Be Bright

Passing the microphone to Asia

When asked about what it means to give the microphone to a woman, Mirela Sula would smile and say “Once you get that microphone, you stand in your power, and once a woman builds her power, they go and share it with others,” this is the mantra that Mirela lives by and one that fuels her Global Woman community, a movement she started in 2015.

Mirela Sula is a self-made businesswoman who has worked in media and education for the last 20 years and has speaking experience all around the world. One of her biggest accomplishments to date is creating Global Woman Magazine and Global Women Club which has grown to 14 different countries worldwide. For Mirela, building a community of women who are set on bringing a positive impact in society, inspiring others, sharing the same struggles, and helping each other reach their full potential, has always been her vision, even at an early age.

“When I found these women I also needed to know, ‘Where do they want to go, do they share the same aspiration, the same dream, the same vision?’ Not everybody who shares the same problem has the same vision to move out of the problem. So this is how I came up with creating a community of women who want to move from that vision of pain to a vision of gain,” Mirela shares.

Though her journey required no easy task, it was determination, passion and perseverance that helped make Mirela’s vision come into fruition. Before going global, she started off in a village in Albania where she first started thinking how she can make an impact on the people living in her hometown. Over time, she started to grow her name locally by establishing herself as a writer, journalist, psychologist, and television personality.

From being in a small town, she rose up and moved to a bigger town, and eventually moved to the capital city of Albania where she created the biggest network for women equality and decision making to help bring more women in power in Parliament. As she continued to become a household name in Albania, Mirela wanted to take it to the next level by expanding her advocacies globally.

“I would always tell my ladies that I needed to find my seat, and I needed to move, which they would start laughing whenever I would say it because I believe if you don’t like where you are or if you think you can do more, just move, you are not a tree, and that was never my forte.”

When she decided to come to London in 2012, it was a new challenge all together. She came with a student visa as an immigrant and a single mother coming from an abusive relationship. Her son was a teenager at that time and was also unhappy with the move. “I had to be patient because I know I completely separated him from his father, his friends, his past and he came into a very sensitive age, a completely new country, so it was really hard.” It was during this time when Mirela highlights that she was close to being homeless several times.

“I remember I had only £100 in my bank account. So, it may have been moments like that which makes a person feel like it’s really tough to stay in your lane and be loyal to your vision. But I knew it was coming closer and closer, and I never doubted it. People kept telling me that I was crazy and that I couldn’t do it but just because they said those things doesn’t make it true. Yes, it looks crazy to you but it doesn’t sound crazy to me. I never lost faith in myself.”

With all the adversity she experienced throughout her life, Mirela remained unfazed by the challenges her new life presented and decided to find her seat yet again. After a year of staying true to herself, she found a career opportunity to bring women together and train them about domestic abuse, competence and resilience. During this time she had also published her first book “Don’t Let Your Love Go.”

In 2015, she launched Global Woman, a movement with the hopes to reach and empower the women who lack self-confidence and have experienced many inequalities throughout their life. The publication experienced significant growth since its launch and has now diversified into several successful ventures including Global Woman Magazine and Global Woman Club which is now a community of over 100,000 women. Mirela has also received many awards for her work and has created clubs for women in 14 countries.

What’s next?

Being a woman that always believes in the next big move, Mirela aims to expand Global Woman further by passing the microphone to Asian women. She will speak in Asia for the first time in the Philippines, during MommaCon, a two-day virtual event created by women-led Integrated Marketing firm, TeamAsia. The event is a growing community where women support other women, inspiring and empowering them to overcome the challenges they face as mothers, especially during this time of pandemic.

In line with this, Mirela wants to bring attention to the importance of raising the next generation and to share her personal experiences of motherhood. “Learn how to make yourself a happy mama because your happiness is going to impact your child’s happiness. You have to know how to take charge as a mama and how to take responsibility as a mama. Not to see yourself as a victim but to empower yourself and empower your daughter and your son because your children need you.”

She further adds, “This is the message to give your ladies, to our mamas. Not to say you are a wonderful mother because you did this and this, but because you go out there and do whatever it takes nonstop, to be a great role model for your children.” Mirela is set to speak on the first day of MommaCon happening on Saturday, September 11, 2021. Be one of the first to listen to her speak in Asia by registering at the MommaCon website.

You can also catch her in the latest episode of TeamAsia’s very own podcast, Breakfast to Business (B2B), for a more detailed discussion on her personal life and the story behind passing over a microphone to a woman. You can listen to the full episode here on Spotify or Youtube.

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