Episode 42 | Your Life is in Phases with Gunjan Sethi

Sophia Noreen: Hey guys, I'm so glad you are here today because we are going to be speaking with Gunjan who is a mom of two girls, and she is a brand new entrepreneur who has started her side hustle during maternity leave and it's called Clutcheeet. I can't wait until you hear Gunjan and her mindset and her advice. You guys are going to love this episode. All right, let's get into it.

Laura Hargrave: Welcome everyone here at Boss It. We would love to hear from you. Join us in our Boss It community by heading over to our website, bossitclub.com, and join our mailing list. As we grow, we will be launching our community of fellow Boss It BFFs, and we want you to be a part of it. Okay, Sophia Noreen, let's dig into this. I can't wait to tell them all about how we got here.

Sophia Noreen: Welcome to the Boss It Podcast. My name is Sophia Noreen and I took an Etsy startup and launched it in big-box retailers within 12 months. As a creative with an entrepreneurial drive, I left my full-time career in healthcare to find better harmony between career, family, and self-care. We believe you can have it all. Yes, you can launch and run a successful scalable business while maintaining harmony in all aspects of your life. We believe we can learn from each other and draw on many experiences to create the best life possible. During each episode, we will share proven life hacks that will keep you on top and striving every day.

There should be no hesitation. Make a plan. Take action. We are here for you.

Hello everyone, and welcome to another fantastic episode of the Boss It Podcast. My name is Sophia Noreen, and I'm going to be your host for today. As you heard from the introduction, we are going to be interviewing Gunjan who has such a fantastic story about how she got started with her "side hustle", which is becoming a really big deal in our community.

Before we get started and hear all about Gunjan's story, I want her to start off by sharing her mantra.  Hello, Gunjan. How are you doing today? 

Gunjan Sethi: Hello, hello. Good morning. Thank you. Thank you, Sophia, for giving me this opportunity. I'm very excited to be on this platform. 

Sophia Noreen: We're so happy that you're here, and our listeners are so excited and pumped to hear your entire story. But before you get started, tell us what is a mantra? What do you say to yourself every day to help you get through those tough moments? 

Gunjan Sethi: I consider myself to be an ultra-positive person. My mantra is, everything is a phase. Everything is a phase, nothing stays permanent. So I guess, there are tough days, there are tough moments. I am a mom of two little girls, doing everything around the house and then managing not one but a couple of side other things that I do. So yes, it's not easy. Definitely not easy, but what I tell is, it's a phase. It's going to get better. Keep going. Keep doing the right thing. Try to maintain, find a balance. Don't have to win and perfect everything. Do what you can do within your capacity. 

Yes, you can need to stretch yourself at times, but don't burn yourself. I've done as I look at myself, do my extreme edge at sometimes, but then I remind myself, it's a phase. Do what you can one thing at a time, one day at a time, and it helps. It definitely helps. 

Sophia Noreen: Yes, I love that and how you've put that into perspective for so many women, especially those who are taking care of a family, who may be doing multiple projects, and of course, having children that are young. I think that you've nailed it saying that it's a phase, and you don't need to have everything perfectly lined up. I think sometimes we get hooked on saying that things need to be perfect, especially around our home. And then we focus on those things, and sometimes we forget to focus on other things or in the event that we try to do everything at once to perfection, and then we burn ourselves out.  

I think it's great for our listeners to understand that you're going through this as well, and gives them perspective saying, "Gunjan can do it, so can I."  

Gunjan Sethi: Everybody can do it. Remember, everyone who is listening, one thing which is very important. When we start, we want to do conquer it all in one, and I was at the same boat. I have come a long way, I'll accept this.  Everything takes its own sweet time. It's a journey, it's not the start and the end. It's a journey you evolve with every day that passes by, so don't be too hard on yourself.

Do what you can, and always remember you are doing a great job in your own capacity. Not everybody will appreciate it, but when the time comes, you will get the right recognition for it. So what do you do? Do every day, being consistent which I have learned, which I wasn't, has helped definitely. That is a key.

