StrongWomen

Inspiring Women

Inspiring Women Every Wednesday: Dr. Priti Sharma

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Author of the book ‘An Insight into Mergers and Acquisitions’ An International Publication with Palgrave Macmillan She has more than two decades of academic and corporate experience. She is associated with the International College of Financial Planning(ICoFP) – A Bajaj Capital Group institute, ICFAI, National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange as academic faculty. Dr. Sharma has worked with Flex Industries Ltd in the corporate finance division. Her Academic & Research interests are Investments & Valuation, Financial Statement Analysis, Fintech, Blockchain, Mergers & Acquisitions and Mutual Funds. Let’s Get Inspired In Conversation with Dr. Priti Sharma – Preeti Juneja Q. How can we empower women with financial Literacy in a way that is easy to comprehend and applicable to their everyday experiences? Financial Literacy is at the core of a self-reliant, confident and psychologically & financially secure society. One umbrella approach will not suffice when discussing women’s empowerment through financial Literacy. Women who have access to education and are part of the active workforce to be sensitized and educated about the importance of financial planning, setting their life goals in time and building a systematic approach to secure their golden age while attaining all other important financial goals. We must capitalize on digital infrastructure to leverage its reach and efficiency and conduct awareness sessions to take small steps through inculcating the habits of financial discipline, prudence and systematic investments. This could be supplemented with audio-visual resources to guide products and processes. A different approach is required for women from marginalized communities and less privileged in terms of education and financial security. Volunteers, NGOs, and self-help groups must be built to work at the grassroots level and educate on the importance of earning and regularly saving small sums of money. These women to be provided with enablers like organized credit support, physical, financial & digital infrastructure and mentorship to start their own ‘Kuteer Udyog’ (cottage industry) or earn a livelihood for themselves and their families so that they do not become a victim of the unorganized debt trap. Self-help groups are to be encouraged for financial assistance and cooperative progress among women. Creating financial awareness and handholding by volunteering educators, social workers and NGOs at their doorstep is a must to make a difference. Corporates, as part of their CSR activity and Government role, provide enablers in this direction. Q. In the face of increasing competition, India’s M&A market remains robust, with buyers adopting advanced pre-deal scrutiny and thorough post-deal strategizing. Your authored work, “An Insight into Mergers and Acquisitions,” imparts valuable insights into the realm of M&A. What pivotal message from the book would you like to underscore in the current scenario? Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) are a way of faster growth and entry into a new market and product segment. M&As are quite frequent when a tech entrepreneur wants to develop a new technology or work towards advancing existing technology but needs more funds for its scalability and commercial application. A large entity often finds it useful to acquire such tech start-ups. A strategically planned and carefully executed M&A can be a boon for not only merging entities but also leading to consolidation in the industry and efficient utilization of resources. M&A should never be governed by greed or poor reasons for making money or getting into the game of empire-building. It may lead to winning the deal but poses the risk of highly leveraged acquisition or overpaying for the target and being the victim of the winner’s curse. The acquirer should pursue only profitable growth opportunities, and strategic fit should be at the soul of M&A. The strict due diligence of operations, financial, legal, and human resources will ensure that M & A is not a nightmare. Merging entities should carefully craft the post-merger integration, clarity of roles, balance of power and plans to address the cultural differences. Q. Do you have specific financial guidance for women breaking through the glass ceiling in the eCommerce industry? How can they upskill in business finance? Every business segment has its dynamics. It is very important to understand the suppliers’ and buyers’ negotiating power for the industry, the nature of competition, trade requirements, and the availability of finance. E-business requires the understanding of creating a user-friendly yet secure platform, which is to be backed by standard procedures and policies. Inventory Management and Logistics play a very significant role in the success of an e-commerce platform. Women should acquire these skill sets and trade requirements. Develop a team which has expertise in these critical areas. Understanding of the various sources of short-term funding, receivable financing, and a flexible line of credit can help them to use funds as and when required and pay the finance charge on the actual amount and time of funds utilization. Equally important is managing long-term funds and carefully selecting the product lines they foray. Attending live training, being a part of industry forums, acquiring relevant certifications, and leveraging the power of the network are some of the key actions to make a strong footprint in the industry. Q. Given your combined academic and corporate background, your well-rounded expertise positions you as an excellent career advisor, especially in finance. Is this an avenue you are considering exploring further in the future? As educators, we have a moral responsibility to contribute and actively engage in guiding the new-age aspirants. We can make a difference in people’s lives by helping them in multiple ways. Today’s youth has a problem of choice and risk of being influenced by external stimuli like the attractiveness of a career option. The correct approach is to map your strengths and capabilities with the chosen profession and build a roadmap to achieve your goals. Choosing the right career option is the foundation of a successful career and a satisfied life. The pathways to achieving your desired goals are the acquisition of suitable skills, a well-designed approach, consistency of efforts, and hard work. Continuous learning, staying motivated, maintaining physical and emotional fitness, and maintaining a work-life

