Manali Manan Desai's Blog, page 75
November 25, 2019
Mosaic of Ambition ~ A Decor Enthusiast Shares Her Journey
Juan Montoya says,
“A room should never allow the eye to settle in one place. It should smile at you and create fantasy.”
In our #MondayMotivation blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment, we present a woman who dons many roles, like a decor enthusiast, a gardener, and a blogger. Meet, Neha Agarwal, a business analyst turned homemaker, a hands-on mother of two, and an entrepreneur (founder of Art by Armaya)
What made her quit her day job and how did she end up being a blogger and an entrepreneur? Let’s find out in her own words.
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“I’m proud to introduce myself as a business analyst turned homemaker, a 24*7 mother of two and now an entrepreneur as well. I create mosaic decor and utilitarian products for homes. The range of these products includes handcrafted mosaic wall plaques, mirrors, trays, trivets, coasters, name plates and much more. I have recently also started curating brass and carved wooden artefacts for my brand Art by Armaya. I am a decor enthusiast, an amateur gardener, and a blogger.
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An innocent and absolutely basic mosaic workshop years ago got me hooked to this art. I wanted to learn this seriously and pursue this as a hobby but didn’t get any help from a couple of studios I approached who were already into this field. So, I decided to self-learn from YouTube videos online and so far, it’s worked. I made a few mosaic plaques more than 3 years ago out of boredom when I was expecting my little daughter, where I set a screen-printed tile in the centre with vitreous tiles all around and styled them in my balcony garden. And I got so many queries from people all over asking me whether I could make those plaques for them too. Of course, I was to go on the maternity break soon, so I didn’t agree.
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A year later, I revisited the idea and started looking for someone who could make wooden frames for me as I didn’t like the polyester frames. And then a couple of years ago, I met a professional DIYer who understood the requirement and agreed to be a part of this small business venture. So, currently, it’s just a two-member team.
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As my background was completely different, first as a business analyst and then as a homemaker, it was a long and slow learning process in the field of mosaic art and home décor. The biggest hurdle I faced was that people weren’t willing to share their knowledge on mosaic. I had no option but to turn to YouTube to learn glass-scoring and cutting, by myself. The second point of struggle, which is even evident now is that we haven’t been able to scale up exponentially. Since everything is custom made and I always give my customers the option of choosing the tile designs for their plaques, it ends up being a time-consuming activity.
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Many times, people change their choices midway through the project. Also, I have realised over time, that people here don’t realise the amount of effort that goes into making a particular mosaic product. I have lost the count of the number of times I got my fingers sliced open while scoring and cutting tiles and even while grouting. So, price points are a sensitive subject here. And I try to address them very logically to all my customers.
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The turning point was when I started sharing my work on Instagram two years ago. There’s been no looking back ever since. Almost 99.9% of my sales come through the various social media platforms where my art products are posted on a regular basis. My biggest motivators are my husband and my Mom, and also of course my two kids. Armaya is named after them, Arjun and Amaya. You wouldn’t believe, most of the times, these two creative geniuses help me decide the colour combinations too!
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As a woman, my responsibilities never end. I am a multitasker, and in between juggling the kids’ schools, their extracurricular classes, and home affairs, I make sure to take out time for my passion and work. I am restless by nature and I always need to work on something to keep myself busy, whether it’s mosaicking, gardening or blogging.
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So, my learning is
“Always work on your passion as if you own it and work towards realising it.”
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You can drop in a message to Neha, have a look at her beautiful products, or even order one for your home/office, via the links below:
Blog
November 22, 2019
Home is Where Art is ~ A Home Decor Expert Talks About Her Journey
Nate Berkus says,
“Your home should tell the story of who you are and be a collection of what you love”.
In today’s #FridayFeature focusing on our #WonderWomen segment, we’re proud to present a woman who is an expert when it comes to home décor items. Meet, Divya Jujaray, the founder of Craft Weavers, a platform which offers varied niche home décor products. What is her story and how did she get into this creative, yet under appreciated field? Let’s find out in her own words.
