The 8th of March marks a very special occasion to all the heroines in our lives; today, we celebrate International Women’s Day. And in light of that, we didn’t just want to shed light on inspiring figures and recite their success stories that you probably know all about. Instead, we thought of letting you in on something more tangible that could help you follow in their footsteps. That’s why we reached out to 8 influential women of different ages, working in various fields, and asked them about their secrets to success.
Their answers were heartfelt, and even though they may have varied, they were actually more or less the same down to the core. We believe that these similarities are because, at the end of the day, these women are real women, sharing real-life stories and struggles. So, if you’re on the verge of giving up on your hopes and aspirations, don’t, because these ladies will surely change your mind.
Ola Roshdy – Actress and Producer
“The secret to success is persistence in your passion. No matter what happens or who says what, you need to keep going. Keep doing things; if what you want to do is not happening now, then do what you have to until you get what you want. Don’t stop moving; keep on creating and doing things and moving forward within your passion or things that you’re good at that may not be your passion right now. Just keep going until one day you’ll get what you want.”
Nesma Mahgoub – Singer
“I don’t really consider myself successful yet, but I believe I’m on the right track. My secret is self-acceptance and living my life on my own terms, not someone else’s. Sometimes, taking decisions that make you different from everybody around you can slow you down and make you frustrated at times, but it’s a million times better to be a pirate than to join the navy.”
Yasmine Ghaith – Cancer Survivor, Motivational Speaker, Actress, and Jewellery Designer
“For me, there are several secrets to success. One of them is a long process of learning and self-development. Within the past three years, I shifted my career completely and started things that were totally new to me, which are acting and jewellery design. I began to teach myself, and I read a lot. I also asked people who have experience in these fields to discover the ins and outs of the job and learn from them.
Secondly, whenever I’m about to start a new project, I disconnect completely from any distractions to maintain a balance in my life. Add to those, traits like dedication, persistence, and finally, failing, which is, believe it or not, a crucial key to success. When we fail, a lot of skills tend to get buried away. But in my case, failing has taught me a lot because I try to avoid my old mistakes as much as possible.”
Haya Khairat – Filmmaker
“It’s following God’s signs even though the world tells me every day to stop; reminding myself of those signs keeps me going.”
Marwa Rakha – Montessori Educator and Relationship and Dating Writer
“I think that the secret formula to my success, and anyone’s success, can be summed up in three words; focus, passion, and prioritisation. I have also learned that self-acceptance and forgiving the blunders that happen on the way makes the journey less lonely and less exhausting. Think of it as a journey where you allow yourself a break every now and then, the pleasure of enjoying the views, and the liberty of making some bad choices along the way.
No matter what happens, embrace yourself, remember that there are no regrets but only lessons, and move on.”
Nesma El-Shazly – Founder and CEO of Stardust PR Agency, Songwriter, and Executive Producer
“There are many keys to success and not just one. The first one is when someone is truly passionate about something. Passion is always the drive when you want to succeed or excel at something; it’s definitely very important. Secondly, believing in yourself, your talent, and capabilities will enable you to achieve great milestones in your career because self-confidence is a major part of success. Self-love is also included in the package; loving yourself enough to do what you’re truly passionate about against all the odds.
The final key that I feel is very important is the ongoing learning process. You have to keep on learning and developing yourself throughout the journey; it’s never too late to learn, and there’s no age for that. No matter how old you are, no matter what your position might be, even if you’re the CEO of a company, that doesn’t mean you’re going to stop learning.”
Layla Ghaleb – Choreographer, Dance Instructor, and Co-Founder of GPH
“My secret to success is faith in God, knowing how to balance my life, and understanding that success is different from one person to another.”
Mai Galal – Celebrity Stylist and Fashion Consultant
“It’s not one secret; there are many. The first one is time management. We’re always running out of time in the dynamic era we’re living in. Especially if you have kids, it’s more hectic; you want to be a good mother, you want to be working, you want to drive them to their training, and you want to spend time with your husband. Time management will help you prioritise everything and will help you achieve balance in your life. Also, following one’s dreams goes without saying. Nothing’s impossible, but there’s a right time for everything.
You also need to believe in yourself. Having self-confidence and persistence will get you there, I promise. On the other hand, dreaming on its own is not enough if you’re not doing anything to move forward. Pursuit is crucial; following your dreams means you have to move and take action, rather than just sitting on a couch. Everything’s become much easier nowadays thanks to social media, and by social media, I don’t mean fake happiness or thousands of followers; success isn’t measured by the number of followers. Social media allows you to share something that the world will see, and it enables you to send a message to anyone; these are privileges you can take advantage of to follow your dreams. Take action and insist on taking it, which actually translates to believing in yourself; it’s all linked together. Not to mention that having a support system is also very important; the people around you either motivate you or bring you down.”
Happy International Women’s Day to all the super ladies out there!
