Leadership in today’s society is frequently gauged by titles, revenue charts, or recognition from the public, however there is another style of leadership — one that is more quiet but will possess more strength as well as more capability than the other style of leadership. This second style of leadership is developed through resilience, sacrifice, emotional strength, and perseverance in spite of challenges that life puts in your path.
Himmi Bangia, founder of Barakatalan, exemplifies that type of modern day leader.
The time has come where women in all industries are redefining the way that women lead through entrepreneurship, and Himmi’s story shows us exactly what it means to lead with purpose while also balancing the competing interests of ambition, motherhood, responsibility, and vision. Himmi has created a growing lifestyle and savings platform for women through Barakatalan, but she has also helped to usher in a wave of women who have shown that you do not have to abandon your femininity, family, or emotional depth to be a leader.
In our exclusive interview, Himmi speaks about entrepreneurship, women’s empowerment, motherhood, leadership, and the emotional truth of starting a business from the ground up.
IT Voice- Your journey reflects modern women’s leadership in many ways. What inspired you to create Barakatalan?
Himmi Bangia- I’ve always been fascinated by digital media, how consumers behave, and how consumer choices are made about what they purchase on a day-to-day basis. I came to realize that there were limitless sources of information available to consumers via the internet, yet very few websites provided real value to them in order to assist them with making better lifestyle and savings decisions.
This idea inspired me to launch Barakatalan, a modern lifestyle and smart savings platform that has been tailored to assist its users in finding curated recommendations, practical information, and smarter ways to save money in an easy and trustworthy manner.
To me, Barakatalan was never intended to be just another deals site. From lifestyle content to useful deals like the Atlys coupon code guide found on Barakatalan, my intention was always to create real value for our users and empower them to make smarter choices every day, with confidence.I am not simply focused upon providing deals or promotions through this saving platform, but also I want to empower others in making the best possible lifestyle choices for themselves.
The road to building Barakatalan was not an easy one from the start, but through each challenge faced along the way, my vision has been further strengthened.
IT Voice- Building a business while being a mother is incredibly demanding. How difficult was that phase for you personally?
Himmi Bangia- Building a business and being a mother totally alters how one experiences the process of growing a successful business. It is a surprise to many to learn the emotional strain (stress and fatigue) and the constant juggling of responsibilities involved in creating a business in today’s environment. I had many very overwhelming moments trying to balance home responsibilities and also trying to build my business up from scratch. When I first started Barakatalan, I worried most about funding for the startup. I remember not knowing how we would possibly allocate funds to create everything the right way. Fortunately, I had friends and family that have been supportive of my vision since the very start. They were instrumental to me beginning the journey to start my own business, and I returned every contribution to them as I grew Barakatalan.
What means the most to me is that those same people from then are still my supporters today. I truly believe that your true supporters are those who are there for you in both success and during the times of uncertainty that take place in every entrepreneur’s life. Women often fight their own silent battles inside them, and having people to support you through tough times can really make a difference
IT Voice- What does women empowerment genuinely mean to you?
Himmi Bangia- Women’s empowerment is a mindset for me, and it means feeling empowered enough to trust your inner voice. Empowerment allows you to create dreams above what society has programmed into our heads that were acceptable for women. It also connects deeply with independence as well; when a woman can make her own choices about how she wants to feel emotionally, what career path she wants to take, and how she wants to spend her money, she shows a different type of strength than the woman who relies on others to do these things for her.
But women are often taught to believe they are weaker than they really are. Thus, empowerment can be expressed in many ways. I see it often in the women who continue going to work daily regardless of the fear, pressure, tiredness, or self-doubt they encounter each day.
IT Voice- Did you ever feel underestimated as a woman founder?
Himmi Bangia- Absolutely. I think many women entrepreneurs experience that at some stage. Many women business owners relate to this. There are some moments where someone may assume that women may not understand all aspects about business strategy, how to be a leader and how to grow their company. Oftentimes, the assumption is that they will need to prove themselves over and over again before they are taken seriously. However, after many years of experience in business, I learned that the power of being consistent ultimately will far out-weigh someone’s assumptions of you. I wanted to focus more on what I was building, rather than on the outside person giving me the thumbs up; when someone sees a woman build something with purpose and clarity, they begin to recognize how great of an accomplishment that really is.
Finally, I have learned that every challenge I have faced has only made me stronger as a leader.
IT Voice- What kind of leadership do you believe modern women bring into business today?
Himmi Bangia- Bringing emotional intelligence, resilience, adaptability, and long-range thinking into leadership are just a few. Women who lead today are no longer trying to conform to the traditional leadership model; they are creating their own. Women are now creating businesses while being mothers, wives, creative, and growing personally. I feel that this multidimensional strength deserves much greater acknowledgement.
IT Voice- What advice do you give women who want to create something on their own?
Himmi Bangia- Don’t wait until you feel perfectly ready/confident before beginning your venture. Most women don’t feel they are capable or good enough and usually underestimate themselves by quite a ways. Start with what you have and gather your experience as you go along so that you can feel you have grown through some level of participation in the process.
Lastly, never feel guilty about being ambitious! Your dreams are important and should be treated as such.
IT Voice- What is your vision for Barakatalan moving forward?
Himmi Bangia- I would like to see Barakatalan continue to become a trusted resource for people looking to live a modern lifestyle. But beyond business growth, I also hope the journey inspires more women to believe that they are capable of building something meaningful from their own vision. If my experience in empowering at least one woman empowers or inspires her to value herself more, I will consider that to be extremely valuable.
IT Voice- What motivates you during difficult phases?
Himmi Bangia- I am always motivated by knowing that every tough experience will be beneficial because they teach you something valuable. Resiliency builds quietly during uncertain periods, as opposed to building them based on successes.
IT Voice- What message would you like to give to women balancing ambition and responsibilities?
Himmi Bangia- There is no need to choose between having ambition and being a responsible woman! Women can possess both strength and softness simultaneously!
IT Voice- How would you define success today?
Himmi Bangia- For me, success does not mean being an established business or have a lot of revenue generated. It also means making sure my business is meaningful while remaining true to who I am as an individual.
