Breaking Barriers and Redefining Womanhood: Merging Fashion and Impact with Mona Patel

You don't have to be a certain brand of woman in order to deliver your message.

Mona is the founder of Couture for Cause, a nonprofit organization using fashion to fundraise and raise awareness for girls’ education and empowerment worldwide. She shares her journey from childhood in India to the recent Met Gala, where she turned heads in a stunning Iris van Herpen dress. With a blend of humor and vulnerability, she reflects on her struggles with identity, a tomboy image, and searching for her authentic self.

Mona has a strong entrepreneurial mind and a love for freedom mixed with a love for fashion She talks specifically of creativity and aesthetics, which she refers to as "aesthetic intelligence” which she used at Met Gala to showcase her nonprofit work. Multiple businesses she built taught her lessons about flexibility, learning skills, and the power of real estate.

Mona knows the power of connection and community along with the extensive education she got helped her to get out of the social pressures women face, especially in India, thanks to her parents’ open-mindedness which was the key to her empowerment. She had a desire to turn a "guilty pleasure" of fashion into something meaningful. Through her organization, she combines her passion for couture with efforts to support grassroots initiatives in India, particularly for young women and girls affected by sex trafficking and other challenges. Mona’s life was marked with resilience, seeking freedom, and breaking the norms in business and life but her mom taught her to balance between ambition and humility and that lesson has been a significant part of her growth. 

Show notes:
👗 Mona made a splash at the Met Gala in a beautiful Iris van Herpen dress. 02:33
👧🏽 Mona's story as a child in India: her father's influence and help were significant. 08:12
👠 Only as an adult did she realize she didn't have to pretend to be a tomboy to be an empowered woman. 13:47
🏰 Her parents have been her fortress: they were very open-minded. 17:02
🦅 In the US, she truly felt freedom: she wanted to be known for who she was. 21:32
👩🏽‍💼 Mona's journey started with getting a broker's license in Florida in 2004. 24:36
🎯 She had an entrepreneurial mindset: "You control your destiny by not working for someone." 25:44
🏆 The first step to having a successful mindset is being the highest version of yourself. 27:55
🔥 Her mother's lesson: "Don't let the things that you own—own you." 34:05
😍 Mona and her husband have highly complementary skill sets: their partnership led them from one business to another. 38:51
😇 Couture for a Cause: that's a form of art. 43:09
🍀 She wanted to start initiatives that help women leave a legacy or impact. 46:27
🤩 During Covid, Mona had a reflective moment: "How can I serve the world?" 49:35
🌻 Perfectionism and high standards used to make her procrastinate, but now she has grown beyond that. 55:30

Links
Mona's website: hautemona.com

Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hautemona/

Connect with Adrienne: www.sheleadsmedia.com

Listen to podcasts for women by women on the She Leads Podcast Network: www.sheleadspodcasts.com

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