Of thoughts becoming things

It was pretty shocking for my parents when, both, my younger brother Manu and I decided to quit our jobs to start our own venture. My mother has been a dedicated homemaker all her life and has seen some troublesome times bringing up three of us when my dad met with an accident and lost his leg (story for another time). My father just retired after decades of service in the Rajasthan Government. They are people who would always vote, will never willingly buy a coffee at Starbucks and be the first ones to give up cooking gas subsidy because the PM said he could use it to help the poor.

The thought of me moving away from an organization who loved me equally back terrified them and they spent a few evenings counting what I was letting go — a great monthly paycheck, a chance to grow further in the same organization, equity built over the years, large teams, comfort etc.

Insecurity and instability appear higher when you rise up the economic and social ladder despite one knowing only too well that the impact on livelihood would be minimal.

If my driver quits his job, there would be immediate and direct impact on this family. His job is directly correlated to his ability to put food on the table, his children attending school and how they celebrate festivals. And yet, if he were to change jobs, he’d take the decision in a day.

If I were to switch jobs or quit working altogether, I would think about it for AT THE LEAST 60 days. Despite knowing only too well that it would not impact the way we Swiggy-in or holiday. Clearly, one frets more when they have more.

But this spiritual prognostication was not enough to persuade them. I had to finally open up and share three things that built my conviction over a period of time:

1. We need to fill our own cup before we fill someone else’s.

I have seen Ajit Nawalkha & Neeta Bhushan (both authors, coaches and CEOs) live by this one.

If I don’t constantly fill my cup with the things I desperately want, I won’t be content. If I am not content, I will not have much to offer to anyone else. Everyone has a different cup of tea. Mine demands constant curiosity and learning, courage and execution of the things I am passionate about. If I am pursuing my passions, I am a happy person. The world will eventually come around.

2. We have no idea about the number of things that are going to work FOR us.

Everyone scares you with the high failure rate of entrepreneurship before you take a plunge. Even the closest friends will ask you to value the journey because, deep inside, they don’t want to see you hurt should you not see any success. They are all correct.

However, Manish Taneja, Co-founder Purplle, whom I met via linked and was amongst the first people to know about my decision had an exceptionally positive view. He asked me to put myself out there because no one has the capacity to imagine the things which will work for us. Dream big, start small but most of all, start. Deeply thankful for this piece of advice.

3. If not me, who else?

I am an ambitious woman. I am also an anxious parent. If you are reading this and you are a female, you would know that these two statements point towards a constant state of conflict. I have always been a working parent with major awake hours spent outside the house. During COVID-19, while working from home, I noticed how many trips my boys make to the fridge and to the kitchen during the day. I found some patterns deeply disturbing but there wasn’t much I could do (I wasn’t a great example myself).

So, I started cooking and baking myself. I created an Instagram page with everyday protein-filled breakfasts ideas for Indian homes. Soon, I started getting queries as well as inputs from scores of moms. A lot of nutritionists wrote in. We started to build a community which spoke and co-created.

With a great amount of provocation from Sudhir, my husband & Aastha, my sister, I decided to combine my ambition, experience with my anxiety. You can live it endlessly, if it’s your own truth. And if I wont do it, then who will?

When mom and dad heard me, they were finally convinced. It’s funny, even at 37 years of age, I need to have alignment with them before I face the universe.

Delighted to announce the beginning of my journey at Gladful where we are creating foods you crave, with the nutrition you deserve.

Launching soon.