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“Ever since I was a child, I have been watching my mother and aunts decorate their homes beautifully, so you can say that love for decor came to me naturally. I always loved buying decorative products from the dollar store during college days as I could afford only a few hundred bucks worth from my pocket money.
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A couple of years ago, I stumbled upon the Instagram decor community. It became a medium for me, to showcase my passion for home decor and meet like-minded decor enthusiasts. This gave me a boost to start a home decor business of my own; thus, CraftWeaver’s Studio was born. My pure love for home decor is more of a passion rather than just an interest. As it goes while converting a passion into a profession, the journey of Craftweaver’s wasn’t without struggles either.
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All our products have been carefully curated and we had to do tons of R&D before bringing it officially out to the customers. The researching and searching, and finally making the buying of good quality macramé cord was our biggest challenge. It took nearly 3 months to find the right macramé cotton cord. We didn’t settle for anything less than eco-friendly cotton cords. Likewise, we curated and found other categories of products.
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I am a die-hard fan of window shopping as this gives me an edge regarding the in-depth understanding of the market and its current trends. The turning point was when within a month of our small business launch, we made a daring attempt to be a part of an exhibition fair. It gave us an exposure and buoyancy to let the buyers see our products physically. A lot of home decor enthusiasts and their positive word of mouth helped us through the exhibition, to get more and specifically the required recognition. The motivation was through the women in my family and my own craving about always wanting to have a career in Home Decor Industry.
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I wanted to open a store, but quickly realized that digital market is a boom for the small businesses. I could see so many small businesses doing so well with their unique and genuine products and I draw inspiration from them all.
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My family (mom, husband, mother-in-law) has been my biggest supporters. Without them, this venture would not have been possible. My husband has been my guiding force and I would not have reached where I am today without his support & love. My mother is the creative one who makes the macramé by herself.
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She is extremely talented, and I am so proud that she is getting her due recognition. My mother-in-law has been the most silent supporter who has been standing behind us strong. I am truly thankful for her motivation, encouragement, and blessings.
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I am blessed that all the success and mistakes have made me realize what I actually expect out of this. I want to launch my store soon and it is still under process. I have been taking each step one at a time as I am not person who can do too many things together. I want to grow this business in a structured manner.
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The learning has been that
“One has to come out of their comfort zone in order to achieve their goals.”
This business has helped me improve my ability to deal with the customers and dealers.
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Every mistake has been a learning for me.
It is good to do some groundwork, but we need to be spontaneous too.
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****
To drop in a message to Divya or to have a look and order one of Craft Weaver Studio’s many quirky and eye-catching home décor products, follow the links below:
Website
Instagram Page
Facebook page
Home is Where Art is ~ A Home Decor Expert Talks Shares Her Journey
Nate Berkus says,
“Your home should tell the story of who you are and be a collection of what you love”.
In today’s #FridayFeature focusing on our #WonderWomen segment, we’re proud to present a woman who is an expert when it comes to home décor items. Meet, Divya Jujaray, the founder of Craft Weavers, a platform which offers varied niche home décor products. What is her story and how did she get into this creative, yet under appreciated field? Let’s find out in her own words.
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****
“Ever since I was a child, I have been watching my mother and aunts decorate their homes beautifully, so you can say that love for decor came to me naturally. I always loved buying decorative products from the dollar store during college days as I could afford only a few hundred bucks worth from my pocket money.
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A couple of years ago, I stumbled upon the Instagram decor community. It became a medium for me, to showcase my passion for home decor and meet like-minded decor enthusiasts. This gave me a boost to start a home decor business of my own; thus, CraftWeaver’s Studio was born. My pure love for home decor is more of a passion rather than just an interest. As it goes while converting a passion into a profession, the journey of Craftweaver’s wasn’t without struggles either.
