Brief Introduction about yourself and tell us something about My Life Transcript? Hi, I am Nishita Mantry, Brand Consultant & Business Start – Up Coach for Women Entrepreneurs. I am also a Visiting faculty with a lot of Business Schools in Mumbai. I teach Brand Management, Advertising & Marketing. I am an Author and my book on Brand Management has been published for TY BMM students (University of Mumbai) My initiative My Life Transcript is a learning platform for women who wish to start a business or have an existing business & want to take it to the next level. We conduct various workshops, seminars & sessions to teach & train women in their entrepreneurial journey. Through our Brand Mentoring sessions we help them from validating their business idea to developing their idea into a profitable business plan. We have specially designed workshops for women to learn how to Brand their product & use zero cost marketing techniques to create visibility & awareness.
What inspired you to start My Life Transcript and tell us something about your another concern Bamboo Shoot Communication? I started Bamboo Shoot Communication in 2009 as a Brand Consultancy Firm. Over the years I realized that a lot of women would approach us to consult them for their businesses. But due to their social & financial limitations it would get very difficult to support them in their venture. Hence we came up with My Life Transcript an initiative to coach & mentor women entrepreneurs. At the core of my heart, I want every woman to aspire to grow in life and be financially independent.
Please share your future goals for both the ventures. We aim to create an institution where women can work through their business idea under our incubation cell. We could help them with putting their ideas into action. We also have plans to build a community of women entrepreneurs across India.
Did you face any challenges while staring My Life Transcript? No, I did not face any major challenge. The only challenge that we face is to get women to move out of their social & family commitments and spend quality time on their business growth.
What's your opinion about whether women can have it all? Women can definitely have it all provided they take a stand for themselves. Most of us women don’t follow our heart. We never speak up for what we feel. We always want to make others happy at the cost of our sacrifices. Be it urban or rural women, there is no major difference in the mind set. To get what you deserve; you got to take a stand for what you desire.
What piece of advice would you like to give to the aspiring youth who wish to pursue their dream of becoming an entrepreneur? If you wish to become an entrepreneur always ensure your product or service should add value to someone’s life. Let value addition be at the forefront and money be a by-product. The best way to be a successful entrepreneur is to find a problem that the target market is facing and provide a solution through your product or service. The more complicated problem you will solve the bigger profits you will make.
According to you, what are the top three essential skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur? The three most essential skills to be a successful entrepreneur are: Self – Belief – You need to overcome all the doubt & fear that is running on your mind about starting or growing your business. Out of the Box Attitude – How can you do the same thing differently? A Will to take the 1st step – Take the plunge & go with the flow. It’s a risk but if don’t try, you will never know.
How have you managed the work-life balance and has the family been supportive? My mom is a single parent and I am the man of my family. So it has been a different ride for me to run a business that empowers and helps other women entrepreneurs.
What can best empower the women of India– education, politics or business? Indian women need an overall support and empowerment. But the true power comes from within. If we can leverage the education we receive and the political reforms that the government have designed for women empowerment. We can then use our skills to start our own venture and experience financial independence. Nothing tastes better than your own sweet earned money.