But as I said, please remember, every day is not the same day. Every day is a new day, a new opportunity to do things the right way. Think about it like this, there are so many people around you or people who may know you who haven't even started anything, and they keep thinking of it.  You just think, and have been able to start it is a win. Think of it like that.

Yes, I know there are different personality types. People want to do things perfectly, but in today's world where we live, people don't want perfection. People want action. Nobody's judging, nobody judges people at this time. We will, who just please stay out of it now, do not think about people who are judging you. You are putting yourself out there, and that's great. I'll tell my example when this whole Reels thing came out, and TikTok and whatnot, and I kept hearing, "Show your face. Show your face. Show your face." I'm like, "Dude, I cannot do this." I don't mind doing it, but getting it out there and getting ready was a big task for me.

But finally, I decided to win, and then obviously it wasn't a hundred percent perfect thing.  I still went ahead with it. I'm not kidding. People came in there, "What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you doing this? Why would you do that? Can you calm yourself? What is it, what are you up to?" Literally, I got comments like this and not people like who I don't know like my family and friends. I'm like, "At least I can do that. Tell me about yourself." You need to learn to tell people, "Do not question me until you can do it yourself." That helps.

Sophia Noreen: Yes. It's so well said. Another amazing piece of advice saying there will always be comments in the background. Sometimes the comments are from within. I know a few individuals have emailed me recently saying the reason they haven't started is that they're afraid of what people are thinking, and this example that you've shared, you started doing Reels, then you got comments from close family and friends asking you why you had even started doing such a thing.

Tell to them, "Don't bother questioning me unless you're planning on also stepping up," which is interesting because I feel like a lot of individuals are so scared, and because you're so close to them, your friends and family,  they see you doing something and it's automatically like they're actually doing it as well. It's like a threat for them.    

Gunjan Sethi: A hundred percent, yes. 

Sophia Noreen: In reality,  doing a TikTok or a Reel, or going on social is not a threat to anyone. I used to study anthropology, so I always go back to the study of anthropology and I think about it. The reason why we're so scared of these things is that our previous ancestors had to be scared of this threat.  You're not going to die if somebody thinks ill of you on social media. That's just your hindbrain. That's just your reflexes that have been developed over time as an animal of nature, and that's really what we have come from. We were in nature at one point.

Now, these are not real threats that will harm you. If you go ahead and you experiment on TikTok or Reels or anything on social, which is the example Gunjan gave, that shouldn't fear you.' It's an experiment. The whole business is an experiment. 

Gunjan Sethi: The idea behind Reels and TikTok, these are the smallest things but the idea is to have fun. Be yourself, just for fun. Literally, one of the comments was "Why  you're making fun of yourself?" I'm like, " That's the whole idea, at least I made you laugh." 

Sophia Noreen: That's right. They're entertainment.

Gunjan Sethi:  I made this whole idea.  As I said, you don't have to be a hundred percent, but the action, do it. The intent of doing it is what counts. 

Sophia Noreen: And it gets easier and easier as you do it.

Gunjan Sethi: Hundred percent. I think you and I both can say that. 

Sophia Noreen: Yes, yes.  We have stories for you guys about how things get eventually. 

Gunjan Sethi: People use to say, it's a piece of cake, well it doesn't. It is now. 

Sophia Noreen: Yes, piece of cake. It doesn't take too long. Anyways, we won't go too much into Reels, but I think the take-home message that Gunjan is sharing with you guys is just to get started. Many people have the thought and they never act on it, so if you've started acting on it or you go and take that first step, you're miles ahead of anyone else. You've shared so many good tips. I think we need to have you on for another show just for your full life.

Gunjan Sethi: Yes. I couldn't be like a lecturer. 

Sophia Noreen: I know, it's fantastic.  I want people to hear some of your stories so you can pick where you want to start. Tell us what's the company that you've started, and you can start there, you go ahead. We want to hear a little bit about who Gunjan is, and so people can also follow you on social.

