God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers, wrote Rudyard Kipling. And whatever the familiar adages might tell you, home is where the mom is. As we celebrate International Mother’s Day, we speak to some powerful Indian moms who began and raised a successful business venture after raising their children. As Oprah Winfrey once said, a queen is not afraid to fail — failure is another stepping stone to greatness, and these women personify strength, determination and the drive to follow their dreams.
Sarita Handa, founder and creative head, Sarita Handa The fabric of success According to Sarita Handa, a big part of her now booming career in textiles wasn’t planned. She reveals, “My family, especially my daughters, were the ones who drove me towards following my passion and starting my own entrepreneurial journey.”
When her elder daughter, Suparna, decided to join the company and take her legacy forward, Sarita felt extremely proud. “My personal and professional lives have always been intertwined. While creative development is my forte, my daughter spearheads the marketing and merchandising — and we weave our roles together to ensure smooth functioning,” she explains.
Suparna chips in, “Mentors influence your life and my greatest mentor has been my mother. She has taught me how to give without looking like you are giving and this extends to all areas, personal and professional alike.” She shares that the biggest lesson her mother has taught her is to always live life to the fullest and work with absolute passion without cheating herself.
Nita Mehta, author, publisher and entrepreneur If cooking is the way to a man’s (or woman’s) heart, then Nita Mehta is the queen of (plentiful) hearts with her cookery classes, cookbooks (almost 500 titles sold over 5 million plus copies), her own range of masalas and her chain of restaurants, Nita Mehta’s Kelong.
Talking about her journey, she recalls, “Bahus are not supposed to work outside and earn money, quipped my mother-in-law when one day I announced my interest in starting my own cookery classes. Both my children were young at the time and my in-laws were not happy with my decision, but I listened to my heart and cajoled them. Finally gave in that’s how my journey started.”
She adds, “I would like to tell all women who have a dream to step up: opportunities don’t come knocking on your doors, rather you have to look out for them, find your passion, be courageous, stop wandering around or get old waiting for opportunities and explore reasonable ways to pursue what you love. Self-empowerment is a great way to lead by example and live a harmonious life.”
For Nita, it is about more than just dishing out yummy recipes as she says, “Cooking is a metaphor for life. When you cook, you need structure and an understanding and acceptance of the rules that actually matter, but just as importantly you need to be able to loosen up and go with the flow.”
Her interaction with women also made her realise the need for value-based books for children. In this endeavour, she was supported by her son Anurag, who is the CEO of her publishing company. “My call has always been to make life more enriching for women, be it through cooking or giving values to children. This gives purpose to my life and keeps my passion alive.”
Vandana Luthra, founder and vice chairperson, VLCC Vandana Luthra formed her wellness brand back in 1989, when the personal care segment was in its nascent stage. Today, VLCC is a globally recognised brand. An early marriage at 21 and two children could not dampen her spirits. When she took her first steps into the world of entrepreneurship, her elder daughter was seven years old and managing a home and a business at a time when women were not taken seriously was no easy task.
She recalls that as an entrepreneur it was important for her to find a balance between the head and the heart. “Only when one understands the demands and challenges of a family can one understand what is needed to run a successful and sustainable business enterprise with diverse stakeholders,” she recalls.
Talking about her daughter’s reaction to her turning entrepreneur, she shares, “I remember my daughter’s excitement when I first told her. She was so proud that her mother also goes to work during her adolescent years. I ensured I spent quality time with them and kept a check on their studies too.”
Vandana was also lucky to have a supportive mother and husband. She says, “My mother encouraged me when I faltered, read bedtime stories to my girls when I travelled for work... My husband Mukesh also chipped in hugely. Today, I try to play the same role in my daughters’ lives.”
Nirmala Kandalgaonkar, founder, Vivam AgroTech Nirmala Kandalgaonkar, 64, founder of vermi-composting tool provider Vivam AgroTech and mother of three, credits her success to her supportive family. Like most young mothers, Nirmala’s first priority had been looking after and nurturing her kids. “Motherhood has always been my first job. But after my children grew up, I wanted to do something useful for society,” she says. In building her novel concept of managing waste, she has been assisted by her husband and children.