[image error]
All our products have been carefully curated and we had to do tons of R&D before bringing it officially out to the customers. The researching and searching, and finally making the buying of good quality macramé cord was our biggest challenge. It took nearly 3 months to find the right macramé cotton cord. We didn’t settle for anything less than eco-friendly cotton cords. Likewise, we curated and found other categories of products.
[image error]
I am a die-hard fan of window shopping as this gives me an edge regarding the in-depth understanding of the market and its current trends. The turning point was when within a month of our small business launch, we made a daring attempt to be a part of an exhibition fair. It gave us an exposure and buoyancy to let the buyers see our products physically. A lot of home decor enthusiasts and their positive word of mouth helped us through the exhibition, to get more and specifically the required recognition. The motivation was through the women in my family and my own craving about always wanting to have a career in Home Decor Industry.
[image error]
I wanted to open a store, but quickly realized that digital market is a boom for the small businesses. I could see so many small businesses doing so well with their unique and genuine products and I draw inspiration from them all.
[image error]
My family (mom, husband, mother-in-law) has been my biggest supporters. Without them, this venture would not have been possible. My husband has been my guiding force and I would not have reached where I am today without his support & love. My mother is the creative one who makes the macramé by herself.
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She is extremely talented, and I am so proud that she is getting her due recognition. My mother-in-law has been the most silent supporter who has been standing behind us strong. I am truly thankful for her motivation, encouragement, and blessings.
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I am blessed that all the success and mistakes have made me realize what I actually expect out of this. I want to launch my store soon and it is still under process. I have been taking each step one at a time as I am not person who can do too many things together. I want to grow this business in a structured manner.
[image error]
The learning has been that
“One has to come out of their comfort zone in order to achieve their goals.”
This business has helped me improve my ability to deal with the customers and dealers.
[image error]
Every mistake has been a learning for me.
It is good to do some groundwork, but we need to be spontaneous too.
[image error]
****
To drop in a message to Divya or to have a look and order one of Craft Weaver Studio’s many quirky and eye-catching home décor products, follow the links below:
Website
Instagram Page
Facebook page
November 18, 2019
Going & Growing The Natural Way ~ A Believer in Ayurveda Shares Her Journey
Sebastian Pole says,
“Because we cannot scrub our inner body, we need to learn a few skills to help cleanse our tissues, organs and mind. This is the art of Ayurveda.”
In our #Monday Motivation blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segement, today we present a woman whose passion towards natural solutions for healthy skin & hair care led her to start something along those lines. Meet, Vaiju Parikh, the founder and face of Daffodil, a platform which offers natural hair and skin care solutions for all age groups & individual. What’s her story and what led her to start this platform? Let’s find out in her own words.
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“You can say that my passion towards natural treatments, whether it be for any health related issues or for taking care of my hair and skin, got me into ayurvedic solutions, which ultimately led to Daffodil. At Daffodil, we offer Ayurvedic Make Overs with natural solutions for healthy skin & hair. Daffodil is a platform for natural products & solutions for all age group & individuals.
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As is the struggle for most married women, my biggest one too is the constant juggling between work, home, social & personal life. As we live in a joint family, I always have my plate half full, with personal life responsibilities. But, as they say, you get better with practice planning & dedication, I too have become better, if not perfect in this balancing act. In this regard, I must say that my journey has definitely been smoother because of my supportive husband. Whether we admit it or not, behind every successful-working woman who is married, there is a husband.
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Before Daffodil, there were other work experiences which helped me grow and reach here. I used to work as Financial Analyst for a US Based Company after completing my Masters in Business Design (with Marketing majors & Finance minors) But being a Gujarati, the business bug was in my blood, hence I quit the job to for an adventurous pursuit and to follow something I was passionate about.
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Initially, I was involved in another small venture with a friend. Here we focused on selling a few products developed by me which were semi-natural hair care and skin products. But somehow, I didn’t find the spark for which I had quit my job and I wasn’t convinced about the ‘one size fits all’ funda behind the semi-natural products. I truly believed that my vision was beyond that as I wanted to promote a whole new lifestyle and way of living, that we have left behind; going back to the roots kind.
