Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’d know that this Sunday, 12th May, is Mother’s Day. While we love our moms 365 days a year, dedicating one day entirely to them sounds like a good idea! And this Mother’s Day, we caught up with moms from different walks of life to get to know how they do it all! And we recently caught up with one of such moms who truly inspired us. An entrepreneur, an artist and a mother to a 4-year-old, there is nothing this superwoman can’t do. Meet Ghazal Alagh, the chief mama, director and co-founder at Mama Earth, a chemical & toxin-free natural & safe skincare products brand.
So Ghazal, tell us a little about yourself and your family. ?
I am the mother of a 4-year-old. To begin with, I have an educational background in computers. I used to work with Infosys in collaboration with NIIT, as a corporate trainer. Once I got married, my husband’s job involved a lot of travel and for the same reason, I got the chance to pursue my passion for painting. Later on, I went to New York and took a proper study course from the New York Academy of Arts. Once I got back to India, I started exhibiting my work, both nationally and internationally. I was enjoying it, celebrating and exhibiting art in Delhi and then we decided to be on our family way post which Mamaearth was born.
Tell us a little more about how Mamaearth came into being.
When I was in New York there was this whole movement around moving away from products with chemicals to natural alternatives. So I had a fair idea about natural ingredients. When Agastya, my son, was born we started using Indian products which were recommended by doctors. He had this problem of skin eczema, and to our surprise none of the products suited him. So we ended up ordering products from outside India. That is when I realised there’s a huge void in the Indian market for natural and safe alternative products. While I was doing all the home recipes because I did not have the products, I actually did a little bit of research on the ingredients that were present in the products that I was ordering from outside India. So I researched for about three and a half months, post which I had a discussion with my husband and he also identified that as an opportunity. So in December 2006 is when we launched Mamaearth, after working on it for almost about 8 months.
Wow, that is wonderful. So tell us what does motherhood mean to you and how has it changed you as a person?
To me, Motherhood means a lot of love and emotions, while being in a really difficult and challenging situation. One thing motherhood has taught me is multitasking and juggling. My son was one and a half years when we launched Mamaearth. So since then, handling the baby, the startup and I did not even give up my passion for painting, I am doing all three of them simultaneously. I wake up at 4 am and my day ends at 10:30, I have a tight schedule and I am doing everything as a machine. But, it doesn’t make me feel tired, I am still full of energy and happy by the end of the day. This is one thing that I did not experience before motherhood.
So, you’ve been in the corporate set up as well and now you’re an entrepreneur, would you say it is easier for a woman to take up entrepreneurship post motherhood since it has a certain degree of flexibility?
That’s a very tricky question, actually. But I don’t think it gets any easier post motherhood. When you’re a first-time mother, you don’t know how things work or how you’re supposed to take care of the new human being that you’ve just delivered. And at the same time, if you’re venturing into a startup, you’re basically handling two babies together. My world used to revolve around my son’s nap times and some times I used to stay awake for 22 hours! When my son used to sleep, I used to do my research. It actually doubles up, because both the babies demand equal attention and an equal amount of research work.
Any advice for other working women on how to balance time between home and work?
The thing that I believe worked for me is a) whatever you believe you can do, you will figure out ways to do it. For instance, when I started Mamaearth, I didn’t paint at all for almost 6 months, because I thought I cannot. But once I thought that I am not giving up on my passion, I automatically found ways to incorporate it in my routine. I now figure out the time and paint on a regular basis, even if it’s only for an hour a day!
But do you sometimes find it difficult to strike a balance between your work life and your personal life? What keeps you going at such times?
Almost every other day I feel like that. There are always things that you feel you’re missing on. You’re not spending enough time with your husband, you feel you should be devoting more time to your kid. But you have to make yourself understand that on a daily basis, you will have to prioritise different things. But, either on a Friday or a Saturday night, my husband and I ensure that we go out on a date. No matter how tired we are. When I reach home after Augy’s swimming class, I ensure that I spend at least half an hour with my other family members. Just checking on them. Even that amount of time that you spend with people around you makes a lot of difference. You’ll feel connected!
Great! So Ghazal, could you give tips on how other working mothers with a busy schedule can spend time and bond with their little ones?
For working mothers, I would say, once you’re home, just focus on your family. Just spend time with them. So the way to go about it, whatever number of hours you’re in the office, completely devote yourself to your work and ensure whatever you’re delivering, you’re delivering to your best. But then when you’re at home, just switch off from your work and give your undivided attention to your baby and your family.
Exactly, we agree. So, the last question, what would be the one piece of advice you have to offer to other working mothers out there?
Take help whenever needed! As a mother, it’s perfectly normal to sometimes feel vulnerable or tired. And those are the particular times when you ask for help from people around you. This took me also some time to incorporate in my life, but once you do, it would actually surprise you the amount of help people around you are willing to offer. But if you don’t ask it, you will not get it. So go ahead, ask for help and make your life easier.
Featured Image Source: Instagram/ghazalalagh
