COVER STORY

WOMEN in leadership

Women have amazing potential to handle multiple platforms with ease, often underestimated women have actively chosen to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions and have always proven the naysayers wrong.

The city of Hyderabad is not devout of amazing women who are juggling various responsibility together. These are the personalities that rose to the skies are are influential, successful and most importantly independent! We reached out to these superwomen to share their stories.

| COVER STORY Reha Sukheja

MODEL, ACTRESS DANCER

Tell us something about yourself My life feels like a series of wrong Starbucks orders so to start off with the name’s Reha not rekha or Rhea. Born in Kolkata i moved to Hyderabad when I was 12. Did my schooling there and eternally grateful for the friendships made there. They’re nothing short of family for me. Majored in economics. Love any and every sport. Love being outdoor at a trek as much as i enjoy a cozy evening of board games and hot chocolate at home. Love the rush of a new experience that comes from traveling to places I’ve never been.

Have you faced any barriers in your career due to being a woman? If so, how did you overcome them? Thankfully, never. The fashion industry celebrates women. So while teething issues were common they were never gender based. Its one of the few industries women are paid higher than men. So, zero complaints

Model, actor and dancer- you seem to be the jack of all trades. How do you manage everything. Life’s too short to put yourself in a box. I want to try everything while i can. The worst that could happen is that I don’t enjoy it but what if I do? I don’t like living in the what ifs. But speaking of the three things you’ve highlighted: Dance has been my first love but it didn’t come naturally. After being dropped out of a small performance in my society in Kolkata, i decided to learn dancing and broke it down to it’s absolute basics and studied it. It was almost clinical when it started and slowly it started to feel like an intrinsic part of me. It’s my first love. Modeling happened purely by chance but acting was always fascinating to me and when I finally went onto my first set it just felt like i belonged. But until my next project, Instagram is my playground.

Tell us about your journey from being miss universe to becoming an actress. After miss universe India, my life flipped on its head. Made the move to Mumbai at 19 and i was lost outside my shell. I feel like I owe much of my growth to the fashion industry. It’s taught me so much outside of the confines of the industry- its strengthened me as a person, made me confident and outspoken and independent and unabashedly me. Speaking of acting, I can’t call myself an actress in its truest sense until i have a body of work to show for it. I’m still primarily a model and I’ve done a few acting projects far and between but until i find my next project that I’m excited about, my journey still continues.

What career or business advice would you give to other young women? Something that has always resonated with me is “Do something you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”

As a woman, did you have to make any sacrifices professionally and personally at any stage in your career? Personally I missed out on a holistic college experience because I started working at 19 so I’d only return to college for the exams at the end of each term. So at the time it felt like i was being robbed of the experience but then again I became financially independent at 19. So no complaints:) Professionally i have said no to work because my partner at the time was uncomfortable with it, which now in hindsight I realise was an insecurity of his i should have addressed as opposed to missing those opportunities.But such is life..you live and learn.

Tell us something about your proudest accomplishment? I’m proud of all that I’ve accomplished......but id like to think my proudest is yet to come.

How do you blend life and work to create the life you want? In my line of work, we get plenty of time for ourself and our friends and family. The only issue being planning a vacation with friends because we never know when our next project comes. Other than that we have plenty of time to take up other hobbies and pursue other interests.

Vinita Passary

ENTREPRENEUR IKAT INDIA, STORE ANONYM

Tell us something about yourself? I am Vinita Passary, founder & curator of store Anonym, a multi-designer store that promotes Indian labels that are contemporary and timeless. I launched my own brand Translate Handwoven Ikat in 2010 that works with the local craft of ikat, with its stores spread across Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi giving a new lease of life to the ancient craft of ikat weaving.

How do you blend life and work to create the lifestyle you want? To me both work and life are seamless. Life is meaningful as I am passionate about my work and vice versa. Family and friends are pillars who bring the best out of me.

Have you faced any barriers in your career due to being a woman? If so how did you overcome them? Being a woman in my career gives me a rather advantage as I have perspective for all things beautiful that women love.

What are you working on currently? I am currently working on a spring-summer 2022 collection at translate which is a promising curation of pastel colors with bold patterns and fluid shapes predicting a hot summer.

What career or business advice would you like to give other women? My advice for all women is to always be persistent in their dream. It takes a while but you will surely yield success. Look for a unique space that you feel is not available and you can contribute towards.

