Women at Work: Empowerment Is Infectious
Aparna Sarin shares the inspiration she feels seeing women-owned businesses in action, and gives tips for supporting them
We’ve been celebrating Women’s History Month each Friday this March by highlighting the perspectives of women making their mark at Capital One.
Today we’re talking with Aparna Sarin, who is the Head of Product for Small Business Card at Capital One. Here, she shares key insights from her career, and reveals the story of a female founder who’s inspired her.
Q: What inspires you about women business owners?
The financial independence that comes with business ownership is a wonderful way to instill optimism and self worth amongst women. This type of empowerment is infectious and has the power to lift many others. I derive a lot of inspiration from hearing and sharing such stories with my team while we work to support small business owners day in and day out.
Q: What is your favorite woman-owned business, and why?
What comes to mind immediately is Women Rising, a purpose-driven company founded by Sara Hirsh Bordo with the mission of creating content and experiences to empower women and girls.
Storytelling is such an important aspect of connecting our past with the possibilities of the future. I have seen the power of sharing my own stories or learning from those of other women. I love the mission of Women Rising and have seen the impact they are having at such an amazing scale!
Checking out some of the short films on the Women Rising website would be a great way for everyone to celebrate Women's History Month.
Why is working in the business-to-business space particularly rewarding for you?
Solving and creating for entrepreneurs and small business owners drives me. It is extremely rewarding to serve organizations that are the base of our economy.
Small businesses not only help build the lives of their owners but also those that they employ and those they serve. They provide nearly half of private employment in this country, all while helping to connect and build our communities. The resilience and grit needed for women business owners to endure more than a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, all while juggling dozens of other responsibilities, is all the inspiration I need!
Q: How can we support women business owners throughout the year?
Being intentional about where you shop is a great place to start. I think people underestimate the impact they can have as an individual, but making the effort to support women business owners is both worthwhile and rewarding.
Even if you’re buying from a big box retailer, you can still seek out female founded companies and know that you’re making a difference. I like these lists from the Female Founder Collective and Boss Women Media as a place to start when searching for women-owned businesses!
Feeling Inspired? Check out our conversations with Oona Robinson and Zainep Mahmoud next!