‘Success is liking yourself and what you do’

Spearheading India and MENA operations as Country Manager for Singapore-based tech company, AnyMind Group, Rubeena Singh is a mother who lives in the moment.

In conversation with exchange4media, Rubeena shared how she juggles the demanding roles of being a professional and a mother.

“Balancing priorities is a challenging task that working mothers struggle with, especially when one has to juggle multiple responsibilities. Choosing between the demands of work and a child is always difficult. There is a constant struggle with guilt,” she said.

Rubeena said the sense of guilt is the biggest challenge for working mothers. She spoke of how she had missed some milestones of her daughter’s life, including her first steps, due to work commitments. However, her mantra is to do what makes her happy.

“If one prioritizes their child, women are perceived to not be a good employee, and if they prioritize work, they are not a good parent. When I got back to work 6 weeks after delivery, working for a few hours a day, I faced the pressure of being labelled both as an inadequate mother and someone who tries to abscond work.

“My mantra is always to do what you believe is right and makes you happy,” she remarked.

After becoming a mom, Rubeena said success for her means liking herself. “Success, to me now, is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it,” she said.

As a piece of advice for career-oriented mothers, Rubeena said, “Avoid trying to do it all. You only have so much energy. Saying no to tasks that consume too much of your time and attention is beneficial. Ask for help wherever required.”

 She said priorities will change depending on the phase of life and it is important to be truly present in one place at a time, mentally and physically.

“Wherever you are, be present. It’s tempting to think about work while you are with your kids and vice-versa. But doing this will only make you feel split between family and work. Try to live in the moment. This will make your family time more meaningful, and your work time more productive. You’ll be happier for it.”

Sharing her joy of being a mother, Rubeena said listening to her daughter lifts her spirits up instantly.

“There are so many reasons why I love being a mama, but I especially love the look in my daughter’s eye when she discovers something new or figures something out that she has been trying to comprehend for a long time.

“The joy I experience from witnessing her smiles, giggles, and sense of pride when she achieves something new is immeasurable. No matter how challenging my day has been, simply listening to her recount her day can instantly lift my spirits and restore a sense of peace and contentment in my world,” she shared.

Rubeena, who joined AnyMind Group as the Country Manager - India & MENA in January this year, says it has been an exciting journey for her as the AnyMind stack meets the needs and desires of brands, creators, and publishers alike.

“AnyMind’s biggest strength is its ability to deliver integrated, data-driven marketing solutions underpinned by borderless technology, developed to help brands and businesses transcend borders.

“While there may be many boutique shops providing individual solutions, AnyMind has the unique ability to provide integrated and holistic technology and solutions to solve customers’ commerce and marketing needs,” she said.

Talking about the importance of influencer marketing and the impact of social media on brands, Rubeena said, “It offers numerous advantages including brand awareness, humanizing the brand, establishing thought leadership, driving traffic, generating leads, boosting sales, sourcing ideas, learning more about customers, and enhancing customer engagement and service.”

“However, it is unfortunate that many brands still view influencer marketing as a mere checkbox to be ticked off without thinking deeply about the objectives and outcomes.

“At AnyTag we work with brands and agencies to create a tech-based, platform-centric approach that helps in enhancing the overall objectives of the brand,” she noted.