When I reflect on my personality and character, I see a large part of it come from my mom and her business. The intensity of her entrepreneurial spirit actually came from a soft and sugar-soaked cheese ball. A round sponge of sweet flavor, the rasgulla breaks apart into chewy morsels with a surge of refreshment bursting from the center. The rasgulla is just one of a wide variety of Indian sweets, which mark the start of any auspicious occasion; even the smallest of celebrations is incomplete without a candied palate to remember it by. Although an integral part of Indian culture, sweets have played a very different role in my personal life.
Ten years ago, my mother transformed that one rasgulla into the base for her own South Asian desserts business. I was amazed how she was simultaneously able to bring our Indian culture to New York, run a company, and raise three children. She cultivated her interest from one admired by her friends at local dinner parties to one that was catered to the White House. Along the journey, I found that as the business continued to grow, I began growing with it. Inspired by my mother’s devotion, I began to take on more responsibilities to see the business succeed. Her persistence has become a driving force in my life and her business savvy has showed me how ambition, hard work, and passion can bring a vision to reality.
Over the last few years, I have played an active role in all aspects of the business, looking for operational efficiencies and new opportunities. I took the lead on the digital media front and updated the website, designed and launched our holiday advertisement campaign, and took pictures of the newest sweets, to share with our customers. To market the company, we went to trade shows and presented the range of products we offered to clients. I was thrilled every time a person I spoke to called back to place an order. My mother’s business has taught me that with initiative and perseverance, any goal can be achieved.
Admittedly, it was often challenging to help my mom and manage my own schedule. I focused on my grades, represented my school’s Model UN program at conferences, interned at a local accounting firm, and found time to meet friends. By striving to balance several responsibilities at once, I learned a priceless lesson in time management and prioritization.
After all these years, I am still mesmerized by how a rasgulla can be filled with mango, dipped in chocolate, or infused with a cream filling. The different colors, flavors, and textures are a testament to my mother’s creativity. Today, when I see our sweets on the other side of a showroom window, I see my mother’s vision manifest in front of me but I feel proud that I had a large role in putting them there. That sweet and refreshing rasgulla set off a series of changes in my life that has, and will continue to, guide me through any future endeavors. And to think it all started with a cheese ball.
That sounds so cool! I love hearing stories of small business owners such as your mom. To deal with such stress and government regulations, your mom must have some patience. A lot of the family owned or independent restaurants in my neighborhood have been closing their doors the past few years mainly because of government regulations. This hurts the neighborhood in terms of unemployment and in quality of food. Who would want a burger from McDonalds when you get a good ol’ fashioned burger from a mom and pop shop.
You should have put a picture up! I normally don’t eat cheese, but how you describe rasgulla with mangoes, it made my stomach grumble.