Success is often measured by profits, promotions and professional milestones.

For entrepreneur Sholain Perumal, however, it means balancing business with motherhood while using her position to uplift others.

As CEO of The Gold Bar at Ballito Junction and Sensational Hair, Nails & Beauty in Umhlanga and Cornubia Mall, Sholain oversees multiple businesses while raising her young son, an achievement she considers more important than any professional milestone.

Her journey began far from the boardroom. Fresh out of matric, she worked as a supermarket cashier at Pick ‘n Pay, where she learnt the value of hard work, discipline and perseverance.

Sholain credits her parents with instilling the values that have guided her career and remembers the influence of her late father, whom she credits with helping shape the person she is today.

Now an established businesswoman, she embraces the challenges of balancing entrepreneurship and motherhood and believes women should not feel forced to choose between building a career and raising a family.

Beyond her businesses, Sholain is involved in charitable initiatives, educational support and community projects. She believes leadership should be measured not only by financial success, but by its impact on others.

Her philosophy, “Changing the world, one act of kindness at a time,” guides both her personal and professional life.

This Women’s Month, Sholain hopes her journey – from supermarket cashier to CEO and mother – will encourage other women to believe their beginnings do not determine their futures.

Whether pursuing an education, raising children, starting a career or rebuilding after difficult circumstances, she believes women have the ability to shape their own paths.

Her message is simple: “Believe in yourself before the world believes in you, lead with integrity, work with purpose and never allow your circumstances to define your potential.”

For Sholain, success lies in the people she helps, the opportunities she creates and the example she hopes to set for her son and other women.

Her journey reflects a Women’s Month message she holds close: empowering women can strengthen not only individuals, but the families and communities around them.