Gunjan Sethi: Wow. Okay, I'll give you a brief introduction of me and give you my background.  My name is Gunjan Sethi, and I am currently in Toronto, Canada. I immigrated to Canada almost 11 years back now. Was in India throughout my life, born and brought up there. I was born and brought up in a small town in India, and then also struggled and found my way to where I am today. So yes, I can say it's a self-made individual that you're listening to right now.  There's a lot more to the journey how it came, but one thing that always kept me going was a clear head and a thought that I don't want to be where I am.

I have to make something myself up. I have to get me out there and get a name for myself. I am the eldest one in the family, both sides, like my maternal and parental side so why I mentioned it because there was no guidance. Me growing up, you look up to somebody, people guide you, do this, do that.

There was none of the guidance, and when you're in a small town, people don't know what's happening and everything is evolving. You have to find ways and I'm not kidding, my inspirations were the TV channels and newspapers. I look up like, "Oh wow, this looks so good. I want to be like that." So literally those were my motivating factors. I'm like, "Okay, how do I become this?" 

And then you have to find stepping stones to be where you want to be. I will not dig more into that right now, but yes, moved now to Canada.  I have full-time jobs that I do and currently, I'm on maternity leave.  I started this company called Clutcheeet which is clutch- it, almost two years back now. But I literally put it into a real website from last year when I went on mat leave with my second baby.

So of how it started was literally in a spur of the moment where I was visiting back home, and I saw came across these beautiful, stunning print clutches, which were fun and perky which I could relate with my personality. I'm like, "These are so cute. I would love to carry these when going out and stuff." We've been used to going out, and I've got a few for myself. I have never seen a product like this. How about I take it to Canada and see what people like if people like these. Why I did this, the question why I would want to do that? 

My life was set and everything was fine. I didn't really have to do it, but that is me as a person. I like to do stuff differently.  I do not really want it to hustle and find something, and have something of my own. So that was one, and people kept approaching me because of my background in retail and stuff. To do this, go sell this, go sell that. But I couldn't really get on to that because I wanted something unique, something different which will capture everybody's eye and becomes an attraction point.

So that product caught my eye, and then I brought it here and I showed it to friends and family, and everybody loved it. I was surprised, and they're, "Wow. Oh my God. You're going to pay for this? All right, take it." So it's one, and when I try using the social media through Facebook Marketplace and all and started getting orders.

People were loving it. I started doing the personalized custom pieces, which are really one of the key ones. People love those keepsake pieces, and yes, it went on from there and it was last year.  In one of the pop-up shops that I was part of, somebody approached me, and then I participated. Some vendor, carnival kind of thing, and I came across a few other smaller entrepreneurs and it was great to be in touch with fellow entrepreneurs, and learn from them. 

I decided to create my own website and there was no looking back. What we do is basically the mantra of Clutcheeet is not only just to sell handbags or arm candies or clutches which whatever you want to call it, for the sake of it, but to give every female a  clutch that will reflect their personality, because you are ready a hundred percent, but you're not completely ready until you have a matching clutch to amplify your look. 

That is what you need and prioritization. That was the goal of just finding something and giving everybody the n number of options to choose from, and say, "This is what I am".  I admit, I love to give people or offer people the clutches, which are like conversation starters. People will turn their heads around because that's what you want when you want to go out. Everybody asks you, "Oh my God. Where'd you get this from?"

Sophia Noreen: That's right. 

Gunjan Sethi: So yes, that's where we are. If you want, go check it out.   

Sophia Noreen: Yes, I love that story. I love how you spoke about how you came from, your beginnings being in India in a small town, and even just using the TV and newspaper articles, because you didn't have a mentor in your family or even a business mentor. You went along the journey yourself and I'm sure you guys keep following Gunjan.

