Going beyond Sandberg’s ‘Lean In’: Female founders around the world react

Adela Salagean, founder of ShareYourCart (Romania)

At 18, I didn’t want to have kids or commitment. I just wanted to conquer the world and have an impact. By the time I was 28, I had a loving husband and a newborn baby, and I was building a great product, ShareYourCart.com.

I can say I have it all. But it’s damn hard.

Sheryl Sandberg’s book definitely touches some soft spots and very hot issues for young women in Romania. I honestly believe most young educated mothers in Romania would be revolted by her view on things. They want their natural right of raising their child healthy without the modern pressure of putting a career over motherhood or even at the same level of importance.

I don’t believe women should force themselves to be more like men nor should be considered inferior if they choose to do the most natural thing in the world: motherhood.

My husband loves me for being a woman and a mother. My business partner appreciates me for being a woman and bringing to the table the specific set of skills that women master easier than men. Under no circumstances would I want to be more of a man. That would make me feel less like myself, less happy and less accomplished.”

Terri Anderson, founder of iSTAR Stories (Chile by way of New Zealand)

“I was consulting for some members of a Chilean government department on managing an education project. I thought I had done a great job and made an impact. We went for drinks after the last day and they raised a toast to me … having more children.

I think the dialogue is useful. I don’t get why people are slamming Sheryl Sandberg for being successful and therefore out of touch. She could hardly have written it were she unsuccessful. It is a good example of the double standards she is talking about: Would we criticize a successful man for writing about business?

As an entrepreneur, I pick my own hours, which can mean working on the laptop in bed half the night, so I can spend time with my family. Importantly, so does my partner. Fact is, in an ideal world the whole child care debate would not be all about women. It should be recognized that people have careers and people have families. So women would be able to feel a bit less victimized in the workplace, and men would have the freedom to not have their choices judged, too.

Ironically, I have been advised to not mention the fact that I am a mother when I seek out venture capital. I wouldn’t be interested in children’s books if I didn’t have a kid growing up in Chile and needing books! And would my son’s father ever receive the same advice? It’s total crap. I always say I am a parent rather than a mom; in my mind it gives me a better status.”

Anisha Singh, founder of Mydala (Delhi, India)

“Sheryl’s message in Lean In is a simple but a powerful one — that we as women need to step up and make the change.

Nowhere is it more clear than in a country like India, where even though we’ve had a female prime minister and president in the past, the inequality glares you in the face every day. Largely, women in this country don’t second guess themselves — that would be too modern. They just don’t decide anything themselves because it would not be acceptable by societal standards.

I plan to give this book to all the fabulous women who work for my company. Even if they can’t relate to Sandberg’s lifestyle, they can all relate to the message. Several times in the past, I have hesitated to speak up when I should have. Like Sheryl, I have often downplayed my accomplishments while my fellow entrepreneurs will happily tell the world.

While this book isn’t the only bridge that will make us cross the chasm, it certainly gets us thinking on ways to make the shift in equality happen.

On a personal note, I moved back from New York to start Mydala about three-and-a-half years ago while I was pregnant. The initial climb was quite rough since it was hard being a female who had recently moved back from the U.S. being taken seriously — let alone that I was also very pregnant and trying to raise VC funding. I was told by an investor that they didn’t want to invest because I was just too pregnant, and that was probably one of the nicer comments I had heard up until then.

My daughter is now three-years-old, and Mydala is one of the largest mobile Internet companies, as we did end up raising funding from a great set of investors.

Lean In was just one of those books that made me feel that we all have the same doubts that we need to get past, including working mom’s guilt.”

Top photo: Sheryl Sandberg. Credit: World Economic Forum via photopin cc