Pooja Goel was just finishing up her MBA when Covid-19 hit. With previously lined-up professional opportunities on hold she decided to take her new marketing degree and put it to use herself. Thus Pink Collar Professionals was born. Goel’s Ghaziabad, India-based company aims to empower women entrepreneurs and professionals by helping them build a business or personal brand in the digital age. Goel knows that female business owners already have the odds stacked against them, so she’s working help level the playing field.
Goels’ story, as told to The Story Exchange 1,000+ Stories Project:
Digital is going to be the next way forward. All businesses are experiencing digital transformation at an exponential rate, compared to what they were doing five years ago. So, I felt small businesses should not lag behind in this transformation and they should quickly move into the digital space to be able to connect with their local customers via online and social media marketing platforms. The reason for primarily focusing on women are firstly, because the participation level of women has always been less in small businesses and startups than men. In the current situation of being vocal about local, I feel women can take the lead and promote their businesses that have been restrained by the needs of traveling, resources, and finances to startup. Second, Women have been struggling to manage work life balance and we have been talking about this for a long time. But by being a digital woman and using digital transformation and marketing, a woman business owner can actually make more time for herself.
[Related: 46 Female Tech Leaders Endorse Biden, Saying Trump ‘Denigrates Women’]
For me success means to keep pushing your limits. And when you see that you have achieved one goal, set another for yourself. I would say, I have yet to see true success in my life. But at the same time there are many smaller successes in different parts of it. One was when I actually started working on Pink Collar Professionals and it got recognized by Yourstory. Another success was when actually I quit my job to do my MBA in Marketing.
I would say the greatest challenge for all of us is to come out of our comfort zone and face the fear of being judged and failing. Similarly to so many people, these have been major road blocks for me. But once you overcome these I guess the rest can be figured out. You can approach people easily if you are not worried about being judged. You can try new things, if you are not fearing to fail.
I would say at each stage of life our role models change, at least that happened with me. Currently, I really get inspired by Indira Noyi, she is a great lady and women in business in India.
[Related: For the First Time, an All-Women Team Wins the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry]
Starting this venture itself has affected by personal and professional life. I was offered a good job from my college placement and was about to join in April 2020, and then Covid happened. And the company had to delay the offer. So that was the time I actually started working on Pink Collar Professionals full time.
In the next two years, we plan to reach out to 10,000 women and at least and to help 1,000 businesses. And eventually in long run, I see Pink Collar Professionals emerging as a mindset, when the women participation in business and entrepreneurship will reach an ideal number, then that will be the real success for us.
Share your story!
Check out our Advice + Tips for entrepreneurs starting-up
Watch our latest videos
Subscribe to our podcast