Have you faced any sacrifices in your personal and professional life? I have been extremely lucky with the support of my family and friends that I haven’t really have had to make any personal sacrifices for work.

Tell us something about your proudest accomplishment? My proudest accomplishment is when I am at my shop floor and visitors who come tell me that they truly connect with the store and the selections. They find the curation soulful and different each time they walk-in and through continuous efforts at Translate we are able to bring ikat weaving to the forefront globally. I am proud to play my part in contributing to Indian rich textile heritage.

How have you balanced being a mother, wife and professional? Life is always about balancing one’s energies to optimize the quality we expect from it. A few things that I do to keep mind-body balance is yoga. Eat good nutrition which supports overall wellness. As a mother, I allow independent thinking and don’t burden my daughter with fears. I let her decide and choose rather than dictating things. She feels what I do is extremely relevant and relatable as she loves styling, fashion, and being amidst people. As a wife, I am lucky as we share the same space at work. So there’s always plenty of time to catch up, travel & express. Having supported me through my business he recognizes the efforts gone into making what we do together. That keeps us united in turbulence. In professional life, I am gifted with the team that stayed with me for years becoming the backbone of all our endeavors. They cushion me beautifully leaving room for fresh thoughts and explorations.

Tell us about your journey? My journey is very unique and rare. Was born in Calcutta and brought up in the small town of Rourkela, pursued my studies in science but was always keen on fashion, retail & all things textile. I Pursued a short course in fashion designing and got a job at an export house in Gujarat. I married very young at 21 years of age, we were in Raipur and as we were a small family and the city was new I planned to start something from my garage like a workshop for clothing. New opportunities further opened when we came to Hyderabad in the year 2000. My first store was 100 square feet space at our very own restaurant, Little Italy, and gradually over the years, we expanded it to a 5000 square feet multi-branded store Anonym founded in 2006, which sells contemporary clothes for all age groups in Indian textiles. My husband, friends, and mentors were supporting me in this vision through all these years of hardships and joy. Eventually Translate ikat was founded in 2010 where we weave, design & retail all under one umbrella. Translate opened windows for exports which took us to Paris & London. My focus with my brand is to promote “made in India” both locally and globally. Success came organically over the years as I believe in word of mouth as the best goodwill having started in 2002.

| COVER STORY Pranathi Nandamuri

FOUNDER AND CEO ATHENA ADVERTISING

Tell us something about yourself. I am originally from Vizag and moved to Hyderabad for my undergrad and meanwhile have always enjoyed playing Tennis, which I am hoping to get back to after the Pandemic. I am a recent dog mom to a Shih Tzu - Milo whom I absolutely adore! I have a Masters in Advertising and founded my own firm, Athena Advertising in December 2019.

How did you come up with the idea of starting your own business venture- Athena. Tell us something about the brand. The idea was always having something women-led and women-owned and universally-respected, as we see very few of those. I knew I would not have any difficulty forming a team with those who, like me, are in limbo between professionalism and respect for talent. I am extremely proud of my team and clients who work with Athena Advertising, based on efforts, experience and eagerness to move along with the times. Digital marketing, among a few industries, survived the Pandemic and we had started the company just a few months before Lockdown and we are still going strong. Digital is the future and social media is the means to communicate it.

Tell us about your journey from working at PR agencies to starting your own pr/marketing firm! I started working early on, right after I was done with my college and started working for an ad firm in Hyderabad as a Client Servicing Associate and moved on to becoming the head of the department and business development team in about 4 years and then another job as the Corporate Communications Head for a group of hotels. Both the experiences were great as i got to work with some amazing people and brands. I got to do a lot of developmental work which is something that I was always interested in and thoroughly enjoyed. Almost after 8 years of working for other businesses I decided that I wanted to start something on my own that is particularly women-led as I’ve seen that there are very few women-led-advertising organisations particularly in Hyderabad, and I am happy to see that scenario has changed now. It’s definitely not been easy but I should say that i’ve been thoroughly enjoying this journey as I have an amazing team and some great brands and clients that let us work on international and very interesting projects

What career or business advice would you give to other young women? Always believe in yourself even when there is no one else doing it and if you would like to start something or even change a job, DO IT, because only when you do it, you will learn to achieve and appreciate what you’ve always wanted for yourself. ‘No’ is the easiest answer that can be said but saying no to a wrong job or even quitting something you’ve started on your own is really difficult but if you need to do it just do it, otherwise there is nothing pushing you harder than yourself.