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Hence, the turning point came when I drifted apart from my first business and its business partner; thus, was born Daffodil. Being my own boss & decision maker is a whole new level of freedom & wild ride. Till the time I turned 21, I did not use any market available cosmetic or beauty products. My mother never allowed it.
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She used to make face packs, oils and very other thing I needed, at home itself with raw fresh plants. She & my grandmother taught me about healthy plant-based living & Ayurveda which inspired me to read & practice it. Eventually I started seeing the positive effects of these and my faith increased.
So, after leaving my job when I thought of something I was passionate about & I would like to do for more than 6 hours with a big smile on my face, the answer came instantly as Ayurveda & natural healing & lifestyle. Yes, it’s tough for an Indian female to work but with Jeet (my husband) by my side , Daffodil grew and so did I. He handles packaging, some of the purchase & accounts. He encouraged me in the first place to work for something I loved and even helped me in setting it up.
With PR like My mother, mother in law, brother & husband, my business flourished in just a few months. Of course, client’s positive feedback also boosts me. When the users of our products share their feedback saying how using the products helped them, it makes my day!
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At Daffodil everything is made from scratch using fresh plants & other natural raw materials; everything is customised as per each individual’s need & lifestyle. It’s not about products anymore, it’s about daily habits, natural solutions and home-remedies. It is about changing one’s lifestyle step by step to reach the ultimate goal of being healthy inside-out.
My father taught me from my childhood that one must be independent. He instilled the belief in me that one must possess basic surviving skill which was that “You should be earning & you should know how to cook. I too, personally believe that the basic need of self-respect & personal growth can only be fulfilled after being independent. In order to achieve this, use your skill or develop one to be independent. I always wanted to work in niche market, so I chose my skill & knowledge gifted by my mother and my late grandmother, and my passion of reading to start Daffodil. When you are passionate about what you do, you get tremendous motivation daily to create something new, to explore more and to achieve more. So, my sources of motivation are my passion, my father’s teachings and the skills I inherited from the women in my life.
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After starting with Soaps & Aroma Candles, right now we have more than 60 products in our offering through Daffodil. Most of these products are Aromatherapy infused. Another big step was starting Skin & Hair Care workshops. It’s an alternate for products wherein we create daily routine, products & home remedies as per every individual needs & routines. After attending these workshops, one does not need a single product from the market to maintain healthy skin and care. Recently we have also started live online workshops for people outside of Ahmedabad, and so far it has been an incredible experience.
In the future, we’re also planning to add more into the Daffodil basket like food products & dietary supplements. Over and above this, we’re also looking at conducting more workshops related to healthy lifestyle, cooking, food-diet, aromatherapy etc. Adding natural make up in Daffodil offering is also in to-do list for Daffodil.
Through my personal as well as professional experiences, I have got to learn that
everything connects; each action, each thought, what you put in your body, what you put on your body, what you’re going through physically & mentally, all these factors combined together, affects your health.
You cannot be healthy from outside without being in harmony from inside. You cannot get rid of hair fall with irregular sleep cycle & you cannot get rid of acne with junk food in your plate. Daffodil inspires me to be a better healthy person who likes to share knowledge with others. The goal of Daffodil is helping others become healthy as a whole with blessings of mother nature.
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To drop in a message to Vaiju and to inquire or order one of Daffodil’s products, please follow the links below:
November 15, 2019
Family Support Beyond Home ~ A Baker’s Batterful Journey
Regina Brett says,
“If baking is any labor at all, it’s a labor of love. A love that gets passed from generation to generation.”
In our #FridayFeature focusing on the #WonderWomen segment, this week we present a baker who chose the profession to maintain a balance between her work and personal life. Meet, Farida Thanawala, home baker and co-founder of Bake Me Happy. Why did she choose a home-based profession instead of a regular job and what led her into baking? Let’s find out in her own words.
