When we first featured entrepreneur Ranjani Iyengar, founder and owner of stationary designer Pink Whistle Man, she told us that the inspiration for her business came while planning her 2012 wedding. “I never thought that I would be a fussy bride, but I couldn’t have been more wrong,” she said. “I micromanaged every single detail and designed all the creatives, keeping my family’s sentiments in mind.”
While selecting stationary, she lamented a lack of fun and funky options near her Mumbai home. So in 2013, she formally launched her company, catering at first to a small niche market of design-minded clientele. In recent months, however, the company has been working on a model to scale the business, while still keeping its core customers in mind. To that aim, it has forged relationships with “big names” in India’s entertainment industry that can elevate its brand, she says.
Growing the company has been a significant undertaking, but its success thus far reflects Iyengar’s dedication and sense of responsibility to her venture — traits that she says only truly developed within her after becoming an entrepreneur. “When you see your work being appreciated and realize that it is a trend that is picking up, it drives you to do more,” she says. To step it up at work and maintain a personal life — she is also a soulful singer in a band — Iyengar has had to learn to prioritize. “It has made me more disciplined and focused.”