#POPxoSpeakeasy: 6 Inspirational Entrepreneurs Tell Us How To Live Our Best 2020

At POPxo, we are always looking at inspiring our readers. That’s why we came up with a new concept, called POPxo Speakeasy, where we invite people who inspire us. After all, what’s better than hearing it directly from the gamechangers themselves? Our Founder & CEO Priyanka Gill moderates this panel, and it is one of the best activities to keep us motivated and help us do better.

This week, we hosted a panel of five inspiring entrepreneurs who are frontrunners in their fields. Meet Shreya Soni, Pankhuri Harikrishnan, Amrita Thakur, Dr Kiran Sethi and Sumaya Dalmia, who are leading the way as some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country.

During the course of a lively afternoon, they shared with us their mantra for 2020, their motivations to keep doing what they do, their relationship with social media, and how they manage to do it all. There was so much to learn from these trailblazing women, but here are six things we’ll try to implement in our lives right away. 

Shreya Soni, Founder & CEO of Delhi Secret Supper Club

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Shreya Soni is the Founder & CEO of the Delhi Secret Supper Club (DSSC), a leading marketing and events company that was launched in March 2013 to get intelligent conversations rolling over secret suppers organised at different locations across the national capital. She started DSSC as a social experiement and went on to organise some much-talked about dinners and fun evenings. It is a result of her passion and, most importantly, of all the fun she’s had while curating great experiences for diners. Her mantra for 2020, which we’re adopting ASAP, is, “Whatever 2020 is–good, bad or ugly–I hope it’s driven by a lot more joy and fun because that trickles down and sorts everything.”

She is also the Foundation Director at Picture Wala, an entertainment club for street kids in India, that kicked off in September 2014 with the purpose of engaging and inspiring kids using cinema and other forms of art. 

Pankhuri Harikrishnan, Owner & Director of Fetch Consulting

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When it comes to the world of celebrities and public relations experts in India, Pankhuri Harikrishnan is one of the first names that comes to mind. She was a pioneer at Elite Model Management and now runs Fetch Consulting since it was founded in 2017. She represents some of the biggest brands and stars in the business, including Kangana Ranaut, Aditi Rao Hydari and Diana Penty, to name a few. 

Even though she already works in such a challenging field, Pankhuri’s goals for 2020 are, “To go all out in terms of being present–go out more, meet more people, and put the work I’m doing a little bit more out there rather than sitting in a corner and working for long hours.” That’s all the motivation we need!

Amrita Thakur, Creative Head Of Amrita Thakur Studio

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Amrita Thakur is an Indian womenswear designer, style curator and Instagram influencer. Her label, Amrita Thakur, which was launched in 2011, is available in the capital, Mumbai and Hyderabad. Barely three months after giving birth to her bundle of joy, Zayden, here she was on our panel, giving us all kinds of #goals. 

Anyone who owns a business doesn’t really get a break. Add a newborn to that equation and life just takes a 180-degree turn. So, Amrita says, it’s important to “find balance in terms of time for family, for friends, for travel, and most importantly for yourself.” And as for the one thing you should never give up, she suggests, “me time (even if you’ve got to schedule it)”.

Dr Kiran Sethi, Celebrity Integrative Skin & Wellness Expert

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Dr Kiran Sethi is a celebrity dermatologist and a wellness expert from New York. As a skincare expert who has been in the industry for more than 10 years, she understands the importance of quality treatments and is committed to providing the best facilities to her clients at Isya Aesthetics in Vasant Vihar, Delhi.

One advice she would give to budding enterpreneurs is, “Do more editing. Convert all the information you have in a way that you can understand and educate yourself. Most importantly, value your own opinion.”

Sumaya Dalmia, Owner & Founder Of SUMAYA

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Sumaya Dalmia is one of the leading fitness and wellness professionals in the country, and has been in the industry since 1997. With a double major in Economics and Physiology from London, she is the owner and founder of Delhi’s first state-of-the-art personal training studio called SUMAYA. Three years ago, she launched Geo Fitness Academy, where she trains students to become fitness experts.

Her key to succes? Be present in the moment, be kind to yourself, and don’t let anything stop you. Sharing the secret to not let work get the best of you, Sumaya said, “Absorbing my environment wherever I am and enjoying that moment is key.”

 

Priyanka Gill, Founder & CEO, POPxo

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While moderating the panel, Priyanka also shared her experiences and insights on what it takes to strike a balance while continuing to achieve your goals. In this hustle, we sometimes keep waiting to figure out a perfect solution for our concerns. But she has a different take on this. Her advice is to “stick with the plan and not look for shortcuts or miracle cures that can help you with everything, be it health, a diet or professional goals.” 

We had a wonderful time listening to these superwomen speak about their journey and help us in ours. For a 25-year-old like me, this couldn’t have come at a better time. After all, the New Year is all about self-improvement and moving towards your goals. And I speak for all the 20-somethings at POPxo, who left the Speakeasy more driven than ever. 

So, there you have it. However long your to-do list might be, these six crucial pieces of advice by successful businesswomen will help you have a better 2020. So go on, get started!

Start your 2020 right with our cool new planners and statement-making sweatshirts that are fun, fab and 100% you! Psst… there’s an additional 20% off too, so head to POPxo.com/shop and take it up a POP!