INNATE SKILLS OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

Having spent many years in the Corporate world, I know for a fact that there are a dozen of qualities that women innately have in order to excel in their profession. Gone are the days when women hesitated to venture into the jobs, times are changing and so is the mindset of this society. We are now more accepting of women who decide to work and earn a living for themselves but business is a different ball game altogether. The business landscape is changing albeit slowly.The willingness to take risk and start entrepreneurship is rare and even rarer with women but being a woman entrepreneur myself, this post is about how women are born with some of the most needed leadership skills which they just need to hone and use in their stride to be successful entrepreneurs.

1. Networking: Most of us are born with good social skills. It is termed negotiating in the business world but in simple language, it is about getting to know people and interact with them so that more opportunities open up. Networking can happen anywhere, even when you are travelling in the bus, so keep yourself open to opportunities.To structure the process, participate in business workshops and get your friends and other like minded people to introduce you to more well connected and influential people.
2. Aptitude for learning : It is a given fact that to survive in today’s competitive world, one should be ever ready to learn new things. Every day, there is a new technology evolving and new tools come replacing old ones, creating a need to learn new skills. Research also proves that not only do girls have flair for learning but they also learn faster.
3. Market research: Collecting information is every woman’s forte and as an entrepreneur, one needs to be able to conduct market research that will provide the key information to develop a concrete business plan. Identifying trends and competition in order to know the demographics and profiles is extremely important . It not only helps to understand the industry better but also helps meet the customer needs proactively.
4. Delegating:  The art of delegation in our daily lives comes pretty naturally on most occasions and interestingly it is one of the most sought after skills in business. Women in general are good at convincing people to believe in them and in the business world, you need to get people to believe in your vision and share the same as yours.
5. Sense of Ownership : Every successful business owner has taken the complete ownership of his/her business and guess what, women are blessed with supreme sense of ownership. A woman’s brain is developed in a way that she takes complete responsibility of people she loves.
6. Human Resource Management:Women have a knack for human resource management because they always understand the emotive aspect of the business better. Conflict management and higher emotional intelligence helps mitigate issues within the team better resulting in a harmonious and more productive environment.
7. Having talked about the skills where women need minimum effort to leverage on, there is one skill that women in general might need to doubly work on and that is ‘Taking due credit of one’s effort and success’.We often fail to pat our backs for the incredible effort we put in and pass on the credit to someone else. Remember girls, no one will invest in you if you do not believe in yourself and that has to be showcased to the world.

P.S – There is no way I mean to say women are better or worse than men. This article is all about what we already have and can leverage in order to be successful.

HOME AS A LEARNING SPACE FOR KIDS

 

Image Source Flintobox

Home is the first environment a child is exposed to socially and it is home where the child spends maximum time of his early years around his/her family. It is a great opportunity to utilize this environment to maximize the learning of a toddler. To do the same, it is important that we as parents and people around us who are involved in raising the child are actively adopting the behavioral alterations required to suit the learning of the child.Some of the easy to do and important ones are –

1.Improving the listening and responding skills – Toddlers have a habit of asking never ending questions, sometimes they repeatedly keep asking silly questions. There is no end to the whats, whys and hows but then, it is only natural for us to get irritated. The key to alter this behavior is obviously patience; if you consistently encourage the curiosity and raise the interest level of the child it will have many long term benefits. The child grows up to constantly seek new things in life, explore and experiment with changes. If we do it in an early age, it will continue in the long run.

2. Reading Habit – We all know reading is a great habit but it is a habit which cannot be inculcated in a child by preaching. This is something which can only be done by leading through example. There are two ways to do this – reading yourself and being an example to the child or reading the book aloud to the child every night through bedtime stories or any other means. This comes for my personal experience – whenever I read a book, V also has the excitement to hold a book and pretend to read. In fact this is how kids transition from pretending to read to actually start reading.

