African Stem Education Initiative (ASEI) and would like to work to further their ambitions to scale. She also enjoys her position as a board director at Eramboo, an art space near where she lives. The dedicated leader wants to provide them with more tools so they can do more to benefit the artistic community. Selena is open to paid board roles.

Words of Wisdom

Selena states, “Develop a strong sense of self and remain true to it. Be open to opportunity. Seek development opportunities. Lift others up where you can. Mentors can be found in all sorts of places so don’t just look up.”

But as Covid-19 reverberated around the globe, it changed the world order, decimated businesses, and spooked the investment world. For Aradhna, it created the ultimate storm. She could either play it safe, shut down her investment club, and see years of blood and sweat get washed away. Or she could make the most of the upheaval, back the “businesses of the future” and create the biggest “Impact” of her life.

Those who know Aradhna would not blink twice before picking the latter. And that will expect her to add a few kickers to up her game. So it was no surprise that Aradhna re-focused Access Alts on business preservation, regrouped her investors on a digital platform and decided to back ideas will change lives in the post-Covid world.

Genesis/ Journey of the Company

Aradhna moved to Hong Kong in the late 1990s and set up her family investment office, having a front row seat to the transformation in Asia’s financial markets. From sleepy backwaters, countries like China, India, Vietnam and Indonesia were turning into economic powerhouses, and Aradhna could see the potential for global investors to come in.

However, Asia was seen as opaque and hard to access. Aradhna saw this niche and leveraged her wide global network to bridge this gap. She says that business families are inherently entrepreneurial and they like looking at new geographies. However, they prefer coming through a trusted network. Aradhna provided the perfect conduit for global families to come and invest in Asia, and thus was born the idea of Access Alts Asia.

About Access Alts

Started as a simple idea-sharing platform in Hong Kong five years back, Aradhna led AccessAlts’ exponential growth into an influential, global “members-only” investment club with over 350 members, channelizing smart capital into transformative companies in Asia. The club brings together some of the world’s most influential business families, institutions, strategic investors, and captains of industry with two primary goals: invest in high-alpha alternative investments and build billion-dollar cross-border businesses. Families such as the Rockefellers, the Sinegals (founders of COSTCO) and the Kanoos have all been a part of the Access Alts journey.

Access Alts also pioneered the concept of discreet, intimate Member Meets in key financial centres: New York, Dubai, London, Washington, San Francisco, Hong Kong and Shanghai, giving the club a global footprint.

Through AccessAlts, Aradhna inadvertently created the first East-West investment bridge that tied global family offices together.

Challenges Faced and Achievements

Aradhna has received several awards in recognition of her contribution to the world of entrepreneurship, women leadership and society. In 2021 she was awarded the American Chamber of Commerce “Women of Influence Award” while in 2019 she received the Purviz Shroff Women of Inspiration Award for Leadership. In 2020, Aradhna was invited by The Milken Institute to lead discussions on Global Women Leadership in Abu Dhabi. In 2019, Access Alts was invited by Warren Buffet to take a delegation to the annual Berkshire Hathaway AGM, seen as the Mecca of the investment world.

However, her journey to building Access Alts was far from easy. “I was a devoted mom and the idea of building something so global, so public, was intimidating. My rite of passage, funnily enough, came from a 4 am conversation with my then 16-year old son, who advised me to ‘Go into it like a Man.’ I wasn’t sure what that meant at the time, “but now I understand that he was telling me not to hold myself back just because I was a woman,” says Aradhna.

On a professional front, earning her credibility in the highly male-dominated world of investment was another challenge. Galvanizing a global network was the next. Aradhna remembers traveling for over 400 days to 30 cities in the first three years, working through different time zones, losing track of days, and eventually winning supporters through her deep knowledge of Asia.

Just as Access Alts felt invincible, it got hit by Covid-19. As a people-focused business, and all physical meetings cancelled for 2020, it had evolve, and fast. Overnight, Aradhna turned it into a 360-degree consultancy that not just did invested but also formed a support community for businesses gasping for air. Since then, it has backed transformative technologies powering the Future of Work, Healthtech, Ethical Ecommerce, Digital Infrastructure, Disruptive Logistics, Education Portals and more.

Source of Motivation

 “I am passionate about people and connecting them as global communities. For as long as I can remember, my biggest joy has been traveling the world, eating at local haunts, chatting with cabbies, exploring cultural nuances, and understanding what makes people who they are.

I am also passionate about social justice, about global challenges that threaten humanity’s future, and about harnessing the power of people (and technology) to solve them.

In many ways, AccessAlts is my way to create an interconnected community of remarkable people from all around the world who are passionate about making a difference and protecting our future.” states Aradhna, when asked about what keeps her motivated.

Advice to Young Women

Whether at entry-level or in boardrooms, women face unconscious biases every day. However, Aradhna believes that Covid has created a level-playing field for women in the corporate world. Digital businesses, in particular, are gender-agnostic. Amidst this, Aradhna encourages young women to build confidence, skills, networks and a determination to emerge as game-changers.

She also advises them to learn the art of Pivoting. “I encourage my protegees to adapt and think out of the box to increase revenue, stay profitable and focus on ethics to build a sustainable brand. There is no quicker way to gain respect as a woman leader than to enhance the bottom line.”

Most importantly, Aradhna advises young women to NOT crave perfection. “As women, we are conditioned to be perfect: perfect mothers, perfect wives, perfect daughters-in-law, in addition to being perfect professionals. But that is humanly not possible. So embrace your imperfections and build a tribe around you that gets you and holds you when you fall.”

Future Perspective

Seen as an icon in the female entrepreneurship space, Aradhna wants to leverage her network and skills to create the maximum impact. “I have always been passionate about creating a “just” and diverse society that provides equal opportunities to all,” says Aradhna. “Covid has allowed me to take a pause and think about the legacy I want to leave behind.”

With that in mind, Aradhna has launched a Women on Boards initiative that mentors talented young women and handholds them towards corporate boardrooms. Along with her children, Pradyumn and Pankhuri Dayal, Aradhna runs Move4Migrants, an aid organization that empowers migrant and minority communities.

