We invited Rashi Khanna, Founder of Ra by Rashi Foundation for an interview with Most Popular Stories to know more about her entrepreneurial journey.
Ra by Rashi Foundation is consistently touched and changed lives as the foundation worked on many issues related to women and children, in the last 5 years. The foundation has developed strong community bonds reinventing the meaning of change.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey as an entrepreneur? Describe the services that you offer to your customers and in what way they are unique?
“Empathize, Energize and Empower, enable Strength at broken places with customized and sustainable solutions“.
Our initiatives provide the momentum that enables changing lives and not merely touching lives. We are committed to reinvigorating social & economic well being to anyone in need. Flagship initiative is” Women facing a mid-life crisis”
Middle-aged women experience a severing relationship with a long-term partner. In addition to being emotionally wounded, women may experience a substantially reduced household income. Women in midlife tend to experience higher rates of loneliness (distress post-divorce or death of loved ones or kids go away for studies). These midlife women also reported frustrated goal attainment; health is a common issue at this age.
We named it “Ra by Rashi Foundation” as our members should know their empath. A true empath knows how to deal with the imperfections. That is the greatest trademark.
Our success stories:
- Old parent care
- Meals at orphanages
- Social indulgence
- Entrepreneurial guidance /skill development/startup strategies.
- Flagship initiative: Helping women fight a mid-life crisis.
- The initiative “BE THE HELP”: Awareness talk shows
- Initiative “BUSINESS SHOWERS” providing startups with a platform to sell their products.
2. What was the vision behind it?
I feel that the welfare industry is the need of the hour and has been working day and night for our country especially in times of distress. We at Ra by Rashi Foundation have been providing regular amenities to women, children and old parents in Delhi NCR.
Our mental health experts have been hearing and talking to people who have lost jobs. We have partnered with a few HR consultants and life coaches who are helping our members with free training and skill development so that they can restart work.
Businessmen have suffered the most so our regular calls to them have been a sigh of relief. Our industry is doing its best but I still feel there is a lack of empathy, hence we are more strong with our ideas of bringing a change to this industry.
3. What’s your source of motivation?
My source of motivation is that one smile, I can give to the one who needs it the most. I aim to provide strength in broken places. My inspiration is my Guru who has helped me evolve as a person from the age of 15yrs.
Being a spiritual woman I feel Love is something that always moves mountains. People speak a lot but I usually watch their actions when it comes to business and work.
My vast experience of this painful world and regular spirituality lessons helps me in my vision and mission. The universe has chosen me to bring the change & I am passionate about it totally.
4. What difficulties which you have faced or you are facing?
My biggest challenge has been “Women playing the victim” This one mistake that a woman can make is wasting years of her life waiting for someone else to give her growth she deserves.
I faced questions from families who never let the woman in need grow her skills, business, and emotions. They never helped them financially to enhance their social network rather mocked and pushed them.
This was painful in the initial years. One more challenge that I faced was of raising funds. That restricted me many times from doing good to needy as we had limited resources.
5. How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
I feel to heal -I have the power over my mind-not outside events. Realize this and you will find strength”. My daily regime of meditation(spiritual class), yoga, and talking to my plants are my stress busters.
The more real I am the less pressurized I am. I remind myself each moment that I need not fit in the rules to help people.
6. What is one strategy that you believe has helped you grow as a person/startup?
One strategy as a brand and marketing expert that I use for myself is” I share my story to sell more”. People connect with stories and that too real empathy stories. No one wants to buy bookish Gyan.
Each character has a long story of experience in this difficult world. If one can connect they will stay forever. So I brand my story and trust me it works. I am a midlife woman facing many crises and yes, I have messed up many times.
I just share the real story. This is hyper empathy for me. This makes me the larger person than this life, also helps me add value to the cause I am working on.
7. In your opinion what are the keys to success?
My success mantras:
- Real women are never perfect and perfect women are never real.
- Never leave your childhood friends, they know you the best.
- Integrity and conscious go to the grave , keep it clean.
- Sufferings are real so always be kind.
- Know the real you like that will get you success: I am born as a giver, less as a taker, so that is my success story!
- Listen to your heart always as brains are selfish. It kills the hyper empathy so best to avoid.
8. How your company is helping India to grow?
For me as the Founder-TRUSTEE-CHAIR of RA BY RASHI FOUNDATION, my dream project of helping Women facing mid-life crisis came into being.
Strong Women raise strong families. Thus will help our country grow more stronger.
I believe in hyper empathy and always feel deeply about issues. No one ever heard me except my husband, who is one of the trustees of Ra by Rashi foundation. I always questioned what would happen to women who have insensitive husbands and families.
What do they do? That reconfirmed my mission all the more. Along with my Store, I got into charity work with different NGOs in Lucknow, Bengaluru & Delhi NCR. I partnered with many NGOs to learn and see how they would operate. One thing I observed is that donations come in but empathy is missing.
Very few are willing to go out of their comfort zone to make a life worth living for the needy. Few don’t need money, all they need is to be heard and felt.
9.Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job?
I have been lucky to experience both but I believe in being an empath more than anything else. It gives me a sense of fulfillment. Being an entrepreneur opens multiple avenues for me to give back to society.
10. What advice would you give to someone starting out as an aspiring entrepreneur?
Education is a must for all aspects. One should be well equipped with all kinds of skills and qualifications to do successful business in 2020. Times have changed and just hiring people to do your job doesn’t work. One needs to be well versed with technology, financial planning PR, strategizing as a package.
We at Ra by Rashi Foundation help people develop entrepreneurial skills, mentorship and also help on a sustainable ecosystem. We have special packages for women(mid-life )who want to start their own.
We provide Internships to college students who want to learn and experience the role of empaths.
Feel free to reach out to us on our mail id shared below.
Mail us for any query: [email protected], [email protected]
To Visit Ra by Rashi Foundation website, Click Here!
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