Episode 55: Business Is in Her Blood
Guest: Miriam Diwan
Miriam Diwan's family has always been in business or finance, so
you could say it runs in her blood. She attended the University of
Pennsylvania to obtain her undergraduate and found that she had
varied interests. She graduated with a dual degree in liberal arts
and finance. From there, she began investment banking and
eventually moved into hedge funds. With her first position, at a
private equity firm, she was one of the first three women that were
hired in a 10-year history.
When her mother fell ill, Miriam ended up being the primary
caregiver. Trying to manage her career and supporting her mom, she
found that it was becoming too much for her to handle. Miriam made
the decision to put her career on hold and eventually moved to L.A
for her mother to receive the best medical care available. Through
this process, Miriam and her mother had to move to several
different states and experienced the difficulties in finding a
neighbourhood that met all their needs.
After Miriam's mother went into remission, she began considering
re-entering the workforce. The trouble was that the finance
industry was fast moving and extremely difficult to get back into.
So, deciding to try something new, Miriam began her own company in
the field of technology.
"http://www.nowmove.me/">NowMoveMe aims to help adjustment
periods when it comes to moving and also fosters community among
local residents. Through the use of technology, Miriam is working
to create a digital "welcome wagon" where users can find
information about their neighborhood. NowMoveMe currently focuses
on Santa Monica, but will soon be branching out to all of Los
Angeles and then branching out from there.
The hardest part that Miriam found in starting a new company is
the lack of resources. She's had to think outside the box and
willing to try something new every day. Miriam has found it really
rewarding too because she is building something "brick by brick."
Advice that Miriam has for anyone working on a startup, make sure
you set yourself up financially for the next two to three years
because you may not earn anything within that period of time. Also,
always try to operate like you're bootstrapped, even if you have
substantial funding (you never know how long something can take).
Lastly, find a mentor; someone a few steps ahead of you in the
startup path and can help you through some of the common
roadblocks.
To connect with Miriam, you can follow her on
"https://www.instagram.com/nowmoveme/">Instagram and
"https://www.facebook.com/nowmoveme/">Facebook. Thanks for
listening to this week's episode of the Women Rocking Wall Street
show! If you liked what you heard, be sure to hit subscribe, share
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