Finally, through Access Alts, Aradhna wants to direct capital and resources towards technology that creates a fairer world. “I am going to be 50 next years and realize that the real joy of life is in creating social ROI, not just financial ROI.”

With her determination, unwavering faith, and powers of manifestation, she has helped over 100,000 people attract more love, money, and success into their lives. Her innovative approaches to Manifestation and utilizing the Laws of Attraction have led to the creation of one of the top global success networks.

Through Diamond Academy Coaching, thousands of students have been able to experience quantum growth. The force behind her magnetic field has catapulted many students into a life beyond their wildest dreams and she is just getting started.

Kathleen is a mother of two wonderful daughters, graduated with two undergraduate degrees and a Master’s degree, has held a high-level executive position in healthcare, and transferred her knowledge to so many others in a way that brings everyone’s vibrations up alongside hers.

The Journey

Kathleen began her career in Nursing in 2009. After a short time of bedside Nursing, she moved into a leadership role as a charge nurse then Manager, leaving healthcare in a Director position with the provincial government in 2019.  She left Nursing to pursue her career in network marketing but found her true calling 6 months later in coaching manifestation.

She launched her coaching business as a Bob Proctor Consultant in January of 2020 as a solo coach, quickly breaking records and reaching $1 million in revenue in 7 months. Since that time, she is now the Chief Manifestation & Success Coach and has multiple coaches who work with her, generating over $7.5 million in revenue.

The goal is for Diamond Academy to become the #1 global success network in the world, and for Kathleen to be recognized on a similar level of Tony Robbins, to raise the frequency for all women globally!

Making Quantum Leaps 

Today, Kathleen has been able to do what once seemed impossible, something she saw as possible for others but never for herself. Through tapping into her powerful powers within, Kathleen has manifested the extraordinary life she lives now. She has achieved all of this and more because of her faith in herself. It all comes from an absolute belief that the universe will provide her with what she is tuning.

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“I was teaching about facing your fears less than six months ago, helping others to understand fear in order to better manage it, and I had this thought: “I don’t want to talk about fear anymore.” By even talking about it, I was giving it power, and I’d had enough. I had a realization that to rid yourself of fear, you need to live in faith. As you move closer to faith, the feeling of fear simply dissipates.”

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Through this face Kathleen has managed to eliminate fear and all of the negative energy that comes with it.  Her success is a product of the lifestyle that she chooses to live. With the proper level of faith, she knows that she can achieve anything. One of the biggest challenges to this was learning to love herself.

Early Struggles

Throughout Kathleen’s entire life she struggled with her own self-image. Growing up as an overweight girl she became increasingly aware of how she did not match up to others. Because of this Kathleen spent most of her life attempting to conform to the ideal weight.

“Friends, family, strangers, and the media all told me that my body was “too big” and that I needed to go on a “diet.” When I was eleven years old, I would throw out my lunch and starve myself, drinking large amounts of water because someone told me it would “flush the fat out.”

This all changed when Kathleen lost 100 pounds and discovered that her heart couldn’t keep up with her body’s changes. It was at this moment that Kathleen realized how much of her own self-worth that she had been leaving up to others. Success does not come from the body; it comes from us.

Since then Kathleen has lived her life out loud, continuing to show by example that you don’t have to be skinny to be successful. Every day her business is an inspiration to women all over the world who have struggled with their own self-image.

Being Open to Receive

Another misconception that Kathleen works to disabuse is that you have to work hard and be lucky to be successful. Which, if that were true, Kathleen would be exhausted. And for a while, she was because she was always in mechanical motion towards her goals.

Whether that be through studying for her masters as a mother of two, or hustling to get her original business off the ground. Still, it wasn’t until she became more intentional with her work that she found there was a way to do it all. Without working herself into the ground.

One of Kathleen’s favorite laws of the universe is the law of vibration. Alongside the work that she does Kathleen is constantly utilizing this magnetic power to pull her goals closer to herself.

This vibration is controlled through her feelings, and Kathleen is an expert of maintaining positive vibes. One of her main goals in life is teaching others to do the same.

Word of Wisdom for Young Women Entrepreneurs/Professional 

When The Tycoon Magazine contacted and asked Kathleen what would she advise Young women entrepreneurs and professionals in their professional lives. Kathleen States-   One of the greatest challenges is to live according to your own rules, your own dreams, and your own desires. We are shaped by those around us, but when we go within and we really ask ourselves, “what do I really want?”, we can see that much of life is based on what’s outside of us. I would encourage young women to empower themselves to go within, find what drives them and brings them joy, and move closer to that every single day.

 On Mentorship Kathleen Opined – Mentorship is a must. Find someone who inspires you, someone who had done what you want to do and do what they suggest. Having a mentor shaved years off my journey, the path was already paved, I just had to walk it.

An Inspirational Journey

Ritu was admitted as a solicitor (England and Wales) and an officer of the Supreme Court in March 1990 after completing her Bachelor of Law (LL.B.) Hons in Bristol. Immediately after being admitted as a solicitor, she not only secured herself a position in an established law firm in London but was invited to become a Junior Partner on qualification the day she finished her training to be a solicitor. She started her own department within the firm working as a Criminal Defense Solicitor and represented clients accused of a range of offenses including murder, drug importation, and fraud.

After the birth of her second child, her Business Partner, Martin, and she decided to set up their own legal practice. Sadly, on Friday 13th May 1994, Martin died of a heart attack, and Ritu was left to set up the firm on her own. On 23^rd May 1994, The Sethi Partnership Solicitors was born with a USP “We are in partnership with our clients”.

Source of Motivation

On setting up the law firm in 1994; with 2 babies and many bills to pay, losing was not an option for her. She read and listened to many interviews of entrepreneurs and business people who had been through adversities. She enrolled on to The Antony Robbins weekend course and found the embers of her fire within were ignited. There was so much to do and so much to achieve for her – the possibilities were endless.