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“Baking uplifted me in a way that even when I was tired or feeling low, I used to find my happiness via beating and blending of the flour to create a magical final edible. I literally looked forward to the processes, long and short, involved in the process of baking.
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So, I guess it was this passion and love for baking which get me into home baking as a profession.
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The struggles started way before I took the plunge into baking. I’m a mother to a toddler and we stay in a joint family. Qualification wise, I belong to the travel Industry with a post-graduation in IATA.
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However, choosing a career in that line would mean long working hours which would have led to negligence of my family and my child on my part, which I was clear about not wanting to do. So, I chose to be a stay-at-home mother and a few years went by in taking care of home and family.
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However, being a career oriented and ambitious soul, something inside me kept tugging me to go further. During my free time as a homemaker, I used to bake for my family and friends, and they used to love my edibles especially the brownies and cakes. This motivated me and the restlessness within me found its home when through the encouragement of my mother and mother-in-law, my sister and I started Bake Me Happy.
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Bake Me Happy was started by two sisters Farida and Arwa who belong to the land of Gujarat. It is a concept of premium home baked desserts that serves you fresh desserts right out of the oven and takes care of every minute requirements of clients for their preferred desserts.
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The business was discovered by a rare but special and real bond of two sisters from the land of authentic cuisine, a city called Surat.
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We have a personal touch to all our specialties as they are curated from best quality ingredients maintaining utmost hygiene and taking into consideration our esteemed client preference. Our wide range of flavour in brownies, cookies and cakes is sure to enhance your taste buds. For all those who love their teatime as much as their me time we have an array of snack/teatime cakes.
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My sister of course, over and above being my business partner, is also my biggest supporter and motivator. Besides her, my mentor Mrs. Umaima merchant from lick n frolic has also been very encouraging. The continuous support of my family, especially my mother-in-law, sister-in-law and my husband has also kept me going in my baking journey so far. The journey so far has been overwhelming to say the least. We are about to complete a year soon and the love we have received so far makes it hard to believe as to how we managed to touch so many hearts so soon. Whatever we are and how much ever progress we have made so far, it’s all because of them. The future plan is to expand Bake Me Happy on a Pan India basis. In fact, we have already started delivering cakes, cookies and brownies outside our hometown.
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My learning in life is that
“You are never too old to learn anything and irrespective of failures do not look back just keep going and keep growing”
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To drop in a message to Farida or to order one of Bake Me Happy’s many delicious desserts, follow the links below:
November 12, 2019
A Slice of Kashmir in Maharashtra ~ Tapola
In focus for this week’s #TravelerTuesday is Tapola in Maharashtra. This place is also known as Mini Kashmir, and you can gauge from the below, which it is so called.
[image error]View of Tapola from boat ride
This Diwali vacation, it was once again time for a family trip. There’s only one place we all agree on visiting for a family trip, i.e Panchgani+Mahabaleshwar. Though we’ve been there ample times, it is unanimously agreed upon as the destination because it is close to Mumbai and it suits all ages!
[image error]Panoramic view of Tapola en-route the final destination
However, while there, we also decided to do a short one day trip to a place we had heard about and seen photos of.
[image error]Before taking the boat ride, near the boat club booking center of Tapola
The thing that excited me most about it was the ‘Triveni Sangam” which a congruence of three rivers namely Koyna, Solshi and Kandhati .
[image error]Triveni Sangam visible from boat ride @ Tapaola
The primary attraction in Tapola is the Shivsagar Lake – a 90 km long Water Body infect the reservoir of the Koyna dam!! If you are a water sports enthusiast Tapola is the place to head to. Be it boating, water scooter rides, kayaking or swimming Tapola is the best.
A short ride of 1 hour from Mahabaleshwar (approx 25 kilometers), this place offers adventures such as water sports, trekking spots and even pilgrimage spots with age old temples providing the backwaters as beautiful and peaceful backdrops to a quiet, quaint place.