As a woman, did you have to make any sacrifices professionally and personally at any stage in your career? Not many as thankfully, my upbringing has made me resilient to sacrifices, as I consider them ‘choices’. With working parents and my family’s support, I have grown watching women being respected for their careers, choices, as well as balancing a life of acknowledgement. Women are stronger than people think. The freedom to figure out what is important to my company, my employees, or myself, I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t made the choices yesterday.

Tell us something about your proudest accomplishment? It’s definitely starting my own firm and managing to get 90% of our clients based just on my work and experience.

How do you blend life and work to create the life you want? II can’t be where I am without the support I have but I will not discount my hard work as well. My life revolves around astrong work ethic that my family and journey have instilled in me and thankfully, I am blessed with a team that is fun so work isn’t tedious. I definitely envision a life of ambition, success, happiness and achievements and I look forward to creating that with people who value it all! At the end of the day, life is subjective to each person and what can be made of it.

Devina Dalmia

FOUNDER, CREATIVE HEAD LE.JAHAAN

Tell us something about yourself. I’m a female entrepreneur in the luxury manufacturing space in India . I believe that not only does india have the skills and ability to manufacture for the luxury market it is well poised to become the next hub for luxury products not only in manufacturing but also in consumption.

Have you faced any barriers in your career due to being a woman? If so, how did you overcome them? Yes the space of manufacturing comes with many challenges for a woman leader but I handpicked an understanding team who have put in a lot of effort to make it very comfortable for me in many facets .

What are you working on currently? I am working on a more sustainable range of products so we have less wastage and more environmentally friendly processes and materials.

Tell us about your journey with your popular venture- Le. Jahaan. How did you first begin and how long did it take you to find success? Le Jahaan is a market leader in this kind of packaging space. It’s taken almost 10 years to establish a brand and we have a long way to go yet.

What career or business advice would you give to other young women? Persistence and perseverance and faith in yourself and your idea.

As a woman, did you have to make any sacrifices professionally and personally at any stage in your career? Being a woman entrepreneur can never be as simple as one might make it look. I salute the other women who have carved a path from the unknown. There is definitely a balancing act that does not show on the surface.

Tell us something about your proudest accomplishment? I am proud of myself for not only being a market leader but also establishing a brand that today is well known across the country and internationally.

How do you blend life and work to create the life you want? I have a great team behind me and they make everything much easier. I would be nothing without them!

ENTREPRENEUR AFTER SCHOOL CLASSES, WISPHOT

Tell us something about yourself I am Dilmeet, a business woman. I run an educational institute called After School Classes and an Indian multichain Quick service restaurant called Wisphot. I am a single mother and a compulsive shopper.

Have you faced any barriers in your career due to being a woman? If so, how did you overcome them? Every single day. It is sad how we have normalised this, but doing a business takes a lot of effort, it drains your soul. I personally enjoy the process. I feel I’m making the world a better place. Most people don’t understand this. People judge you, from your neighbours to your family, almost everyone wants you to fail. I think the only way to overcome this is by not being bothered about what others say, being focused on the work in hand and I believe that helps.

How have you balanced being a mother and professional? To be honest, I’m still learning. There are days when I sleep peacefully thinking I juggled both the things successfully and then there are days I can’t sleep because I feel I messed it all up. It is a journey. A journey of falling, then getting up, then falling again, getting up again and so on.

What are you working on currently? I’m currently working on an Indian Quick Service Restaurant called Wisphot. Wisphot was born with a simple goal to take Indian food global. Indian food has been getting a lot of recognition lately but most of it is because of a few amazing gourmet restaurants. I believe the best way to popularise any cuisine is by taking the fast food route, which is what we are trying to do at Wisphot.

Tell us about your journey with popular venture After School Classes. How did you first begin and how long did it take you to find success? I think some businesses happen organically. It was one of the days when my teacher asked me to assist her and I fell in love with the job. Both the businesses that I’ve been a part of happened because I was doing it for the love I had for it. One needs to love the process, money follows.

What career or business advice would you give to other young women? Don’t just think or plan, do. Eventually you’ll figure out.

As a woman , did you have to make any sacrifices professionally or personally at any stage in your career? Don’t we all? Not just women, I’ve seen men making huge sacrifices to achieve their goal. For me being a single mother, the most difficult part was to leave my son Harshit alone. There is a constant guilt that you probably aren’t doing good as a mother. Every single day I used to come home asking if it’s worth all the sacrifices, all the effort. I don’t think I’ll ever get an answer to that. I try to do my job to the best of my ability and leave the rest to the universe.