I'm going to hyperlink all of her in the show notes so that people can follow you. She has more of her story which she will share one day, but not today. I just love the fact that you were not satisfied with where you were at, and you knew what your destination could have been if you just went with the flow. But you were like, "No, I need to make my own path" and you have the capacity to do that so you did that. 

Once you got settled in Canada, you still said to yourself, "I want to make my own path," which is very interesting because you just like me, had a very secure job. You have a very secure job, I should say, you are on maternity leave. There was no need for you to venture off into the world of entrepreneurship, but that's what you've decided to do, and you've done such a fantastic job within just the span of two years. 

She did not mention as well that she got hit with a pandemic.  Her product is a party product, it's a clutch bag. You guys can check out the website, and who's going to party at the moment. In Canada, we're still in a stay-at-home order, which is an in fact as we record this. So selling seasons that have not been as,  they could have been better is what I would say. It could have been better, but what I admire about you is as you continue to go forward. You put everything into perspective as you said from your mantra, it's a phase. We will get through this phase, this hardship with COVID and you will have learned from it. You have really understood who your client is, your customer is. You've been able to tailor your messaging, so I'm extremely, extremely proud of you and the brand is amazing, so you guys can check that out.

Thank you so much. Thank you.

Yes, after the end of this show. We have a few more questions for you.

Gunjan Sethi: Sure, sure. Go ahead.

Sophia Noreen: You did mention a few pieces of advice with your mantra. Is there anything that you want to tell that entrepreneur who has just started, or is even considering starting their business?  What is one piece of advice you could share?

Gunjan Sethi: Okay.  One piece of advice that I will share with anybody who is starting or have just started is don't be shy to reach out to people.  Because again, as I said,  I have learned this being in my journey and reaching out to different people and talking to different small entrepreneurs, not everybody is comfortable reaching out, because again, we think what will people think. What will he say? What if it's a yes or no. So what, at least you reached out. You tried it, right? It's the same thing. Don't just be afraid of not doing anything until you try it. You won't regret it, because you will not believe the amount or the kind of resources and the kind of people that are in the industry or in the social media platform that is ready to help go over and above to share their own resources.

I'm surprised people do tell you me, why would they share it? I'm like, I will share it if somebody reaches out to me because these are the resources. For example, how did you make the website? Where are you sourcing the boxes? Where are you getting all your supplies? Small things like that because all small business needs all this.

Sophia Noreen:  That's right. 

Gunjan Sethi: So do not be afraid to reach out to fellow small businesses and learn from their experience. It's always a good idea, and you always learn something and you can always use it in your business in your own way. 

Sophia Noreen: That's so well said, and I think people are shy to reach out and ask for help. Why should you be? What's the worst that will happen? They'll just say no, or they'll know your message.

Gunjan Sethi:  That's the one thing, Sophia. It's the key mantra of my life, I will say. I'm sharing it with all of you right now is be ready for the worst, and you'll not be afraid of doing anything. That's what has kept me going, not even now but even from the start of my life, which I gave you insight on how did I keep going? How did I do everything that seemed impossible? Is only thinking of the worst situation, and what will the worst will happen? This? Fine. I have a plan for that. 

Sophia Noreen: That's right. 

Gunjan Sethi: And you go. 

Sophia Noreen: So well said. I love that. Okay, let's do another question around how do you set your goals and manage your time? 

Gunjan Sethi: How do I set my goals? So I will tell you how I started, so initially, when I started this whole website and social media and took over everything and, started doing a hundred percent right and all,  it was like, "I wanted to finish everything today." But let's be realistic, it's not going to happen. You're going to get hard on yourself, not going to happen. What we need to learn is how to prioritize. Have one goal a day or one goal a week, for that matter. For people like us, for moms like us or anybody who passed a couple of different things to juggle, like it can be anybody.

If you have more than one thing to juggle, set yourself one goal a week. You cannot do like I have a to-do list I make. I'm a  big to-do person, but that list gets carried forward because I don't get time every day. I don't have these two, three hours at a stretch every day, but I keep it. This week I have to finish this task, so I'm able to do that. 

