Geet is an author focussing on bringing about changing the workplace for women. She is speaking up for the status of women in society. She has started at the workplace because the contribution of women there is recognized. She hopes that it will create the desire in all women to work, to earn an income. She believes that every human being has the skills to make a future for themselves.
Q.1 Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
A. That I suffer from self-doubt. I doubted whether I would be able to write a book, and that people would buy it to read it. Even now when somebody gives me the name of a lady it takes me 10 days of struggling with myself - before I get the confidence to get her number and talk to her. I am very good at convincing myself that my work is not going to be good.
Q.2 When should we expect your next book? What will it be about?
A. Before the end of this year, I will start my 3rd book. Not decided yet - debating whether to continue the same topic or try something else in non-fiction, something on the psychological aspects of behavior maybe.
Q.3 When did you decide to write The Shattered Ceiling?
A. The idea was there before COVID hit. And though I could have carried on the interviews during COVID but then I thought it was very insensitive of me. So, after we were out of the COVID era, I started working on the questions.
When I started the interviews, I didn’t have a list of the women I would be interviewing. I was keen to take an interview with the first lady trader on the BSE, but I wasn’t sure of her full name. I researched and got her name but nowhere could I get her contact numbers. So, I gave up.
Meanwhile, some of my friends were suggesting names of women pioneers they knew. After one or two interviews, I got confidence and I started asking my friends for Deena Mehta's number. Finally, I got it and she agreed also.
Q.4 What challenges did you face while writing this book?
A. After transcribing the interviews my editor felt they didn’t read nicely because the conversations were audio, though to me they were lovely stories. So, I had to sit and change the style of narration to read more like stories. I didn’t understand what he wanted but I must have rewritten every line at least 100 times before he OKed it. That was time-consuming.
Q.4 What challenges did you face while writing this book?
A. After transcribing the interviews my editor felt they didn’t read nicely because the conversations were audio, though to me they were lovely stories. So, I had to sit and change the style of narration to read more like stories. I didn’t understand what he wanted but I must have rewritten every line at least 100 times before he OKed it. That was time-consuming.
Every time I would show him one interview, he would make changes. The difficult part was instead of giving me words to write, he would share his vision with the reader. I would go home and rework. Slowly we got to the point where he was satisfied and I was relieved. Phew …. Sometimes I felt like disappearing into thin air with the interviews. But I made it through, with perseverance.
Q.5 What do you want readers to take away from your book?
A. One - that every woman should work, and have an income. No woman should assume that her father will look after her or her children, etc. Having your own income gives you the space to buy things you like.
Secondly doing a job and reaching the top is not difficult for women. Their natural creative energy and love for the family are what will improve the things in the world. If women were to run this world, all problems of the world would get solved - mental health, environment, crime.
Q.6 What is the best piece of advice anyone has ever given to you?
A. Actually I grew up on Hindi movies and the advice that immediately comes to mind is the Asha Bhosle song - Kabhi kissi ko muqammal jahan nahi milta, Kahi zameen toh kahi aasmaan nahi milta. These lines always make me grateful for what I have and remind me of the abundance I have. And what I can do.
Q.7 What were your feelings when you first saw the cover page of your book?
A. Actually the first sample of the cover was nice but very abstract. And though I told the designer it was nice because I didn't want to hurt his feelings, I decided to sleep over it. All night I kept tossing and turning that what a great book I've written but the cover kills it.
The next morning I spoke to the designer and told him that I wanted to celebrate these 10 women. They are all women who have achieved something we average people could never have, so it is they who are the story, not me or my concept. He started saying that the resolution of some of the pics is so bad he can’t put it on the cover.
Q.5 What do you want readers to take away from your book?
A. One - that every woman should work, and have an income. No woman should assume that her father will look after her or her children, etc. Having your own income gives you the space to buy things you like.
Secondly doing a job and reaching the top is not difficult for women. Their natural creative energy and love for the family are what will improve the things in the world. If women were to run this world, all problems of the world would get solved - mental health, environment, crime.
Q.6 What is the best piece of advice anyone has ever given to you?
A. Actually I grew up on Hindi movies and the advice that immediately comes to mind is the Asha Bhosle song - Kabhi kissi ko muqammal jahan nahi milta, Kahi zameen toh kahi aasmaan nahi milta. These lines always make me grateful for what I have and remind me of the abundance I have. And what I can do.
Q.7 What were your feelings when you first saw the cover page of your book?
A. Actually the first sample of the cover was nice but very abstract. And though I told the designer it was nice because I didn't want to hurt his feelings, I decided to sleep over it. All night I kept tossing and turning that what a great book I've written but the cover kills it.
The next morning I spoke to the designer and told him that I wanted to celebrate these 10 women. They are all women who have achieved something we average people could never have, so it is they who are the story, not me or my concept. He started saying that the resolution of some of the pics is so bad he can’t put it on the cover.