Tell us something about your proudest accomplishment? It is fascinating that no matter how much you achieve financially, it is the little things that matter the most. It could be a sweet message from an old student or some random person sending you a dm about the food they had at Wisphot. I think these small instances make me proud .

How do you blend life and work to create the life you want? Hahahaha, I wish I had an answer to this. I am doing two businesses and when you start a business it is your baby, you have to give it all your time, nurture it, mould it the way you want and in all this your personal life takes a beating. I have been blessed to have family and friends that understand me, that understand my passion towards my work and I guess that really helps. It allows you to go that extra mile.

Geethika Kanumilli

DESIGNER GEETHIKA KANUMILLI, LOVESTORIES OFFICIAL

Tell us something about yourself. 27 • Creative • optimistic

Have you faced any barriers in your career due to being a woman? If so, how did you overcome them? No, to be honest. I’ve a very supportive family and an amazing bunch of friends :)

Tell us about your journey from being a fashion student to becoming a popular designer. I had to quit college due to a medical reason, I took a break for a year and then started off with my label. I have never interned anywhere so I had to learn everything by myself. It was a quite a journey! My passion & consistency are my major strengths.

How did you come up with the idea of starting your own business ventures From my childhood I somehow was very fascinated towards clothing and dressing up. I always knew that I wanted to become Something which was related to clothes and putting a look together. I did not know what to call it then, but later I realised people call it a Fashion Designer. I was so deeply in love with designing of clothes that I used to lock my door when I was an 8 year old kid and play dress up games in my computer when I was supposed to take a shower and go to school. I knew my calling. So my vision was pretty clear. Haha

What career or business advice would you give to other young women? Have a clear vision & Be consistent.

As a woman, did you have to make any sacrifices professionally and personally at any stage in your career? No. Like I said supportive family & amazing friends :) I’m surrounded by a bunch of awesome people. Very lucky that way!

Tell us something about your proudest accomplishment? Everytime I see somebody wearing my designs I feel amazing! :)

How do you blend life and work to create the life you want? Umm. I actually like my work a lot. So there’s no leaving work at office for me. But sometimes things go crazy and I tend to get anxious & overwhelmed, then my meditation routine comes to my rescue.

“Does conscious fashion need to be so languid/relaxed all the time ?” - this was the birth of love stories. Channeling my love for cottage core, simple living, love stories rests on the notion of zero waste by using bits and pieces / unused fabric from couture outfits that we design, but with a stylish twist. Personally, it’s not only about fashion and clothes: Love Stories to me, is a lifestyle.

| COVER STORY Shravani Chowdary

ENTREPREUNER, LITTLE BIRD PLANNERS ANAIKA CLOTHING,TWILIGHT PICTURES & CO

Tell us something about yourself. I have always been that ambitious girl who wants to explore new unique carrier options which do not stick to 9-5 routine, thats when i decided to think what i personally loved and here is my story . I’m basically a foodie & loved cooking , wanted to opt for Hotel Management course. But my parents had different dreams for me & hence like any other typical daughter, I agreed to fulfill my parent’s wish & joined a B.Com course. though it was going normal , my heart really didn’t settle for it . After my second year I decided to think what i personally loved the most , Since childhood i remember my parents celebrating my birthday & my brothers bday so lovingly & most imprtantly it was so much happiness & smiles around . Birthdays are really special to me then and even today. Celebrating my bestfriends birthdays made me think of suprising outsiders, then the thought of why not i give it a try and thats how “Little Bird Planners” has started .

How have you balanced being jack of all trades? Designing, photography & events. It’s not easy though and i feel its not difficult too, but since events are season based and not everyday i have decided to make myself more busy , productive & increase my business strategies into different sectors . And that’s when I gave it a thought of getting into Designing & photography.

What was your first business venture? Why did you decide to start 2 more after that? My 1st business was event planning , I really loved what I was doing , people started knowing my work & most of it was word of mouth & I really loved the growth . Later it was Designing, My mom has this inhouse Botique & I really wanna help her & that’s how the interest of designing has started in me . Through Instagram I got my first opportunity as an assistant costume designer for a film starting Sumanth Akkineni. That’s when life took a turn. Photography was out of passion . Why not I have a company of mine ? Was the question again popped my head , As part of events we had freelancers in the company who are really talented and good at work , that’s when I picked all my gems & started photography too.

