Shalini Hiralall , life is all about feeling pretty in the right dress
As I entered the business world I realized that what is expected of you as a young entrepreneur is definitely not what is taught at university.
It is here that I had to very quickly develop my skills and with the help of many become the confident, empowered, strong women that I am today. I am now a partner at Meraki Women Couture (@merakiwomencouture). A luxury dress boutique on Marriott Road based in Durban and just recently an ecommerce businesswoman. Meraki Women Couture is more than just an exclusive high end dress boutique, it is a place for young women to visit, spend time and leave feeling as though they “run the world” as Beyoncé would say. Meraki Women Couture started of as family owned business which opened its doors in 2015 and has merely extended its family to all of its loyal customers.
It has been said before that it is not work when you are passionate about it and this is truly the case here.
Riona and I met in 2017 and we decided to collaborate as we were both fueled with good ideas and needed a platform to share them.
We worked on a many amazing projects together and this relationship grew. I admire her for always being so real and true to herself.
My life is not just about being a businesswoman but I am also a wife and mother of 2 boys. So I know that most women can relate to this. We have to juggle work, kids, home, eating healthy and getting to gym which is really not easy and comes with its day to day challenges. The key to this is how we manage it and find a healthy balance. In my experience it comes with time, practice, support and knowledge, and just never giving up. My family is what makes me as a women feel complete. And when one of the many aspects or branches of our lives, be it work, home, or friendships get neglected, it has a domino effect on the rest which in turn leaves us feeling unhinged. So it is vital to find that balance ladies.
We need to ask ourselves what is life about? At the end of the day we all want to achieve success. To some success means money, to some success simply means doing what they love or being with those they love. For me I believe success is happiness. The purpose of life is to be happy, no matter what is thrown at you. Life is not about proving anyone wrong, it is about proving yourself right. It’s about how much you contribute and not how much you accumulate.
And so we must look at our lives like a grand painting which we can edit frequently because it is our masterpiece after all. No one is going to do this for us. Yes we may have help along the way but ultimately it is up to us.
Happy Women’s Month! It’s time to celebrate all you gorgeous women.