Set your self,  realistic goals. Realistic goals plus prioritizing those realistic goals.  If you don't do it today, then you know that it's going to be impacted. There will be trickle-down impacts, then yes. Do that if you're not sure, find out time. But if there are goals that you have to do, which is not impacting anything but that's for the betterment of some, you can put it on the back burner and bring it back when you have more time. So things like that.  You need to learn how to do that, which I have no comment on at that stage, so I know what needs to be done right away, which needs my items right away, attention, and stuff like that.  That is very important. 

Sophia Noreen: Managing your time. You're a busy mom, two young girls. How are you managing your time?

Gunjan Sethi:  Honestly, I think I'm still learning about that vibe. It's a continuous process, but what I try to do is obviously try to do stuff when they, and my kids are napping. I try to do stuff around that, and then when they're asleep at night is my key working time. But let's be real, there is more stuff around the house. You have to do other things like this never-ending stuff. I have bucketed the days now, say one day, I'll just do this. The second day, I'll just do this. The third day, I'll just do this, but I have now made sure that every night I'm working, say two-hour window after my kids go to bed to work on this stuff. 

And then try because earlier I was working throughout the day, in the sense two minutes here, five minutes there, whenever I get time. That we're getting too much. Now when on holiday, I'm not working. If I'm not working, that's totally fine. I'm just enjoying with my kids, doing household work, and doing everything else around it. But say for example, if you have to post it, fine. That's the second task, you can do that. But now even replying to the queries, answers, emails, et cetera, everything is at night. 

Sophia Noreen: Okay, good. 

Gunjan Sethi: So I've sectioned it now. 

Sophia Noreen: Yes, like we call it time-blocking and then you mentioned bucketing. I refer to that as chunking your week so you would say, "Okay, on Monday or Tuesday, I'm only going to do Clutcheeet work. On Thursday and Friday, I'm only gonna do, so that's great. I think we have to be really strategic with our time, especially if you have young kids at home. I like how you said that now during the day you don't do the big tasks for the business because it was becoming too stressful.

Gunjan Sethi: I'm not saying they will be no exception.  There will be exceptional days, there will be because you might have to do it, but those are not permanent. Don't make it a habit. One-off days will definitely happen, but make it a habit that you have an hour or half an hour offs. Even one hour in a day at night, or whenever it's comfortable for you chunked out, whenever you're just focusing on your work. That's about it. That will help, that has helped. 

Sophia Noreen: That's fantastic. That's so good. Okay, our very last question. It's about self-care. Gunjan, do you have any self-care routines?  How do you take care of your mental health?  You do anything around those areas.

Gunjan Sethi: Very good question and very important question, Sophia.  The definition of self care is different for every individual. For some people, self care is leave me alone, glass of wine and a Netflix. That's it, that's my self-care. Some people were like, "Okay, I'm going to go exercise." That's my self care. I'm going to go jogging, running, cooking, cleaning, thousand ways. But as long as you know what relaxes your mind is your self-care, what takes you to that Zen mode is your self care, and then  it gives you that mental piece because the whole day we just started on the goal. Run, run, run, do this, do that. But at the end of the day, you need to find that, and I'm not kidding.

At the end of the day, my self-care, not self-care, but mental sanity is  I'll just sit in, switch on TV and I don't know what I'm going to be watching. Just keep looking. 

Sophia Noreen: That's fantastic. 

Gunjan Sethi:  I'm doing nothing.  I just literally go to dumb zone, I'm like fine that's okay.   We need to find what works for you. Every person is different, but it is very important. Now, one thing which I will tell you, and because I have a lot of people I know around me who are moms and who have their babies, there is postpartum is real. Everybody doesn't take it through easily and some people get it hit very hard by these things. We are not a big taker. 

So the question I get asked, how are you doing it? Actually this side business of pledges literally kept me sane, I will say. With two kids and pandemic and everything going around, anybody will lose it, but at the end of the day, I had something else to look forward. Maybe I did not give myself time to get into that full of "Oh my God, pandemic. Oh my God, I have no life" because I had something to look forward to and to work toward. 

