The En Factor Podcast features conversations with entrepreneurs who have started, stumbled and succeeded.
Sumita Batra is a celebrity stylist, entrepreneur, and CEO of Ziba Beauty. Sumita’s curiosity and passion for authentic eastern beauty traditions introduced the Art of Threading™ to the United States over 30 years ago. She is the author of The Art of Mehndi, which showcases her work with celebrity clients like Beyonce, Madonna, Gwen Stefani, and Christina Aguilera, and details her mehndi methodology and technique. Her work has graced the pages of Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Mademoiselle and The New York Times Magazine. With over 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur and pioneer in the beauty industry, Sumita shares her strategy for overcoming adversity, and her advice to building and sustaining a resilient business during times of crisis.
Key Words: Resilience, Pivoting, Self-Learning, Beginner’s Mind.
Chapters
00:00 • The Story Behind Sumita Batra and Ziba Beauty
05:32 • Building a Family Business and Growing the Brand
09:08 • Learning from Mentors and Turning Strategy into Action
12:47 • Overcoming the Loneliness of Entrepreneurship
15:38 • Building Relationships and Landing Celebrity Opportunities
20:53 • Learning from Failure and Overcoming Setbacks
25:35 • Navigating COVID-19 and Unexpected Business Challenges
28:14 • Pivoting to E-Commerce and Serving the Community
34:17 • Putting Safety First, Adapting the Business, and Moving Forward
Episode takeaways
- Treat failure as an opportunity to learn and improve. Sumita explains that some of her biggest lessons came from failure, not success. Entrepreneurs should view setbacks as opportunities to grow rather than reasons to give up.
- Don’t wait for perfection to launch your idea. Perfectionism can prevent entrepreneurs from moving forward. Sumita emphasizes taking action, launching products, and learning along the way instead of waiting until everything is perfect.
- Surround yourself with mentors and people who have expertise you lack. Sumita grew her business by learning from experienced professionals, hiring consultants, and seeking advice from people who had faced similar challenges. Entrepreneurs don’t need to know everything themselves, but they must be willing to learn.
- Focus on executing your strategy, not just planning it. Developing a plan is only the beginning. Sumita explains that implementing strategies takes time, effort, and consistent follow-through. Entrepreneurs must turn their ideas into action to achieve meaningful growth.
- Build a business around complementary skills and strong relationships. Sumita’s family business succeeds in part because each family member contributes different strengths, from operations and finance to legal support and education. Entrepreneurs can benefit from building teams in which people bring different skills and perspectives.
- Be willing to pivot when circumstances change. When COVID-19 forced Ziba Beauty to close its studios, Sumita shifted toward e-commerce and began selling essential supplies. Her experience highlights the importance of identifying new customer needs, adapting your business model, and finding creative ways to generate revenue during difficult times.
- Diversify your revenue streams and prepare for unexpected challenges. Sumita reflected on having too many of her business’s resources tied to one primary operation. Entrepreneurs should consider backup plans, savings, and additional opportunities that can help their businesses withstand unexpected disruptions.
- When facing a setback, ask, “Now what?”, rather than becoming stuck on what went wrong. Sumita encourages entrepreneurs to focus on what they can do next. Taking action, reaching out to others, and looking for ways to help customers and the community can create a path forward even during a crisis.
The En Factor® Podcast
Conversations with Entrepreneurs
Hosted by Dr. Rebecca White
Our audience of aspiring and established entrepreneurs are inspired to persevere throughout their entrepreneurial journey. You will hear first-hand stories of success, resilience through failure, and how to become a master in your field.
