I love to read inspirational stories of women who have beaten all the odds in their personal and entrepreneurial lives, and emerged stronger from the experiences. There is always something to learn from all those stories. So I was fascinated to listen to a podcast interview with Ramla Ali, the boxer and humanitarian, as she talked about her new book, Not Without A Fight. She has quite a story. Did you know that she is the first female Somali boxer in history to compete professionally? Or that she is the first person to have been recognised with an African boxing title and also won international gold medals while representing her country, Somalia? Ramla’s story is one that should motivate all of us as women to become our own champions, in life and in business, something she is passionate about. Arriving as a refugee in the UK, she was introduced to boxing classes, and as a result, found her strength and her voice to speak out on racial justice. Her fights in the ring taught her crucial life lessons about dealing with failure, never giving up, finding strength to tackle big challenges, and above all, endurance. For me, Ramla’s story and her key message are what resonated most with me. As women entrepreneurs, if we want to succeed in life and business, then we need to recognize that we are our own key champions, our own best cheerleaders. If we harness those beliefs, then like Ramla, there is nothing we cannot achieve.
Have yourself an inspired entrepreneurial day! — Melanie