When you feel passionate about your work, there is no great difference between the way you feel on a Monday morning and the way you feel on Saturday morning.
This is a story of an MBA graduate who shifted from Finance to Fashion. The now 32-year-old entrepreneur Ms Shreya Thakkar is an innovator.
The fascination with handbags has always been a part of Shreya's childhood - in fact, she found it impossible not to be captivated by bags, their designs, materials, how they are priced, just everything about them. And as she grew up, her fascination turned into a passion that she knew would make life just even better. We mean, what more could one want beyond making money out of one's passion right? Wrong. Shreya wanted to do more than just passion. Creating something that benefits not only herself but also others was what she wanted to do.
Following her MBA, Shreya worked in the financial sector for a year and a half before considering leaving the cosy corporate world to pursue this dream. She decided to dive head-first by making 20 bags as a start. She was following her heart and was prepared to fail. She had convinced herself that if no one buys her bags - she will keep them for herself. But she won't let this spurt of creativity go away without at least giving it a legit shot.
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Well, the bags got sold. And rest as we say is history. HerKraft was born - 4 months down the line from here and she has never looked back. Based out of Mumbai, Shreya's brand HerKraft today designs Bags, which are durable, stylish, and most importantly Cruelty-Free. The products are entirely handmade by talented artisans in India using traditional techniques. The brand is not just about making bags. That's not how Shreya had wanted it to be. It also stands for empowering the local communities and bringing back the lost legacy of traditional techniques from the past. HerKraft highly supports the agenda of promoting Indian Designers. Currently, her team is a bunch of artisans, marketers and logistics support to ensure they can reach their patrons with speed and simplicity.
They say the way to get started is to quit talking and start doing. Shreya did the same. She did not have any previous experience in designing but with strong willpower and a knack for designing and crafting, she set out to carve her niche and has kept soaring higher ever since. Shreya’s leap from the world of finance to the world of fashion is very inspiring and sets an example for a lot of us.
Setting up and running a business is not child's play and Shreya does admit that the glamour notwithstanding, every day is like a roller coaster ride. Every day brings in new learnings and new challenges. Every day teaches you some extra skill and imparts some more practical knowledge than you woke up with. She has juggled and hustled her way through many aspects of the business - from design to sourcing, from a part-time photographer for the brand to a social media manager, from logistics to Customer support. Sometimes even posing as the model for the brand photoshoot - She has done everything that she had to, to ensure the brand remains unstoppable.
Things don't always go as planned but her mission to always deliver better than expected keeps her a cut above the rest. This accidental entrepreneur believed in “Making big contracts before eye contact.” An urge to ideate about her creation, to not follow a 9-5 ritual, to be her boss, and to do something different was what made her start out on her own in the first place. With every new hassle, she believes comes a new opportunity and she continues to go with the flow making the best of it on her way. Of course, there will be ups and downs - it is business after all. But Shreya has stuck to her SWOT analysis of her own self. She knows what she is capable of and where she perhaps can improve and that has kept her standing her ground throughout.
However, she wasn't alone - Like a large, sturdy pillar, her family was standing firmly by her side. With her husband being her biggest supporter and cheerleader, Shreya is thankful for having been bestowed with a family that always pushes her to do better in life.
Shreya never thought of becoming an entrepreneur but accidentally became one, shuffling the letters of her life from Finance to Fashion. HerKraft was not just a business for her - She wanted it to be an emotion which connects people. With this Venture, Shreya is focusing on bringing our lost culture, and legacy back to the present times.
Shreya wants to be the beacon of light in someone’s darkness. She encourages other young dreamers and entrepreneurs to follow their passion. She believes that with your business if you are adding value to society or solving any problem while pursuing your passion keep going and follow what your inner voice tells you to do and find the courage not to give up. Success will eventually follow. At the age of 60, make sure you don't ponder the thought of: "what if I had done that?" Just give your best at whatever you do so that you do not have any regrets later. Be confident and believe in your worth.
There is never really a right time for anything. When you decide to start the time becomes right.
Shreya Thakkar, Founder, HerKraft
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