The Indian entrepreneurial acumen has always been the symbol of positivity, adaptability, and sustainability since the time of IVC’s trade with Mesopotamia civilization. Taking a cue from this everlasting tradition, Shruti Kothiwal, the young entrepreneurial stalwart and the Founder, says, “We at Vaasa Mimansa came to life for building a healthy everyday life at home and make a positive difference in people’s lives and in return wishing to succeed with a soul.”
- Being a successful business leader, what difficulties and challenges do you face? What keeps you motivated?
Just because I became a leader in the organization doesn’t mean that the floor won’t drop out around me. That is what I, as a leader, have been chosen to handle. There are leadership challenges that leaders always have to face, but with the right tact and skill, you can route a strong course and come out on top.
There will always be people in my team who are difficult. My goal, as a leader, is to handle them with grace and kindness. I don’t feed into them. Above all,I don’t let them get you down.
You aren’t always going to be liked. The minute you put your hand up to lead something, someone else is going to shoot you down. That is just life. I Don’t get swayed by that and work to be kind and focused on my communications. Respect will come, and if you are lucky, you might even be liked.
It is so easy to get distracted! Everyone wants something, is selling you something, or is trying to get you to notice them. That is part of accepting the role of leadership. My job is to not get distracted by the shiny objects and to remain focused on the end game. I have a team to lead, a product to deliver, or a huge order to complete—I make my plan, keep my head down and maintain focus.
As a leader I can feel that if I don’t have motivation for the company it fall flat. It happens to the best of us, but what I do is muster all of the good stuff around me and get back on track. I don’t spend time dwelling on what isn’t working unless I can fix it. I won’t always be the number one cheerleader in my own mind, but my team is expecting me to be so get out there and share the enthusiasm I do have; even when I am little off my game
- Brief us about the CEO/Founder of the company.
Shruti Kothiwal is the Founder and the CEO of the company. She is from moradabad and has done post graduation in the subject of sociology from banaras hindu University
Being in moradabad, the brass city, she saw the opportunity and turned it into the business with high ambition and big goals.
She is very much attached to the company. It’s like her baby.She personally take care of all the things whether it is marketing, logistics, dealing with clients, managing team, stock management.
A CEO work day and night behind the scenes to run what they hope to be a successful business and that’s what she do.
- What are the different products and services offered by the Company?
Vaasa Mimansa lies in its goal to revive traditional Indian handicrafts through sustainable measures that protect not only the rich cultural tapestry of India but also the local artisan communities that have practiced these art forms for centuries.
Artisanal handicrafts have been unable to compete with modern technology and westernization. We’ve lost several niche art forms to the cataclysms of history.
Through Vassa Mimansa, we want to strengthen the cultural and religious roots of our diverse community. We want to ensure that these surreal works of art survive to inspire the next generation of young entrepreneurs.
After all, business is never about just one person. It is about the community and people unified as one.
Apart from reviving traditional handicrafts we also provide these handicrafts to the customer by acting as a retailer. There are various products that a person can opt, it can be something for home decor or utensils or pooja essentials made out of brass.
- Tell us about the notable milestones in the company’s journey.
The biggest milestone for me was when i recieved a wedding order of 200 Masala Daani and we delivered it perfectly and on time and our customer’s were very happy with the product and there were no complaints raised even for a single piece. Apart from it i have recently crossed delivering 5000 order’s and yes 5000 homes are having brassglobe and vaasa mimansa products there and soon it would be a very much big number.
- How do you motivate your team to be innovative and productive at work?
Motivated employees is what make the company productive. There are few things i keep a check on so that my team remain motivated.Employee motivation is an indispensable aspect to success and productivity.
Having open communication with my staff is crucial to maintaining employee motivation. No one wants to work under a boss who make feels uncomfortable approaching. Applying methods of establishing effective communication with my team do wonders for my team motivation.
- How do you maintain a productive work culture at a company while motivating your employees?
Always follow up. Following up with my team regarding their input is equally important as asking them for it. While I may not be able to answer every question, or fix every problem, following up at least demonstrates to my team that I took the time to consider their remarks, rather than ignoring them or sending them on to someone else.
It’s been said that smiles are contagious, so if I remain positive and enthused to be at work each day, my team will follow.
Providing incentives or rewards for completion of certain goals is a great way to get my team to go above and beyond with their work. Making their jobs both gratifying and fun is sure to boost employee motivation
- What are your future plans for the company? Where do you see the company in the years to come?
I started the company with a vission to revive the legacy of traditional handicrafts. Being in such business where women generally don’t step in set an example for all women out there that “Yes you can do it too”.
In upcoming years i want to make Vassa Mimansa and brassglobe a brand which is on every interior mouth when they suggest someone about the aesthetic brass items whether it’s utensils or decor items or Pooja articles.
My vision is that each and every home should contain atleast a product of Vassa Mimansa and brassglobe in there home.
- What is your advice to the budding and aspiring entrepreneurs?
Being an entrepreneur is fulfilling, you are transforming your ideas into a reality you can share with others, you solve people’s problems and needs with your services, and you are your own boss, however, it is also a lot of pressure, and you have to overcome challenges, and above all you must keep your drive high!
Focus. – There’s no alternative to this key piece of advice. Many failed entrepreneurs make excuses about unavailability of the market, that it was too early to gain momentum, or an immature market, but the key reason is lack of consistent focus and efforts. With a whopping world population of 7.8 billion and many disrupting technologies gaining grounds, there is a market for every idea or business.
At least one client – This will get you three things. First, it will give you motivation as you have at least one person that needs your product. Second, you will learn to listen to your clients, and third, you will be beaten by paying clients, which will only make your products better as you’ll be receiving constructive feedback.
