Ruchita Bansal is creative director and founder, Izhaar. She speaks to Guardian 20 about starting her own brand and finding success.
Q. You come from the family of the Liberty shoes empire. Tell us how you started your own venture in a small in-house workshop.
A. It all started when I tried to help my son with his school projects. I got very creative and gradually people started approaching me for suggestions on new trends. I originally hail from Udaipur, where people are known to combine creativity with traditions. Sometime later I designed the wedding invitations of my cousins and nephews, and the response was outstanding. It was then that I decided to put creativity to good use and we launched Core Designs.
Q. From handbags to designing wedding cards to fast becoming a one-stop shop solution, how have you managed to grow the brand so rapidly?
A. I think your work speaks for itself and if you are honest with what you do in life, you are bound to become a success. Once I started the brand, there was no turning back. We got amazing response from our clients and it all happened very organically. It takes a lot of hard work, passion, and dedication to reach where we are today. There is no magic wand or mantra for success. We have managed rapid growth by being true to the essence of our brand.
Q. You are brilliant at your work. What drives and motivates you?
A. I come from a land of creative artists, Udaipur to cosmopolitan Delhi where everybody was ardent to prove something or other. I choose to prove myself through my creative business acumen and become successful in the shortest possible time. What I believe is that if one has a creative inclination, you should never let it go to waste. All I did what I was good at—art. I wanted to stand side by side with my husband to become the real role model, an entrepreneur in front of our children.
Q. Why did you name your brand Izhaar? What are your goals with the brand?
A. Izhaar means expression. So we focus on our client’s expression of joy, their needs and above all their story. We call ourselves storytellers, stories matter for us because we design our invites and gifts around those stories. Thus, the name Izhaar stands for expression.
We are constantly expanding nationally and internationally. We exhibit in the various parts of the globe to create a brand awareness and we are tying-up with associates whereby we take their local expertise and share our experience to make successful business expansion. Izhaar is all about celebrations of unbridle happiness, superlative achievements, joyous togetherness and momentous occasions. And in the future, we are looking forward to broaden our horizons.
Q. How are you able to manage work and family responsibilities so effortlessly?
A. Being a mother and an entrepreneur is always a challenge to manage. To handle work and family simultaneously, definitely I have sacrificed a lot of social life. But my work is my passion and I made sure to spend quality time at work and the remaining with family. A balance between your personal and professional life is extremely important and I think I managed it well, through experience and the support of my family.