Break the Stigma in the Workplace with Sharleen Fulia
sharleen fulia from Higo
“The sooner you fail, the more you can learn, the quicker you can come back, that's it. Instead of waiting, it's just a waste of time. So okay, just try it first. Even if I fail, I'll get back no matter what,” said Sharleen Fulia, Chief Operating Officer of HIGO. That was Sharleen's mindset when she had to leave her career for a new opportunity.
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Being a woman at a young age holding a C-Level position in a tech company is not easy. Sharleen Fulia needs to break the stigma that has been embedded in society, even in her own family.
It started with the bold decision that Sharleen took to move from the field she was originally engaged in, namely actuarial science to a completely different industry. He fulfilled his partner's invitation to start HIGO, a WiFi Advertising and Integrated Digital Agencies Company in Indonesia. No kidding, she immediately developed a COO position which was full of risks.
Even though she had faced opposition from her family, in the end, Sharleen determined to take this opportunity with all the risks of failure that might occur. "Faster to fail, faster to learn, faster to come back," said Sharleen.
After finally running and having proven successful in leading HIGO to this day, the challenges that Sharleen has to face are continuing.
Woman. The label that was attached to her since birth gave her more burdens and demands from society. How she has to perform well in the office as COO, and also at home as a wife and mother. She also has to have thick skin to accept the stigmas about women, such as being so emotional, relying more on feelings, and so on. Interestingly, Sharleen responded casually. According to her, it is everyone's right to have an emotional side. The key is in how each of us conveys it through good communication.
One label is heavy enough, but Sharleen still has to face the fact that she has occupied this position at a relatively young age. Even now, she still feels strange when his team members call him 'Ma'am', even though they are older than her. That factor is also more or less a burden for her. Amazingly, Sharleen again handled it calmly. She decided to only focus on the best efforts she mustered. "Whatever I do, I try to give the best," said Sharleen.
Want to know the full story about Sharleen and the other challenges she has to face? Watch the full story in this episode of #StoriesWorthTelling - Bulls Eyes!
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