21 years of a memorable career and a decade of being an exemplary home maker. Meet Aishwarya Shanbhag.

LAJA: Tell us about your journey this far.

Aishwarya: I am a small town girl who made it big in the corporate world and when at the helm of it, I quit to become a home maker.

LAJA: Tell us something about your family background and education

Aishwarya: I come from an armed forces background. My father and brother both belong to Indian Navy.

At the age of 18, I shifted from Science to Commerce and left the comfort of my home to study in a neighboring town. It was a challenge to adjust to the new stream and the new environment. Inspite of that, I went on to be chosen as the ‘best girl’ of the college in my final year of graduation. I also topped the college that year and secured a rank at the University level.  

LAJA: You quit your corporate career when you were at the helm of it. How does your typical day look like today?

Aishwarya: My day starts with a mug of warm water while I watch my lovely plants. By 10 am, I am done with lunch preparation and my breakfast. I have a shower and then I have an hour or so till lunch. I am the honorary treasurer of a Charitable organisation.

So either I spend some time managing the accounts or I spend this time for my hobbies which are art, craft,stitching and reading.

After lunch, a small nap of not more than 30 minutes and then an hour of exercise which includes meditation and pranayama. Then I spend some time with my in-laws and kids over a cuppa chai. I again get some me time. My time for activities that I love. Later in the evening, we have some family time, prayer time and dinner. I spend some time watching YouTube for a while before updating my BUJO gratitude page and going to sleep.

LAJA: What is this BUJO journal?

Aishwarya: I practice maintaining a BUJO (bullet journal) which has goals, plans for the month. It helps organise one’s day productively. It helps keep track of events and tasks for the week etc. It helps track habits that we want to measure in our daily lives. It helps plan for the next day. So BUJO is my saviour.

LAJA: How do you generate new ideas to keep your family happy?

Aishwarya: Change is constant in life. So change in home decor brings in newness and happiness. Observing a no complaint day at home, makes my kids the happiest that day. A family game ensures that we laugh together. However, busy the kids are with their studies, we carve out say as little as 10-15 minutes to play a game, say cards, or a new word a day by each member. This brings in laughter and lighter moments. A new recipe here and there brings in lot of look forward to as moments for the family.

LAJA: What are the most satisfying moments of your life?

Aishwarya: I am happy to have instilled good values in my children. They are responsible kids. I also live happily with my in laws. Because of my family’s support, I could have had a career earlier in my life. On work front, I have had a career spanning 21 years and some of the most beautiful and satisfying moments wherein my clients still speak of me with respect and fondness, a decade after I quit the corporate world.

LAJA: What are some of your failures or mistakes and your learnings from them?

Aishwarya: Any failure is a learning. I failed to pursue my goal after 12+ but I did extremely well in my chosen field because of hard work. I failed to secure a transfer while working in a huge corporate and that made me shift my job so as to be able to join my husband after marriage. That proved to be a better prospect for me in retrospect. I failed to secure a promotion due a medical emergency and also had to shift to a lower responsibility role. Inspite of that, I did very well in that place and made up for the lost opportunity in a different way.

LAJA: Do you feel formal education plays a role in being successful?

Aishwarya: YES, I do.

LAJA: How would you define success?

Aishwarya: Success is when you are able to achieve satisfaction over your work. It is when you match your self-expectation.

LAJA: What advice would you like to give your fellow woman entrepreneurs?

Aishwarya: Staying positive at all times, helps achieve the biggest hurdle. Not giving up and pursuing a goal, gives a satisfaction unmatched when you achieve it. Self-confidence gets the highest boost. Staying calm in adversities and maintaining a gratitude journal is very soothing and motivating. It helps overcome hurdles.