At BrilliantRead Media, our aim is to bring to our community some of the unique and compelling stories from the start-up ecosystem. As part of this endeavour, we invited yet another passionate entrepreneur – Dr Shweta Singh, for an exclusive interview with us. Dr Shweta is the Founder and CEO of Ennoble IP and Women Innovation & Entrepreneurship Foundation (WIEF). She is also a mentor, angelist, wealth manager, advisor and guide to many tech-based startups and SMEs. Shweta is actively involved in supporting women based startups and business venture. She has been continuously mentoring women entrepreneurs and supporting them dedicatedly to build strong women empowered startups ecosystem. Let’s learn more about her exciting journey as an entrepreneur, her background and her advice for our growing community:
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with her:
We all have heard about all the work you are currently doing, so what keeps you going? Tell our audience a little about your journey, please;
Growing up in the small town of Jaunpur, I always engaged myself in the books as a child and was never into the activities that other girls were into. My father, being a teacher himself, always paid big emphasis on the education of all his children.
And like any other Indian parent, my parent also wanted me to become a doctor as I was very good in my studies. But, I always had a vision from my childhood to build something on my own and to do something different than others of my age were doing.
I did not know I was moving towards that dream when I signed up for an IP program at WIPO. I was hoping for an eventful evening when I was attending one of the Intellectual Property conferences in Singapore, and it turned out to be exactly that. During the conference, I got to know that people from other countries criticize Indians by claiming them to be not competent enough to safeguard their own property despite housing some incredible minds and talent working towards the generation of some excellent intangible assets, because of which India also lagged in Global Innovation Index ranking. This fact perturbed me to no end and I was instantly filled with the zeal to contribute towards the IP protection, which resulted in the establishment of Ennoble IP.
Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job?
I always had the vision to do something and build something on my own and make my unique identity of myself and entrepreneurship was a way to do that. Along with this, I knew being an entrepreneur I will always have an opportunity to do something for the society and change lives. Therefore, I chose Entrepreneurship over a job.
How do you find the industry/niche that you’re in?
Very exciting because the field of IP is full of innovations and I get something new to learn every day.
What gets you out of bed in the morning i.e. what’s your source of motivation?
My work because I love what I do, my office and my people are the biggest sources of motivation for me. Adding to this, the daily new challenges and zeal to learn something new are also one of the major sources of motivation for me.
What challenges/obstacles did you face in your journey so far?
Just like any other woman in this world, I have had my fair share of troubles during my entrepreneurial career, which I credit to the patriarchal system and mindset engraved in our society. According to me the toughest problem as a woman entrepreneur is that she is first & foremost looked at as a woman first, then as an entrepreneur. Most industries are dominated by men & although the scenario is changing, we still have a long way to go when it comes to progressiveness.
For these very reasons I was determined to help other women entrepreneurs so that they don’t have to go through the same troubles. I started a non-profit organization, WIEF (Women Innovation Entrepreneurship Foundation), specially dedicated to helping women entrepreneurs by guiding and mentoring them to bloom their ideas into a successful business model.
When I look back to the time when I was still working towards achieving the dream of becoming an entrepreneur I remembered facing many problems especially because of the fact that I was a woman hailing from a small town where women had very limited exposure to opportunities.
My struggles became the primary source of my inspiration to start something to support other women who hail from small towns and cities as they get very less exposure to business ecosystem compared to those who come from metros and tier 1 & 2 cities. I realized that women are still far behind in achieving equal rights, and the main problem lies in the patriarchal system of our society which considers women as mere subordinates to men and creates different types of methods to subjugate them. I realized that there was a need for acknowledgement about the situation that lurks upon our society, which ranges from violence against women to lack of nutritional needs.
And as a women entrepreneur, I wanted to start something for women that does not strive to only support them but also to become the enabler that stands right behind women who wish to rise above the restraints that society bears upon them
What comes first for you – money or emotions?
Emotions, because it plays an important role in how we think and behave. The emotions we feel each day can compel us to take action and influence the decisions we make about our lives, both large and small
How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
I don’t like to let stress take over a situation. Instead, I like to stay focused on the task at hand. For example, if a client isn’t happy with our services, instead of dwelling on it, I like to focus on proactively communicating with them. I like to get to the bottom of the issue, troubleshoot it, and then find a common ground that’ll allow us to move forward. Also, I’ve found that a healthy amount of stress motivates me to stay on track and work as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Moreover, I m a very foodie person, I like to try different cuisines, so when stressed, I love going out and try different cuisines and spend some quality time with my kid. This works as a best stress-busting therapy for me.
What is one strategy that you believe has helped grow you as a person/women leader?
Connecting with new people and believing in myself has helped me the most to grow as a women leader.
It is true when said that “Every successful entrepreneur and the business leader did what they were afraid to do instead of just letting the fear rule in their personal and professional lives”.
The best way to overcome fear is to acknowledge it. Facing my fear and coming out of my comfort zone has helped me through all the tough situations.
What advice would you give to someone starting out as an aspiring women entrepreneur?
My advice to other aspiring women entrepreneurs is to have the right mindset. To become a successful woman in business just believe in yourself and trust your instinct and be committed to give it your all 150% of the time and have a great attitude with a ‘can-do’ spirit. If you believe in yourself, enjoy what you do, and challenge yourself to keep up the good work (and attitude), then your mindset will reflect on you and your family, friends, and employees will believe in you too. There will be people out there who will doubt you and your ability to succeed in the business world, solely because you are a woman. Sometimes in order to be successful, you have to work that much harder in the face of those who doubt you, this is the time to rise to the occasion and prove to not only those people but to yourself as well what you are capable of.
Today, society needs women who can empower other aspiring women who wish to carry out business and become independent so that a chain is created which brings self-sufficiency among women entrepreneurs.
If you can dream it, you can definitely do it, this is what I had in my mind when I was trying to achieve my goals. It doesn’t matter if you have the experience or not, you have all the potential to become a successful entrepreneur as long as you believe in your powers.
If you stick to having clear goals in your mind and you are dedicated to working hard to achieve it, nothing can stand in your way and nothing can stop you to shine like a star.
There’s only one life, so be confident and determined to create your own identity because once you know who you are “you are unstoppable” – Dr Shweta Singh
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
