“Don’t Let Your Dreams Be Dreams! I firmly believe that you should never let go them. The only thing stopping a dream to become a reality is ACTION. My parents have always encouraged me to fulfill them and I owe them everything.”
Brief introduction and something about your startup. Born and brought up in Mumbai. A Post Graduate in Commerce I worked as a Finance & Account Executive for couple of years. Then, after a while I took a break from work when my daughter was born as I wanted to spend the initial bonding years with her! However I did miss the challenges and growth that a professional life throws at you and the growth you achieve on a personal level. I always had the desire to do something of my own. That Entrepreneurial Spirit took over and I finally decided to give it a Go! So Oomph The Store was born, a platform which lets a women indulge into a contemporary world of clothing. We understand that fashion has to reflect who you are and we help people discover that through our runway collection.
Idea behind your start up ‘Oomph The Store’. Always a ‘Fashionista by Choice’ had a keen sense of styling and apparels, my sister gave me the desired push to take things ahead. In today’s E-COM Era, things are convenient and complicated at the same time. My basic idea is to give fashionable clothing to women with an affordable rate. My lifelong fashion obsession, love for working online and entrepreneurial spirit decided my Fate and I started Oomph The Store. We cater to give each of our clients clothing as per today’s lifestyle, help them to revamp the wardrobe as per the fads across the globe. Website: www.oomphthestore.com
How has your journey been and what are your future goals? “Memorable” The struggles and challenges have taken me to where I am right now. I have moved out of my comfort zone which has taught me in all meaningful ways. My Future goals would be to make Oomph a well-known brand, which expands on a larger scale and inaugurates various boutiques across India. We have now added more categories such as shoes, accessories and kids collection.
What all challenges did you face and what were your strategies to overcome them? As such there were more mental than physical challenges, the demons you fight within when the world doesn’t show trust in your dreams, for a moment it makes you get unsure of yourself too. But I have learnt that if you Believe in yourself and your work, you just need to keep moving ahead, get started and go forward and when you do that half battle is won, challenges are the opportunities which we must Grab.
What are your views on the thought, that as compared to male counterparts, it’s harder and more struggling for females to make a mark professionally? Yes I do believe it’s more of struggle for women since its managing both work and family life. Women still have more responsibility when it comes to family life, but as we all know times are changing and I see today’s youth, willing to take an equal share of responsibility, this will definitely make the struggle on women’s part a lot lesser.
What piece of advice would you like to give to the aspiring youth who wish to pursue their dream of becoming an entrepreneur? To each girl who is told she’s bossy, show them it’s your inborn trait to be a leader. Just push through the feeling of taking risk and take the journey to personal growth, self-discovery and contentment. There is no reason to apologize for being ambitious.
According to you, what are the top three essential skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
- Desire to be an Entrepreneur
- Passion to work towards it
- Dedication to constantly give your Best
How your professional life affected your family life & has the family been supportive? Yes Ofcourse it has affected my family life in more than one ways. Managing house, kids and work is never a cakewalk for any women. Every coin reflects two sides and the same has been with me, I did get lot of obstacles from others but I got lot of support from my Parents. The appreciation and encouragement from my Husband has been my strength. While I see my parents proudly flaunting my work to others, my husband makes sure to be my biggest critic to help me perform better and I am thankful for that. My family life has become much better coz I can manage my own time, so I get the best of both the worlds.
What are your views and opinions towards the ambiguous need to promote women entrepreneurship and women empowerment in India? It’s the Need of the Hour and I am really glad that IWIL is promoting the same. Real Women are who help empower each other and not tear them down. Times have changed and we see a lot of women coming out of their shells and realizing the importance of being independent financially and emotionally. Educating each and every girl child is the first step. An institute which could show the right direction to start ups for women entrepreneurs would be a boost.