Inspiring Women

Inspiring Women Every Wednesday: Saxophone Subbalaxmi

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M S SUBBALAXMI, A.K.A SAXOPHONE SUBBALAXMI One of the best professional celebrity Women Saxophonist in India today Mysore Sainatha Subbalaxmi from Bangalore, India, secured the Guinness World Record for the longest marathon playing saxophone, with an impressive duration of 26 hours and 23 minutes. This remarkable achievement took place from 18 to 19 February 2023. Notably, she accomplished this feat while being seven months pregnant, adding an extraordinary element to her record-setting performance. She specializes in a diverse range of music genres, encompassing Carnatic, Fusion, and Bollywood Music. With a whopping 3000+ performances worldwide, she’s not just playing the Saxophone; she’s turning every performance into a dance party, making her audience swing. She proudly claims to play saxophone fluently in over 109 languages, including Kannada, English, Hindi, and Telugu. Saxophone Subbalaxmi also awarded with very prestigious “PADMABHARATHI”, “YUVAKALA BHARATHI”, “Limca book of record” and many more. Humility still remains a hallmark. Let’s Get Inspired In Conversation with Saxophone Subbalaxmi – Preeti Juneja Q. What difficulties did you encounter transitioning from Carnatic music to playing the Saxophone and embracing Western musical elements in your saxophone performances? Classical music is a different genre characterized by its unique elements, including intricate ‘gamakas’, ‘bendings’, and specific blowing techniques. The approach to playing sahitya in this genre also sets it apart. Initially, I encountered challenges adapting to this style; it did not sound so Westernized. The nuances of bending in Western and classical music presented distinct challenges, with classical playing emphasizing straight notes. Overcoming these differences required long research and posed a substantial yet rewarding challenge. Q. What lifestyle habits do you adhere to in your daily routine to enhance your overall performance, concentration, and motivation? There is no separate daily routine for this; it’s all about consistent practice—just practice, practice, and more practice. That’s the key! To enhance playing and sustain technique, incorporating pranayama is essential. Even if it’s not a daily commitment, practising pranayama significantly helps a lot. Q. You mentioned in one of your interviews, “I proved that women too can play the saxophone.” Given the fascination many young girls have with your performances, do you intend to offer saxophone lessons or teach in the future? Yes, I do have the intention to teach. I conduct online classes, where I have a female student and some youngsters. I’m open to anyone interested in learning and genuinely delighted to share my knowledge. Additionally, I’ve provided lecture demonstrations and free classes for numerous NGOs, including sessions for children. Q. Guinness World Records: You have achieved the longest marathon playing the Saxophone, lasting 26 hours and 23 minutes during your pregnancy. What factors played a crucial role in realizing this dream? Additionally, did you receive any particular congratulatory messages that held special significance for you? My dream and goal were to achieve a world record alongside Kenny G, and I am thrilled to have accomplished it. I attribute this success to the pride of our nation, and it feels like making history. I take great pride in what I have achieved, and while I have received numerous recognitions and appreciation globally, my motivation was for more than just personal recognition. I undertook this endeavour to contribute to our nation’s pride. Q.’ Saxophone in a saree is my pride’. Your sarees travel the world. Would you be open to promoting Indian Handloom Textiles or Mysore Silk if given an opportunity? I will be happy to actively promote Indian handloom sarees, including my collection of social sarees. Q. Children in many Indian Traditional families start learning music very early in life. By the time they reach adulthood, they have mastered the art but may not opt for it as a profession. What can be done to promote music at a higher level? How can we create more jobs in this field? Indeed, when students pursue their education beyond the 10th grade, it becomes a crucial stage for choosing their professional careers. If the educational system emphasizes music and art on par with other subjects and the government actively promotes them, it could significantly influence children to explore and study music and art. This approach has the potential to foster a greater appreciation for these cultural pursuits and encourage more students to consider them as viable career options. Q. What message would you like to give the world on International Women’s Day? By breaking gender barriers, women can unlock their full potential, make their own decisions, and excel in the field they are passionate about. How can we overcome these gender barriers? Certainly, we can. Women aspiring to succeed in their careers often encounter various challenges and obstacles. Each time, they find themselves in the position of having to prove their worth and capabilities. This scenario is prevalent across all fields. On International Women’s Day, I want to convey that despite these ups and downs, it’s crucial to confront and navigate through them. The challenges you face will contribute to your resilience and strength, ultimately aiding you in reaching your goals. Remember, with time, these hurdles will fortify you, and you will successfully reach your destination. I wish you all the best and want to reiterate that this is not just a motivational message; it’s a call to action. Forge ahead, and you will undoubtedly attain your objectives. Rapid-Fire: Who is your favourite Saxophone artist? My all-time favorite, my guruji, Dr. Padmasri,Dr. Kadri Gopalanaraji. How do stay optimistic and motivated? Because of my audience. At what age, did you get your first recognition/ award? In the year 2005 Any plans for Bollywood or Hollywood or Bollywood or Tollywood? Yes, I have plans to re-enter Tollywood. If I wanted to have an alternate career, what would it be? I’ll be a very good animator. One-Liners: When in doubt I listen to: My Guruji, Padmasriddha Kali Gopalachi’s performances. For Western, I listen to Kedji. I love to play this song: I love to play ‘Churaliya’song; and in South Indian classical music I play Krishnali Begum. In my pastime, I