So, I went back to the ladies and asked them for high-resolution pics and they went out of their way to send the pics. They also understood the cruciality of the pics. And when he sent me the final result, I almost cried. It was like he had “heard” me. I keep looking at the cover sometimes.
Q.8 Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with good or bad ones?
A. Yes, I read all my reviews. I am ok with bad ones too, because that is feedback and feedback helps us improve. I do pay attention to it.
I have to remind myself that I am not here to change people’s English but to impact their thoughts. I’ve decided I’ll only say thank you, I learned something.
Q.9 What was one of the most surprising things you learned while writing this book?
A. Most surprising was that all of them said marriage is not essential - marry only if you find the right guy.
But that doesn’t mean you go tomorrow and get divorced. Marriage is a very complex relationship. Each marriage is different and the two people in it have the power to shape it.
Q.10 Were there any common threads or unexpected revelations that emerged from your conversations with these extraordinary women?
A. The common thread was that a safe and secure childhood provides the girl child with confidence in her decisions. It was a thread that continued from my first book and was validated in this book.
Revelations were not that many. They were more like the undercurrents about the lack of world-class education and jobs in small cities; which is very sad. Because the change in the status of women remains a metro phenomenon.
Q.11 Can you share some insights into your selection process for the ten remarkable women featured in your book?
A. I tried to ensure that each interview was from a different industry so that we get an idea of the overall culture in that industry and that there is a mix age-wise. I did have an initial list - like Neelam Dhawan in the Computer industry and some in Media, but could not get their contact numbers so gave up.
Q.12 In your view, what are some of the key societal or cultural barriers that women continue to face in various professional spheres?
A. They all revolve around her role as mother, wife, daughter-in-law, etc. If she were NOT to marry, her parents’ expectations would not be the same as her in-laws’ expectations. It’s not like a daughter will not want to look after her parents. Like Sushmita Chakravarti says, just because I’m unmarried doesn’t mean I don’t have responsibilities.
There are these double standards that become her bane. To name a few:
1. That looking after parents and children is the woman’s responsibility.
2. If children are sick, it is the woman who has to take leave to look after them.
3. If she wants to travel to grow in her career, then she is neglecting the children. The husband can travel 365 days a year for which he is glorified.
Q.13 How many books have you written? Which one is your favorite?
A. I’ve written two. My favorite is my first one, Have the Women Left Venus? Decoding gender @workplace. It’s a good showcase of all my skills.
Q.14 Who designed your book cover? What was the selection process?
A. He was from my publisher’s team - Anecdote Publishers. I am not aware of the names. I just call them Sagar’s team.
Q.15 It is vital to get exposure and target the right readers for your book. Tell us about your marketing campaign?
A. I am planning to target Corporates for book reading. That is my core audience.
Q.16 Do you believe in writer’s block? If yes, how do you deal with it?
A. Well yes, it is a fact. Sometimes the well runs dry. You can sit for hours but no words come. Sometimes it can go on for weeks or months.
So the best thing is to take a break, go watch some shows, and play or attend a conference. I expose myself to alternative experiences and environments. A fresh perspective always helps.
Q.17 How do you envision The Shattered Ceiling contributing to ongoing conversations about gender equality and female empowerment?
A. I don’t want to fight that fight. Within a society, a man is 100% and a woman is 100%. Both together become 200%, both are vital energies in this universe. I don’t think women need equality or empowerment.
Q.8 Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with good or bad ones?
A. Yes, I read all my reviews. I am ok with bad ones too, because that is feedback and feedback helps us improve. I do pay attention to it.
I have to remind myself that I am not here to change people’s English but to impact their thoughts. I’ve decided I’ll only say thank you, I learned something.
Q.9 What was one of the most surprising things you learned while writing this book?
A. Most surprising was that all of them said marriage is not essential - marry only if you find the right guy.
But that doesn’t mean you go tomorrow and get divorced. Marriage is a very complex relationship. Each marriage is different and the two people in it have the power to shape it.
Q.10 Were there any common threads or unexpected revelations that emerged from your conversations with these extraordinary women?
A. The common thread was that a safe and secure childhood provides the girl child with confidence in her decisions. It was a thread that continued from my first book and was validated in this book.
Revelations were not that many. They were more like the undercurrents about the lack of world-class education and jobs in small cities; which is very sad. Because the change in the status of women remains a metro phenomenon.
Q.11 Can you share some insights into your selection process for the ten remarkable women featured in your book?
A. I tried to ensure that each interview was from a different industry so that we get an idea of the overall culture in that industry and that there is a mix age-wise. I did have an initial list - like Neelam Dhawan in the Computer industry and some in Media, but could not get their contact numbers so gave up.
Q.12 In your view, what are some of the key societal or cultural barriers that women continue to face in various professional spheres?
