Motivational
Mira Kulkarni: A Wise Woman’s Business Born out of Faith
Mira Kulkarni
Mira Kulkarni is a female entrepreneur from India who managed to transcend the world market by opening a new storefront in London. Her brand of skincare products Forest Essentials was featured in an interview with the prestigious Bazaar. In her interview, Kulkarni details the reasons why her business philosophy, born out of her own life experiences, makes for one of the most inspirational entrepreneur stories of the year.
Kulkarni started making soap in her twenties despite the hardships of losing both her parents and raising two children alone. She says that most people fail to realize their own potential simply because they’re unsure what to do with their lives, and by the time they realize what they’re capable of, so much of their lives have “passed by.”
The moral is that entrepreneurial success stories only happen when we choose to apply ourselves regardless of the circumstances, and despite the stage of life we’re in.
Mira started her successful business Forest Essentials at age 45, but it was in 1999 when the inspiration for it was born in the form of a candle company: Candlemania. She began collecting old candles and melting them to make new ones for light because the electricity kept going out where she lived. She then started applying the techniques she learned to make those very candles into making soaps as well. In time, she discovered the importance of using natural ingredients, which is now the cornerstone of Forest Essentials.
Beyond the business itself, Kulkarni credits much of her success to her faith in a higher power. In her interview with Bazaar, Kulkarni makes it clear that she has had a sense of “stability” from the beginning, and that this feeling of “being grounded” has been with her “forever.” In other words, her unwavering belief in her ability to be a successful female entrepreneur started before she ever sold her first product.
Her unwavering faith that she will succeed one way or another has made her success possible, making her living proof that being positive at the source leads to great things.
Kulkarni’s entrepreneurial success story reached new heights last year when Forest Essentials opened an exclusive storefront in London. Despite her already having achieved success in her home country, this female entrepreneur decided to branch out of her native India and into one of the most competitive markets in the world.
IC Inspiration
Mira Kulkarni created the recipes for her Forest Essentials products using ancient Ayurvedic recipes. Ayurveda is “a natural system of medicine” that “originated in India more than 3,000 years ago.” For the aspiring entrepreneurs out there, this means that those who are willing to look to the past for inspiration will be rewarded with success in the future.
Afterall, we are only here because of the past, and if lessons can be found from all the incredible things that have happened in history, then wisdom is something we grow into, just like the past grows into the future.
The Harvard Business School identifies curiosity and innovation as being two of the most successful tools in entrepreneurial success stories. Staying curious about market trends leads to discoveries that make many inspirational innovations possible. Most businesses don’t look to the past for answers which is why rediscovering old information is an innovative way to stay ahead of the competition.
For proof of this method, we can look to other inspirational stories such as the success of the Archangel Ancient Tree Archive (AATA). The AATA began cloning the oldest species of trees in the world in order to capture their unique DNA; thereby building stronger forests. These ancient trees have special genetics capable of saving our planet from the devastating effects of climate change.