A WOMAN has revealed how she went from being a broke cleaner to a seven figure business owner.
In 2012, mum-of-one Mirela Sula, 49, moved to London from Albania on a student visa, with her son, now 25.
Not only did she miss her connecting flight and lose her luggage, meaning that she arrived with just her handbag, she then had no other option but to work as a cleaner, which was an hour walk away from her home, to scrape money together to pay for a bedsit.
But her tiny studio flat in Kilburn was full of mice, and after just seven days, Mirela was fired from her job, leaving her stressed and struggling to pay the rent.
Mirela told Fabulous: “I was really terrified.
“[My son] had to sleep on the floor. That studio had lots of mice and he couldn’t sleep. It was really bad.
“It was a period of time that I had to go through to understand who I am and what I want to do in life. And it has helped me to understand people better.”
Mirela was left struggling to foot the bill and was left almost homeless on a variety of occasions.
As a result, Mirlela had to borrow money from a friend to pay her rent, as she explained: “I didn’t have the money to pay the rent many times. I had the threat that I had to leave. The landlord would just say, ‘you have to leave’.
“I had to budget, it was really hard.”
Desperate to make a better life for herself and her son, Mirela began researching other opportunities.
She then began volunteering part-time at a domestic abuse charity in London, where she smashed her targets and managed to bring hundreds of women together in her workshops – Rita Ora’s mum was one of them.
During her time running charity workshops, Mirela realised women lacked confidence and were afraid to leave their abusive relationships because they didn’t have any savings.
She wanted to provide a solution to this problem – and in 2016, she was finally granted the right to own a business in the UK, and that’s where Global Woman was born – ultimately to give women a voice and the confidence to start their own businesses.
Fast forward a decade and Mirela is now a successful entrepreneur and runs the largest women’s club network in the world.
I didn’t have the money to pay the rent many times
Mirela Sula
The Global Woman Club has become a hub for women worldwide, attracting leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals from various fields.
With a focus on personal and professional development, the Global Woman Club hosts monthly Masterminds and Networking events in London and worldwide, creating a supportive environment for women to learn, grow, and connect.
Mirela is now the queen of networking, with Dua Lipa, Rita Ora, and even Deepak Chopra as contacts, as well as politicians in both parties.
She shared: “Deep inside me, I had a sense of purpose calling me.
“It took a while for me to start the business because I was not allowed to start a business or to work full-time in this country – I was on a student visa.
“I got very excited when I got to know that in this country, you don’t need a diploma, you don’t need a degree, you just need to prove that you can help others. And if you do that, you are on the right path.
“I want to help women. That’s my purpose. That’s my mission.”
Mirela shared that she was working constantly to launch the business, so much so that her son accused her of not being present.
She added: “I was working really long hours. When I am passionate about something, I just find a way.
“My son said ‘you were not present’, and I feel guilty for that.
“When I started the first club in London in 2016, I was hosting all these events for free.
“Then I created an Eventbrite, I found a place in central London and I invited everybody.
“It sold out in 24 hours. And in one year, we had franchised the club in 14 countries.”
Mirela explained that the Coronavirus pandemic proved challenging for the business, but despite this, today, the company is thriving and growing.
I have over 30 people that work every month with me
Mirela Sula
She added: “Before COVID, we had an office in Oxford Street and we had a really good team.
“And then COVID came and we were introduced to freelancing and working from home.
“Now I have over 30 people that work every month with me.
“We have people from South Africa, from the United States, from the Philippines, from Albania, from everywhere. We do everything online now.
“When COVID came, I almost lost everything. And I have rebuilt everything from scratch.
“We had 27 clubs by the end of 2019, and because we’re all events in person, because of COVID, we lost all the events and all the clubs.
FOR those looking to launch their own business, Mirela shared her top tips and advice.
She revealed: “80 percent of the success is relationships. Everything is about who you know, who knows you and how do you position yourself into that circle?
“And number two – once you decide what your purpose is, then tell me what is your vision? What are your goals?
“Sometimes it looks complicated, but it’s very simple. What is something that you would do even if you are not paid? Because it gives you so much fulfilment and significance.
“Get yourself out there. Get out of the house and meet your people.
“You have to do your hair. You have to do your make-up. You have to dress up. You have to do it. If you are serious about growing your business, you have to do it consistently.
“One more thing I’m criticised about – work 24/7. I’m not saying forever.
“Put that time in – give yourself two or three years 24/7. And what do I mean 24/7? Non-stop, no holidays, unless it is a business holiday, no weekends. It’s a short term sacrifice for a long term achievement.”
“But now, we’ve created a digital empire, we have an app, we have an online academy, we have the members’ portal, we have lots of online courses, we have a great online community.
“The first year after COVID was really bad, but now we are back on track.”
Mirela explained that by the end of the year, she hopes the business will hit £1 million.
She revealed: “The first year when I started the business, I didn’t know how businesses worked. I started the business, but it was all about the passion.
“The first year I hit six figures, I hit about £300,000. The second year, I doubled it.
“And the third year, I almost doubled it again.
“We’re going again, almost hitting £1 million by the end of the year.
“My vision now is to grow the organisation. And that’s the reason I don’t focus on the money now.
“It’s my dream to build one of the biggest organisations in the world where women have a voice, women have a platform, women feel connected, women feel safe.
“So it’s about the long term, and I can sense that women feel really good when they join it.”
Mirela revealed that her life has totally changed since launching the business, almost ten years ago.
She explained: “I’m a completely different person [now]. I’m in a completely different level of mindset, and a different level of seeing life. And this is the biggest win.
I live a wonderful life. My lifestyle has changed completely
Mirela Sula
“The peace of mind that I have created, the skills that I have built, the mindset and everything that has changed my life.”
Thanks to her job, Mirela is constantly travelling the world – and now no longer has to worry about how she will pay the bills.
The entrepreneur revealed: “My life is a 12 month holiday – because the work that I do is connected with travelling.
“I travel two or three times a month in different countries.
“Last week, I was in Kosovo in a five star hotel. We had beautiful luxury spas and swimming pools and massages and everything.
“Everywhere we go is five stars. Most of the time, we book business [flights].
“I live a wonderful life. My lifestyle has changed completely.
“I don’t take it for granted. It’s incredible. And I’m grateful.”
From 28-30th June, Global Woman will be holding a three-day experience in London, to inspire, motivate and connect female entrepreneurs and professionals.
Download Mirela Sula’s best-selling book, ‘Don’t Let Your Mind Go’, for free here: https://mirela.globalwomanevents.com/dont-let-your-mind-go-book.
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