Success can be achieved through revenue, viewership, the number of social media followers, the prominence of certain businesses, readership, and so much more. How we define it is subjective.
In a sea of web magazine entrepreneurs, readers often stumble across successful business founders who dove into unknown waters with the purpose of providing a platform for voices that need to be heard.
Women On Topp’s founder Wana Miri is one of those extraordinary founders.
With her charisma and perseverance, Miri began an online platform with the goal of inspiring entrepreneurial women and helping them push past their fear of pursuing their aspirations.
A graduate of the University of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Miri is a speaker and business professional specializing in vital components like target marketing, social and network engagement, and branding.
Since launching Women On Topp (WOT), Miri has been featured in workshops designed for people who want to generate revenue from their entrepreneurial efforts. Geared for the professional woman, the magazine provides content that can assist anyone seeking advice on how to push past the glass ceiling.
NYMM spoke with Miri about her experiences as an incredibly motivated, business-minded woman.
NYMM: Has there been a time in your business career where you came up with a concept and it fell through? What has that taught you?
WM: Yes, actually many times. I think it’s something that entrepreneurs go through all the time. You can’t expect everything to always go as planned, but you can definitely learn from it. I’ve learned that good communication is the base to everything. It taught me how to always be honest and to trust your gut. If something feels off, it usually is, and you need to speak up and talk about it.
NYMM: In your This Is Me post, you mentioned being too ambitious for some of the jobs you’ve had. What kind of jobs were they?
WM: I had plenty of jobs in retail as a sales lady before graduating from Rotterdam University. After I graduated, I worked as a financial business controller at an American medicine wholesaler. But everywhere I worked, I felt like there was more out there for me, and I was a very opinionated person, which is why I started to work for myself.
NYMM: Was your mission for WOT the same from the get-go that it is now?
WM: Women On Topp’s mission started with the belief that one woman’s success is the inspiration for another. Now our mission has definitely grown more specifically to inspire women, but also to help women succeed in their business, career, or simply in life.
NYMM: Why a blog as opposed to a YouTube channel or full-on physical business of, say, consulting?
WM: It’s all on its way! This is just a beginning!
NYMM: How do you define success?
WM: Some people define success as being rich or powerful. I define success as something very personal. It’s something mental, something no one else can see or feel but yourself. Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it. For some, it can even mean, ‘’I’d rather be broke doing what I love than rich and doing what I dislike.
NYMM: Are there any other blogs/magazines that inspire you? Any specific entrepreneurs?
WM: I like NYMM actually! For instance, how it shows the real image of women’s situations from different parts of the world. And of course how its founder Sarah Rizkalla left her Wall Street job to start NYMM is absolutely inspiring. Women should learn that making lots of money is not the answer.
NYMM: What sort of advice do you have for a woman wanting to pursue entrepreneurship but who might be more on the introverted side?
WM: Accept help. There are no bonus points for doing everything yourself. It doesn’t make you stronger or more worthy. It just makes you tired. You don’t have to do everything in your business. You just have to make sure your business does everything it’s supposed to.
NYMM: For someone who is new to WOT, what is one thing you’d want them to get out of the content and its mission as a whole?
WM: Start setting your goals and chase your dreams! And for those who don’t know what they want yet, find your inspiration through Women On Topp!
NYMM: Are blog posts submitted by anyone who wants to contribute? Or are there staff members? If so, what makes a prospective writer for WOT stand out?
WM: Both. Our writers make sure the articles are written as savvy as possible for the boss ladies. Besides the general articles, we also have personal articles that we write and that makes the magazine stand out.
See what topics Women on Topp is covering this week by visiting the site and keep an eye out for how Wana Miri and her team bring WOT into further success this year!
Featured Image by Wana Miri on Women on Topp
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