Tell us about your journey. Well I was too focused on what I wanted , but I was too young. 19 was the age when I started my 1st business. Kind of unplanned, but confident enough that I can pull up any event. I made mistakes, I took failures and rejections. In this process of knowing and learning I did not like myself, I had depression, I had anxiety, But Time heals, it got me stronger at every mistake. There were days I used to keep thinking of getting Big clients & making huge setups. But later understood it’s not about scale or gatherings it’s about how you turn a smaller space into a palace. I believed in me, I taught myself few lessons in this journey & still kept learning.

As a woman, did you have to make any sacrifices professionally and personally at any stage in your career? Yes. I sacrificed my family time & my health. There’s no final point in any career is what I feel, everyday is a new day to learn & grow. The work calls, uneven event times, skipping lunches & dinners. Late night Shoots. Some times i hardly see my father after work , he goes to office by 5Am & reaches home in the evening. By the time I finish & reach home around 11pM I see him sleep, It was difficult.

Tell us something about your proudest accomplishment? There was this tough client. who had many demands & was not really getting satisfied with whatever did, though it was of all their choices. Thats when I panicked a bit, broke down- I could not understand what to do for a minute after how the client spoke. Then I took a deep breathe and assured myself that I can handle this & took it as a challenge & managed to get what the client really needed & I made the event successful & that day thats when my parents really understood, they really understood what I was doing, what I go through and what my work is & how much I love my work. I really feel so proud about that moment.

Dr. Priyanka Chowdary

COSMETIC DENTIST, DESIGNER IRA BY PRIYANKA CHOWDARY

Tell us something about yourself. I am a fashionista, a designer who loves to keep up with the trend and a cosmetic dentist obsessed with giving my clients a beautiful healthy smile. I am a pet lover with adorable dogs chloe and mia whom I love to the moon and beyond. I love partying, travelling around and devouring on deserts.

Have you faced any barriers in your career due to being a woman? If so, how did you overcome them? I never felt being abstained from implementing what I had in my mind always. To be honest, I can say that I was a tiny little bit fortune in that way.

How did you come up with the idea of starting your own label? Tell us something about the brand. Having spent 5 years in dental school and working for years after that, I felt that I could do something more creative. I always wished to become a doctor being a kid, but growing up I developed interest in fashion but never had a chance to really put my mind into designing professionally. During the pandemic I had pretty much a lot of time in hand to give designing a thought and instantly with a little encouragement of my close family and friends I could start my own label and never looked back since then.

Tell us about your journey from being a doctor to becoming a business owner. I used to work fulltime as an associate aesthetic dentist at a dental practice in Hyderabad and then in 2020, I grabbed the opportunity of starting my own business setting up my own clothing line, yet I never wanted to stop practicing as a dentist for which I’ve worked hard enough to get there and decided to take my job and my business both hand in hand. So I’ve started working part-time as a dentist and looked into my business the rest of my time. And I guess, that was the best decision I’ve made so far.

What career or business advice would you give to other young women? If your professional self is more aspirational than authentic, you’re likely to find yourself dissatisfied with the career path your persona has chosen for you. Whatever choices you make weather its your job or Relationships – should be ones that fit with who you are and not necessarily who you think you should be and always let your creative juices flow.

Tell us something about your proudest accomplishment? Everyday I wake up trying to give my 100 perecnt to put on a smile on each of every patient or a client of mine, so I treat everyday as my proudest accomplishment.

How do you blend life and work to create the life you want? I believe Work - life blend doesn’t mean that everything is happening at the same time, all the time. It’s about finding a way to prioritize and fit together the important pieces. The truth is that its going to take some efforts and its going to be messy and hard but it’s all worth it at the end of the day.

| COVER STORY Manisha Kapoor

BUSINESS DEVELOPER BRAND STRATEGIST

Tell us something about yourself. I am Brand Strategist and a business Developer by profession. So as a brand strategist, typically what I do day-to-day is everything from facilitating client workshops, to creating strategy PowerPoints, to working and brainstorming with my coworkers on a new name or a new idea, to just thinking about what the future of brand could be. It’s a really fun, multifaceted role. My responsibilities include analyzing consumer insights, crafting plans for my clients and developing guidelines to promote the brands. In short my work is to getting the know the brand inside out .