She said “I wanted to be the best version of myself and in this pursuit, I found my uniqueness and that of people around me. In motivating others, I too feel a sense of satisfaction and fulfilment.”

 Challenges Faced and Achievements

Over the years Ritu battled gender barriers in what according to her is still a male-dominated world. An incident she narrated where she was once locked in a cell with her client who was a rapist. Upon finishing her consultation, the officers delayed opening the cell door and left her there for a prolonged time. When finally released she complained to the Custody Sergeant at Watford Police station who responded saying that, “Women should never be criminal lawyers. You are an occupational hazard!” She took the matter further and influenced the change whereby secure meeting rooms were provided to solicitors for consultations with their clients and they no longer had to be locked in the cells with them.

Over the past 28 years, she worked exceptionally hard to earn a reputation of trust and excellence from her clients, business, and legal colleagues. She built a practice nothing to what it is today. The firm is a highly reputable high street practice advising clients across a broad spectrum of legal matters including employment law, litigation and dispute resolution, commercial property, residential property, family and divorce, wills, trust and probate, business immigration, personal immigration, driving offenses, criminal law and all legal issues.

Giving Back

Asides from the day-to-day legal matters, the firms’ ethos is to never say ‘no’ to any registered charity asking for assistance and so have developed a large network of organizations and individuals who have benefitted from their generosity and mindset of paying it forward. They believe in “When we succeed then all will succeed”. Ritu has supported and played an extremely active part in fundraising 37+ causes/charities based both in the UK and overseas, covering all different areas from supporting poverty, homelessness, and abuse to ensuring access to quality legal services.

She is a recipient of 28 awards including business and legal awards and culminating in being awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019 for Legal Services.

Some of her accolades includes:

• Lifetime Achievement Award 2019 in the Legal Services
• Asian Top 100 Hot Power Couple 2019 and 2020- Influencers in the community
• Finalist Best in Law London Asian Business Awards 2018
• Property Team of the Year, Modern Conveyancing Awards 2017
• Conveyancing Firm of the Year, South, Modern Conveyancing Awards 2017
• Best in Legal Services at The British Indian Awards (BIA) 2017
• Finalist HSBC Forward Ladies Awards 2017
• Finalist Woman of the Year British Asian Achievers Awards 2017
• Nominated for The Forward Ladies Outstanding Business Woman of the Year 2016
• Voted amongst the Top 10 Women Lawyers of 2016 at the Law Society Awards
• Asian Top 100 Hot Power Couple 2014
• Voted in the Top 5 women who rock in a sari 2014
• Won Author of Best Inspirational Book by IBBF 2013 in London Parliament
• Nominated for Best in Legal Services by British Indian Awards 2013 presented by BDO
• Won Female Entrepreneur of the year 2012 Asian Achievers Awards by IBBF in London Parliament
• Won Business Services at the First Women Awards 2008
• Won Businesswoman category of the India International Awards 2008
• Won Business category at the First Women Achievement Awards 2008
• Won Businesswoman of the year 2008 from the Asian Woman of Excellence Awards 2008
• Shortlisted for The Professional Excellence Award at the Lloyds TSB Jewel Award 2008
• Nominated for Professional of the Year at the Asian Achievers Awards 2007
• Nominated for the Professional Excellence Jewel Award in September 2007
• Won Award of Achievement in Judiciary / Law 2007
• Nominated for Asian Business award 2006
• Nominated for Legal Personality by Society of Asian Lawyers of the year award in year 2005
• Nominated for Women in Business Award for Asian Achievers Award in 2003
• Nominated for Asian Achievement Award for Business Women of the Year 2003
• Won the Asian Businesswomen of the Year 2000 award, awarded by the European Federation of Black Women Business Owners, sponsored by BT

Current industry scenario and Future perspective

Commenting on the current industry scenario she opined – “It has been a roller coaster ride for most industries. Many law firms of a similar size have closed their doors due to the impact of the pandemic. There has been an evolution in thinking and being committed to an office routine and it is refreshing to witness how people have adapted to a new hybrid working practice. However, since experiencing 2 previous recessions, we were better equipped to have the foresight and made a commitment to our staff that we would not furlough or make any redundancies. Instead, we used the space and time to further expand our service areas and appointed 2 additional Partners to the firm.”

Ritu believes in the power of empathizing. According to her, there are many other law firms their clients to go to, but they come to her firm as they provide an empathetic and personal service. From clients in acrimonious marriages to bereaving over their loved ones with probate matters to obtaining British Citizenship in the immigration department to being made redundant in the Employment Department, to buying their first home or business in the property department. The firm encourages diversity and inclusion, there are many facets to what the firm does, but the client is always their priority.

Her future goal is to help/touch as many lives as possible whether it is through the firm or via charities. The firm itself provides legal advice to over 1000 clients a year. In over 27 years of trading, that is approx.  30,000 clients in one form or another. That is their legacy.

Mentoring emerging women entrepreneurs and professionals.

When The Tycoon magazine interviewed Ritu and asked her about How she perceives The role as a mentor to Aspiring women entrepreneurs and professionals she said – “Too many young ladies feel that they have to choose between family and career and my motto has always been that you can have both; in other words, you can have it all. I have witnessed a lot in my lifetime with gender barriers and it is refreshing to see the ‘balance’ being redressed as in the earlier year, the profession was very male-dominated. This is not necessarily the case now.

 We continue to motivate and educate the new female-led businesses and entrepreneurs to have the confidence to do what is intended of them. We feel the potential in people and support them to thrive. The firm regularly offers work placements to those at school/college in the community which has resulted in job offers including two new employees working part-time whilst simultaneously studying at university.”

Ritu wrote a book titled ‘Having it All Now – A Woman’s Guide to Having it All Now: An Inspirational Journey’. As a result, she was awarded ‘Author of the best inspirational book’ by IBBF in the London Parliament. The book was launched in London and is a motivational guide to empowering women and helping them to achieve their perfect work / life balance. Ritu has spoken at many corporate female networking events in the City of London and her book has been widely distributed within the organizations such as Aviva Insurance women’s network and such like.

