Hello there! This is Arti & myself, Anjali. Growing up, we saw a lot of girls (ourselves included), get unsolicited advice - do this, don’t be that, you can’t do this, etc. We listened to some, a lot of it we ignored, and girl, are we glad we did!
Running HG on our own terms, has been an amazing experience, so we thought today would be apt to share with you what we learned and experienced over these 7 years, to reach here today. Read on:
1. LISTEN TO YOU INNER VOICE
We’ve learned that no huge opportunity or money-making deal, is worth its weight in butter, if you’re second guessing yourself, or that gut feeling ain't there. That just means one thing - walk away girl, it’s not worth it! If you can't eliminate the reason for your concerns, then it just best to stay away from such opportunities. Never be AED (Dirham) wise and Fils foolish!
2. CONSISTENCY
Showing everyday to work is not enough. When you show up everyday, and do things in a nuanced and consistent way, that is when you start creating a standard and expectation out of your brand!
That means no shortcuts can be taken, and at times that means long hours, and burning the midnight oil. This is something we’ve learned from our parents, and are proud of! This is what makes our grub, worthy of all your adoration!
3. KNOW YOUR WORTH
Yes, you are worth it, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! We’ve had advice from well wishers about how we price our products, and to compromise on ingredients, so we match the market prices. We have also had customers bargain relentlessly till we turned pink in the cheeks. But what we really have learned over these past 7 years is that if you stick to your guns, people will eventually come to you and respect your terms, because you know your worth, and it shows in the consistency of quality and service of your products.
4. WORK HARD
The best part of running your own biz is you get to the be the CEO as well as the operations person too :) Its hard work, and a lot of learning on the ground. Who else is going to tie those pretty bows on all those gift orders? Who else will push the trolley, set up the stand at the weekend markets? Who else will reply to all the queries and DMs? There is equal pride in posing for publications, and toiling over making your products.
It teaches you the ins and outs of your business, like no one else can! Hard work comes with payoffs too - When you manage to carve a niche base of customers, who keep coming back for the quality and service.
5. SERVICE, SERVICE & SERVICE
In 7 years, one thing we know as the golden rule - Customer Service!! Customers pay for and deserve quality of products and services. A great shopping experience, post sales customer service, follow up on feedback, are all important to keep customers happy, and learning how to make your products and experience better.
Along the way, we’ve made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot from them too! But we took the opportunity to convert every mistake into a learning experience and connect with our customers. So no one left with a bad experience! The only way to handle mistakes is by taking responsibility and saying “I’m sorry.” It’s easier to pass the blame to someone else, but there’s something so authentic and beautiful about being more humane and honest.
6. PRIORITIZE SELF CARE
When you work hard, you must take care of yourself even better!! Admittedly, this one is the toughest for us, but we have come a long way! Now there are planned and unplanned time offs, breaks, reminders set up to get up and walk around and stretch - you get the gist! As women, we also carry the extra guilt of not spending enough time with family. Its time to let go of that excess baggage we always burden ourselves with!
Simply put, self care, is no comprise!
7. ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
These past 7 years have been incredible and challenging! We have had so many amazing highs, followed by cry-on-the-bathroom-floor-lows. But, what we’ve learned is having a growth mindset - focusing on our work, enjoying our journey, persevering in the face of failure, and continuing to face challenges. All these experiences have filled us with gratitude!
We are so thankful for our incredible client’s who trust us and believe in what we do. We could not be more thankful for our shoppers who encourage us with their kind words - “ooh that smells delicious” and “this is the best nut butter, I have ever had!”
For our family & friends who have helped us endlessly when we needed it, and rooted for us, and pampered us, when we’re tired at the end of the day!
We are truly so so blessed, and so grateful for these past 7 years. We absolutely love what we do here at HG, and everything that comes with it! And we hope to continue doing so, proudly like a girl (boss)!!
Arti & Anjali