Perfectly juggling her personal and professional life, she feels that it is true passion and dedication towards your work that matters the most. “There weren’t any conflicts in my family regarding my work. They understood its potential and worth and have been supportive from the beginning. My younger son did an MBA in Finance and now handles finances at Vivam. My elder son and daughter help in running our offices across different cities. Even my extended family never complained about my job,” she says.
Running from pillar to post and striking a balance in her life are two things that Nirmala has mastered by now. “I get up early and start my day with an hour of yoga, and then go about preparing meals. After that, I am completely in work mode. Even at this age, I drive from one village to another, swim and stay fit and healthy.”
Megha More, COO, Truweight Megha More worked hard on raising her entrepreneurial venture while also raising her children. She did something many wish to do but few actually dare — she left a well-paying corporate job to follow her heart. Today, she has an experienced team that counsels people online about obesity, with 60 nutritionists on board, and has also co-authored a book on weight loss and super foods.
She says, “I had gained 17 kg during my pregnancy and that really made me appreciate the need for a weight management solution. Although I was already into the fitness business with a chain of gyms before I conceived, Truweight was different because it was a food-based weight management solution.”
Sharing a bit of the wisdom the experience of managing work, home and kids has given her, she affirms, “You can find time for anything you deem important enough. Secondly, you must always be prepared — make arrangements in advance and learn to delegate. I was at my desk a month after my delivery and my husband and I took turns in all chores related to our son. And our son has turned out to be an amazing child who is happy spending a couple of hours of quality time with me and letting me concentrate on work for the rest of the day. It also helps to have a co-founder who understands my situation.”
Priya Menon, founder, Sankalp Priya Menon wanted to become a pillar of support for budding women artists and entrepreneurs by bringing them together. When she began her venture Sankalp in 2009, she had a 12-year-old son and her responsibilities as a mother were as much a priority as her professional ambitions. “Doing justice to both was definitely no cakewalk, but I felt that I had to do it to become financially independent and help other women do the same,” she recalls.
Her son, Varun, has been an integral part of her venture since the very beginning. “I used to involve him in my activities, so a sense of responsibility and respect developed in him while he was growing up. Some of his friends also helped us out. Looking back, I am glad I was able to inspire some young boys to gain some respect for women too. Now, Varun is all grown up and is also bringing ideas of his own to the table that we are looking forward to applying this year,” she shares.
As a self-made woman, Priya strongly advocates that women aspire towards financial independence. “Often, children take their mothers for granted when they see them doing household chores without providing any financial support to the home like the father does. No matter what the challenges are, women should not be in a position to beg for money from their spouses. A good home is one where children learn to respect their mothers, and it is the mothers who must bring this about through their own actions,” she affirms.
Reena Basheer , actress and entrepreneur While an early marriage, spousal duties, looking after kids, household chores and responsibilities can turn many a woman into a sit-at-home mommy, Reena Basheer took a different route. Actor, cookery show host, anchor, entrepreneur and a mother of two, she was raised in a conservative Muslim family and went on to run a crafts-making school and a designer boutique in her home.
A reality show for mothers gave the global audience a peak of her talents in 2006, and that changed her life forever. Unlike the tribe of working women who meticulously plan their work-family commitments, her only plan for success has been to live in the moment. She shares, “I keep myself engaged with something or the other all the time. It helps me straddle different roles as a multi-tasker. I don’t make plans in advance and take life as it comes. In my view, life is too short to crib.”
When her acting career brought down the shutters on her boutique business, it marked the beginning of her customised cake shop three years ago. Her son, a hotel management graduate, now assists her with the business. “My son and daughter are my core strength. I can share all my feelings with them as I would with friends.”
Inputs from Dipti, Aditi Pancholi Shroff, Nandini D. Tripathy, Namita Gupta, Ann Ipe and Meera Manu