[image error]Enjoying the boat ride @ Tapola
[image error]Enjoying the boat ride @ Tapola
We took a boat ride from the Mini Kashmir boat club which took us to one of the temples and to the Triveni Sangam spot.
There are camping options and even a few resorts where one can put up for an overnight stay to get more out of this slice of Kashmir in Maharashtra.
If you’re up for some adventure, you can even go for kayaking and motorboat rides in the lake. The village of Bamnoli on the shores of Shivsagar is worth a visit too. There are quite a few exhilarating treks around the area which one can undertake too, including the most popular jungle trek of Vasola fort.
[image error]Vasota Jungle trek in Tapola
Tapola has myriad options readily available for its patrons. In addition to enjoying the serene beauty of this place, you can also indulge in a number of adventure sports in this region.
I’d highly recommend visiting this place as there’s something for everyone and people of all ages. So either try your hand at a number of adventure sports activities or simply visit Tapola to rediscover the tranquil beauty of nature.
[image error]On the way to temple during our boat ride @ Tapola
Pro-tip: Visit before noon to avoid getting baked in the afternoon sunlight which can hamper the overall pleasant experience. Also, halt midway at the Shivsagar restaurant which offers great panoramic views and is a great spot for clicking picturesque photos (as shown below)
[image error]Spot @ Shivsagar hotel on the way to Tapola
November 11, 2019
Crafting a Career Through Creativity ~A Curator of Handmade Gifts Shares Her Journey
Gail Goodman says,
“Starting a small business takes a lot more than a great idea. It takes passion, commitment, and a willingness to take on any challenge in pursuit of your dream”
In our #MondayMotivation blog focusing on the #WonderWomen segment, today we bring to you a woman who followed a creative pursuit out of her passion for crafting. Meet, Devyani Shah, who calls herself a ‘crafter and curator of handmade gifts’. She is the founder of handmade gifting platform by the name of Thousand Miles. What got her into this profession and from where does she draw her inspiration? Let’s find out in her own words.
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“Post graduation was the turning point of my life. During this time, unfortunately my mom got ill and I had to be home to take care of her. That’s when I thought I should utilize my spare time in a productive way. So, I started making handmade products and posted the photos of these finished products on social media.
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People loved it! The immensely positive response I got through my Instagram page in no time gave me the strength and I decided to take up crafting as my career. And, that’s how Thousand Miles came into being.
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I never wanted to take this up as a career but life and its experiences taught me that “Its okay to not have a plan”
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Some people don’t take this line of profession seriously , most of them treat it as a hobby or just time pass. However, my own foray into crafting and the ensuing struggles made me realize that owning and running a small business requires a lot of patience and sleepless nights.
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There is a considerable investment of time involved and you need people around you to support and encourage you to go on. The feedback and reviews I received on my crafts were the turning point. They’re the most crucial sections which played an important role in my life.
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The two ones closest to my heart and which I would like to share with you all are: there were 2 couples who were on the verge of getting divorced. They placed an order for a scrapbook and after seeing the scrapbook they had a meltdown and went through all their memories which were portrayed through that scrapbook. This gave them the courage to give their relationship another chance.
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I never knew playing with paper and glue would create such a product which holds such an important emotional value in customer’s life. It’s things like these that keep me motivated. I want to spread the joy of gifting as much as I can through this platform. My future plan, aim and ultimate ambition is to take Thousand Miles to a level where every product convey’s a person’s story and their happiness behind it.
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What I learned from my whole situation is
“No matter what you plan, how well you plan, universe has a better plan for you. And when you just keep working hard, universe will help you reach to the point where you. “
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To drop in a message or to go through her wonderful products, or to order one of her many pretty crafts for yourself, follow the links below:
Website
November 8, 2019
Sketching Own Future ~ A Fashion Designer’s Passionate Undertaking
Gianni Versace, says,
“Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way to live.”
In our #FridayFeature focusing on the #WonderWomen segment, today we bring to you a story of a fashion designer whose own love for dressing up led her to pursue fashion as a passion and a profession. Meet, Pooja Dhweep Mehta, a fashion designer and the founder of Dhunkii. What made her choose such a creative field and where does she draw her motivation from? Let’s hear it in her own words.