Read her book; A woman’s guide to Having it all now!  –  https://www.ritusethi.com/

About The Sethi Partnership Solicitors

The Sethi Partnership Solicitors is an award-winning law firm priding itself as a trusted law firm since 1994. The firm offers a high-quality personable service to clients in a broad spectrum of legal matters including employment law, litigation and dispute resolution, commercial property, residential property, family and divorce, wills, trust and probate, business immigration, personal immigration, driving offenses, and criminal law.

The firm attracts talented staff from all backgrounds, religions, languages spoken, age, and sizes enabling it to continue to deliver a high level of dedication and commitment to many generations of individuals and business clients. The firm has instilled integrity, loyalty, and fairness and this has been proved via the longevity of employees within the firm. Their multilingual team is proficient in English, Gujarati, Tamil, German, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Farsi, Malayalam, and Hindko.

The firm has maintained high standards by retaining the Lexcel accreditation for Legal Excellence in practice management for 20 years and is also accredited for the Conveyancing Quality Scheme, Family Law Accreditation, and Lawyers for Business.

As a founding and Senior Partner of The Sethi Partnership Solicitors, she has overall responsibility for managing the practice, for client care, ethical and professional standards, financial management, and human resource. She is the corporate figurehead and has navigated the firm through difficult times.

Contact Details 

www.sethi.co.uk

0208 866 6464

info@sethi.co.uk

The Barn House, 38 Meadow Way, Eastcote, Ruislip, HA4 8TB

Jennifer is a Transformational Life & Money Coach, Consultant, and Best-Selling Author. Through her work with her financial advising firm, Swan Financial, Jennifer has been able to help hundreds of women manage their toughest seasons victoriously, such as their divorce, loss of a loved one, and career transitions. As a Transformational Life & Money Coach and through her “Smart Money Gal,” platform, Jennifer helps women find their financial confidence, reclaim their power, and embrace a life of prosperity.

 The Beginning

The Journey was not easy. In her 20’s, Jennifer found herself engulfed in a volatile marriage marked by mental, emotional, and physical abuse. The relationship finally imploded, leaving her broken and her abuser imprisoned. At the time, she had no job, no child support, and limited resources to keep her family afloat. She did not know who to turn to for guidance or how to pick up the pieces of her life. She felt completely lost and isolated.

As painful as those dark days were, her divorce ultimately saved her life and paved the way for her to turn the pain she had suffered into a passion to help others.

She felt led to help other women; in her own words “a way to take my “mess” and make it my “message.” I wanted to become for other women the person I desperately needed but could not find. My experiences helped me turn my wounds into wisdom; I remain determined to help other women transition from trauma to triumph.”

Being a Reliable Financial Adviser

 “Most money managers and financial advisors work on their terms. They say they are providing customized plans and strategies based on the unique needs of the clients. But from what I have seen up close and personal, there is nothing unique or custom about it. They have set plans, programs, and systems through which they funnel most of their clients. They fit you into the “box” of what they offer, even if it does not quite…fit” said Jennifer.

She further States: The truth is, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to finances. Our money is inextricably tied to our individual lives and major events that happen along the way. When someone has faced a life-altering event that is usually when I meet them for the very first time. Maybe they are seeking financial help as they are mourning the loss of the love of their life, or are coming out of a divorce, or overcoming the wreckage of abuse.

I am happy to admit I do things differently when it comes to money and helping people manage it.

I flip the script on traditional financial planning by addressing emotional and situational pieces first. Once your head and heart are clear and focused, then we pick up the financial pieces, together.

I don’t try to force you through your healing process or push you out of the financial driver’s seat into a predetermined lane. I use my education, my background knowledge, expertise, and life experiences to help create customized plans built around you.

When we work together, you’re in the driver’s seat the entire time. Just consider me your road trip wing woman who points out bumps in the roads, watches the potholes and blind spots and keeps your spirits lifted with love and laughter.

 Challenges and Achievements

 When asked about challenges faced by her, Jennifer said “The financial services industry is a male-dominated one. This makes it hard for women to excel as financial professionals and makes it even harder for women who need financial help to be heard and understood. Women view money very differently than men and need a unique style of financial planning.”

She considers herself blessed that others in her community and across the nation have honored her work and found value in her mission.

Some of her accolades include 2013-2016, 2020 Women’s Choice Award for Financial Advisors; Kentucky Colonel Award for civic leadership from the Commonwealth of Kentucky; 2013 Inductee into the National Academy of Best-Selling Authors; 2013 Acquisition International Financial Advisory Firm of the Year-USA; and multi-year award winner in the Best of Atlanta Business Hall of Fame from the city of Atlanta.

Apart from this, Jennifer had the incredible opportunity to co-author a Best-Selling book with Jack Canfield, creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. She has also been cited for her knowledge and have appeared on sources such as ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, The Boston Globe, Newsweek, Fortune, and Forbes.

She states “Although many have found inspiration within my story, ultimately, chasing someone else’s version of success is empty. At the very core, my passion is helping women stand in their power and write their own story. Through my transformative programs and private sessions, my clients achieve fiscal confidence and lay the foundations for a life of power, prosperity, and purpose. “

 Future Goals and Advice for young women

In addition to her one-on-one coaching, Jennifer is launching The Smart Money Gal Academy that will provide online courses and resources for families, divorcees, widows, and entrepreneurs.

When The Tycoon Media asked Jennifer for advice to emerging women business leaders and professionals, she said:

Women need to realize they are worth it; in everything they do and all, they want to accomplish. Know your worth, ask for what you want, and pursue whatever that is with an unshakeable desire to succeed. Don’t let anyone else write your story.

“I see people at their worst times in their lives, I am able to be the logic and reason for them during such an emotional time.  In hopes, to allow them to be able to move forward after the legal matter has resolved.  This also led to the coaching business.  The listening, supporting, and coaching young attorneys and clients have become a passion.  I want women to know that it’s ok; needed; and accepted that other women support and encourage other women.  There is nothing wrong with promoting other women.  Everyone has their own glitter to leave behind!  Let them shine and let them know it is ok to do so. Can’t ever have enough glitter!” 

