At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring to our community some of the unique and compelling stories from the start-up ecosystem. As part of this endeavour, we invited yet another passionate Womenpreneur Sejal Sevak for an exclusive interview with us. Sejal is a Leader, Entrepreneur, Change Enabler and Founder & Director of Suchita Care. Let’s learn more about her inspirational journey and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Sejal:
We are aware of your contribution to the ecosystem, talk us through your background and your journey as a women entrepreneur, please;
I did my schooling from Sarvajanik Kanya Vidyalaya, Mehsana, Gujarat and further pursued MCA (Master of Computer Application) from the prestigious G. H. Patel Department of Computer Science in Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat, and I was a passionate individual from the beginning and always aspired to be one of the achievers by delivering high performance in all walks of life.
To add to my skills and knowledge, I also completed MBA, in HR which is now very necessary in all fields of work. I worked in SEMCOM College, Vallabh Vidyanagar for 4 years.
I have always been very passionate about building something on my own that can solve major environmental problems. Conservation of nature is the future of tomorrow, and if we do not learn to care for the environment, then our environment will only deteriorate further.”
I believe small steps must be taken to educate everyone on the seriousness of this matter, and this is one of them Sanitary waste disposal is a huge problem that needs to be tackled on an urgent basis. Every month, around 353 million women and adolescent girls across India use sanitary products and generate menstrual waste, and this number is growing with each passing day.
So, what’s the fuss? The problem lies in the disposal of sanitary waste. Studies have shown that one sanitary pad could take from 500 to 800 years to decompose.
I did a lot of research in this space and came out with an innovative and successful product in the field of green technology that was the Sanitary Napkin Incinerator and started a firm named Suchita Care in 2015.”
Sanitary Napkin Incinerator is the best solution for sanitary napkin disposing needs where used napkins are converted into sterile ash in a scientific and hygienic way.
What attracts you towards entrepreneurship instead of a corporate career?
I chose entrepreneurship because I always wanted to make an impact. I have always been intrigued by entrepreneurship and read the success stories of all the successful entrepreneurs.
You see – It’s fascinating how you build something from scratch to build an empire around it and not everyone can do it. It takes a lot of courage, planning, perseverance, hard work, teamwork, combined with good strategy & execution skills. Thanks to my mentor – my husband Mr Meet Sevak who gave me valuable inputs to make the journey a lot easier for me and to my partner and technical support Mr Dhaval Patel and also to Mr Arvind Vekaria, Kalpesh Patel, Harsh Patel and my entire team who is working tirelessly and providing me big support in spreading this awareness.
‘Suchita Care’ is such a unique name; talk us through more about it, please. Our audience would also love to know what kind of problem you are solving with the help of your startup?
Yes, it’s indeed a unique name. Suchita is a Sanskrit word and its meaning is “SWACHHA NARI”.
As my firm working on the conservation of nature, being a woman, my first goal is to lessen the sanitary napkins and Diaper waste from the dumping site which are not recyclable and is not destroyed till 500-800 years. As a woman keeps her home clean, she is also responsible to keep the surrounding and environment clean.
Not a single sanitary napkin or diaper should go out of a home as waste and dumped into our landfill is my motive. This is how a woman can help the environment and our national cleanliness program “SWACHHA BHARAT ABHIYAN”.
This will be a small help from a woman, but it has a great impact on the reduction of solid waste which is not recyclable and pollute our environment. That will also help our waste pickers, who expose themselves to a death full disease while segregating the soiled napkins from the recyclable waste or during cleaning the drainage chock ups caused due to the napkins flushed down.
That’s why I gave my firm the name “Suchita Care”.
How do you manage yourself and keep on going despite the challenges? What drives you?
I always try to make sure that I empower the right people for the right work. This way I do not feel overburdened with work that leads to stress. In my free time, I try to spend time with my family and try to maintain my work-life balance as much as possible. Meditation helps me clear my mind and focus on issues that need my attention.
I would say that I get motivated seeing girls & women use incinerator and has become the part of my campaign “ChooseToSaveEnvironment “help me in my passion for environmental conservation and that drives me to go on despite all the challenges.
What are the business mantras you have embraced as you sought to establish your success story?
Getting the right opportunity and performing to the best of your capability when you get that opportunity.
To get that opportunity, I present myself as a brand. I prepare myself to give in my best shot at each and every opportunity that comes my way.
What are the three most important lessons you have learned building your startup?
1 – The right people are worth everything.
It’s almost impossible to build a successful business by yourself. Even if you’re a solo entrepreneur, there will be mentors, partners, vendors and peers alongside you helping you achieve your long-term vision. So, recognize how valuable other people will open you up to more opportunities.
Learning this lesson early will prevent you from wasting time on the wrong people and give you more time to work with the best people you find.
2 – All ideas must be rooted in practicality.
No matter how good or original or appealing your idea is, it’s only as valuable as it is practical. you may have a revolutionary new concept for an enterprise, but if there’s no way to make it feasible or profitable, you won’t be able to move to any form of execution. Sometimes, the best ideas have to be tabled due to a lack of practicality.
3 – There is always more you can be doing to keep learning.
No matter how much you know, or how much you think you know, there’s always more information to learn. You’ll always have room to be a better leader and a better entrepreneur, and there will always be new skills and abilities to acquire. Maintaining a course of constant improvement will keep you at your best for as long as possible.
Given the rapid pace at which the world is changing, what are the leadership traits that are necessary for success?
As legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi once said: “Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work.”
An effective leader is a person with a passion for a cause that is larger than they are. Someone with a dream and a vision that will better society, or at least, some portion of it. Also, without passion, a leader will not make the necessary courageous and difficult decisions and carry them into action.
Please share with us – what has worked well for you so far?
One thing I would say that helped me and my company grow is my passion towards my motive – how a woman can contribute to the environment and our “SWACHHA BHARAT ABHIYAN”
In your opinion, what is more necessary: An idea or a good team for a successful startup?
In my opinion, it should be a mix of both. You just cannot go ahead with an idea jotted down on a piece of paper without like-minded people working on it.
To be successful, you should team up with co-founders who share your vision behind the idea and you also need to hire the right people for the right position so that it gets implemented in a proper way.
You are always positive and motivated, what keeps you going?
I love my work. Anything you do in life you have to have a passion for and should not feel like work.
We would love to know your advice for all those starting out as an aspiring women entrepreneur?
My advice is to focus on the areas in which your company creates value Don’t be afraid of pursuing an unexpected path
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
