Menopause is a challenging time for almost every woman. While some women face menopausal anxiety, others have to bear hot flashes, irritability and sleep disorders. In the worst cases, women face depression because of not being able to cope with their bodily changes. Something similar happened with Neelima Thakur, a 50-year-old homemaker born and brought up in Mumbai. Read ahead to know how she channelized her bodily changes to become a successful woman entrepreneur.
Like most women, my menopause was mentally and physically exhausting. Despite living in a happy joint family, I developed symptoms of anxiety. Constant irritation became an everyday thing. I didn’t want this to be the rest of my life so I decided to divert my mind by doing something that gives me peace.
I have always had an inclination towards traditional herbs and oils and I thought working around it would help me to battle my menopausal anxiety. I first prepared two litres of natural oil to fix hair related problems and told my family and friends to use it. The response was good as people liked the homemade natural oil. I got re-order and made some four litres this time.
Everyone around me was unsure if starting a business at 50 was the right thing to do. Many people convinced me that health issues will not let me give 100% and that an online business at this age was bent to fail, so it’s better not to take the risk. My husband had no clue about this field, and was neutral. However, there was one friend who became my biggest motivation.
Soon after, I set up a Facebook page by the name ‘Shine Herbals’ and built a community that trusted my products. Sales continued to increase and I had to pull all-nighters to finish orders. Managing home chores during the day and handling the business during the nights was a tough task but I started feeling financially independent and that was enough boost for me. And that’s how ‘Shine Herbals’ started to shine!
The feeling of buying my first phone with self-earned money can’t be described in words! As orders increased, I faced some finance issues and picked up loans. At a time when things were finally feeling settled, I was hit by the worst!
A shipping service agent sold all the oil stock that I gave them to deliver to my trusted customers. It was a huge loss for me as I had to send another round of products to my customers. It was hard to gain the trust of my customers but I knew I was right so I stood by it.
Despite all odds, I have gained the trust of over 10,000 clients in many countries, including Australia, USA, Canada, Singapore and lots others across the globe. I always ensure good quality products as I believe ‘word of mouth’ is the best advertising strategy to make a business successful.
I now plan to empower other women, especially physically challenged and housewives who lost their spouse as they can earn a decent income through our products distribution.
After defeating menopausal anxiety and becoming a successful woman entrepreneur, I got many awards and recognitions. I won ‘Homepreneur Award’ in 2019 in the beauty and wellness category and the ‘Aspiring Innopreneur of the year 2021’ by Humcen Awards, under the category of eco-friendly products in 2021.
Neelima’s unique way to battle menopausal anxiety is definitely praise-worthy. If you liked reading this inspiring woman’s story, comment below.
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