There has been a never ending debate raging over whether women can have it all or if they need to sacrifice one element of their life in order to be achieve success in another since the 90’s. These women, have finally put the debate to bed by living their lives large and creating their own identities, separate from their illustrious families and well known husbands.
Balancing work, families and the myriad of roles that every woman essays in her life, the Super Wives have all carved out a niche for themselves in their respective field and shown the world that they can hold their own.
Q. Tell us a little bit about your professional journey, did you ever envision the life that you have now ?
My interest in this line of work started with attending a roadshow we had hosted for Address Hotel, I found myself very interested in the Sales and Marketing part of the meeting. After that I had a conversation with my husband where I expressed my interest in working on the sales and marketing of luxury hotels. We were looking to expand our representation work and I was very interested in getting involved with that. My background was in Math and computer science, as a young girl I certainly had not envisioned working in this line. I was, however, determined to work and be successful. I was very lucky to get married into a very understanding family that respected my education and wanted me to put it to good use. I never thought of life as a homemaker as an option. Even in the few years I took a break to raise my young children, I started the Young Mother’s Organization and ensured I was extremely active in their school.
Q. Former Chair Person of CII – IWN, Director of Representation at Nijhawan Group, Director Dubai Tourism in India, Daughter, Wife, Friend and Mother, you wear a lot of hats, how do you manage the responsibilities that accompany each role ?
I am still very active with Indian Women Network, on the membership committee now. Managing responsibilities requires me to prioritize my work and see what needs attention at this point of time. It is also critical to have a good support system, people say it takes a village to raise a child, I think it is also true of a working woman. It is important to have supportive families and understanding friends to help manage. My passion drives me to juggle between all these roles. I believe in optimizing the time I have. The pro is that my children are very independent due to the hours and travel that my work requires. I think the key is to multitask, plan, organize and manage your time.
Q. Known as the travel Czar, you have made a name for yourself at a fairly young age, where do you see yourself going from here and do you feel that all the acclaim comes with a pressure to keep performing at a certain level consistently ?
I have had a very good journey, very rewarding. My pressure comes from people believing in me and trusting me with their business. The acclaim is definitely encouraging me to keep rising, be more competent and not worry about results. I genuinely believe that success will come if you are worth it. I think there is still a lot to be done though. There is always a vision in place for expansions to be carried out. I believe that there is a constant need to evolve, and the only constant is change.
Q. What were the changes that motherhood brought into your life and how would you describe your parenting style, how has it evolved ?
I became a mother at 25, it was planned in such a way because I wanted children young. I can’t remember a life before them now. It made me conscious of my behaviour when I realized that children model what they see. I am a fairly friendly parent but not a friend. I feel like I have to maintain a certain amount of discipline and authority. I want my kids to be independent, and focus on EQ, SQ and IQ simultaneously. Life is a culmination of many factors. Wishes they grow up in gratitude. I live by the law of attraction so I am trying to teach them the importance of being grateful.
Q. Who are some of the women that inspire you to be your best version and make you aspire to reach new milestones ?
I find inspiration in women like Indira Nooyi, women who break glass ceilings and share their perspective on being working women. I enjoy reading books like Lean in which have broadened the conversation surrounding women who work and their struggles as well as their triumphs.
Q. What advice would you offer to young ladies who might look up to you or aspire to be like you ?
Being financially independent is very important, it is important to work until you achieve that. Women are sometimes sidelined in family discussions due to a lack of exposure. Mental growth also required stepping out in the world. It is very important for your self-esteem to be productive and spend your time on growth. The work-life balance is tough but worth it.
