Meenakshi DattaCEO & Founder of Thread Turner Published On: Thursday, September 03, 2015 Views 4327

"Arise, Awake, and Stop Not till the Goal is Reached."

When most of the people start to think about their retirement plan, this woman went on to start her new innings as an entrepreneur. Meenakshi Datta is a well-known name in the current startup sector as a makeover expert who started her apparel & fashion e-commerce platform at age 60. During her younger years, she gave up her job to take care of her family. However, she was constantly involved in honing her skills. Each of these steps brought her closer to start her own venture Thread Turner. It is an apparel & fashion brand for the working woman of today, steering away from stereotypical notions and introducing fresh thought to the wardrobe.

She was not a tech savvy person and her age proved to be a disadvantage in an area, which is currently thronged by young tech savvy minds. Nevertheless, she proved all the critics wrong by her dedication and overtly skills. Her success mantra is to be simple surround herself with the energy and buzz.

Please provide a brief overview of your product/ service.

Thread Turner is an online apparel & fashion brand for the working woman of today, steering away from stereotypical notions and introducing fresh thought to the wardrobe.

Our holistic understanding of the needs of today’s working women is what drives us to create unique and relevant clothing. Be it Sarees, Stoles or Accessories like Scarves & Bags, each product keeps pace with the style sensibilities of today’s women.

Our specialties also include ‘The Power Makeover’ – a unique initiative and possibly the only one of its kind from a brand like us across the globe. The Power Makeover is an interactive program modeled on the best of strategy and design to help working women become global professionals, by addressing soft skills and sense of attire.

What inspired you to build the above product/ service?

The idea of Thread Turner stemmed from the need to empower women kaarigars. I wanted their work to reach out to a wider audience, hence I chose to go the online way.

On the other hand, I also identified a strong, unaddressed need that existed with the brand’s core target audience (working women) – the need for working women in India to be perceived as global professionals/ entrepreneurs. Hence ‘The Power Makeover’ initiative.

Having said this, the inspiration to startup at age 60, was an article on Captain Nair. I was pleasantly surprised to know that at age 65 he started the Leela Group of Hotels.

What is your life mantra?

Never sit with a problem for more than 24 hours.

What was the most challenging part of your journey till now?

Setting up the eStore – learning new-age jargons, listing products for the first time.

How did you overcome those challenges?

I believe a strong need and passion can dwarf any challenge.

I kept an open mind throughout, and motivated myself that I could do it.

According to you, what are the three qualities an individual must have to achieve success?

1. Passion

2. Perseverance

3. Foresight

Share any one habit which you think makes you more productive.

Waking up early in the morning and spending some quality Me-time.

Share any one habit which you wish to change in yourself.

Punctuality. No one’s around to appreciate it!

Answer in less than 50 words

One tip to success:

Self-belief.

One mistake you believe every individual must avoid:

Being complacent.

One most important lesson that you have learnt till now:

That nobody’s seen tomorrow, so we have to do justice to the Now.

What are your plans for next 3 years?

Plan to reach out to more working women and entrepreneurs across the globe through ‘The Power Makeover’, and wish to see them embracing Thread Turner apparel for the workplace and beyond. Also, I look forward to see more working women embracing the Saree for the workplace.

What are your top three getaway destinations?

1. South of Wales

2. Switzerland

3. California

Share a quote that inspires you the most.

“Arise, Awake, and Stop Not till the Goal is Reached.” – Swami Vivekananda

Tags: Meenakshi Datta Threadturner Interview