Pamela D. Kurt is a Life Coach for professional women and an attorney.  She lives on the Shores of Lake Erie, Ohio with her husband and their dogs Bailey and Bella.  She has an adult son who is an award-winning movie director and producer.  She currently owns her own law firm KURT LAW OFFICE, LLC.  As a business owner, she is also very active in her community and has held several leadership roles. She has been a guest speaker on various forums and an author of a bestseller, The Successful Women’s Mind-set, 21 Journeys to Success.  Her passion is to support and to empower women to be the best they can!  The most personal enjoyment is when her clients find their own way.  Her private practice created to empower women.  BE THE BEST YOU!  Her coaching program has allowed her clients on a powerful self-discovery journey.

DREAM. BELIEVE. ACHIEVE.

In an interview with The Tycoon Magazine, Pamela sheds light on her professional journey, how she is helping families through their legal troubles. And mentoring, guiding, and coaching professional women to be the best version of themselves.

The Journey

The journey hasn’t been easy but I am grateful for all that I have learned over the years.  The way through the journey is by my faith.  I work without a “net”.  I don’t have a rich family or husband.  I have been able to overcome adversity through my faith in God.

I went back to college as a divorced single mother.  I worked multiple jobs to obtain my education. I received my Associates’s, Bachelor’s, Masters’s, and Doctorate.  I went out on my own and opened a law practice while being a substitute and adjunct college professor.  I have always enjoyed teaching.  Over the years, I want my law practice to be for families that are in need of everyday problems.

Roadblocks and Learnings

The biggest roadblock has been my expectations of others.  I am getting better as time goes on.  I have realized that others don’t always want the same things I would want in a scenario.  I have learned to listen to them and help them realize their goals and dreams not just what I would want or see for them.

The biggest learning is that I can’t believe and force people to do and believe more than they do themselves.  I have found I will believe and invest in people more than they actually are willing to do so.  This as a leader and business owner can cost money and time.  I have to step back and access what someone is actually willing to do to reach their goals.  Not everyone desires to really reach them.

Some of my experiences are based on faith.  When I thought things wouldn’t work out. God has always provided.  Lessons I have learned are that you need to first and foremost take care of you.  If you don’t you won’t have anything to give to take care of the others.  You owe it to yourself and your family.  I have learned this lesson the hard way over the years.

Current Industry Scenario and Future perspective

The current industry is STILL male-dominated.  There are still many innuendoes and unspoken gestures that can be offensive.  I think women that are lawyers are strong!  This is why I also started the coaching business for lady lawyers.  I also want to empower WOMEN lawyers!

Future goals are to continue to develop the coaching business into a national market.  I am currently working on multiple classes and books.  I have already been part of several summits and speaking engagements.  I want to empower women to be the best version of themselves!  I want to be the next female Tony Robbins

Advice to Aspiring women entrepreneurs and professionals  

Even though it’s 2021, women are still the minority in the legal field, we still aren’t at equal pay and there are still more male attorneys.

Some of the stereotypes are we are willing to “give in” in negotiations.  We are willing to do take care of details for any event or project.  We are willing to do follow ups and take responsibilities for all details.  I think one of the general stereotypes are that women are caretakers.  While that is true and very general, women as leaders know how to set the boundaries necessary in business settings to not be taken advantage of.

I would advise to be themselves and confident. I think that mentorship is crucial and if the opportunity presents itself, TAKE IT!

I want anyone I encounter to feel that they can be anything!  They can be the best version of themselves.  If they can Dream it, Believe It, they WILL Achieve it!  I want to be that positive influence to show them they can do it!

Some of Pamela’s Achievements and accolades include:

• PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:
• Ohio State Bar Association
• Lake County Bar Association, President, 2021
• Geauga County Bar Association
• Ashtabula County Bar Association
• Chardon Chamber of Commerce
• Eastern Lake County Chamber of Commerce
• Ashtabula County Women’s Club
• Fine Arts Association, Women’s Committee, Willoughby
• United Way, Women’s Council
• American Bar Association, former Advisory Panel
• Ohio Women’s Bar Association, former Legislative Committee
• Western Lake County Chamber, former Board Member
• Forbes House, Women’s Shelter, former Board Member
• Pay It Forward Foundation of Cleveland, Board Member
• BNI, Chapter President of Executive Chapter 2015
• Willoughby Hills, Economic Development Committee 2016
• Willoughby United Methodist Church, Mission & Social Concerns Committee
• McKinley Outreach, former Board Member
• LAB, Learning About Business, former Board Member
• Joann Davidson Leadership Institute of Ohio, Class of 2013
• Leadership Lake County, Class of 2015
• Lake County Planning Commission 2017 to present; Vice Chair 2020-2021

• PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Lakeland Community College, Hall of Fame recipient 2010
  Forbes House, Regular Speaker
• Small Business of the Year, 2010
• Ohio State Bar Foundation Fellow Class of 2011
• Women of the Year award NAPW, 2011/2012
• American Lawyer Media, Top Ohio Lawyer 2013
• Trademark’s Who’s Who Honor Edition 2015
• NAFLA, Top 25 Lawyer 2015 and Ranked Top 10 Award
• American Inst. Of Law Attorney Satisfaction Award, 2016
• Expert Network, Distinguish Attorney Award, 2016
• American Inst. Of Family Law, 10 Best Attorney- Ohio, 2016-2017
• Attorney and Practice Magazine, Family Law, Top 10 Ohio May 2017
• American Inst. Of Family Law, 10 Best 2018
• Best Attorney of America, member, Ohio 2018
• 10 Best Female Attorney in Ohio 2019, Family Law
• Lawyers of Distinction 2021 Family and Divorce Law
• Bestselling Author 2021
• Speaker various venues

She would be honored to help you on your journey!

 Pamela is currently accepting new private coaching clients.  Please contact her at BestVersionYou.com for a consultation to see if this program is right for you.

