“For most of history, Anonymous was a woman.” ~ Virginia Woolf. On this International Women’s Day, GlobalSpa recognizes and celebrates the women in the industry as we delve into their success mantra they follow, mistakes that have helped them grow, and of course, their WELLNESS philosophy.
Aisha Saraf Kothari is the Founder of AiSPi. AISPI started off as a project. A simple fashion project to create an impact in an industry that she always loved, but couldn’t be a part of. A few months in, she has impacted the lives of 200 shops and designers, 40 emerging artists and over 10000 consumers by providing a platform where consumers can express themselves through fashion and travel.
What is your wellness philosophy?
My wellness philosophy is living a life with no regrets. I think living with that mantra allows me to be extremely happy, content and also, take responsibility for my actions. That has allowed me to reach a space where I am mentally more calm and satisfied with my decisions, and being mentally calm also is the starting point of wellness for me. The other activities, which are more generic I would say, are definitely fitness—taking care of your body whether that is through nutrition, workout, yoga, walks or sports – I was working out till the 40th week of my pregnancy!
Your success mantra?
My success mantra is basically to give everything your one hundred percent and do not look back. What that means is that at a certain point when you are about to do something, question yourself if you have given it your one hundred percent and more and if there was anything else that you could’ve done. If the answer to that is a no then that is it—you have done everything in your power, you have done everything you could’ve thought of and the rest of it is really not in your control. The other thing that I do follow in times when I’m extremely nervous is “what is the worst that can happen”. Accepting, or being okay with the worst outcome of a situation allows me to be more daring, and it allows me to take higher risks.
A lesson you learned from making a mistake?
A lesson that I learnt is to really think in the bigger picture and not be penny-wise, pound foolish. What that means is that when you’re taking business decisions, or even decisions in the house with your family, with managing things with your home, always think in the future; think “is this the life, or is this the business that I envision?” and using that really to drive your decisions. And I think that initially I did make a lot of mistakes where I was thinking more in the moment, or I didn’t take the right financial decision just because I thought that it was in the moment too expensive/ out of budget. When you think bigger picture, and you think a few years from now, you think of your goal versus your current budgeting or expenses you actually have, you’re going closer towards a more sustainable future.
Any piece of advice for all the women out there?
It is essential for every woman to truly own her role. As you grow up, you notice, a lot of women are constantly changing with different roles they’ve been introduced to in life. And for that it is essential for us to own it. Be proud of who you are – Whether you are a homemaker, an employee, an entrepreneur – an all-rounder with multiple roles – it is important for you to be proud of it, confident about it and own it. Whether it is something small you’ve achieved or a major milestone in your life- celebrate and be proud of it all. Don’t compare yourself with anyone else.
What has been your biggest pride as a doyenne?
My biggest pride has been the ability to inspire and impact. Inspiring the people that I work with, or that have worked for me, and allowing them to really discover a part of themselves that they didn’t know. And to impact the clients and the designers that we work with and to really create value in their lives and their business.