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“From a very young age I used to follow fashion and the current trends and even designed my own clothes for special occasions.
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These outfits never failed to draw in compliments. which of course fueled my love for it further. Hence, you can say my attachment to fashion and dressing up led to this profession.
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Of course, just having a passion and following it doesn’t always lead to success and even if it does, it’s never without a few struggles and impediments. The struggles I faced ranged from targeting the right customers to a constant need and demand for innovative designs. There was (and still is) a lack of reliable manufacturers. The pricing factor too has to be kept in mind and I need to keep a tab on my competitor’s prices, because in this industry its very common to lose out on even the most loyal clients because of the price factor.
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The biggest struggle though was that I had zero business experience and acumen and had to learn things like sourcing, costing, markups, floor margins, quality quotes from vendors and suppliers etc through first-hand experiences as these are not taught and one can learn it through experience only.
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There wasn’t any defining turning point, but I can say that the designing journey started going once I left my fulltime job and gave designing my undivided professional attention. That’s when Dhunkii actually picked up.
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I increased Dhunkii’s social media presence which helped a lot in reaching the target audience. I also started participating in popular exhibitions within Mumbai, which increased Dhunkii’s exposure and client-base. Today, I can proudly say that I have even designed for a few TV industry artists.
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I draw motivation from my clients’ positive comments. Other than this, My love for fashion and dressing up also motivates me.
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However, it is my mom’s wish of seeing me become a very successful designer which motivates me the most.
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The journey so far has been a mix bag of good as well as bad experiences. Fashion designing as a career has been very demanding, engaging , productive as well as an exciting one.
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I always wanted to be in the creative business. so its a different kind of high and satisfaction to have come this far.
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The USP of my brand Dhunkii is its custom made prints so the future plan is to come up with some amazing digital prints collection soon.
As for the learnings, I can sum it all up in four lines:
“Everyday is a new day, so it teaches you something new.”
“It’s a realistic environment to learn. You are working and learning at the same time.”
“Never Give up as there is nothing called as IMPOSSIBLE.”
and last but not the least,
“Where there is a will there is always a way.”
*****
To drop in a message to Pooja or to get an awesome outfit designed through her Dhunkii, you can follow the links below:
November 5, 2019
A Getaway to Remember @ Lovely Lavasa
In focus for this week’s #TravelerTuesday is Lavasa in Maharashtra, India.
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The hubby and I visited this secluded and beautiful planned city near Pune for our first marriage anniversary. Since the anniversary fell on a weekday we could only plan a one day trip to someplace near Mumbai.
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Fun fact: Did you know that this manmade city is stylistically based on the Italian town Portofino, with a street and several buildings bearing the name of that town?
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So, a look at few photographs of the city were enough for us to finalize this place for our anniversary celebrations and getaway. Reason? Our honeymoon was in Italy and this was a perfect chance and place to relive and reminiscence the joys of early marital bliss !
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The quaint town has been under the radar for a lot of issues right from procurement of land, harm to the environment, and loans acquired through political corruption. It is a mostly empty town with major construction being either underway or left midway.
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Despite all this negative factors, we ended up having a really good time!
I mean isn’t it kind of ideal for an anniversary celebration to be in a place which doesn’t have many people? The only hiccup was that the food was limited as well as expensive, which we didn’t mind for a day’s getaway, however if putting up for more than couple of days, it would definitely dig a big hole in the pocket. So, planning a short trip rather than a 4-5 days sojourn would be wiser if visiting Lavasa.
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I’d definitely recommend giving this Italian replication a visit, if not, just for the beautiful backdrops it’ll provide to your photos and also of course for the overall peace and serenity.
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Pro-tip: Carry food and snacks from home to save some money! Also, as per the sources, the city is going to be permanently closed and off-limits soon. So, visit it as soon as you can.