3. Declutter – Like most other parents, I am also guilty of getting too many toys and games for my daughter. Kids are spoilt for choice and eventually start to devalue things. Research also proves a child’s learning is maximized when it is uncluttered and organised. Prioritizing and organizing skills can really be imbibed in the early years. Time capping for certain games is also a great idea where you only give one set of toys for a particular period of time. Involve the child in the de-cluttering process and let him/her choose the next set.

4. Demonstration – It is always a great idea to ask kids to assist you to do things. Household chores or outdoor tasks, working as a team always helps raise a more responsible child. The activity is also perceived as fun activity by them and not a task.

5. Let them try – Unless it is a big hazard, let the kids try to do things independently. Parental supervision is good but instilling the confidence in the child really means a lot. I have seen the such kids to grow up as very confident and fearless individuals.

 

 

FOTD: FADED BURGUNDY EYEMAKEUP

Holidays are a fantastic time to create new looks and experiment with colors. I had shot this back in summers during our trip to Vienna but finally posting this with all the details. To think of it, it could actually be a great fall/winter look owing to the gorgeousness of this burgundy color.

The only eye shadow palette I had carried was this one – Electric Obsessions by Huda Beauty. Let me begin by telling you about all the products that have gone into creating this look.

On the Eyes

Eye Primer – Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion

Outer corner – Burgundy/Dark Pink from the palette shown above

Inner Corner – Mix of the NYX White Jumbo Pencil and orange

On the top of eyelid, I used a mix of the NYX White Jumbo Pencil, orange and the burgundy blended carefully with a blending brush

On the water liner and Lash line – NYX Professional Makeup Retractable Eye Liner in White

Mascara  – Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

Eye Brows – Benefit Big Brows Set

On the Face 

Primer – Farsali Serum Unicorn Tears

Foundation – MAC Studio Fix in NC 25

Concealer – Benefit Erase Paste

Blush – Benefit Dandelion(The small travel pack I always carry)

Highlighter – MAC Mineralise Skin Finish

Deep reddish brown and burgundy instantly add a touch of glamour to the look. On could easily use a pop of glitter to this for the perfect party look. If you want to make a statement, go create this look .

More coming your way, Happy Holidays!!!

TISSURA: LACE FABRICS FOR BRIDAL GOWNS

Tissura is a huge global network of fashion fabric shops and showrooms located in Hong Kong, Moscow and Saint Petersburg. For the rest of the world, they are widely available on a global scale  for its online shop Tissura.com where they ship the world’s greatest textile chef-d’oeuvres to any part of world.

While they cater to a large audience whose taste vary from classy, affordable fabrics to the most luxurious ones, my eye caught the bridal lace which is beyond outstanding. They have a large repository of lace clothes that are full of tenderness and delicacy. Lace is widely preferred for the wedding gowns and Tissura.com provides the most amazing options. Lace is the absolute perfect timeless accent which compliments any silhouette and makes you look very elegant walking down the aisle. I found some amazing variants in corded lace, lyon lace and Chantilly Lace which in my imagination would make the most romantic and graceful wedding gowns.

There are different patterns ranging from stripes to floral to even geometrical and sequins all over the fabric. Manufactured in Austria, Italy and Japan they are made with the utmost perfection and highest quality.

Embroidered lace fabrics are my personal choice which define the significance and grandeur of a wedding. As proven always, lace has absolutely no limits as to which season it is acceptable for. From spring to winter, alluring lacy gowns are trending every year, every season. So, check out Tissura.com and go for the amazing bridal laces to pick your dream wedding gown.

Represented by HOH, Riechers Marescot and Marco Lagatolla, decorated with sequins, silver bugles, beads and faux pearls, they are created to bring a touch of glimmer to your bridal dress, turning it into one of the most exciting attributes of your big day.

Tissura works with most trustworthy suppliers who are renowned for the reference quality of their fabrics.

Tissura has been selling the best luxury couture fabrics for almost twenty years. Head to the website and buy fabrics by the leading European brands and enjoy their international delivery at Tissura online fabric store.

HOSPITAL BAG OF AN INDIAN MOM-TO-BE

Pic courtesy : Quickmeme

I can still feel the excitement and anxiety of the day I was getting admitted in the hospital eagerly waiting for Baby V to arrive. Weeks of planning had gone into it and I would be happy to share the packing essentials for the big day.

