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Since early hunter-gatherer days, females typically fulfilled the role of managing the home.  Although this tradition of women being bound to homemaking has seemed to evolved and more women have stepped into workforce taking on the role of the matriarch, the previous cultural norms still permeate deep inside, especially in many regions such as in Asia.
自從人類還是狩獵採集時期開始，女性通常肩負起管理家庭的角色。雖然這種「女性被局限於持家」的傳統似乎已經逐漸演變，越來越多女性走入職場同時承擔起家族女主人的責任，但舊有的文化規範依然深植人心，尤其是在亞洲等許多地區。

For this month’s NS Insider Interview, a French born beauty who found her mission to lead with strategy, operational experience, and dynamic management skills.  She co-founded a platform to be the bridge of inspiration, cultivate business blueprints, and encourage impassioned women to start their own unique journeys.
在本月的 NS Insider 專訪，我們邀請到一位法國出生的美女，她找到了屬於自己的使命——以策略、營運經驗和充滿活力的管理技巧來領導。她共同創辦了一個平台，致力於成為創業靈感的橋樑、培育商業藍圖，並鼓勵滿懷熱情的女性踏上屬於自己的獨特旅程。

Ines Gafsi, The Co-founder of Female Entrepreneur Worldwide, is here to talk about her epic journey that prepared her to be the sherpa of this entrepreneurial generation.
Female Entrepreneur Worldwide 聯合創辦人 Ines Gafsi，將會與我們分享她的非凡歷程——這段旅程鍛造了她，成為這一代創業者的嚮導。

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C O N V E R S A T I O N

NL | Nicole Lui @ NOIRSTONE
IG | Ines Gafsi‍

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• ‍NL | When you first started FEW, what really struck you as eye opening when it comes to business world in Asia, especially being a startup in Hong Kong?
  IG | Hong Kong is a great place to start a business, especially because the community is very supportive. Everyone is open to collaborate. Things move forward quickly here - people mindset is business oriented and open - which makes the journey exciting. Entrepreneurship is all about testing and pivoting ideas so having that flexibility pretty awesome.
  NL | 當你剛創立 FEW 的時候，亞洲的商業世界帶給你什麼最「大開眼界」的體驗？特別是在香港創業？
  IG | 香港是一個很適合創業的地方，因為社群有非常互相支持的態度，大家都樂於合作。這裡的事情推進得很快，原因是人們的心態偏向開放、商業導向，這令整個旅程變得很興奮。創業就是不斷測試和調整想法，而這種靈活度真的很棒。

