At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring some of the meaningful and powerful stories from around the world to empower and motivate our growing community. This week, we invited yet another passionate and purpose-driven entrepreneur Bhavna Toor to know more about her inspiring journey and the way forward. She is a Business Leader, Seasoned Entrepreneur, Coach, Mentor, Change Enabler, Keynote Speaker and Founder & CEO of Shenomics. Shenomics is a mindful leadership platform for aspiring women. It helps women create massive impact with their work, and live and lead from within. Let’s learn more about Bhavna’s journey, way forward and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Bhavna:
Talk us through your background and your journey as a woman entrepreneur, please;
I grew up all around the world, in countries such as Nigeria, the U.K. and the U.S. I ended up spending the most amount of time in the U.S., where I did my entire education and embarked on the first phase of my career in finance. Right around the time when I was graduating from business school, like many people, I started to ask what I really want the rest of my life to be about, and how I could create the biggest impact I could possibly make. I didn’t have a clear answer to that question at the time, but I knew the answer lay not in following the crowd, but in finding the courage to create my own path. With that desire in my mind, I moved back to India.
The first phase of being in India was all about experimenting with different ideas, particularly in the social enterprise space. I was travelling all around the country mentoring and advising budding social entrepreneurs, and that is when the idea of becoming an entrepreneur myself took hold.”
And since I was also on a spiritual odyssey, trying to answer the bigger questions in life, and in the process of exposing myself to various philosophies and schools of thought, I was introduced to mindfulness through a 10-day Vipassana meditation retreat. That made a big shift for me because it made me realize that the answers to all of our questions lie in turning within. As Rumi said, “We go from room to room, searching for the diamond necklace, that is around our neck.”
I knew then that just like me, there are scores of women all around me, who are also trying to create a bigger impact in the world, and wondering how they can do so. If we could support them through a mindful leadership journey, anchored in principles of mindfulness, we knew we could support them in becoming the best version of themselves, and in the process give the world a set of leaders who are calm, compassionate and conscious, which is exactly what the world needs. That is how Shenomics was born.”
Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a corporate career?
As an entrepreneur, the most empowering thing for me is that I don’t just get to share someone else’s vision, but I get to actively play a much bigger role in creating a vision for the work that we are doing and the impact that we wish to make. The sense of autonomy and freedom that one gets in shaping a vision for a better world is the most intoxicating thing about being an entrepreneur in my opinion.
Also, I believe the entrepreneurial path is ultimately an invitation and a deeper call to believe in oneself, overcome the internal barriers that stop you from expressing yourself and your vision at the highest level, and a responsibility to use this opportunity to make the biggest contribution you can possibly make. And that’s what makes it an adventure of a lifetime! What could be more satisfying than watching the unfolding of your own potential, while making a real difference in the lives of others”
Please share with us some of the challenges you faced in your journey;
To me, the greatest challenges in an entrepreneur’s journey are all of the internal challenges one faces – be it the loneliness in the initial stages, the sense of self-doubt that makes you question if you can make an impact at a bigger scale, and all of the fears that stop you from taking the risks you need to take. None of it is easy, but I have found if you always keep the larger vision in mind, and hold steadfast to your values as you seek to bring that vision to life, the universe does come to your aid. If you master the inner game of entrepreneurship, the outer game is not just easier, but also more fun!
How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
I have been practising mindfulness for over 8 years now, and mindfulness practices, most notably a daily practice of meditation, even if it is just for 10 minutes, has been my saving grace when it comes to managing stress.
Beyond meditation, I am also a big believer in anchoring your day and evenings in a set of routines. I have a very clear morning routine and an evening routine that I follow.
My mornings, which typically begin at 4 am, always have a combination of yoga, meditation, journaling, learning, and some form of physical exercise (typically a half-hour walk or run in the mornings.) And, I like to end my days with a digital sunset (not looking at my phone for at least 30 minutes before bedtime), planning my day ahead, and a practice of gratitude – reflecting on all that went well that day.”
These simple but powerful routines are mentally and emotionally energizing, and give me the fortitude to handle whatever life may throw at me, gracefully and calmly.
What are the business mantras you have embraced as you sought to establish your success story?
One thing we firmly believe in is holding steadfast to the values that define us. For example, personal growth and ongoing learning is something we are all passionate about, and every single member of the team devotes considerable time each week to learning. We deeply value our own personal growth, because we know that unless we ourselves are constantly pushing ourselves to become the best version of ourselves, we cannot talk about or encourage others to do the same. Integrity, therefore, is the foundation we have built our company on.
Another core value for us is generosity. 3 years ago, we created a fellowship program for young women leaders. From a pure business perspective, it may not necessarily make sense, because it takes a disproportionate amount of our time and effort to run, and it is not a profit-making initiative. Nonetheless, it is one of the most rewarding things we do every year, it renews our commitment to keep growing the impact we are making through this and other programs and has helped us build a growing community of passionate women and men that are equally excited about this cause. That, to me, is priceless, and has done more for helping us solidify our brand than anything else.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
I am deeply internally anchored and driven. If I can look at myself, and say I am a better version of myself today than I was a day before, a month before, or a year before, that to me is a success. And, the way I measure that success is through the values that are important to me. A few of my core values are courage, generosity and discipline. I am always asking how I can become a bigger expression of these values through specific goals and challenges that are inspired by these values. For example, I decided to give up sugar for 100 days so I could practice discipline. I am currently on a 2-year shopping fast as an expression of mindful living. And, every year, through our work, we ask how we can give back more as an expression of generosity. This year, it has meant giving away a significant portion of the proceeds from our public events to organizations working towards supporting people negatively impacted by Covid-19. As long as I am continually living and working in alignment with my values, I feel successful.
Given the rapid pace at which the world is changing, what are the leadership traits that are necessary for success?
The kind of world we are moving towards is one where people fundamentally want a more egalitarian culture, where everyone feels valued, where everyone’s voice matters and is heard, and where everyone feels the full freedom and belonging to be able to contribute at the highest level. The days of a command-and-control style of leadership are long gone. What the world wants to see in its leaders is a powerful combination of both a few of the more traditionally masculine leadership traits, such as being decisive and taking appropriate risks, to the more feminine traits, such as empathy, collaboration and humility. The current crisis has made it abundantly clear that leaders who are lacking in the more feminine leadership traits will not just fail, but that their failure comes at the cost of lives and our economic security, and both are too heavy a price to pay.
We would love to know your advice for all those starting out as an aspiring women entrepreneur?
If you feel a longing to do something entrepreneurial, and a creative idea has taken hold of your imagination, consider it both a blessing and a responsibility to bring it to life. Know that self-doubt and all kinds of fears will be a part of your journey, and therein lie the seeds of your greatest personal growth. Take measured risks, if you have to, and go as slowly as you like. It is not important what others are doing, or what others expect of you. The only thing that is important is that you believe in yourself and you keep marching forward, one small step at a time.
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.