Lisa is currently the CEO of FARE, the world’s premier NGO fighting food allergies through investment in research, education and advocacy. She is also the author of Turnaround – How to Change Course When Things Are Going South, a book she wrote to guide teams and organizations finding survival more challenging than ever. As someone who has executed many turnarounds, Lisa wanted to offer practical, time-tested, and industry-proof methods to executives who are struggling or looking for solutions to seemingly intractable problems.

Lisa has served Presidents and Governors, counseled corporate CEOs, and led coalitions and nonprofits. Being bipartisan by nature, she has brought together political parties, corporate competitors, and disparate nations to foster quality leadership, diplomacy, and results that better society and create sustainable partnerships and profitable business models.

An Exceptional Professional Voyage

Lisa graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelors’s in International Relations and from Georgetown University with a Masters’s in National Security Studies. She also attended the US Army War College and studied Chinese language at National Taiwan Normal University.

At the age of 19, Lisa went to work in Reagan Administration and had an opportunity to work at the White House and the Pentagon.  At the age of 24, she was recruited to Intel Corporation by the man who would be CEO and Chairman of the Board. At the age of 30, she had the honorary rank of a 3-star general when she was Vice-Chair of a Commission helping women become more effectively integrated into the military, giving them more opportunities. At 40, she became a US Ambassador. Today, she is tasked with solving a complex problem, food allergies, which affects 85 million Americans and a half billion people around the world.

Lisa had a front-row seat at major inflection points throughout history. She served at the Reagan Defense Department during the final days of the Cold War and transferred to the White House a few months prior Gorbachev’s 1987 visit.  She joined Intel Corporation when it was a $1.4B company and had the chance to work on a part of the Intel Inside® program which changed consumer tech purchasing habits and led to the company’s dominant semiconductor market share in the 90s. As Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, she and her husband enjoyed the dot.com boom and also survived the bust.

In 2004-2005, Lisa worked closely with the auto industry and hosted a hallmark Nagoya meeting between Toyota patriarch Dr. Shoichiro Toyoda and General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner, as the companies battled it out for the top global sales position – with the Japanese automaker maintaining the edge. Working with 16 food and beverage company CEOs, she helped drive a process which reduced 6.4 trillion calories from 35% of the food sold in the United States.

As an observer, a participant, and a leader during times of historic change, Lisa learned to plan for multiple scenarios when redesigning and building high-impact, sustainable operations.

About FARE

FARE is the largest global NGO investing in food allergy research, education and advocacy. It enhances the lives of individuals with food allergies, empowering them to lead safe, productive lives with the respect of others through education and advocacy initiatives and improved awareness around healthcare options and treatment.

Turning Things Around at FARE

FARE is the result of the merger of a grassroots organization and a research non-profit in 2012.  Although the organization was successful in recruiting immunologists to enter the food allergy space and had established a clinical network of 30 institutions, the nonprofit’s economic model, at the time Lisa was recruited, was not sustainable. Lisa immediately worked to turn things around only to discover that without an extensive restructure and prioritization of spending, FARE would use up cash reserves in fewer than three years at the current run rate.

Compounding the issue was that one of the primary fundraising vehicles, walks, were costing twice the amount they brought in as this fundraising method was seeing participation declines nationwide. To right the ship, Lisa went into triage mode — first, to stop losing money. She immediately assembled and led a turnaround team to audit financials and provide an accurate assessment of cost structure. In 24 months, her turnaround team and she raised enough funds to pay the previous year’s bills ($15M) in five months and secured a total of $85 million in commitments against a $200 million goal.  In brief, Lisa and team launched a Contains: Courage research-focused fundraising and awareness campaign and expanded the FARE Clinical Network to include 50 academic medical institutions which conduct transformational research and trials. The team restructured the organization by 83% in the first 12 months, increased revenue by 62% while keeping expenses relatively flat, achieved reductions in management and overhead by 30%, and reduced fundraising expenses by 10%. She also, importantly, increased diversity among FARE’s leadership and boards and elevated the voice of the patient to ensure access to care and therapies for underrepresented communities.

Perspective on the Current Industry Scenario and Advice to Tackle the Challenges

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I am fascinated by the continued merger of food, medicine, and technology.  The “food is medicine” movement is demonstrative that we are seeing a cross pollination of innovation across multiple sectors and leadership from unexpected allies like Nestle, Google, and others entering the space as we look at biologics, probiotics, and food with health benefits as having the potential for the greatest impact in treating disease and mitigating health risks.

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At a time when dizzying innovation cycles, hyper-competition, and a global pandemic have made survival more challenging than ever, Lisa uses her time-tested and industry-proof method which she outlines in her book, Turnaround. The book gives you the tools to turn your ship around and chart a course to success.

Her four principles of guidance brought to life with examples in Turnaround are: 

• Visualize the future—don’t fix what’s there; start from scratch.
• Break down the present—ditch what isn’t working; keep what does.
• Create a path to your future—map out critical decision and actions needed.
• Execute with confidence and diplomacy—speed up by partnering well with others.

Words of Wisdom for Young Entrepreneurs/Professionals

Lisa’s message to young women is to challenge assumptions from your youth by being strategic in your conversations. Use data and precise delivery to move conversation in the room from assumptions to facts. By doing so, you will change the terms of the debate and yours will be the comments people reference after the fact. This can be difficult if you are the first woman to enter a male dominated arena as Lisa was when she worked as a political appointee in the Reagan Defense Department at the age of 21.

Her male mentors were the ones who first taught her how to own a room. They helped her learn how to channel her intellect and unique ability to solve complex problems as a means to distinguish herself in multiple settings.

She highlights that Craig Barrett, former CEO/Chair of Intel Corporation, counseled her to speak with facts and use process to re-engineer troubled organizations. From the halls of the Reagan White House to supporting the C-suite at Intel,in her 20s Lisa learned to define herself through diligence, humor, humility and determination with grace, grit, and gladness for the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives by leveraging the amazing opportunities with which she was blessed.

