Compiled by Pirah Aijaz
Shirin Ariff is a courageous, multi-talented lady with a charming personality. She is a Solo Mompreneur managing her own Coaching/Consultancy business “Be Your Own North Star”, which works to empower people to unleash their potential. Additionally, she has gained recognition as an International Best-selling Author.
Shirin is also an Award-winning Keynote Speaker and a Life Transformation Coach. As part of her work she particularly likes to serve Women – helping them get ‘unstuck’ and live the life they truly desire.
The Fempreneur team is honored to feature her in the series “Women Who Inspire”. Her struggles and achievements serve as an inspiration for all those women who wish to do more and be more…
Shirin Ariff! Let’s walk down memory lane… What did the young Shirin want to become when she grew up?
Young Shirin wanted to become a Queen! I loved reading fairy tales as a child and always wanted my own Kingdom and Crown.
You are the founder of “Be Your Own North Star”. Please tell us more about it.
“Be Your Own North Star” is an initiative that helps people connect with their Inner Intelligence and access guidance to navigate through life. It helps people build self-trust, take charge of their lives, make choices that are in tune with their personal culture, and live their lives by design as leaders. It is a movement committed to creating leaders in the world, one person at a time.
What was the thought process behind the name “Be Your Own North Star”?
It’s based on my own life experiences. I lived my life based on what other people had to say. I would choose to keep up appearances over what made me truly happy. My life was miserable and had fallen apart. I ended up having paralysis and Cancer and two failed marriages. It was in the darkest moments that I connected with the light within me. It was the light of a Higher Intelligence that knew what I had to do to get my life back on track. I had to give up what I thought I already knew and choose to trust that inner voice.
Navigators and travelers of yore, relied on the North Star to know their direction when they traveled at night, in the dark. When they were lost while traveling, they would look for the North Star and once they knew where the North was, they found direction in their journey. Similarly, when I was going through the darkest times of my life, I found my North Star within me and it led me to my journey in life, I found my way. I stopped relying on other people telling me how to live my life and learned to access my own inner guidance. My North Star is within me and so I became my own North Star.
It was 2018 and I had just finished speaking on the Speaker Slam stage, which is a speaking competition in Canada. One of the judges at the competition offered to work with me. She and I created the brand name “Be Your Own North Star”.
As a Life Transformation Coach, how do you hope to impact people’s lives?
As a Life Transformation Coach, I hope to help people find freedom from any mindset that makes them feel stuck in their lives. I want to empower them with tools and distinctions that will support them to lead their lives on their terms so that they can have a life of ease and joy and be unstoppable in the face of adversity.
What challenges have you faced while working in the Coaching Industry in Canada?
People do not understand the value of hiring a coach. They do not understand the significance of investing in their own personal growth and development and creating a road map to where they want to be in life. It is life-changing.
I would say this is not a challenge in Canada alone, it is a global issue. However, more people hire coaches than before.
What do you pride yourself most on?
I pride myself most on my ability to land on my feet every time life flips me over. I am proud of being unstoppable and not giving up.
Balancing your personal and professional life as a solo mompreneur can be overwhelming. How did you manage?
Bringing in discipline and commitment makes all the difference. I do have breakdowns and won’t let these breakdowns stop me. Reaching out to my Coaches for help to keep moving forward works for me. Including, time for relaxation is an important part of finding balance in my daily life.
What part of your work do you find the most enjoyable?
Connecting with people, listening to their stories, and witnessing breakthroughs in my clients are the most fulfilling experiences of my life.
What does success mean to you?
Success means feeling gratitude for exactly where I am in life. There are no regrets. I am complete.
The greatest lesson you learned in life…
Trust yourself – Be Your Own North Star.
