Radhika Ghai on wellness, the joy of entrepreneurship, and the frustrating experience of being a “female” entrepreneur
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a more realistic understanding of the health and well-being of people around the world.
For a very long time, wellness has been associated with losing weight and looking lean, entrepreneur Radhika Ghai pointed out to His history Women in Mission Conference.
When Radhika embarked on a journey to seek mental, physical and spiritual well-being three years ago, she had to navigate through secret Facebook and WhatsApp groups or log in separately by phone to access the right information.
“Why the secrecy surrounding it, the information was everywhere,” she asked, while sharing a personal experience that led to her second entrepreneurial journey with a New Delhi-based company aiming to create a wellness ecosystem, with an e-commerce marketplace and community.
“It has some really cool AI and VR features that allow you to make better decisions and ultimately we’re also building brands that will be targeted at consumers who are looking to make wellness a part. part of their daily lives,” she added.
The co-founder of Shopclues – India’s fourth unicorn – and two-time e-commerce entrepreneur is convinced that India’s consumer economy is here to stay – driven by conscious consumers who want to buy better for themselves and for the environment.
She said consumers are also exploring, giving rise to new product categories like nutraceutical supplements, functional foods and beverages, and healthy snacks.
Stating that Kindlife is well positioned to harness these growth drivers, Radhika said, “Every wellbeing conversation in the country should start with Kindlife as the hub.
Being a “female” entrepreneur
When asked about entrepreneurship, Radhika responded enthusiastically. “I’m a builder at heart,” she says.
Radhika has not only raised a head turn for Kalaari Capital’s Kindlife, but has also built a formidable team – 70% of which are women. The startup also has the most female angel investors on its capitalization table because it has consciously brought more women on board.
If that’s part of the joys of entrepreneurship and rebuilding, Radhika was quick to reveal a frustrating aspect of being a female entrepreneur: an endless series of questions that her male counterparts never ask.
Radhika thought she had left gender issues behind when she started for the second time after proving herself as an entrepreneur with Shopclues and her now adult children.
Curiously, she was asked if she would move in with her son as he started college.
“Whether you are a male or female entrepreneur, performance is the only thing that matters… building performance in the business itself is not a challenge but these issues are endless and c is frustrating.”
Radhika urged women to come forward, adding, “It’s extremely important that you don’t leave the table despite the ups and downs. There are times when you feel like you don’t want to be part of the conversation, the table, or the company, but just show up.
She also advised women entrepreneurs at Women On a Mission to preserve their energy by learning to say no to things that don’t have an impact in what they do.
“It’s also about finding a tribe to talk to in times of opportunity and crisis, whether it’s your group of friends, colleagues, or mentors,” she said as she signed.
Many thanks to the sponsors of Women on Mission Summit 2022, an initiative of HerStory, Presenting Partner BYJU’S, YourStory, and other sponsors – Kyndryl, Sequoia Spark, Zilingo, Atlassian, Akamai, Freshworks for Startups and Netapp Excellerator.