Underlining the importance of good mentorship Lisa said – Mentors who proactively help others succeed by bridging gaps and serving as ongoing sounding boards are some of our greatest assets. Life offers few high-speed elevators which accelerate us to the upper levels.  Many times, we may find ourselves hurtling to the basement instead. If you want to create a measurable difference, as a mentor, be prepared for a long-term alliance by being hands-on in opening doors, providing recommendations and specific advice related to the different floors on which your mentee will stop on their way to the top.

Following the publication of her book – Turnaround, – How to Change Course When Things Are Going South, Lisa is planning to write a second book around mentorships and leadership.

“My source of motivation comes from my desire to leave a legacy where at least one million couples get to experience and enjoy a lifetime of happiness, fulfillment, and meaning when they achieve their relationship goals. It makes me come alive and feel so incredibly happy knowing that I have played a part in someone’s love story.” 

Known as one of the best matchmakers in Asia, Anisa Hassan is a bonafide matchmaker to business owners, millionaires, VIPs, and high net worth individuals (HNWIs), and her dating black book contains names of highly influential and exceptional singles from the region and around the world.

Anisa is the creator and founder of Date High Flyers (DHF), an internationally recognized, luxury matchmaking service for professionals, business owners, and high net worth individuals and who have marriage in mind. With its HQ in Singapore, DHF caters to a worldwide client base offering its elite matchmaker service on an international level.

In an exclusive interview with The Tycoon Magazine, Anisa sheds light on her professional journey, and how she is playing the role of cupid in the lives of thousands of professionals, business owners across the world by finding a perfect match for them.

She also talked about common problems faced by female entrepreneurs and shared valuable insights, advice for aspiring women entrepreneurs,

Below are the highlights of The Interview Between Anisa Hassan and The Tycoon Magazine:

Brief us about your current role and your journey since the beginning of your career.

Being the owner of a luxury matchmaking service for professionals, business owners, and high net worth individuals, I earned the reputation of being Asia’s Ultimate Matchmaker after being responsible for more than 1100 marriages since 2004. That’s like initiating 5 marriages a month or 1 marriage a week J

Though my business is headquartered in Singapore, my clients comprise 70% who are based in Singapore and 30% based in cities like London, Melbourne, Sydney, Manila, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Karachi, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Doha, and Dubai.

My foray into the dating and matchmaking industry started in 2004 when I bought and brought an international dating franchise into Singapore. It became an instant hit because singles in Singapore at that time did not have many choices other than the government-led matchmaking agency called the Singles Development Unit or SDU. The latter was focused on helping local, Singaporean graduate singles mingle with other local graduates with an underlying focus on helping Singapore increase its declining birth rates.

My then dating agency provided a welcome relief for singles (locals and non-locals) who were looking for a more discreet and private way of meeting their life partners. It attracted a sizeable number of expatriates who were residing in Singapore at that time and right off the bat, my agency helped bring together inter-ethnic couples that later led to a proliferation of inter-ethnic marriages. This phenomenon was new and not widely accepted at that time but with the influx of more expatriates into Singapore, my agency made inter-ethnic pairings more mainstream.

My agency also broke with convention when we were successful in pairing couples who have been divorced in the past. My work made it normal and acceptable for divorced singles to start looking at remarriages when in the past, this topic was never broached nor openly discussed and the thought of remarriage was not perceived in a positive light. Before my agency was established, there was no matchmaking agency that catered for divorced or widowed singles as the focus has always been on first love and first marriages. In fact, the first couple who got married after being matched by me happened between two divorced singles and they were married barely 5 months after being introduced to each other.

After parting ways with the international franchise in 2017, I started Date High Flyers International and the focus of this matchmaking agency is to provide complete discretion and privacy for business owners and high net worth individuals who are looking for an alternative to online dating, to look for their life partners.

While millions of singles the world over are using online platforms to meet their potential matches, there’s a niche segment who still prefer the personal touch of a matchmaker. These singles value their time, privacy and safety and would rather have a trusted expert to help identify and select the best possibilities for them. I view this as a great opportunity to work exclusively with a select group of clients who put a premium on my deep domain expertise, talent in spotting good potentials, and access to a wide network of possibilities to choose from.

To date, some of my clients include among others, top CEOs of multinational companies, business owners, startup founders, TV personalities, beauty queens, former politicians, and a member of the royal family.

Brief us about your educational background.

Having earned an honors degree in International Relations from the National University of Singapore, my initial career as a newspaper journalist, later a broadcast journalist, and finally a news presenter for Channel NewsAsia helped influence my interviewing skills during my client meetings. I’m curious to know what makes my client’s journey different, interesting, and inspiring and I go beyond the same, usual question of “What are you looking for in a partner?”

Tell us about the challenges you faced to withstand the complexities of the industry.

At the start of my journey into matchmaking, I buried my head in my work and barely took notice of the competition that was happening locally. I had other local agencies that blatantly copied the words and phrases that I used on my website, a former staff who tried to pass off as an expert after just being trained by me for less than a month and many other solopreneurs who were jumping on the bandwagon after realizing how untapped the matchmaking industry was, at that time.

There was also a well-to-do/well-connected entrepreneur who managed to quickly raise several rounds of funds to start an online dating platform that later pivoted to be an entertainment company and sold off the dating business. The venture struck gold for the founder and the win was one-sided.

During those times, instead of trying to fend off competitors which to me was a waste of my time and energy, I got better at my craft. I got to know my clients really well and worked tirelessly to be the “wind beneath their wings”. I also attended conventions and seminars overseas to learn from other matchmakers who were sharing best practices and as a result, I honed and sharpened my craft.

Ultimately this is a personal business and I understand that the more intimate knowledge I have of my clients, the better I get at pairing them. To date, I’m one of the longest-serving, professional matchmakers in Singapore (and even Asia) and I feel that this is where the rubber hits the road and I’m about to embark on a fantastic trajectory.

