Stephanie Shirley knows what it takes to succeed, overcoming incredible oddsshe was a child refugeetofound software house F.I.
Group (now known as Xansa) in 1962.
Her goal was to help women with dependents find jobs, when work was scarceand she made it happen.
(Backstory: she signed business letters to potential clients “Steve”, and the nickname stuck.)
“I’m only alive because so long ago, I was helped by generous strangers….
I decided to make mine a life that was worth saving.
And then, I just got on with it.”
A power story, right?
“Nobody would buy software, certainly not from a woman.
And I’d hit that glass ceiling too often, and I wanted opportunities for women.”
So with about $100, she started her companyand finally broke that glass ceiling.
I couldn’t open a bank account without my husband’s permission.
My generation of women fought the battles for the right to work and the right forequal pay."
Even as Shirley’s software business grew, people scoffedparticularly that same boys' club.
she explains, no doubt with a touchy of irony.
Ultimately, haters are gonna hate.
You just have to ignore them and carry on.
So, newsflash: Negative people will drag you down.
Giving back will fill up your life.
On a lighter note, she added, “Philanthropy is all that I do now.
I need never worry about getting lost, because several charities would quickly come and find me.”
Even if it’s just a little something, any kind of charity work or donation can help.
However, she’s never minded the idea of work, because she loves it.
“It’s just as well that I’m a workaholic,” she says.
“I believe in the beauty of work when we do it properly and in humility.
Work is not just something I do when I’d rather be doing something else.”
Remember, when you’re chasing your dreams, you’re really chasing happiness.
Shirley’s final lesson?
Be adaptable; see life as an unfolding journey.
Difficult or not, Shirley’s an inspiration to women everywhereeven if you still want to call her Steve.
Photo Credit: Courtesy TED