Have you faced any barriers in your career due to being a woman? If so, how did you overcome them? Getting ahead in any business, career, or industry relies heavily on whom you know. In one way or another, most of the clients I’ve gotten have come from my personal and professional network. My ability to get an assignment to a desirable project, have come from an internal champion. There is ample evidence that underscores this argument - that it’s not just about what you know, but about who you know. The most difficult part about being a woman in any male dominated industry is that we are significantly less likely to have mentors, champions, or sponsors than our male counterparts. We might be excellent candidates, but if we don’t have a personal connection to the people recommending and reviewing candidates, we’re at an instant disadvantage. These kind of obstacles come being a woman in a profession. So I make sure that i only deal with clients through references.

How did you come up with the idea of becoming a business developer and brand strateigst? Goes way down 10 years or so when I was running an all ladies club which jumped to fame cos of my creative planning, and through references I started infuencing people and and my ideas really helped them grow thier businesses and junp leaps and bounds. I would usually connect them to the right networking. There is wherein I thought that I could really do this professionally as well.

What career or business advice would you give to other young women? Digitalization offers a variety of opportunities for female empowerment and for a more equal female participation in labor markets, financial markets, and entrepreneurship. Currently, digitalization seems to favor female labor force that faces lower risk of being replaced by machines, as compared to male labor force. Women’ soften superior social skills represent a comparative advantage in the digital age, and this is particularly so when social skills are complemented with higher education and advanced digital literacy. However, the same a career advice what i would give to any woman out there would be to use this as an opportunity and strike a career in digital marketing or an influencer . Maintain A Good Work Ethic.Balance your work and life.Show up early , be confident of what you do,ask for help always . And most importantly Challenge yourself. And be A Go getter.

As a woman, did you have to make any sacrifices professionally and personally at any stage in your career? Women make sacrifices every day for their career aspirations. And i was in the same space. In the initial years of my work i had to sacrifice my daughter’s crucial years of her growing stage. No life outside of work. Hardly any time off, if any.”Sacrificed my health and wellness at times, as I still do.

Tell us something about your proudest accomplishment? My proudest accomplishments professionally was when I was awarded 2 awards for women empowerment by none other than Mr Chandrababu Naidu in the initial years of my work while i was doing social causes . Was also invited by TDP to join the party to lead the Women’s Wing. Also when I was sashed by Shilpa Reddy with the ‘ Haute & Happening.

How do you blend life and work to create the life you want? To balance my life and work i prioritise the Me Time. Between keeping up with work, family, and friends, “me time” might be the last thing on your mind. But self-care is NOT selfish. In fact, it should be number one on your to-do list. I set boundaries and go by it. It’s only natural to feel overwhelmed, stressed, or stuck sometimes, so i just aak for help from my team.

ENTREPRENEUR HASHTAG MARKETING

Tell us something about yourself. I am an Entrepreneur and Awareness Coach. I began my career as a brand consultant and later founded HashTag Marketing, a brand management firm specialising in digital media and public relations. Today I am the most sought after for curated events in the field of wellness and also a certified children’s yoga teacher, and a practitioner of Buddhism. My purpose to empower all and to cherish each individual led me to create many 100-day campaigns with my fellow members to challenge their circumstances and witness lifelong changes by determining to bring about changes within, to enjoy changes outside.

Have you faced any barriers in your career due to being a woman? If so, how did you overcome them? Although the society we have grown up in has been, for the most part, patriarchal, the battle often is with your own self- to muster the courage and get started. Today, the world is pleasantly welcoming of women entrepreneurs, and I feel blessed to experience the equality we are achieving at the workplace. In short, no, I have not faced any barriers in my career because of my gender.

How did you come up with the idea of starting your own business venture- Hashtag India. Tell us Hashtag Marketing came into being when I realised that what I was doing with one brand at YSL, could be done for a thousand more, and that there is tremendous opportunity and growth in creating, collaborating, and empowering multiple brands.

Tell us about your journey from working at PR agencies to starting your own pr/marketing firm! My journey from working with PR agencies to starting my own, has truly been exhilarating. Hashtag is blessed with a competent team and a wonderful clientele. Needless to say, our clientele is our strongest PR.

What career or business advice would you give to other young women? Come what may, do not stop- believing in yourself, following your heart, and carving your own path. Most importantly, do not be bound by societal norms and become unstoppable.

