Saba Gul sat in a lecture hall listening to a story of a young woman living in Pakistan during the 1990s who needed to disguise herself as a boy to attain an education. Gul felt guilty. She, too, was Pakistani; however, her life’s path was drastically different. She was granted access to education in America, at MIT, and she was offered a job and a six-figure salary.
"What did I really do to deserve to be here?" she asked herself. The question weighed so heavily on Gul’s mind, it prompted her to make a change.
Gul recalled this moment of "awe and wonder" to HuffPost Live’s Caroline Modarressy-Tehrani. She decided to forfeit her American career and transition to become an entrepreneur. She moved home to Pakistan to create Popinjay, a brand that manufactures local products made by underprivileged women –- women that have been without skills or income, whose lives revolve around household work and children.
"For them, to be appreciated empowers them to feel valued," Gul said.
Although the transition was terrifying, Gul was glad to have had the courage.
"My biggest reward is really when I see the women growing through this, when I see them not only gaining not only financial advantages from being part of Popinjay, but the dignity and pride they feel to be part of this initiative," Gul said.
Did you get a new job? New spouse? New city? We want to hear from you! Share your stories of life-changing breakthrough moments with HuffPost's Third Metric at themoment@huffingtonpost.com.
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