• NL | There’s a misconception that a good portion of the female entrepreneur groups project their anger towards men, though, as we know the true intent of these communities is to empower women. How do you keep the balance in the ratio of women to men?
  IG | We always welcome men to our different programs and we do have 15-20% of male members. Men are important in empowering women for success. In our community a lot of men are mentors who are happy to share their business knowledge with other members. We think it is important to involve men in this conversation.
  NL | 外界有一種誤解，認為不少女性創業社群是把憤怒投射到男性身上。但其實我們知道，這些社群的真正目的是賦能女性。那你們是如何保持女性與男性之間的平衡？
  IG | 我們一直歡迎男性參與不同的活動，目前大概有 15-20% 的會員是男性。男性對於推動女性成功非常重要。在我們的社群裡，很多男性是導師，樂於與其他成員分享商業知識。我們認為把男性納入這場對話是很重要的。
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• NL | I agree, it's also about ying and yang.... How about things happen randomly, what was the back up plan if FEW didn’t work out the way you girls had planned?
  IG | Well, to be honest we’ve never imagined that FEW would be what it is today. Things happen quite organically and we are driven by the encouraging messages we receive from our members and their successes. We are passionate about this mission and if it did not work out the FEW way I would still probably support female entrepreneurs on the consulting side or with a foundation. We actually have so many ideas on how we can help but we simply decided to focus first on providing an educational platform for them to learn how to run their business better and champion them to inspire more women to believe in their dreams.
  NL | 我同意，這就像陰陽平衡……那麼，假如一切並非如計劃般順利，FEW 沒有走出今天這條路，你們的後備方案會是什麼？
  IG | 老實說，我們從來沒有想過 FEW 會成為今天的模樣。很多事情都是很自然地發展出來，而我們不斷受到會員的鼓勵信息和他們的成功故事所推動。這份使命感讓我們充滿熱情。即使 FEW 沒有成功，我大概仍然會在顧問或基金會的層面支持女性創業者。我們其實有很多幫助她們的想法，但最後決定專注於提供一個教育平台，教她們如何更好地經營事業，並激勵更多女性去相信自己的夢想。
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• NL | Focus on one thing definitely is the key otherwise we'll just get to nowhere.  So we all learn from failure, what was the failure that kicked you in the ass?
  IG | There is a lot of challenges when you start a business. Especially in a country that is not your own. The business etiquette is different and you have to adapt yourself to not lose potential business. I realised quickly that French tend to be a bit too direct in our way of speaking or expressing ideas - which is perciped aggressive or not respectful- comparing to local standards. The guangxi and face concepts were also new to me. After working for a few years now with big clients in Hong Kong and China I’ve learnt the ways to deal with this.
  NL | 專注於一件事真的很重要，不然就會一事無成。我們都從失敗中學習，你遇過最「狠狠給你上一課」的失敗是什麼？
  IG | 創業時挑戰很多，特別是在一個並非自己家鄉的國度。這裡的商業禮儀不一樣，你必須學會調整自己，否則就會錯失機會。我很快意識到，法國人講話太直接，容易被認為是咄咄逼人或不夠尊重，與本地標準有落差。「關係」(guangxi) 和「面子」的概念對我來說也是全新的。不過，在香港和中國與大客戶合作了幾年後，我已經慢慢學會如何應對。
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• NL | Oh! I can absolutely resonate with it, especially when we switched from one city to another.  So how did you come back up from that moment?
  IG | Building relationships is key in business and it’s a learning curve. I have learnt over the years to pay particular attention to people not matter their position and role in their organisation as they can become key partners in the future. You have to be patient with yourself and stay positive no matter the struggles you face but always reflect on your attitude and aim for higher standards.
  NL | 哦！我完全感同身受，尤其是當我們從一個城市轉到另一個城市時……那麼，你是怎樣走出那個低谷？
  IG | 在商業上，建立關係是關鍵，也是一個學習曲線。多年來，我學會了無論對方在公司裡的職位高低，都應該給予重視，因為他們將來可能成為重要的合作夥伴。你必須對自己有耐性，保持積極，無論面對多少困難，都要反思自己的態度，並且追求更高的標準。
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• NL | You’ve seen lots of ladies, who’re still fearful of authenticity and being true to themselves.   What’s your best advice?
  IG | I personally think authenticity is key for entrepreneurial success. Every entrepreneur, especially at the start, embodies their brand. Their personal brand is their company brand. Being authentic is what make them different, unique and would ultimately make people feel more connect to their brand. You may not feel confident enough but being true to yourself and others is what would make you successful - remember that.
  NL | 你見過很多女性仍然害怕展現真實的自己。你有什麼最佳建議？
  IG | 我個人認為真誠是創業成功的關鍵。尤其在起步階段，創業者往往就是品牌本身。他們的個人品牌就是公司品牌。真誠讓你與眾不同，讓你獨一無二，最終也能讓別人更容易連結到你的品牌。即使你還不夠自信，但只要對自己和他人真實，就能走向成功，要記住這一點。