A. They all revolve around her role as mother, wife, daughter-in-law, etc. If she were NOT to marry, her parents’ expectations would not be the same as her in-laws’ expectations. It’s not like a daughter will not want to look after her parents. Like Sushmita Chakravarti says, just because I’m unmarried doesn’t mean I don’t have responsibilities.
There are these double standards that become her bane. To name a few:
1. That looking after parents and children is the woman’s responsibility.
2. If children are sick, it is the woman who has to take leave to look after them.
3. If she wants to travel to grow in her career, then she is neglecting the children. The husband can travel 365 days a year for which he is glorified.
Q.13 How many books have you written? Which one is your favorite?
A. I’ve written two. My favorite is my first one, Have the Women Left Venus? Decoding gender @workplace. It’s a good showcase of all my skills.
Q.14 Who designed your book cover? What was the selection process?
A. He was from my publisher’s team - Anecdote Publishers. I am not aware of the names. I just call them Sagar’s team.
Q.15 It is vital to get exposure and target the right readers for your book. Tell us about your marketing campaign?
A. I am planning to target Corporates for book reading. That is my core audience.
Q.16 Do you believe in writer’s block? If yes, how do you deal with it?
A. Well yes, it is a fact. Sometimes the well runs dry. You can sit for hours but no words come. Sometimes it can go on for weeks or months.
So the best thing is to take a break, go watch some shows, and play or attend a conference. I expose myself to alternative experiences and environments. A fresh perspective always helps.
Q.17 How do you envision The Shattered Ceiling contributing to ongoing conversations about gender equality and female empowerment?
A. I don’t want to fight that fight. Within a society, a man is 100% and a woman is 100%. Both together become 200%, both are vital energies in this universe. I don’t think women need equality or empowerment.
Men too have stuff that holds them back. My conversation is that focus on becoming 100%, be it man or woman. I know that changing others is impossible, but changing oneself is required daily.
Q.18 How do your friends or family feel about your book or writing venture in general?
A. They are all proud of me and inspired by me. And help in different ways. My husband is promoting me 24 hours a day and my kids are there with me at every stage. Especially my in-laws are very happy because I’ve made the Jalota famous. And that I’m using my time in productive activity.
My brother and sisters of course keep helping me in this journey as an author. My brother guides me media-wise, my younger sister edits the interviews whenever she has time, and her English is flawless. And another sister helps deal with my self-doubt.
Q.19 Are there any particular authors or books that have influenced your writing style or the creation of your book?
A. I have mostly been influenced by fiction writers - the detailing in Tolstoy or Solzhenitsyn or the revolutionary ideas of Ayn Rand. In non-fiction, I do love the exhaustive research that Siddhartha Mukherjee does. Hope one day I will write such a tome.
Q.20 Share the experience of your writing journey so far?
A. Well it has been a fulfilling journey, one which has put me on some map. I am glad people are reading what I am writing. When I started, I had said if I could change the thinking process of 100 women, I’d be happy. But that was a selfish desire. Because expectations will always leave one unsatisfied. Now I’m just happy if I am writing. I have a lot of questions in my head, and I will continue to write to find answers to them. That joy is what I live for.
Share your social account links -
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/geet.jalota/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/geetlinkedin/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/growcareerwithgeet/
X - https://www.x.com/geetmala
Website - https://askgeet.com/
Q.18 How do your friends or family feel about your book or writing venture in general?
A. They are all proud of me and inspired by me. And help in different ways. My husband is promoting me 24 hours a day and my kids are there with me at every stage. Especially my in-laws are very happy because I’ve made the Jalota famous. And that I’m using my time in productive activity.
My brother and sisters of course keep helping me in this journey as an author. My brother guides me media-wise, my younger sister edits the interviews whenever she has time, and her English is flawless. And another sister helps deal with my self-doubt.
Q.19 Are there any particular authors or books that have influenced your writing style or the creation of your book?
A. I have mostly been influenced by fiction writers - the detailing in Tolstoy or Solzhenitsyn or the revolutionary ideas of Ayn Rand. In non-fiction, I do love the exhaustive research that Siddhartha Mukherjee does. Hope one day I will write such a tome.
Q.20 Share the experience of your writing journey so far?
A. Well it has been a fulfilling journey, one which has put me on some map. I am glad people are reading what I am writing. When I started, I had said if I could change the thinking process of 100 women, I’d be happy. But that was a selfish desire. Because expectations will always leave one unsatisfied. Now I’m just happy if I am writing. I have a lot of questions in my head, and I will continue to write to find answers to them. That joy is what I live for.
Share your social account links -
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/geet.jalota/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/geetlinkedin/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/growcareerwithgeet/
X - https://www.x.com/geetmala
Website - https://askgeet.com/
Love it Geetu. Great job. Proud of you
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