Inspiring Women

Inspiring Women Every Wednesday: Prakriti Prasad

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Prakriti Prasad is a Parenting Coach, Author & Wellness Mentor. Over the last five years she has conducted over 300 sessions for parents, teachers, children, young adults and corporate professionals across different cities. Her ‘Nurture a Strong Seed’ Workshops for Parents are a big draw as she equips them with her unique tools of positive dynamic parenting. The ‘Ace Your Game’ workshops for youngsters on issues like Internet Safety, Identifying Predators, Dealing with Exam Stress, being Anger Smart or Gadgets Judicious are designed to train and equip children with key life skills and wisdom to find themselves on a sound footing in life. In this age of growing alienation between children and parents, her book ParenTEEN: How to Nurture Adolescents in Modern Times (by Rupa Publications) aims at bridging the communication barriers with wisdom, sensitivity and positive handling. In this age of growing alienation between parents and children there is an urgent need to bridge the gulf between them. Parenteen: How to Nurture Your Adolescents in Modern Times is a handbook which focuses on decoding the insecurities, dilemmas and interests of youngsters to help parents understand their children better. It addresses a range of teenage issues pertaining to peer pressure, gadget addiction, underage drinking, anger, exam stress and obsession with social media, to name some. The Book aims at helping you raise not just happy, confident and humane children but friends for life. It has practical pieces of advice, examples and real life anecdotes pertaining to specific issues in each chapter which can help both parents and wards navigate through the rough waters of teenhood. ‘Parenteen’ is an outcome of my sincere desire to create awareness about positive parenting, role modelling and spiritual grounding. As sensible adults each of us should be committed towards bringing up a generation of youngsters who are not just well qualified, highly educated and talented but rock sturdy from inside to be able to handle the ups and downs of life. An avid lover of music, Prakriti is trained in Hindustani Classical & folk music, sitar and Kathak. Let’s Get Inspired In Conversation with Prakriti Prasad – Preeti Juneja Q. When you began writing your book PARENTEEN, what profile of a parent you had in mind and who you think would benefit most from reading this book? I wanted this book to be a perfect handbook for Indian parents struggling with their daily challenges while raising their adolescent children- the anger outbursts, peer pressure, screen addictions, crushes and heartbreaks. The idea was to help all parents, be it working moms, single parents or multi-tasking homemakers understand the importance of role modelling, spiritual grounding and above all, positive communication with their children. Q. Working as a full-time journalist, and raising emotionally strong children. Were there any regrets or setbacks that prompted you to shift gears and become a catalyst in supporting other mothers on their parenting journey? As a conscious mother wanting to understand and connect with my teen better, I started on this journey of reading, researching and attending workshops on positive parenting. Besides, being a journalist I had this growing sense of unease about the rising incidence of violence and aggression in children even in India, something which was a reality only in the Western world earlier. I observed our children’s minds were evolving at break-neck speed but so were their stress levels. I realised most parents are rushing to provide the best of everything to their children – in terms of the best education, branded clothing, gourmet meals, top-notch toys and gadgets for recreation. But we are missing out on connecting with them. So I began writing a column for the Times of India on positive parenting, then followed it up with my book- ParenTEEN: How To Nurture Your Adolescents in Modern Times. For, I wanted parents to realise we do not just need to focus on raising well-educated and multi-talented children but also those who are emotionally strong- to be able to handle setbacks and failures in life without becoming aggressive or depressive. Q. Transforming the perception of parents to see a positive impact on their children, requires considerable time, patience, guidance and deep understanding of family history. What is the process you follow in planning for one-on-one coaching sessions? Yes, you’re right it certainly does require keen observation, understanding, objectivity and consistent effort to convince parents to change their past patterns of behaviour to bring about the desired transformation. So basically,  I follow a simple 3-step formula in my one-on-one coaching: Challenge Assessment- first understanding the key challenges of the coachee Offering Customized Solutions- after zeroing down on the root of the problem Hand-holding for effective implementation of the tools and strategies that I share. Q. “The trick is to follow your gut, remain communicative and be ready to evolve with time”. This is excellent advice for parents navigating the challenges of raising teenagers. However, there often exists a discord in understanding and addressing issues, with each party pointing fingers at the other. Living up to parental expectations can become a daunting task for teenagers. In such cases, is counselling for children also necessary? What would you advise children? Yes, the root cause of most parent-child conflict is unmet expectations- with each blaming the other. It is important for parents of teenage children to understand we need to alter our supervisory role as parents to now act more as facilitators. Lowering down our expectations and being a little more forgiving goes a long way even as we lay down certain firm and flexible rules of behaviour to be followed by our children. Meanwhile, training and counselling children to help them come to terms with their raging hormones, tone down their stress levels, practising internet safety, handling peer pressure or using social media more judiciously is equally crucial. My ‘Ace Your Game’ sessions for children are designed to empower children on how to lead happier, stress-free lives Q. Which five teenage issues do you believe can be managed well and quickly?

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