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November 4, 2019
Ago No Barrier For Achievements ~ A Teenager’s Successful Foray into Multiple Professions
Vadim Kotelnikov says,
“The greatest achievers are those who are old enough to be wise, and young enough to believe they can change the world”.
In our #MondayMotivation blog focusing on #WonderWomen segment, we’re proud to present a multi-talented young achiever. Meet crafter and author, Apoorva Malik, who runs a crafting platform by the name of The Handmade Store and is a published author of the book Tranquillity. What gives her such focus and determination despite being so young and how does she juggle between studies, crafting and writing? Let’s find out in her own words.
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“I’m a student currently pursuing my 11th grade. But more than that I’m proud to introduce myself as an author, a crafter and an entrepreneur. My passion for crafts and writing got me into both the fields. This coupled with my strong belief that ‘a successful life doesn’t always mean strong academics and an average income; most of the times it comes from firmly following your passion, experiencing the struggle and then making your way to the top despite of all the hurdles’ made me pursue both these careers. I was always about passionate about writing and crafting.
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When I was in class 7, I decided to write a book with two of my friends. However, despite the writing being good, nobody took it seriously thinking that we were too young for all this. But somewhere in the back of my mind I always knew I could do this. That very day I decided to write a book absolutely on my own and prove myself by surprising everybody on the day it is published. I wrote and wrote for two years and I was ready with the content for the book, but the problem was the expenses to get it published. This gave rise to pursuing my crafting passion which I thought of using to pursue my other passion, writing. So, I started my own home-based venture wherein I curated all sorts of handmade gifts and crafts and started selling them off by the name “The Handmade Store”.
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I continued with this and by the end of the third month I had enough money to get the book published and circulated, worldwide. I got in touch with the publishers, signed the contracts and managed everything right from doing this to doing the bank work. And with these two years of hard work and determination I managed to get my book published and made everyone both shocked and proud on the day TRANQUILITY was in our hands.
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Even now at times, my teachers and family members try to drag me out of these things and make me feel that there’s nothing more important than studying and that this is not the age to do all this. But honestly, I have some very different expectations from myself and to fulfill those I don’t mind carving out my own path and following it.
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At the same time I can guarantee that they might not be with me in my struggling phase or their opinions won’t match mine, but they’ll be the happiest chunk of people of this planet when they see me conquering the world and this is what has been happening. I draw motivation from own self and my every day experiences. I’ve always given myself what I’ve wanted. The hope for a very bright future and the dream of making my family and everybody proud with my achievements is something that keeps me motivated and doesn’t let me stop.
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The future plans? I’m just a seventeen-year-old girl as yet so the world is my canvas really! Currently I’m pursuing psychology and recently authored a poetry book by the name TRANQUILITY which aims to encourage the youth of today to widen their horizons, think out of the box and ignite a spark of positivity in themselves.
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I also run my own venture by the name THE HANDMADE STORE wherein I curate all kinds of handmade gifts and crafts. Having a meticulous approach towards crafting, I organise craft workshops for kids. I’m an avid debater and manage my studies simultaneously. In the future, I wish to go for clinical psychology as my profession but at the same time these two things will always be an important part of my routine.
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I’ve a lot of things to do and achieve and I believe one life is really less for all that. Since I can’t change anything about getting just one life, I’ve chosen to make the best of it without considering age any barrier.
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Throughout my journey, there’s one thing I’m really glad that I’ve learnt.
“You can never do anything in life if you don’t learn to stand for yourself.”
No matter how many people criticise you while you’re struggling, they’ll come running behind you once you’ve attained success. Don’t let anybody make you feel you’re not meant to do what you want to do. In the end it’s always about you.
“Nothing will make you happier than realising that you’re working for yourself and you’re doing what you love to.”
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To drop in a message to this young and inspirational girl, or to buy her book and crafts, follow the links below:
The Handmade Store (Apoorva’s crafting venture)
Apoorva’s author page on Instagram
Amazon link to Apoorva’s book Tranquility