• NL | Since your daily life is to be everyone else’s guide, how do you find time to balance your work and personal life?
  IG | What I like the most about being an entrepreneur is that I get to run my own schedule. I try to have a healthy daily routine: some physical exercise every day, usually in the morning or at lunchtime and reserve my dinners for friends and family. It’s important to me to stop working at times simply to refresh my mind and allowing creativity in my life through travels, hikes or even art galleries or museums visits from time to time. It is necessary to put things in perspective and giving you the opportunity to think in a different way about business.
  NL | 由於你的日常就是當大家的嚮導，你如何平衡工作與個人生活？
  IG | 我最喜歡創業者的地方就是能自己安排時間。我盡量保持健康的日常：每天做運動，通常在早上或午餐時間；晚上則留給朋友和家人。對我來說，適時停下來很重要，讓自己清空思緒，並透過旅行、遠足、甚至參觀藝術館或博物館來為生活注入創意。這能幫助我換個角度思考商業。
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• NL | How do you see beauty and what’s your must have #selflove routine?
  IG | I usually find beauty in everyone, inside and outside. And I tend to tell that to them - it’s pleasurable to see a smile on someone who receives a compliment as much as it is to give it.  I think beauty starts with taking care of your healthy, mind and body. I enjoy simple things like having a little pampering session - doing beauty masks for example - before going to bed.
  NL | 你怎樣看「美」，而你的必備 #selflove 自愛習慣是什麼？
  IG | 我通常會在每個人身上找到美，不論內在還是外在。而且我也會告訴他們——當對方因為讚美而笑起來時，對我來說就和給予一樣愉快。我認為美始於照顧身心健康。我喜歡一些簡單的事情，比如在睡前做個美容面膜，當作小小的寵愛時刻。
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• NL | What is your vision for our society a decade from now?
  IG | I think there is a big awakening in terms of mindfulness but also consciousness about the world we live in. People care more about their health and our planet. This will bring a lot of positive changes in the way we live, consume and apprehend the future. There is much more spirituality, new forms of spirituality that will allow people to live more purposeful lives. Entrepreneurs are the changemakers of a better world. Their battles usually implies changing things that were not working in our society. Their number is growing and as influencers they are leading the positive change that is coming.
  NL | I can't agree more.  Our world needs a collective of changemakers to reform it into a beauty.
  NL | 你對十年後的社會有什麼願景？
  IG | 我覺得現在有一股巨大的「覺醒」，不只是對正念的重視，還有對我們所處世界的意識。人們更關心自己的健康和地球，這會帶來很多正面轉變，我們的生活方式、消費習慣，以及對未來的看法都會有所改變。靈性也更多樣化，新的靈性形式會讓人過得更有意義。創業者就是推動改變的人，他們挑戰那些在社會中行不通的舊規則。這個群體不斷壯大，他們作為影響者，正在引領即將到來的正向改變。
  NL | 我完全同意。我們的世界需要一群「改變者」去將它重塑成一個美麗的所在。
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• NL | If you were to meet your younger self, what advice would you give her?
  IG | Confidence was always what hold me back. I would tell myself that anything I dream of is possible and that my mind is the only thing that limits those dreams to happen.
  NL | 如果你能遇見年輕時的自己，你會給她什麼建議？
  IG | 自信一直是限制我的東西。我會告訴自己：任何夢想都有可能實現，唯一的限制就是自己的思想。
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• NL | What’s that one question you’d like to ask our NS Insiders?
  IG | What would you do if you weren’t afraid?
  NL | Powerful question! I love introspective questions which make us rethink and reset.
  We can’t thank you and the team enough. You girls are the gems.
  NL | 最後，你想向我們的 NS Insider 讀者提一個什麼問題？
  IG | 如果你沒有恐懼，你會去做什麼？
  NL | 這個問題太有力量了！我很喜歡這些能讓我們重新思考、重新設定的內省問題。真的非常感謝你和團隊。

I N E S ' S   C H O I C E

| Snack(s) |
Brazilian nuts
巴西果仁

| Drink(s) |
Water or green tea
水或綠茶

| Song Of The Month |
Angèle – La loi de Murphy

| Book(s) |
The power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
《當下的力量》 Eckhart Tolle 著

| Mentor(s) + Inspiration(s) |
Sophia Amoruso, Emma Watson, Roxanne Gay, Sheryl Sandberg, Michelle Obama

| Stress reliever(s)  |
Meditation by the sea, horse riding, petting my cat
海邊冥想、騎馬、跟貓咪相處

| That 1 Thing You Keep Telling Yourself |
Everything is good be alright
一切都會好起來

| Daily Routine |
Wake up at 6:30am, don’t look at your phone for one hour, run or yoga in nature, big breakfast with eggs, bred and pain au chocolat, work on the morning, afternoon meetings, drink with friends, home cooked dinner, read a book, go to bed at 11pm.

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This article was originally published on our website in March 202