Week 1: Welcoming 2024 with intent
The 52-week challenge begins! Every Sun, you'll receive a newsletter consisting of an expert guide, success stories of female founders, and a prompt to action.
Dear reader,
As we stand at the cusp of a brand new year, I find myself reflecting on the journey of the past 365 days. The highs, the lows, the unexpected twists – all contributing to the mosaic of experiences that shape our lives. The beauty of being a founder is that possibilities are wide, and the creativity lies in setting goals that propel us forward.
I'm excited to share that this year marks my first-ever Substack post, and I couldn't think of a more empowering theme to kick off 2024 than goal-setting for ambitious women ready to make waves in the entrepreneurial world.
Inspirele is for female founders with unique backgrounds (a mum looking to start a business to follow her dreams or support her family, a university student wanting to explore the business world, a full-time corporate employee wanting to try a business idea, ….). The list is endless. This is not just a newsletter, it is a space for all of us to reflect, share, and discuss topics that matter for our journeys, to build businesses on our own terms
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Reflecting on 2023: A Prelude to New Beginnings
Before diving into the future, let's take a moment to reflect on the past. What were your victories? Your challenges? What did you learn? These reflections lay the foundation for the goals we'll set and the growth we'll achieve in the coming year. Personally, I've embraced the power of risk-taking in my professional and personal lives, finding ways to share my thoughts on topics that matter, and being intentional about how I spend my time.
Crafting Your Roadmap: An Expert Guide to Goal-Setting
Setting goals as a founder is an art, and who better to guide us than successful female founders who have navigated similar waters? In this edition, I'll share some insights from studying the paths of trailblazers like Jo Malone (Founder of Fragrance & Luxury Brand in the UK), Rania Belkahia (Founder of Afrimarket) and Falguni Nayyar (Founder of Nykaa in India), highlighting their goal-setting strategies and the pivotal role it played in their journeys.
Jo Malone’s attention to detail
Key takeaway: Know the WHY and HOW of your goals
Jo sets creative and business goals, translating them into to-do lists every morning that are clear, achievable, and detailed. She focuses not only on what the goals are, but the steps needed to get to them. Goals are easy to set, but Jo differentiates hers with writing them in a specific way that shows personal passion, something that compels her to achieve them.
Rania Belkahia’s commitment to her goals
Key takeaway: Dream big, then take it step by step
At just 23, Rania defied skeptics and co-founded Afrimarket. Despite advice to dream smaller, she champions "stretch goals" that fuel resilience and innovation, urging us to step beyond comfort zones. Her journey underscores the power of setting high standards, methodically progressing. For those familiar with discouragement to "take it slower," "trade off," or "set more realistic goals," Rania's story reminds us: never compromise on your aspirations!
Falguni Nayyar’s response to challenges
Key takeaway: Goals come with problems, but there are always solutions
Falguni is another female founder with an interesting back-story. She started Nykaa at the age of 50, from her savings of working at Kotak Mahindra Group for 19 years. Her biggest winning factor was the fact that she never gave up, no matter what came in her way. Every goal has moments that are tough, and during those times she focused on solutioning - researching case studies, discussing with mentors, and looking for comparisons.
Her age and gender were often seen as a weakness, but Falguni converted them to her strengths by focusing on persistence and ‘proving them wrong’. My favourite quote of hers is
“For young women, I would say that you are the centre of your own life. I see women trying to meet the requirements of their families and not chase their own dreams. You are the most important person in your life. It’s important to dream.”
Prompt for the week: Reflect on the past year, and set 3 inspirational goals for 2024
Excited to start this year strong? I am too! To kickstart your journey, I've crafted a mini reflective + goal-setting template for you to use. Download it here, grab your favourite beverage, and embark on this journey of self-discovery!
Some tips as you fill in the goal setting template (Page 2):
Start with a vision of yourself at the end of 2024. Who would you want to be by then? What would you toast to in Dec 2024?
Have a mix of business-related and personal goals. The ideal mix is 2 business goals + 1 personal goal
Break every goal down into specific targets that can function as a checklist of things to achieve
Hope you find this exercise inspiring to start your 2024 with intent and strength! Together, we can create the space and norm for women with diverse backgrounds to lead and be celebrated in the business world.
Cheers to a year filled with audacious dreams, strategic goals, and the unwavering belief that we DO have the power to achieve them all.
Here's to us,
—Nareen