3 Inspiring Stories of Women Who Achieved Success Despite Setbacks

Failures and setbacks are equally important to our life story as successes and comebacks. Simply put, they are viewed negatively. Society refers to them as an end. More like a report card of life, again both these perceptions are wrong!

Learning from failure and setbacks is what builds our comeback and success. All we need to do is learn how to overcome this phase in our lives. 

At Girls Buzz, we believe all women are inspirational women in their own unique way. In this article, I am presenting to you empowering stories of women who have overcome setbacks in their careers and set an inspiring example of women's empowerment. 

1. Priya Paul 

Source: CNBC

Priya Paul is one of India's most successful and inspiring female businesswomen and a legendary personality in the hospitality sector. She comes from a prominent business family, Apeejay Surrendra Group.

After graduating with a degree in economics from Wellesley College in the United States, Priya joined the family business at Park Hotels' marketing division. She first reported to Surrendra Paul, the Chairperson, and her father. In less than two years, she was appointed acting general manager of The Park, New Delhi, in less than two years.

Unfortunately, she lost her father in 1990 when the ULFA militants shot and killed Surrendra Paul. A year prior to that incident, Priya's younger brother Anand was killed in a car accident. These occurrences left a void in the workplace and in the home.

Priya, who was only 23 years old at that time and had very little experience, was given the enormous job of managing all three hotels of The Park. She soon became aware that the hotels need extensive renovations.  Priya overcomes challenges despite having no prior experience. She made the decision to listen to her heart rather than the advice in the hotel handbook.

It's good enough that the number three has been transformed into twelve. The idea of boutique hotels was pioneered by Priya alone in India. She included unique concepts such as themed lounges, In-vogue restaurants, etc. in addition to the stylish and contemporary decor and interiors, which run contrary to the nation's archetypical 5-star facilities. She also experimented with the menus and music. Her actions assisted her hotel chain in navigating the early 1990s recession.

According to Priya Paul, having original and fresh ideas is crucial to succeeding in the market—recession or not. She argues that India has a diverse range of cultural traditions, and she integrates both modern Indian culture and western expectations and demands into her hotel business while taking into account both domestic and foreign travel to India.

She currently serves as the chair of the South Asia Women's Fund, a member of the National Council of Science Museums, and the national tourist advisory council. Priya has also received a number of honors, such as the Padma Shri award from the Indian government in 2012. The Forbes list of Asia's 50 most influential businesswomen included Priya Paul.

2. Deepa Aathreya 

Source: Women Economic Forum

This Chennai-based entrepreneur endured long periods of hardship before becoming the prosperous businesswoman she is today, working with the School of Success. She was ridiculed for her weight in school and labeled a "baby elephant." Her good grades and growing confidence were inspired by a teacher's encouraging words. Her life still had plenty of challenges ahead of her.

After marrying against her parents' wishes, she founded an events company, but, as fate would have it, her business partner cheated her, and she was back at square one. At the age of 24, she was bankrupt and unable to afford milk for her child. She bought some balloons, took them to the beach, and sold them after telling stories to the children. The School of Success, a business that offers courses to educators, parents, and students, and serves more than 2,500 schools nationwide, had a modest beginning with this.

She is incredibly passionate about leadership and thinks that everyone should be empowered to take control of their lives. She firmly believes that each person has talents waiting to be discovered and something valuable to offer the world. She receives one-on-one mentoring from Clinton Swaine and is a life member of the International Frontier Training Academy! Who is a pioneer in experiential education worldwide. Deepa wants to make a difference in the lives of at least one billion people worldwide.

Worked with over lakhs of students to date, assisting them in taking the initiative and LEADING! - Conducted more than 50 corporate training programs, 1000+ workshops for parents and teachers, and other events. She has won a number of prizes and recognitions for her remarkable leadership work with children, teachers, and parents.

3. Oprah Winfrey 

Source: Variety

The fascinating part of Oprah Winfrey's life is that she was born into poverty and went on to achieve extraordinary success. The fact that she continued to try new things and fail even after she achieved success makes the narrative even more motivational.

She launched the Oprah Winfrey Network in 2011 following years of the Oprah Winfrey Show holding the top spot. But OWN was not a hit; a year after its debut, media outlets labeled it a failure. This was "the worst period in [my] professional life," as Oprah referred to it in her 2013 commencement address at Harvard University.

Oprah, however, persisted in working hard and advancing in her career in spite of this. Oprah had to work hard to revive the network. She teamed up with Tyler Perry in 2012 and changed the network's emphasis to better serve her fans. The network wasn't regarded as having "cash flow positive" until 2013.

Oprah would never have had the chance to fix things if she had given up when they were going wrong.