1. Photo ID, Insurance Info, Hospital Forms – First and foremost, important stuff to be filed in organized folders and kept ready at least a month before the due date. Insurance formalities can be a real pain if not managed properly.
2. Cell phone and charger – You will need it to answer to all the wishes you get J
3. Comfortable night gown – If you are someone like me who is used to wearing PJs and shorts, let me tell you that is not an option. Even mums who have been used to wearing sarees and salwar suits, you might like to choose comfort for a while J
4. Headband – However trivial it may sound, it is an essential. Post my CSec I was asked to lie down without a pillow for straight 20 hours. I had taken just one clutcher which poked me all night through until the time I had to borrow a headband from someone else.
5. Maternity Bra – Feeding a baby every now and then is no easy job. The only thing which can make things better for you is convenience. There are plenty of options in the maternity shopping section which can be explored.
6. Hipster panties – CSec mommies will have to be extra careful with the stitches and avoid any friction on the incision. Hence, it is highly advisable to wear plus size panties which go all the way up to your upper abdomen.
7. Breastfeeding cover – Indian friends and relatives do not hesitate to drop in generously once the baby is born. After all, our culture is such that we always rejoice and mourn together. For a new mom, it can get really hard and embarrassing to manage the crowd while she is still coming to terms with feeding a baby. So a good cover is a must (there are tons available which can be worn later in many different ways). P.S I still wear mine as a kaftan and sometimes roll it up as a scarf.
8. Nursing Pads – Not everybody would need it right away but being prepared for leak protection will save you a lot of trouble.
9. Adult Diapers – Heavy bleeding in the first few days comes as quite a shock to most moms but it’s all normal. Generally, recommend adult diapers which can manage heavy bleeding unlike the usual sanitary pads.
10. Nipple creams – Sore nipples are going to be your friends for the next few months, applying good quality nipple creams could relieve some bit of pain.
11. Toiletries and personal items: The must haves for every woman – Toothbrush, hairbrush, toothpaste, face wash, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, lotion, contact lens case and solution. Travel size packs recommended as they are easy to carry.
12. Comfortable loose maternity clothes and flat slippers for the discharge day- I had swollen feet for the most of my maternity. While it magically disappeared just after the baby was out but I would still recommend very comfortable slippers/shoes as you are yet to gain complete stability and control over your body post-delivery.
13. Food – Your doctor will best prescribe what diet you should be following post procedure. Also, Indian moms tend to carry Shatavari and other Ayurvedic supplements for lactation supply, make sure your doctor is aware and okay with it.

Soon, I shall come up with a packing list for the Indian baby to arrive.

USE YOUR EARNED LEAVES!

Despite a fixed holiday entitlement  as per company policies stipulated by organisations, most of the employees in India often refrain from taking leave mainly due to stereotypes attached to it.A survey conducted by British Airways says “2 per cent are often concerned with the mounting load of the work while the other 26 per cent are unable to find the time to disengage from the official responsibilities. Close to 30 per cent are unable summon the courage to ask for leave, as a large share believe that two-week holidays are frowned upon or discouraged by their workplace”

Here I shall address the last reason which is traumatizing 30 % of the employee population and their families(since work life balance of the individual directly impacts the family).

