SHELINA MAWANI – A success story

SHELINA MAWANI

A SUCCESS STORY

Shelina was born in Mwanza – a city in northern Tanzania, East Africa. Where she grew up, there were no computers or cell phones; no TVs, no large shopping malls, and none of the many conveniences we have today. Despite this, she was always interested in business while growing up. Along with her sister Nasim, she established Nanas Kitchen in the year 2000 and today it is a large manufacturing facility which is the only HACCP/BRC federally inspected plant in British Columbia in this category. Today their Convenient Comfort Foods with a Global Taste are sold in the Deli case at mainstream grocery chains across North America.

Here’s Shelina sharing her thoughts with us: I was a carefree small-town girl, simply living a day-to-day lifestyle. I was unsure of what my long-term goals or vision would be, especially after failing senior high school. Although I failed in school, I wanted to make something out of myself. This would require another level of determination and unequivocal relentlessness. From a young age, I knew I wanted to make difference in the world. My role model has always been Oprah Winfrey.

Just as Oprah had struggled as a child and understanding firsthand the challenges that come with women of color; these were challenges I faced. When Oprah began her career, she had faced a lot of rejection, however she persevered; many women look up to her today including me. Understanding firsthand, the struggles that come with immigrating to a new country, I made sure to create job opportunities for people who did not know the English language. Employing a growing staff of 70 people, we have impacted countless families as they integrate to their new communities far away from home.

I resonate with the hardships people have to face every single day. I foster support to our employees

and their families throughout their careers. Though I make my footprints in a new community, my immeasurable impacts are where I came from.

Leaving impacts has been a very fulfilling part of my life. I faced huge challenges from opening a restaurant and closing it down, huge losses, and getting in the wholesale business of Samosa. It was a difficult time. I was competing against a product that was the only product known to the consumer. I had to start marketing and approaching in a new way, so I chose to educate the public on a different samosa. To manage a successful business is not easy. I had a milliondollar idea and to successfully execute it, I used my three C’s:

CONVERSATION: never be afraid to start a conversation.

COLLABORATION: connect with others to take your business to the next level.

CELEBRATION: don’t forget to celebrate on small wins as this is a very important part of life.

Even the most successful entrepreneurs have made mistakes along the way. This however allows them to discover valuable lessons that enable their growth. So, regardless of the market you enter, be sure to do your homework. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that things will just fall into place, prepare the funds to support your business ventures long-term. Also, remember to question whether your product or service has some demand; and ensure that you’re considering both passion and practicality when you commence tackling one of life’s biggest ventures. Lastly, while creating your business, keep in mind the importance of family.

My personal message to women is to have a right mindset. Don’t be hard on yourself, you are doing the best you can do. Sometimes you need to make choices that break your heart but heal your soul. Don’t focus on the pain but focus on the progress and celebrate your little milestones.

Shelina Mawani and Nanas Kitchen’s Accolades • 2014 New Canadian Entrepreneur award. • 2015 Multicultural award. • 2016 Business Woman of the Year

by The Times of Canada. • 2016 Best Export Business by

Surrey Board of Trade. • 2017 Woman of the Decade in

Innovation and Enterprise. • 2018 The Bharat Saman Award at

The House of Lords in England. • 2019 BMO celebrating women for community and charitable giving. • 2020 Surrey board of trade business excellence resilience award. • Voted top 11 women owned business by Business in Vancouver 2021. • 2022 G100 exceptional women of excellence award at The House of

Lords.

Shelina Mawani’s Social Media https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelinamawani-a8258334/ https://www.facebook.com/shelina. mawani.1 https://www.instagram.com/ shelinamawani/ “I began my working career helping my father manage a series of local boutique hotels. I soaked up my business acumen and learned valuable lessons.”