by Kanwalpreet Trehan
You know those pictures we see of beautiful Indian Goddesses holding a variety of weapons in their many hands with utmost confidence and valour on their face? As soon as September hits, it sometimes feels like all women have grown that many arms. The difference is that their hands are juggling work, family, Halloween, nieces, nephews, kids, gift shopping, dinners, galas, openings, social events, Diwali, Thanksgiving, New Years, birthdays, Karvachauth (the day where an Indian woman fasts for her husband’s long life), and of course, Christmas. Try saying all that three times, fast! Or better yet, try juggling all that!
The modern woman is a brilliant creature. We use the word creature because we are just absolutely amazed by the things she tackles on a daily basis. A woman is no longer just a child-machine. She operates businesses, she is a leader, and she is a socialite. She is a creature of pure fascination.producing machine that also acts as the dishwasher and washing
We want to celebrate these extraordinary qualities of a woman in this holiday issue, and so we sat down with two such amazing women who juggle family, children, business and umpteen social events with absolute ease and grace. The main question addressed to both women was, “How do you do it and still stay sane?!” Here’s what our conversation looked like with them.
Chat with Durriya Rehan:
Durriya is the owner of Fine Finds Boutique in Yaletown, Vancouver. When asked she what does she said: “I have a store, I’m a Mom, so I do lots of things. I can’t name one. I run a business, a boutique and I run my family.”
This busy bee is Mom to four kids, 18, 16, 8 and 5 years. When asked about the age gap between the 16 and 8-year-old, she laughed and said it was a break to focus on business. As a busy mom-preneur, how does she juggle all this with the busy holiday season coming up?
“It’s not easy, but it’s fun. I believe that because I’m a woman and I support a lot of local women, I get a lot of support in return. For example, I have lots of local designers which makes it easier for me to do all my gifting through those local designers. So, I get to help them and they are helping me save time. So, I truly believe this is all about being a woman and helping other women.”
What is her advice to our readers when it comes to juggling the holiday season?
“Trust yourself. That’s number one. Secondly, remember that a woman is a woman’s best friend. Use that network support.”
Durriya does confess that her best friend and biggest supporter is her husband. I guess that behind every successful woman is a man?
Chat with Rupi Kainth:
Rupi is a creative multi-preneur. She has a photography business, is an interior
designer, builds houses, and is open to wherever else her creative direction takes her. This busy bee is a single mom with a 7-year old son. In her daily life, she juggles the businesses, her son, her social and religious commitments, and if she has time she takes care of herself too!
With the busiest time of the year, we asked how she does all this and she says: “Well, I certainly sleep less than the average person. I believe in solutions. There is always a way to make something happen when you want it to. For me, family is huge. My relatives, my cousins, my siblings and their families are very important to me. So, if that means working on my business late at night then so be it. I just prioritize and I manage my time efficiently. I have learned to delegate and ask for help over the years. I also keep my son very involved. Sometimes, this means I’ll take him with me to see a client (if appropriate) or holiday gift shopping.”
We asked her about her network of women and how she feels about this network.
“I think after my divorce is when I started to really reconnect with some really strong women in my life. I have a group of women for everything. Some are the entrepreneur friends, some are the spiritual friends, some of them are the “going-out” friends when I just need to unwind and go out with a fun bunch.”
Her advice on how to juggle the holiday season: “I know that women are extremely capable. If God has trusted us to give birth to children, we can do anything. First take care of yourself because then and only then can you take care of everyone else in your life. Secondly, if you have something in mind, take action immediately. Whether it means you tell someone about it or just write it down on a sticky note, but do something about it. Don’t wait.”
So this holiday season, take a deep breath, ask for help, write ideas down, involve your family and friends, but most importantly, HAVE FUN!!