Here are seven reasons why you must muster courage to take leaves at work –

1. One must take a break from the drudgery of work. Be it a holiday or a relaxed day off at home, the rest truly makes a difference to the productivity of an employee.
2. Some of us actually believe in accumulating holidays so that we could avail leave encashment at the time of exit. Guys, let me tell you most leaves accumulated lapse beyond a certain period of time and unless you exit in the same year before they lapse, you won’t get much benefit out of it. Additionally, a paid holiday is a day where you earn the whole amount where as in case of leave encashment, you get only basic and DA(if applicable).
3. Often employees believe that not taking leaves will ensure the employee stays in the good books of the boss. This is the biggest myth – leaves are employees’ right and exercising a right should not depend on anyone’s perception on you.
4. Employees burn out at a very early stage these days. This is primarily due to outrageous workloads and no worklife balance. This leaves the employee not feeling valued for all the hard work they do.
5. Personal health and relationships is priority. It is above everything else. While most of us realize it only with age, it is better if the realization dawns sooner in our lives.
6. Focused attention is directly proportional to higher efficiency.Dedicated hours at work ensure complete attention to the job , similarly focused attention to home and family ensure strengthening of the family bonding and personal relationships.
7. Fewer health problems – Stress can cause a variety of issues, personal health topping the list.From the overall health and well being to serious respiratory and digestive issues, it could pose a serious threat to one’s life.

SUMMER HUES : FOTD

They said yellow eye shadow is the biggest trend this summer. From mustard to neon, my Instagram feed was flooded with great artists experimenting with the brightest and sunniest shades of yellow. So when I set out to explore the streets of Prague on a very sunny day, I decided to experiment with the bright hues of yellow. Thanks to my Huda Beauty Electric Obsessions, the color pop was totally worth it.

I would not even have to explain what I used if you would see the palette for yourself. I started with a Bobbi Brown eye primer for the eye shadow to show its true colors.Basically, I used a mix of pink and purple in crease and base which are evenly spread out. I used the benefit concealer on the inner corner and spread it to the middle of the eyelids for the yellow to be as bright as possible. Then, I tapped the yellow color on the concealer and slowly blended it across the lids to even it out with the purple.

Interestingly I had left my INGLOT AMC77 gel eyeliner(which I generally use) back home and I had no option but to use a lip liner on the eyes. I used NYX Maroon lip liner for the same and it did not disappoint me at all.

As always, I was a little too shy to use a bright lip color with bright eyes and a very bright yellow top. Hence, I chose MAC twig, an absolute subtle and everyday wear lip color . Benefit brows and Benefit Roller Lash mascara as usual to complete the look.

More such FOTDs on my Instagram stories. Follow http://www.instagram.com/missvogueviolet for more!

DRESSLILY : HOLIDAY SHOPPING

Talk about sweet serendipity and how I landed up on this awesome online shopping website dresslily while looking for some holiday essentials. From vintage dresses, plus size dresses, tank tops,swim wear and even home decors, they have it all. What a respite, I could easily to all my shopping in just this one website. Well, that’s not the end of it , all fashion must haves are also right up here –fashion.So, from here on, if I have to look up for a wardrobe revamp, these are the two destinations I will always hit up.

Since this is summer and I am soon to hit the beach, my search for bikinis ended right up here.Dressing up for a beach holiday is really fun and can be very easy if you find the right outfit. While a bikini is a go to for such holidays, you really need to add the quirk element to stand out in the huge crowd. I found these really fun pineapple prints on this website. You can check out the collection here. I love to get creative with my clothing and I totally loved the range of strappy high rise, stoop neck empire waist, wrap bikinis and many more all available in such fun prints. Here’s one that I find very wearable –

Image Source – Dresslily

 

ROSEGAL : ONE SHOULDER CRAZE

RoseGal was in fact started by a group of friends all of whom shared a deep passion for great fashion. They give specific focus to a lot of particular styles. First of all, plus size fashion – They have the most affordable range of outfits fit for all occasions – from party wear to swimwear.  The second broad category is vintage fashion – There’s something so ladylike and elegant about the vintage collection they have.The vintage style is a unique  fashion statement, truly capturing the essence of classic fashion. The most appealing category is the one which caters to most of us – contemporary and modern.It showcases the very recent trends and the styles are loved by one and all. My personal bet on this website, solely because it had something for everyone irrespective of gender, body type, taste etc.

Coming to the latest trend of one shoulder tops and dresses,I think it is a great way to jazz up a look, bringing in the glamour quotient almost immediately.It gives a great structure to an outfit and also breaks the body shape lines into visually longer and leaner. I love how sophisticated it looks and the fact that it makes one look really party ready in a jiffy.

You can shop for many more such one shoulder outfits here – See more details here