Combining Education and Immigrant Perseverance for Successful Women Entrepreneurs

Female entrepreneurship is on the rise, and when it comes to the female immigrant population, they are emerging at the center of the trend. However, a significant proportion of them are actually women. The 2021 National Women’s Business Council annual report revealed that women make up 38.6% of all immigrant business owners. Even more beneficial, noncitizen women make up her 1.5 million female business owners in the United States and her 11.5% of all female business owners.

College is often a jumping-off opportunity for female immigrants, with more than one in four earning a bachelor’s degree or higher. Current statistics show a stark gender imbalance in American universities, with women outnumbering men by 3 to 1 on most campuses. According to the New York Times, this narrowing of the gap could change the face of the economy and the American workforce over the next decade.

There are many opportunities for women to receive education. However, the college-to-career switch faces hurdles to advance leadership positions. Harvard Business Review says she leads only 8% when it comes to positions of power, even though women make up more than half of the workforce in the economy. Fortune 500 Less than 1% of companies represent women of color. The number gap may be closing, but getting top jobs remains a challenge for women.

The quest to climb the ranks requires fighting certain prejudices in the workplace and a strong determination to succeed. Even female-dominated industries have biases to overcome, not to mention those with a lower percentage of women.

Amela Smailbegovic represents US college-educated female immigrant entrepreneurs who are challenging the barriers for women in their industry. A successful real estate owner with her operations in the US and Europe, her Smailbegovic has been in the real estate game for 15 years and has made a name for herself with the timeshare real estate model.

“I faced a lot of adversity before moving to the United States from my home country, but none of them stopped me from succeeding,” says Smailbegovic. The hardships were never fun, but fleas shaped my character and got me where I am today. There are some obstacles that must be met, all women, the only person who can stop your success is yourself. ”

This reporter interviewed Amela Smailbegovic to learn more about her immigration journey, educational background and being a successful female business owner in the real estate sector.

Rod Berger: Talk about your journey as an immigrant to the US and your beginnings before entering the real estate market.

Amera Smilebegovic: Being an immigrant is a big change for me. I’m originally from Croatia and technically from Yugoslavia. A civil war in the early 90s divided her into five nations, including Croatia. i he was born in 1985. My family moved to the United States in 1994, but he rarely left the country, so settling in was not easy.

When I returned to Croatia, my father was a successful lawyer. I always wanted to follow in his footsteps. He went to Elon University in North Carolina and earned his two degrees in philosophy and political science. By then he had moved to Florida, where he got his first job as a paralegal. It was a good job too, but in the end I felt I needed to move on.

Burger: How did you make the switch to real estate?

Smile Begovic: It was a lucky break. At the time, my mother worked for David Siegel, widely known as the timeshare king of the real estate industry. My mother was the executive her architect at Siegel’s Westgate Resorts. She urged me to consider a career in timeshare real estate and the concept made sense to me so I decided to put aside a legal career and give it a try.

I started working at Westgate and climbed the ranks of the industry to become one of the top performers. Currently, I am the top manager of a major hotel. I’ve been lucky enough to grow up and always he has a team of 7-10 top notch agents who sell for me and make $30 million to $40 million for him every year. . in the industry.

Burger: What do you see as the state of female entrepreneurship within and outside your industry? Has the rise of female college students had any impact on female entrepreneurship?

Smile Begovic: well, it’s better than 10 years ago. However, there is still much work to be done. College education doesn’t have much of an impact on the numbers, especially in industries that require college education.

I’ve noticed two things that women entrepreneurs often lack. It’s the belief that you can do it in an industry you’re not too familiar with, and the ability to feel comfortable in a place dominated by men.

College education is producing more female entrepreneurs, but most still operate in female-dominated clusters like fashion, cosmetics, and similar spaces. there are a lot of. Women’s minds should contribute more in areas such as construction, sales, and manufacturing.

Burger: Do you see yourself as an inspiration for aspiring female entrepreneurs? Was that part of the reason you chose real estate?

Smile Begovic: I try to I always strive to educate and encourage other women to participate in entrepreneurship. I do my best to make them believe they can.

Burger: What made you choose the timeshare route rather than the commercial or residential space? Some argue that dealing with built-in issues is the harder choice.

Smile Begovic: The route in this industry is not easy. Additionally, I’m also in the commercial and residential markets, so I’m speaking from experience. Timeshares happen to be my primary portfolio. One of my main reasons is that timeshares are one of the most lucrative niches in real estate, as the 2020 numbers have proven, basically evidence of the recession and pandemic. . However, it is very fragmented into Florida (Orlando), Vegas and Hawaii. These are the main timeshare hubs in the country.

It’s a lot of work, and it’s very different from commercial or residential. Different skills are required and different types of clients. It is a characteristic landscape.

Burger: You said you also have commercial and real estate assets. I think it divides your time.

Smile Begovic: it is. I have a rental property in my home country and I come home at least once a year to check things out. I also have a rendering company that I started with my mother. Too many projects going on at the same time. I still have dreams and ambitions, building companies and empowering people.

Burger: Do you think your entrepreneurial spirit and ambition comes from a mindset fostered by immigration and the challenges of finding specific solutions?

Smile Begovic: Yes, it comes from being a woman and an immigrant at the same time. I have had to fight harder to make my voice heard in this industry. There aren’t many women who have made it big in real estate compared to our successful male counterparts.

Ironically, while men have numbers, women are the most successful in the real estate industry. This proves that women are better in this industry, but women have to be ready to take on the job. A fighter who leaves everything in the ring because he has nothing to lose. I think the most important trait for women entering this industry and others is resilience. It takes a genuine, unrepentant commitment to break through the gender-sensitive glass ceiling and abandon their market.

We as women need to act purposefully, keep our personal and business records clean, take responsibility for ourselves, and prepare ourselves to handle the ‘no’ when they come. Guts and mental toughness are half the journey. The rest will happen eventually as long as you never give up.

Burger: We find that resilience and focus are key factors in business success.

Smile Begovic: Of course, maintaining focus requires careful steps. You have to decide if success is more important than distractions. For now, I’m focused on my business and my resilience has not faltered.

I am always thinking about how to start my next business and how to grow my personal and business network. I started a brokerage firm and plan to move home and continue working in real estate in a few years.

As women continue to make up more and more of higher education institutions, career growth opportunities are as numerous as the sectors they enter. Overcoming the challenges of workplace dynamics remains a hurdle that may decrease as more women enter leadership positions in male-dominated occupations.

Amela Smailbegovic’s progress in real estate shows that there is nothing women cannot destroy in today’s male-dominated industry. Added to her arsenal are ideas that stem from immigrant grit and resilience.

According to the World Economic Forum, 28% of new businesses were started by women in 2019, rising to 49% in 2021, just two years later. Female-led entrepreneurship is certainly on the rise, and major industries where women are underrepresented seem set as the next breakthrough.

Interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.