In our relentless pursuit to identify and share with our community some of the unique and compelling startup stories from the ecosystem, we spoke to Shritama Mukherjee – Founder and Creative Director at The Green Maven this week to understand more about their vision and the way forward. The Green Maven is a green lifestyle knowledge and eCommerce platform for green beauty, sustainable living and holistic wellness. Let’s read their unique story!
Excerpts from our conversation with Shritama:
Tell us a little bit about your startup and the problems it is solving, please;
TheGreenMaven.com was founded in 2018 with the objective of creating an unbiased, honest and transparent knowledge-sharing platform that advocates green and non-toxic lifestyle.
In today’s world, everything we consume is made up of toxic chemicals. Be it the air we breathe, the food we eat or the products we use, toxins are everywhere.”
Oh! And let’s not forget the work stress and toxic relationships most people put up with day in and day out. We believe beauty is an inside business. We need to treat our body holistically in order to glow from within.
TheGreenMaven.com is a green lifestyle read+shop site for green beauty, holistic wellness and sustainable living. We test the waters for our readers, so they don’t have to worry about safe and non-toxic products. We bring together all the green beauty and wellness brands available in India under one roof, saving people time and energy to surf through different platforms to buy conscious products. Our love for plant-based products, eco-friendly packaging and sustainable living also contributes to keeping the environment safe and protected.
Where did the unique idea to start something like this come from?
We wanted to create our own skincare brand. During the research, formulation courses and development of products, we found out how beauty brands in India functioned straight from ground zero and the number of harsh chemicals being used in the products.
Since everything we put on our skin, penetrates into the skin and even ends up in the bloodstream, it was imperative to swap these toxic chemicals with greener options.
So people can lead a non-toxic life, free from these harmful chemicals sneaking up into their body on a daily basis and accumulating over time posing a serious threat to physical health and overall well-being.
How do you find the industry/niche that you’re in?
Our niche audience is the one that chooses quality over quantity. We motivate our readers to live a conscious and sustainable lifestyle through our articles and product offerings. Everyone wants to lead a healthy, non-toxic lifestyle, given a choice nobody would say no. But there are a lot of factors that shape their choices in picking up products like budget, awareness, options, etc. We cater to people who are stuck in these categories by raising awareness and providing them with available options to choose from.
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives the team?
Any business be it big or small is full of challenges, especially if you are a start-up. We had our own share of ups and downs, but we are growing with each step because we have the vision to accomplish which is much bigger than any of these challenges. We are a bunch of entrepreneurs who see beyond a job and money. It’s our passion to create something unique and big that drives us to keep going.
What are your expansion plans?
We are currently hosting green beauty and wellness brands on TheGreenMaven.com. We plan on foraying into the sustainable fashion industry soon.
How do you guys handle the pressure and manage stress?
Taking frequent breaks – not necessarily going out on a vacation but spending quality time with family and friends every weekend is a good stress-buster and you come back more focussed and productive. Reading a book is a great way to divert your brain too. And of course, keeping away from technology whenever possible.
What is one strategy that you guys believe has helped you grow as a team/startup?
DO NOT GIVE UP, COME WHAT MAY. We make a lot of business strategies but this is a mental strategy that each and every person in a startup must form to make sure everyone sticks together as a team. This is very important as a start-up.
What advice would you give to someone starting out?
Do your research well before getting into a business. You must know in and out about what you want to do, so you rely on people only to execute your ideas. Try to create a need for your product first before you actually launch it. This is a great way to test the waters before you actually start sailing.
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.