Describe in detail your company and its unique services

My company Date High Flyers offers a personalized and exclusive matchmaking service for professionals, business owners, and high net worth individuals who have marriage in mind. My international clients comprise men and women in their late 30s all the way to early 60s for women and late 30s to mid-70s for men, who are either never married, divorced, or widowed. Slightly more than half of my clients are divorced and 70% of my clients are currently based in Singapore.

Since this is a highly personalized service, I spend a lot of time interviewing my clients to understand where they are now and where they see themselves in 12 months. I work on a retainer basis and my service could be focussed on matching clients in Singapore only or clients who are open to be matched with someone from another city. Clients who personally need my attention will enroll in the Black Label membership while those who work with my team of matchmakers join the Luxe membership.

Clients receive profiles containing images and information of the person they will be matched with and matchmakers also provide a detailed insight on why the match was chosen for clients. A face-to-face or a virtual date is then set up when clients agree to meet each other.

Brief us about the current industry scenario from your perspective.

The current, global dating and matchmaking industry is estimated to be a US$3.24 billion industry in 2021. This comprises the online dating space where the number of users in this segment is estimated at more than 442 million in 2024. Online users on average spend US$8 to $60 on online apps. In contrast, the offline matchmaking space tends to be smaller and more conservative but users are willing to spend anywhere between a few hundred to close to a million for luxury matchmaking services. It’s plain to see that finding and pursuing a lifetime partner is priceless and this evergreen industry will always continue to grow in the online and offline spaces.

What are your past experiences, achievements, or lessons that have shaped your journey?

The entrepreneurial journey is something that no one can prepare you for. I wasn’t expecting immediate success taking the road less travelled and even had to deal with my own parents and family members doubting my new career choice. After all, I was already a public figure, reading the news on a regional television station, and literally had lights, camera, and action at my feet.

However, I drew so much courage from my husband who believed in me and my ability to succeed in this new venture. His blessing and support were enough for me to chart a new path for myself and within a year and a half, I won “The Women Entrepreneur Award” conferred by the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Fast forward 17 years later, I managed to clinch several other local and regional business awards and even wrote two guidebooks to buttress my position as a bona fide matchmaker.

All these years, I have made friends and lost friends when I succeeded or failed to pair them… earned money from clients or lost money to clients who’d fight me tooth and nail to get a refund after they’ve been rejected by someone they fancy… exalted by successful couples or exonerated from disgruntled singles who didn’t think twice about discrediting the reputation that I have painstakingly built. Ultimately, I learn that my business is a personal business and everything is personal in business. And as long as I continue to do this business, I would continually be in the spotlight earning bouquets or fending-off brickbats. Still, I choose this as my calling as there’s nothing else that I’d rather do.

What are your strategies to contribute effectively in a hyper-competitive market?

Albert Einstein once said, “intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them”. In this competitive market, I feel that it’s no longer enough for me as a matchmaker to pair my clients for couple hood because I have seen so many of my clients “uncouple” or divorce due to many factors. As a matchmaker, I know that my business is sustainable over a long period of time, only when I continue to add value to my clients’ lives. That’s why apart from pairing them, I also offer relationship coaching before and after marriage to help my clients keep and sustain their marriages. And even if a couple decides to call it quits, I give them the courage and confidence to re-enter a new marriage with more wisdom and insight and less mistakes.

How do you see yourself in the near future? Tell us about your future goals.

I have openly declared that I’m on a mission to create one million marriages worldwide and I have asked God to give me work till my life shall end and life till my work is done. I see myself owning the O2O space – offline to online space – in matchmaking and have recently launched Muslim matchmaking in Malaysia last year. Just before I could hit the ground running with my app which is called Joompa, the launch which was scheduled in February 2020 came to a screeching halt as a result of the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic. My fundraising effort was stymied by dwindling confidence in the start-up ecosystems with investors waiting on the sidelines, preferring to adopt a wait and see attitude until my app achieves some traction.

What are the frequent challenges faced by women in the corporate world and what are the ways to tackle them?

In 2019, I attended a start-up boot camp in Silicon Valley and an investor pitching event in Asia where there was a disproportionately higher number of both male founders and male investors relative to female founders and investors.

For instance, there were close to 40 male start-up founders and 3 female founders vying for a round of investment. There were also 10 male investors and 1 female investor at the table. After the pitching rounds, the male founders and male investors huddled for more talks with beers in their hands while the female founders were left out of the inner circle conversations.

Despite my close follow-ups and further presentations, the male investors thought my idea was “too early” and that I needed more proof and traction, so they went ahead with other money-making male-led ventures.

Since not all founders are fortunate enough to have immediate investors and/or financiers to fund their dreams, I felt that the exercise was under-whelming knowing that women’s businesses are among the leading ventures that lack financial support. While there are several female investors championing gender lens investing who have emerged recently, venture investment into women-led companies made up only 2.8% of all investments in 2019 and the overall deal activity for women-led startups have taken a beating since the onset of the worldwide pandemic in 2020.

The ways to tackle will not happen overnight as this would require male investors to be acutely aware and conscious of this huge disparity and taking steps to revolutionize their perceptions on female founders. A massive overhaul in thinking is required and the more male investors step forward to consciously give female founders an opportunity to shine and contribute in their chosen fields, the more this attitude and mindset will take center stage in the years to come.

What would you advise young women to succeed in the workplace or as an entrepreneur/professional? How do you perceive the role of mentorship to aspiring women entrepreneurs/professionals?

My advice to aspiring women entrepreneurs is you can only become truly accomplished at something you love. So first, have an overpowering desire to serve, make better products or create a solution that goes beyond a mere wish. This must be followed by a strong, unwavering belief in your own ability to accomplish your desires… that feeling that you’re born and destined to do one job and that job is that all-consuming desire. Finally, to grow a backbone so strong that you have an invincible determination to win and create a dent in the Universe.

Having a mentor is absolutely priceless because, in a world that’s rife with fear, unfairness, and negativity, a mentor can continually remind you of your purpose, provide clarity in the midst of confusion and keep you grounded when you attain your success. But first, you must be prepared to do the heavy lifting yourself, and only then will you attract the right mentors who will take you further when they can see that you have skin in the game.