As a woman, did you have to make any sacrifices professionally and personally at any stage in your career? I have been blessed with a partner with whom I share an equal relationship. I was never made to feel like I had to focus better on certain roles that are generally expected of women. I am valued for who I am, and I did not have to make any sacrifices at any stage in my career.

Tell us something about your proudest accomplishment? Bringing to life Hashtag Marketing, collaborating, and empowering the brands we work with are my proudest accomplishments.

How do you blend life and work to create the life you want? My life is Hashtag. Period.

What are u working on currently? We are working on multiple interesting projects including video campaigns, ad films, and the like that are adding value to our brands so they grow exponentially.

Priya Rajiv

WELLNESS COACH, IMAGE CONSULTANT STYLE & MANNERS CLUB

Tell us something about yourself. I am Wellness & Image Coach. Specialising in positive self image,holistic lifestyle and sleep management.

Have you faced any barriers in your career due to being a woman? If so, how did you overcome them? I have been extremely fortunate. I have a husband and family who are extremely supportive, hence never really faced any barriers. And fortunately I work with women and children. So touch wood. The going has been good.

How did you come up with the idea of starting your own club The style and manners club of Hyderabad. Tell us something about the concept. I love children. And always wanted to do something with them. I realised that kids these days are facing a lot of challenges, a lot of pressure to excel in each and ever aspect of their lives. So here is where I teach them social skills, life skills and communication skills. I collaborate with school to help children have a well rounded personality. The club has be evolving with time and now my main focus is emotional well-being of children. As many of them hay had a few set backs. Aim is to kick start their motivation, increase their confidence and exude happiness

Tell us about your journey from working at Lufthansa as a cabin crew member to becoming an image consultant. I have always loved being with people. Always been a very hospitable person and making people feel as ease is an intrinsic aspect of my personality. I have always been known for having a lot of empathy and help people feel good about themselves. Hence cabin crew to image consultant has been a very organic transition. Flying introduced me to the world of fashion and style. Gave me a lot of international exposure. Learnt about different cultures. Taught us international etiquette and protocol. So all I needed was a bit of training and got certified by leading institutes.

What career or business advice would you give to other young women? Follow your passion. I am a strong supporter of liberal education. As women it’s important understand our skill sets and hone them. Life keeps throwing curveballs at us but we need to master the skills that would help us rise above the tide. Hence get trained academically but also pursue your hobby. Many of us had to tweak our career and resort to plan be during the pandemic. Many of us found our passion, purpose and now get a pay cheque as well. So my message is lead a life full of passion and purpose. Happiness and success will follow.

Tell us something about your proudest accomplishment? Motherhood. The best gift. Still learning and evolving.

How do you blend life and work to create the life you want? I don’t take life too seriously. I go with the flow. Balancing can be really tough but the key is to not feel guilty and to not overcompensate. Motherhood and work pressure are not easy to balance. So please don’t be too hard on your self.

Sofiya Sujad

PROPRIETOR SOFIYA EVENTS

Tell us something about yourself. I am a pet mom, medical practitioner, theatre artist and proprietor of Sofiya Events, a luxury event curatorial company.

Have you faced any barriers in your career due to being a woman? If so, how did you overcome them? To be very honest I’ve faced a lot of advantages being a woman.

How did you come up with the idea of starting your own business venture- Sofiya Events. Tell us something about the brand. I wanted to channel my creativity into something tangible. Curating an event is a very creative experience for me. Sofiya Events is a bespoke luxury event curatorial service. We’ve been at the forefront of premium launch events and niche luxury experiences in the city.

What career or business advice would you give to other young women? There is no need to put on a front or toughen up. There’s nothing wrong in retaining and expressing your femininity. Infact, use it. However, it is important to draw boundaries and to learn to say a polite no without feeling sorry.

As a woman, did you have to make any sacrifices professionally and personally at any stage in your career? I am sure I have had to but I do not recall consciously. Sometimes I spread myself a little too thin and the stress perhaps takes a toll on me every now and then.

Tell us something about your proudest accomplishment? Sofiya Events once organised the launch of a therapy centre. It was very fulfilling to be associated with that space. I was also very proud of launching international skincare brand Kiehl’s, Delhi’s Diablo bar and kitchen in Hyderabad and Mirage Beach Club, in Goa.

How do you blend life and work to create the life you want? I borrow heavily from life and art and aim to make my work an expression of my artistic proclivities.

What are you working on currently? On myself. Always and forever. And perhaps that adds to the brand as well. On a more specific note, I am working on a travel and culture related international project.