Maybe it’s true that women can’t have it all — a fulfilling career, a happy personal and family life, and good mental health — but there’s no reason that they shouldn’t try to get as close as they can. And one place to start that effort is at Grounds For Sculpture this Thursday, May 1, when the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce hosts author and business executive Shikha Bajaj for “Women in the Workforce: Own Your Color.”
The workshop on women’s leadership, confidence-building, work-life balance, and personal growth runs from 8 to 10:30 a.m. and also includes a panel discussion among female leaders from the area. Register online at www.princetonmercerchamber.org. Attendees have the option to purchase a discounted copy of Bajaj’s book, “Own Your Color: How to Unleash Your Limitless Potential with One Secret Tool: M.E.N.T.O.R.,” at the time of registration.
Bajaj is a senior executive at Publicis Sapient, a technology consulting firm that is a subsidiary of the Publicis Groupe, a French public relations, marketing, and advertising company. She emigrated from the New Delhi suburbs and started her career in software engineering before moving into sales and leadership. Bajaj is also a board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters and OneProject
She is also a mentor to others looking to succeed against the odds and is the founder of “Own Your Color,” a community that empower women. In her book of the same name, she chronicles her path through corporate America and the steps she recommends for finding fulfillment. These three “transformational pillars” form the basis of her workshop for the chamber event.
As stated on the “Own Your Color” website, ownyourcolor.com, they are:
Know your color: “Dig deep to understand your motivations, definition of success, and what truly matters.”
Embrace your color: “Step into your power by being your authentic self. Utilize the proven M.E.N.T.O.R. framework to create strategies and habits to thrive.”
Spread your color: “Share your gifts with the world. Find joy and purpose by inspiring others on their self-discovery journeys.”
The M.E.N.T.O.R. framework is a formula for success that Bajaj has developed based on her own experiences. As the Own Your Color website explains, the acronym stands for:
M – Meditation (mindfulness): Calm the chaos. Focus your mind. Lead with clarity.
E – Exercise (empowerment): Energize your body. Strengthen your spirit. Perform at your peak.
N – Notate (journal): Capture lessons. Track wins. Turn challenges into breakthroughs.
T – Thank (gratitude): Reframe setbacks. Appreciate progress. Build a mindset of abundance.
O – Ownership (own): Own your choices. Embrace responsibility. Shape your story.
R- Read (transformation): Feed your intellect. Challenge assumptions. Unlock limitless potential.
Following the workshop, participants in the panel discussion include Chinsu Shajan, an accident and personal injury lawyer with the Hamilton office of the law firm of Stark & Stark; Karen Andrade-Mims, CEO emerita of the Trenton-based Father Center of New Jersey; and Maria Imbalzano, a retired matrimonial lawyer who is now an author of contemporary romance novels.
