I know, I know, I say this a lot; but,  I can’t help that all the women I am fortunate enough to interview are amazing, and I’m extremely excited about this interview with Komal Minhas.

I had the amazing opportunity to hear Komal speak and meet her at the Elevate International Women’s Day Summit.

After watching her and Erin Bagwell’s documentary – Dream, Girl and starting my blog, I knew I wanted to interview her; so, it felt meant to be when our path’s finally crossed. If you haven’t seen the documentary yet, it’s a must see.

Komal  is an angel investor, entrepreneur, speaker, and philanthropist. She is the creator of Kaur.space, an online magazine, co-work space and movement focused on work and how everything intersects with it. Among some of her investments are – The Helm, The Tease Tea Founders Fund, and iFundWomen.

She is the host of the weekly THRIVE Podcast for women entrepreneurs in partnership with Startup Canada, Scotiabank and the Business Development Bank of Canada.

Paolina: What does it mean to you to be “a feminist company, and one that is representative of the power of the female economy”? (From the KoMedia website) and what is some advice you have for women who want to build feminist companies that are representative of the power of the female economy?

Komal:

For me, creating a representative company has meant creating it based on my lived experience. What can I do for young girls like me to amplify them?

In terms of advice for creating representative companies it’s to remain open-minded, thoughtful and inclusive, and to test your own assumptions. Becoming and staying inclusive can be challenging but it brings immeasurable value.

Paolina: What are your thoughts on Purpose + Profit?

Komal:

I think profit and purpose can be very aligned. As a woman, it’s taken me a long time to get comfortable with revenue and profit and aligning them with purpose. We need more people to get comfortable with money.

Paolina: What has been your hardest experience dealing with your business and money/finance and what did you learn?

Komal:

Getting comfortable with revenue and product development, I think we tend to put the cart before the horse and if we’re not generating revenue and profit right away we are very hard on ourselves. Often times, your product needs more work to turn it into something people want to buy before monetizing it. There’s such a hustle culture that we forget to talk about the nuts and bolts. Don’t be hard on yourself because you haven’t generated revenue yet – make sure your product is one people want first and then the money will come.

Paolina: What advice do you wish you had gotten about money/finance when you were first starting your business?

Komal:

I wish someone had told me that it’s hard; but, the better your product is and the longer you’re in business, the easier it gets. The relationship with your money, like with your partner or friends or any other relationship, takes time to build. Be gentle and take the time.

Paolina: Kaur.space is about starting honest conversations about work, wellness and impact together? What would be your recommendation for applying the same philosophy to money?

Komal:

Money’s important but it can’t be everything or it will lead to burnout. Like with your physical health, financial health is just as nuanced and requires an integrated approach. You need to look at how you are creating time for each of the areas.

Paolina: How do you pick the companies/initiatives you invest in like The Helm, iFundWomen, Tease Tea Founders fund?

Komal:

It’s mainly based on the Founders. I do look at metrics but it’s mostly based on the founding team, their track record and their passion.

Paolina: What are some of your FinanciElle Faves right now?

• Favourite business resource/tool? Slack
• Favourite business/leadership/Motivational book? The ONE Thing by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan
• Favourite podcast/file/piece of media…? Thrive Podcast