2 April 2020, Iffat Khan is an Author, an International Speaker, a Breakfree Coach, Ted speaker and she is on a mission to impact a million people and help them break free in their life and business.
Iffat is from Kolkata, India, born to humble parents… She fought through her personal battles, being called socially awkward, weak and a failure.
However, today she is an inspiration to many women and men in both India and around the world.
We recently contacted Iffat Khan and asked her about her journey and plans.
Q: How did you do all this?
Iffat – I failed my subjects at school, failed countless interviews for a job, failed my first business, was thought of weak and a failure. I had to fight through my personal challenges, being called socially awkward and a misfit.
When I started to listen to myself, things changed, I always had this inner voice, but I did not have the courage to work upon them. I remember working for Fortune 500 companies and always outperforming everyone. Yet it didn’t make me worthy enough, I didn’t feel fulfilled. I didn’t understand what was missing.
I was a performer at work, but yet miserable when it came to confidence, self-worth, and felt stuck, because that one thing that I always wanted to do, for several reasons I couldn’t, I was scared!
I remember being treated as a failure and weak while growing up by my friends and acquaintances, and that didn’t leave me for decades.
For too long I had ignored my inner voice, my dreams because I was trapped in fears.
There came a time I felt trapped and suffocated, I couldn’t imagine being there, for the rest of my life. I wasn’t doing justice to the people around me, I wanted to do so much, but I didn’t know-how. Finally, I decided to chase my dreams, so I quit my job to follow my long term dream of starting a business and helping companies grow as a business consultant, and my journey as an entrepreneur began.
Q: Do you suggest people to quit their jobs and start their business?
Iffat – I wouldn’t suggest anyone to quit their job to start their business until they have saved enough to take care of them for at least 6 months.
Q: How challenging is it to be a woman in business?
Iffat: It has it’s pros and cons like every entrepreneur does.
I understand times have changed, and women should be looked at equals, but the truth remains, there are challenges, that women still face, no matter how much anyone says, you shouldn’t have a different approach towards women anywhere around the world, and women should be treated equally, but I beg to differ.
For too long women haven’t been given their due rights, they haven’t been treated well, they have been objectified, and they still are, their challenges are far much more. I don’t find it wrong to give women the respect they’ve been missing out on for ages, and the programming that’s happened due to that. In fact, I don’t like women empowerment, because women are already so much empowered, if they can bring a life to this world, they can do anything they want. Women don’t need empowerment. Women need a place that should be given to them. The love, care, respect and support out of everything else.
Everyone is special in their own unique ways, and that’s what makes each one of us amazing, we all should be treated unique, not equals.
The entire experience of a decade working with businesses, building business, challenges faced by women entrepreneurs, made me start Femipreneur, a venture to support women in their business and help them grow.
Where does your strength come from?
My family has been my biggest strength, no matter what happens, no matter how many challenges we’ve been through, I always found them by my side. We have always overcome challenges as a family, and that’s something incredible. It’s a blessing to have them, especially my really amazing parents and crazy siblings.
What is Breakfree all about?
We all need to break free from the past programming that’s happened to us through the influence of our surroundings and the people around us, so we can realise our potential.
I believe it’s now that people need us more than they ever did before.
Especially in the world of social media, accessibility, and technology, things are easier to accomplish now than it was ever before. Yet most of us are not utilizing the true potential hidden within us.
I believe the earlier people understand they can break free from what’s stopping them, they can literally fly.
What is your message to the readers out there?
Find yourself, dive in self-discovery. Find your Purpose, your Why, explore more, and understanding what your hidden potential is like, will help you break free and finally set you free.
I wish each one of you break free and live your heart’s desire, (because I know how it feels like not to)