Happy Birthday Square Circle!

March 21st, 2019:

Dear Diary,

It’s my Birthday! I usually go on a solo walk to take time to reflect on how the year went. I am on this walk now and the tears just aren’t stopping. I knew all the cliches but did it anyway: Entrepreneurship is a lonely journey, It’s way harder and takes way longer than you think, It’s a marathon not a sprint, You need to be aggressive, You’ll realize who your friends and allies are very quickly (Oh and I mean really quickly)

But experiencing these lows is something else. I am at a crossroads today from multiple perspectives. Feel like a FAILURE! Making hard decisions is not a problem for me so I know I must end and move on from the current version of Square Circle where I dedicated these past few years to helping women in tech get the visibility they deserve. But the business model is just not working out, and I need to move on. Do I shut down Square Circle? Do I keep on keepin on and continue down this path and figure something out? Do I pivot into doing something else? Do I start working on my resume and get a job? Overwhelmed!! I am mourning…

***

Apr 1st, 2019:

Dear Diary,

I’m driving back from San Francisco after meeting L. WHAT A BRAINSTORMING SESSION! OMG! I got it. All she had to do was ask me a few questions and I figured out what I have subconsciously been trying to work on and advocate for all these years BELONGING.

Ok, let me catch you up….mourning, crying, birthday was a wash out in March. Then pulled myself together and paid attention to what the women were saying they needed more of and got savvy about who pays for this stuff. Realized I may have something… Made some calls and got in touch with L who works out of The Wing in San Francisco (Whatta place- wish it were closer and cheaper or free!!). The fire is back….

Meanwhile, working with D has been AMAZING! She’s a thorough professional and we have a foundation to build on the ideas around Belonging.

Maybe I am onto something….

***

May 30th, 2019:

Dear Diary,

• GHC panel submitted by L was accepted. Will be fun to go as a speaker again and meet S+B+L!
• Tulip Conference talk went well. Met some fantastic people. Accessibility and consideration of physical spaces *understand this*
• Recorded a video interview for Unboxd, took Amma (mom). She was crying, she didn’t know I had gone through so much and thinks I’m brave. So sweet!! *keep messaging succinct, you get carried away always*
• C nailed it…her insights on how to approach this work from an assessment perspective is brilliant! Need to marry that to our tool *thinking…*
• Enter R… met her at Perch Coffee in Oakland!! I hope she joins the team, fingers crossed. PRAYING! PRAYING! PRAYING! 🤞🤞

***

Aug 20th, 2019:

Dear Diary,

I am in Yosemite with the fam. Dad just landed from B’lore and we whisked him away. And oh god all that cooking!! The van smells like potato curry😁 Amma took care of most of it:-) FOMO when it comes to food with our fam!

We did it…launched our website squarecircleglobal.com with new messaging on Aug 16th!

I am blessed….D+R and I seem to have this complementary energy that makes work and what we do so good. Hope this is not jinxed!! Knowing that these smart women are part of this effort gives me confidence that I must be doing something right. Hope this translates to clients!!

I MUST NOT let them down! Seema don’t let them down!! C’mon FIGHT!!

***

Aug 28th, 2019:

Dear Diary,

Just came back from delivering our workshop, our first client after the pivot. What?? How?? It was AMAZING!! Feedback seems good! Taking this moment in….

This anniversary of the rebirth of Square Circle would not have been possible without the support of many people. This post is dedicated to them.

There are a handful of people that I’ve met in my life who inspire me by their way of being. I’m lucky to not just know one such person but also have the privilege of calling them my SC partner — Robyn. Thank you for giving me your trust, your creativity, your generosity and your expertise. You’ve transformed me from being a scarcity and fear based leader into someone that’s now rooted in purpose and possibilities. This journey has been such a joy because you’ve been part of it. Thank you!

Taking a seemingly abstract concept and morphing it into something that is quantifiable, impactful and sends a strong powerful message is not an easy task. But thanks to you — Divya, Lauren and Cheryl, this became possible. Your thought partnership was an important foundational step for our work to evolve to what it is today.

When you have an advisory team that will not let you settle, challenges you to be better, advocates your work, and inspires you with their brilliance — what more can one ask for? Thank you Victoria, Neeti & Ross for guiding us into becoming a better version of ourselves!

How often do you meet people with varied backgrounds and experiences who are selfless and deeply aligned with their purpose of empowering people? I’d say rarely or never. But not me! I not only get to interact with but I’m constantly learning from Laura, Page, Sandy, Ilana and Divya, everytime we meet. You are all amazingly talented coaches and I thank you for making SC that much richer with your uniqueness and expertise!

We had the words but no visual language to tie this to. Into my life, walks in Yasmin, a fellow Syracuse alumni , a wonderful person and a master at translating our vision into a visual language that we could finally use to pitch. It was your work Yasmin, that helped us be bold, gave us legitimacy and allowed us to confidently pitch to the who’s who in the valley. Your work is powerful! I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to gift us your expertise.

Taking SC from social media oblivion to helping us not be a best kept secret anymore takes an understanding of what we do handled with nuance and empathy. Thank you Jordan and Sierra for helping tell our story to the world!

To my parents and in-laws, thank you for listening without judgement and continuing to encourage me with your words. On some days, these words were the fuel that I need to keep going. To my sister and BIL, thank you for your numerous “likes” and for your unwavering support.

They say you can get only so far without your family’s support. So last but not least, thank you to my husband for doubling as my financial advisor, asking me the hard questions and for tolerating my lows. And finally my daughter, who was also my proofreader, video editor, cheerleader, my conscience and a huge part of my Why.

There are many more milestones to accomplish and so much more for me to learn and do. SC is as much yours as it is mine. And this has all been worth it because you were all a part of it! Thank you!

With gratitude,

Seema