Turning Local Problems into Solutions:The Other Side | Maha Shehzad | TEDxClifton

Quick Overview

Maha Shahzad shares her personal story of overcoming professional setbacks, including being told women cannot succeed in sales and being rejected for a job, by embracing her perceived weaknesses—like being deemed less intelligent or sexy—as unique strengths, ultimately leading her to found her own successful company, Careem BusKaro.

Key Points: Maha Shahzad faced early career resistance, being told women cannot succeed in sales and subsequently being rejected for a job she applied for. She describes the negative labels applied to her, such as being called 'uneducated,' 'dumb,' and having an 'imposter syndrome' category out of 10. Shahzad chose to ignore external judgments and focus on what she believed in, transforming perceived weaknesses into strengths. She mentions reading Malcolm Gladwell's book 'Outliers' in 2017, which changed her life perspective. Despite unfavorable market conditions and unexpected challenges, she persevered, eventually founding her company, Careem BusKaro. Careem BusKaro, which she has been running for three years, addresses mobility issues in Pakistan, contrasting with the initial narrative that a woman could not fundraise. She concludes that succeeding lies in deciding whether to accept limitations or to relentlessly work to overcome them.

Context: Maha Shahzad delivers a personal narrative at a TEDxClifton event, detailing her journey in overcoming professional and societal biases, particularly those directed at women in business and sales roles in Pakistan. She uses her own story of initial rejection and external criticism to illustrate the importance of self-belief and reframing perceived flaws as unique advantages, leading to entrepreneurial success.

Detailed Analysis

Maha Shahzad begins by acknowledging compliments before shifting focus to the negative attributes she heard about herself and other women, such as being called 'uneducated,' 'dumb,' or suffering from 'imposter syndrome.' She recounts being told early in her career that women could not succeed in sales, and later being rejected for a job she applied for, being given a different role upon joining the company, and subsequently starting her own company, Careem BusKaro. Shahzad cites Malcolm Gladwell's book 'Outliers' (2017) as a turning point that changed her life outlook, prompting her to focus on what she believed in rather than conforming to others' expectations. She emphasizes that despite facing unforeseen challenges and poor global market conditions, she and her team persevered, eventually building Careem BusKaro, which she has run for three years. She contrasts the initial negative perceptions—that a woman couldn't fundraise in Pakistan or drive a bus—with their current success. Her core message is that success is determined not by intelligence, IQ, or education, but by what one does after failure: accepting limitations or choosing to relentlessly outwork them and continue trying.