Rashi Narang had a fantabulous journey from studying in the London School of Economics to working in a multinational bank but her passion for pets brought her to entrepreneurial ground eventually. She owns India’s exclusive luxury brand of fun doggie dressmaking. As the founder of “Heads Up For Tails” and a mother, she has seen many ups and down and grown with every good and bad experience.
Rashi has all women team and each one of them is a dog lover. Presently the startup caters to 10,000+ clients and has made a mark with its innovative products and impeccable service. We inquired how limited resources and minimum support led her to be one of the most admired women entrepreneurs of India and found some interesting and motivational stuff for aspiring entrepreneurs.
What inspired you to start your Business?
It was my Lab- Sara’s first birthday, and in my quest to find her a nice birthday present- I was very disappointed with what I found in the pet stores, so I decided to start my own line of top quality products so pet parents like myself could have options to buy useful, but fun products!
What is your life mantra?
Live simply. Dream Big. Be grateful. Give love. Laugh Lots
What was the most challenging part of your journey till now?
It’s been a very exciting journey. With almost no experience in any field related to what I do now, I have been on a vertical learning-incline (believe me, I cannot call it a curve when the learning is THAT steep!), and have understood merchandising, product development, marketing and a thousand other things that go into making a business work for its customers.
How did you overcome those challenges?
There was no option but to figure it out one day at a time! As a small company, we never had resources to bring in professionals for each of those areas. So the best option was to learn on the job!
According to you, what are the three qualities an individual must have to achieve success?
Persistence: be patient. Small failures and frustrations are part of the journey.
Optimism: Be optimistic- and hope to make a better future. Things do work out!
Self-confidence: trust yourself. When you do, you will be successful.
How do you protect yourself from the problem of “Brain Drain” while talking about attrition?
Our team is small, and we work well together. We’ve only lost people who don’t really fit in.
What are your top three getaway destinations ?
I’m an outdoor person, and love nature/wildlife. My top three destinations are:
- South Africa
- New Zealand
- Australia
As an entrepreneur, what advice would you like to share with emerging startups?
If you believe in what you are doing- hang in there. It takes a while to get things going but Give it all you have- your 100%. Not a dot less.
If you get a chance to start your career again what would you do differently this time?
Maybe get some more experience before starting out. E-commerce and off line retail need a HUGE amount of expertise.
Which online tools and services do you use the most and would like to recommend as well?
We’re using Viral Mint and I’m quite happy with that. It helps us reach more customers through various options.
Share any one habit which you think makes you more productive.
I can multi-task effectively.
Share any one habit which you wish to change in yourself.
I’m trying to manage time better so that I can balance my role as a mom and an entrepreneur.
Which one mobile app would you recommend?
Evernote- For maintaining to-do lists.
Answer in less than 50 words
Be extra-ordinary: Find the edge and then push past it!
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One tip to be a good learner:
Soak it all up! There’s so much to learn every day. If you stop learning, you can’t grow.
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One most important lesson that you have learnt till now:
Execution is the MOST important part of your day. You can have a million great ideas but if you can’t execute them, they’re worth nothing!
If you get an opportunity to start a new venture what will it be?
Can’t think of anything else as of now! I love what I do!
What are your plans for next 3 years?
I hope to strengthen and grow our brand, introduce many new and innovative products, and make a true difference in the mind set of people towards our beautiful stray doggies who deserve a home and lots of love!
Share a quote that inspires you the most.
“Dream your dream. Follow your heart. Imagine. Listen to the wind. Drink sunsets. Be free. Let the wonder never cease. Believe. Wish on EVERY star. Create adventure. Be Kind.”
– Debbie Coulter.