Whenever I get freedom, I'm working on a website. I'm uploading new products. I'm doing photographing new products and doing anything, planning social media and whatnot. There are so many other things to do, so that gave me sign to be, and that's what I tell them like maybe because I had something else going on,  kept me motivated and kept me going. But at the same time, what I did for my own self-care was just taking care of my beauty sleep sometimes. Watch TV which is very important, I like watching some series and stuff, so that's  another thing. Exercising is my goal, which I should get to very soon. Yes, beautiful-ing like doing some masking, for that matter once a week and all that, that helps too.

And you feel good inside and out as well. A few things on tips that - key is that you need to find out what works for you. 

Sophia Noreen: Yes. Not one routine will fit all. 

Gunjan Sethi: Yes, I agree. 

Sophia Noreen: I like how you said, whatever calms your mind. Interesting story,  one of my girlfriends, she was speaking to her husband and she goes, "Why are you always doing this? Why are you always doing that?" He's really into lawn care right now, and she's confused. She's like, "Why don't you just sit down and relax?" And he actually said, and this just happened the other day. She goes, "When I do the lawn care, it actually calms me down, although I'm physically doing work." It's interesting because to some people, the perception is, "He's still working" but to him he's actually relaxing because it's giving him something else to do.

Everyone is a bit different.  We haven't spoken specifically, but Enneagrams yet. We did have a guest on the show that was an Enneagram coach but if you know what your Enneagram is, there is different components to your Enneagram, and I bet Gunjan if we did your Enneagram, you might be at three-four or three-two.  We won't go into the numbers right now, but it's just interesting that you've really spoken wisdom there, saying that. Just because I like to do this doesn't mean that you would like to do this, you really have to consider the activities you're doing for your mental health. 

Gunjan Sethi: Hundred percent, because Sophia with the pandemic going on, social media has obviously taken over our lives and you will see people exercising this diet, that diet. That's fine, but is that for you? I'll tell you my thing.  The other thing that helps me is cleaning around the house. 

Sophia Noreen: Okay, good. 

Gunjan Sethi: Can you believe that? Because that comes with pieces nailed. 

Sophia Noreen: That's good. 

Gunjan Sethi: I'll organize the house, on a wonderful way to do it, but yes, that helps me. You need to find what works for you and that can be anything.

Sophia Noreen: Exactly. Great, and then also postpartum, you touched on that. I think having a child, having a baby, having sleepless nights, you have to be kind to yourself.  If you don't feel like doing the work that day, I think it's fine, and it's just a phase. 

Gunjan Sethi: Always remember, look at your life. Do not listen to me. Just look at your life and turn back. Not even far back, just look at last year, or look at last week for that matter. Is every day the same day? No. Are you feeling the same everyday? No. So, as I said correctly and you must have read it somewhere, every day is a new opportunity for you, so make it count. 

Sophia Noreen: That's such a good quote. I'm totally putting that quote down in that book. Gunjan, this was such a pleasure having you on the show today. 

Gunjan Sethi: Totally my pleasure, Sophia. Thank you. Thank you for having me. 

Sophia Noreen: Thank you, and we're definitely going to have you back because I feel like you have so much to offer. If people want to get ahold of you, they want to check out your clutches, they want to come to you for advice, where should we send them?

Gunjan Sethi:  Just send them to my Instagram page and they can DM us for any questions, any queries and I would take care of all the lovely guests who come across there.

Sophia Noreen: Wonderful. I'll hyperlink her Instagram accounts, so you could go directly there. If you want to just check out the website, I will also hyperlink that so you guys can browse. And again, Gunjan is a prime example of this. You can make a plan and take action and yes, you can have it all, and we will see you guys again next week, same time, same place. Take care. 

Gunjan Sethi: Yes, perfect. Thank you. Have a wonderful day. 

Sophia Noreen: Bye guys.