Women Empowered ’s latest event on October 9, 2014 at Bright Courtyard in Baker Street, explored how one can create and seize opportunities. The evening commenced with Reena Ranger, Founder and Chairman of Women Empowered (WE) addressing and asking the guests “Life is constantly changing, throwing new challenges, opportunities and disappointments our way and is it possible that with a new perspective we can see our situations in a different light and take ownership of what is and create something new; maybe identifying and seizing the smaller, less obvious opportunities around us will help us reach our goal faster than waiting for the big one to come along. So today we ask: Are obstacles and disappointments opportunities in disguise? How do we identify what is a possible opportunity. How do we stop fear and self-doubt from holding us back? She went on to say, “Our speakers today have done just that, created their own paths from disappointments, changed careers and now can help others and effect policy and their actions can have a lasting impact on the population or simply revolutionized an industry and the way millions conduct their transactions daily”

The first speaker, Kavita Oberoi OBE of Oberoi Consulting, started her own firm after missing out on a promotion at work. She said, “You learn in many ways, you are learning every single day along the way”. She cited her secret to success as “Desperation, Perspiration, Aspiration and Inspiration. Be passionate about what you do, if you aren’t ready for something then it isn’t going to work; visualise your dreams”. She spoke of her background starting from her entrepreneurial father and the work ethic she witnessed from his example and her mother recognizing the potential in her daughter and how she encouraged her in every avenue and supported her dreams, sometimes in secret. She spoke about the importance of education as it always gives you something to fall back on. She shared her personal story of how she juggled family expectations with her aspirations and went on to explain how sometimes difficult and stifling cultural circumstances never held her back as she always found a way to overcome them and was always determined to succeed and when she was told she couldn’t do something it galvanized her further to succeed. She spoke of the importance of role models and mentors to push and guide you along the way.