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Founder - Aavanya
Entrepreneur
We are all brought up in a certain way and how we build on our childhood traits in our future is a risk every person takes. I was brought up in a modest household, education and communication were dire to lead a happy life.
I had a scar on my chin since childhood, and I grew up fairly healthy. Not once was I not reminded about how being scarred wouldn’t let me find a suitable match. When I did finally find a family to get married into, that too failed.
It took me a divorce, barbarous comments, depression and several failed suicide attempts to turn myself around, that my life is worth moving on. Without expecting any kind of sympathy from anyone, today I stand what I am, just because of my mother. She did not raise me to just give up. I cringe to think that I was ready to throw it all away because of a meagre setback.
I dusted off my past and got training in arts and handicrafts and the same defeated woman became a business owner. The empowerment I felt each time I enriched my life was nothing I had felt like before.
My brand Aavanya by Lavanya Rao is my soul and a comeback as a fulfilled woman. I built my business based on my hard work and dedication. Handicrafts, upcycling old sarees, intricate block prints are my sweat and tears. I am grateful for having my brand featured and exhibited in several publications and events and I now stand tall watching my brand grow.
A woman over 40 years and I have found my calling at this age. There is no age to chasing your dreams. We just have to find the conviction within us and flame the fire, not put it out.
Encourage someone you think is struggling to take that first step. Do not be the reason someone kills their confidence.
We all have a right to think about ourselves, put ourselves first. It is not selfish if you need to save yourself from a toxic situation. When you prioritize yourself for your sanity, your future, your loved ones, you find your best along the way.
Lavanya Rao
Interviewed and transcribed by Maryam Syed