Sheelam Chadha discusses her bold journey from two decades in corporate real estate to launching her own firm, Dry Capital, symbolically founded on International Women’s Day 2025. Driven by the desire to break the glass ceiling and leverage her extensive experience in the volatile European real estate market, Sheelam shares insights into navigating uncertainty, the importance of trust, and the power of strategic networking.
Key Discussion Points:
From Corporate to Founder:
- The motivation behind launching Dry Capital after encountering limitations in the traditional corporate structure.
- How Sheelam turned professional frustrations into entrepreneurial opportunity by creating a company aligned with her vision and values.
Navigating Market Volatility:
- Insights on how major events—like Brexit, COVID-19, and recent interest rate hikes—have reshaped the European commercial real estate landscape.
- Why traditional bank financing is increasingly limited, and how Dry Capital provides alternative private capital solutions to help companies navigate prolonged market challenges.
Challenges and Advice for Women Entrepreneurs:
- The barriers faced by women in traditionally male-dominated industries and how Sheelam overcame criticism by cultivating resilience and self-belief.
- Practical advice on why women should embrace risk, leverage supportive networks, and pursue their entrepreneurial visions without hesitation.
Strategic Networking and Building Trust:
- How critical building and maintaining a professional network has been throughout Sheelam’s career.
- Advice for young professionals: proactively attend industry events, build genuine relationships, and cultivate trust that can last decades.
Valuable Corporate Experience:
- How experiences during economic downturns and corporate restructuring periods provided Sheelam with invaluable insights and resilience.
- Why challenging times offer greater learning opportunities compared to periods of easy growth.
Key Takeaways:
- Embracing discomfort and uncertainty can drive significant personal and professional growth.
- Genuine trust and integrity within professional relationships can be a key differentiator and asset throughout one's career.
- Courage, belief in oneself, and leveraging past corporate experiences can empower entrepreneurs to launch and scale their own businesses successfully.
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