Society defines a good mother who is always ready to leave everything for her kids, even her career which she has spent years building. She is supposed to be a sacrificial soul who finds happiness in cleaning after her kids and taking care of them throughout the day.
Suddenly a woman would be labelled a bad mother if she decides to leave her child in the care of in-laws or a nanny to be the breadwinner in the family. If she does not wake up early to cook or does not prioritise her kids over everything, she is not seen as a good mother.
We forget that the choice must remain with the mother to decide how she wants to bring up her kids, and whether or not she wants to continue working or take a break.
HerZindagi’s The Good Mother Project highlights the efforts of women who, despite the narrow mindset of society, have achieved a lot in life.
This is the story of Manvi Dhawan, who was a corporate employee and turned into a full-time mother, and then started her entrepreneurial journey in her early 40s.
She said that a woman today plays many different roles. “You make mistakes, you learn. It’s a continuous learning cycle. Over the years, I have learned not to judge myself too harshly. We are all human, and we will make mistakes at times, but we must adapt from our mistakes and work towards bettering ourselves,” she added.
Dhawan, who is 45 years old, has more than 15 years of experience in organisations across the banking and telecommunications industries. Born and raised in New Delhi, she completed her double graduation from Delhi University and NIIT.
After working for so long at a stretch, she decided to take a sabbatical in 2013 to take care of her two daughters. In 2020, she decided to work again, however, not in the capacity of someone else’s employee. She had a desire to be an entrepreneur.
While shortlisting opportunities, Dhawan came to know about Amazon Delivery Service Partner from a friend. She did her research and talked to people about the DSP program. It is a program under which a person can start their own business while delivering Amazon products. Only when she was sure, she started her journey in January 2022 with a single delivery station in Panchkula. Hence, she birthed Saima Enterprises.
With a solid background in operations, she climbed the stairs of success in just two years. Dhawan now manages seven delivery stations and has been providing work opportunities to hundreds of delivery associates.
She said, “When you start your business from scratch, the list of obstacles is endless. The transition from a corporate employee to full-time mother of two daughters, and then switching to becoming an entrepreneur is not only difficult but also requires a lot of support.”
She said her desire to be her own boss kept her motivated through tough times. She has a supportive family, and her husband, Ashish Dhawan, has been one of the biggest cheerleaders of her success. He works at an MNC.
Dhawan’s mother and mother-in-law have been working women. It offered her a nudge to keep building her career. She said she had “two inspirational examples at home".
Dhawan shared that she had faced criticism throughout her life. However, the biggest criticism she felt was when people pointed out that she wanted to be an entrepreneur while she was 43 years old. This only fuelled her passion to build her company, and she got more aggressive towards achieving her goals.
As a homemaker, mother and career woman, Dhawan balances everything.
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Speaking about the hardest learnings in life, Dhawan said, “Nothing in life comes easy, and there are no free lunches. One has to constantly work towards achieving their goals and learn to prioritise and balance between personal and professional commitments.”
Like several mothers, Dhawan has also experienced mom’s guilt. She said women have been conditioned to fit the criteria of an ideal mother who only exists on pages and in patriarchal mindsets.
She added, “At times, we tend to blame ourselves for not being who we were conditioned to be. Mothers, like all humans, have limitations and shortcomings. They will make mistakes, they will fail. We, mothers, must continuously remind ourselves of our well-being too.”
Being an entrepreneur has been a fulfilling experience for Dhawan. She feels empowered. She aims to extend her business across different geographies and wants to serve as an example for women who aspire to build a career in the logistics sector.
Dhawan has created a solid foundation for her daughters who are now 16 and 13 years old. She encourages them to follow their dreams and have individuality. “I feel blessed that I am able to be a role model of the values which I am trying to inculcate in my daughters,” she added proudly.
Stay tuned to HerZindagi for more such inspiring stories!
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