CHENNAI: Each woman has potential. But we are left with no personal space, no breathing space. In spite of our successes, something pulls us down; it can be family or personal commitments. We are left with no time for ourselves. This relentless life eventually makes women lose their spark, their creative abilities,” said Vasuki Lakshmi Narayan, a contemporary artist and resource person at DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum. Many such sentiments echoed at The Girlboss get-together organised by Shreya Nagarajan Singh Arts Development Consultancy on Friday. Here, women and ‘women-identifying’ entrepreneurs and artists from the city came together for the business version of speed dating, designed specifically for women to build contacts with other ‘boss womxn’ from across different fields.
“We organised a similar meeting last month and it was a big hit. Since we received an overwhelming response from people, we organised one this month. We are planning to have similar events every month or two in different cities too. Our next meeting will take place in Bengaluru,” said Shreya, adding, “Networking is important for all women whether they’re entrepreneurs or not. Usually, men form the majority in networking events. So, this event is exclusively for women and ‘women-identifying’ people to be exposed to the pulse of marketing and business strategies of other people. This is a quick and smart procedure where people get to talk to new members every three minutes and such a concept is new in India.”
Elaborating further, Vasuki said women need to break in to get that spark again. “We need motivation, entertainment, to rejuvenate our creativity. That is what this gathering does for me. I get motivated and energised seeing the young ladies full of passion; their smiles brighten my day. This is my breathing space,” she shared. Apeksha, a first-timer at the gathering, said, “I have a full-time job but I also have plans to start my own business. I found this gathering online and I came here to connect.”
This was a first for marketing professional and dancer Shivani too. “It was nice to meet like-minded people from different fields. I wanted to explore and come out of my comfort zone as I’m not one to socialise easily. It was a very comfortable event and I was able to connect with many new people.”
And not just those from the business end, even the creative minds were inspiration from the group. “I get to meet a lot of people. I am an artist and these meetings help me a lot in creative appreciation. I get intrigued by other artists’ works,” said Rama, an artist and the manager of the gathering.