With the lockdown measures getting reimposed again, the world was losing hope. And the absence of hope creates void and void creates the feeling of emptiness and darkness. But taking the responsibility in their hands, the youth are fighting this darkness and bringing in light. This is what the 23-year-old girl from India, Nikita Mehrotra thinks too. With a cup of tea, I sit and listen to her telling her story.
Who is Nikita Mehrotra?
I am a budding entrepreneur, living in the urban heart of Delhi with my father, mother, and brother. I love binging on the street foods of Delhi and enjoy reading books along with singing. I use Instagram to seek inspiration, which will help my business and help me grow as a confident person. I finished my graduation in fashion design recently in 2021. I am handling all the responsibilities of the businessthe business alone from sourcing to making candles to photography to marketing and a lot more.
Who are your biggest supports?
Nikita- My family has always been the backbone of the decisions that I have taken in my life. They have supported me by saying “you do whatever you want. And we will always be there for you.” Apart from them, my friends were the ones who pushed me into making candles, which at first, I pursued only as a hobby.
How long have you been making candles?
Nikita- Even though I started it as a business in August 2020, I was making candles for four years. I used to do a lot of experiments with candles, such as putting text messages inside candles, making floating candles, and photographs on the surface of the candles. I used to gift these candles to one of my friends and that practice encouraged me to start a business doing something that I love to do.
How did you start your business?
the first phase of lockdown, I wanted to do something for the people out there, hence I started making masks, but then I noticed that many people are doing the same, and I wanted to do something different. So, I decided to make candles professionally. I started doing deep research in this field and understood that it is not that easy as it seems. I made prototypes, got a lot of feedback on it and at last, I was ready to step out on the field. After that, I started getting bulk orders and that was the starting point of my journey.
Is there any remarkable story that you want to share about your business?
Nikita- People were liking my candles and it motivated me to make more. So once during my college interviews, I showed the interview panel my craftwork and I even showed them my candles they even asked me questions about how I source the materials and they even appreciated my creativity and idea.
What is creativity for you?
Nikita- Creativity for me is something that makes me feel whole. l used to be in art and craft since my school times and when I create things it gives me a feeling of fulfillment. When I am not into creating something, I start feeling very low and energyless. Creativity makes me feel happy and motivated. One should never leave their passion aside. One should learn how to balance things up.
What are the challenges that you faced till now and how did you overcome those?
There were challenges in experiments with various compositions of candle waxes, colors, and fragrance oil as in the starting it doesn’t come out to be the way I wanted yet I never lose my hope, I experimented and researched a lot and finally got what I expected it to be. Dealing with raw material vendors while sourcing as they sometimes behave miserably and I do not come from a family with a business background and didn’t know how to face such challenges, hence whatever I have learned was from my friends who knew how to handle the business challenges and they taught me to be patient. And that’s what I did in that situation.
Another time there was one of my clients, who asked everything and started a business with my business idea that makes me quite mad but then I thought I must be doing something good that people are taking inspiration from my work, and that made me happy and motivated again. Yet challenges make me stronger, which I have learned from my experiences.
What makes your candles unique and what is the price range?
Nikita- My candles are hand-poured with vegan, cruelty-free and sustainable soy blended wax with natural colors and essential oils in 11 amazing fragrances. My main focus is on sustainability. As I don’t encourage my customers to throw the empty containers of the candles, I gave them the option to either use that container for decoration purposes or send the containers to us and refill their candle jars.
For now, my candle ranges from Rs 300 – Rs 700, which comes in a set of 2 and set of 3 and we have luxury candles too for special gifting purpose that ranges above Rs 700/-.
But yes, my candles are pocket-friendly and value money.
Do you have any messages for budding entrepreneurs like you?
Nikita- Do whatever makes your heart and soul happy, because if you are not happy after a while, even money won’t hold much value. Hence start without overthinking about the outcomes, and always remember that success takes time, so be patient and trust yourself.
“That’s my story”, she said with a smile and even though the interview ended here, I knew that her journey has just started only, and she has a long way to go. She is a confident young girl who is trying to see the different colors of life, which everyone in this world should do.
Image Courtesy: Nikita Mehrotra
To follow her journey, check out her Instagram page:
“What distinguishes candle from other lights is that it appeals to our soul, not our eyes!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan
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