[Mother’s Day] Life lessons I learned from my mother

Our mothers are our first teachers. And, as we navigate the rollercoaster of life, what we have learned from them holds us in good stead along the way. Mothers exemplify boundless love, strength and fortitude. And no matter how old we are, they strongly influence the way we think, act and believe.

On Mother’s Day, we spoke to nine incredible women entrepreneurs at the top of their fields to understand the life lessons they learned from their mother and how they are carrying them forward.

Together we are stronger

On December 6, 1979, I was arrested and imprisoned along with hundreds of other students who were protesting in the ‘Namantar Andolan’. We were demanding that Marathwada University be renamed to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University.

After spending 15 days in Yerawada jail, I was released and I headed home to Mumbai on a bus. At that time, I was worried about how my mother would react when she saw me.

When I arrived home, my mother warmly greeted me and asked me to take a bath and eat some food.

“We received your letter. We saw it was sent from Yerawada jail. Now hurry up and eat,” she said.

When I sat down to eat, she asked me what I had eaten in jail.

I replied, “Muli ki subzi and roti for every meal.”

She offered me more food.

I was puzzled by her response and asked her if she knew why I was jailed. To my surprise, she replied that, since I was educated, an activist in a Gandhian organisation, and part of the socialist movement, there must have been a meaningful purpose behind my actions.

My mother was a person full of surprises. Despite her frail and tiny appearance, she was full of strength.

That day, I learned an important lesson from her: never be judgemental or biased.

She always reminded me that together we are stronger. She did not always put her lessons into words, but her trust in me gave me the courage to continue fighting for what I believed in.

- Chetna Gala Sinha, Founder, Mann Deshi Foundation

Rock of the family

My mum, Neera Ghai, has been a strong influence in my life. She taught me:

Strength: Dad may have been in the army, but Mum was the rock of our family. She never let anything hold her back, regardless of the curveballs life threw our way.

Work ethic: Long before I entered the workforce, Mum modelled a tireless work ethic. Working as a nutritionist throughout her professional life, she faced every obstacle with a tenacious spirit, proving that perseverance is key to overcoming any challenge and achieving your goal.

Priority for self-care: My mom continues to focus on self-improvement (still does!) while looking after the family. I’ve learned that self-care is central to one’s well-being.

Discipline: A health enthusiast, she exercises every single day. I learned early on that building strong physical and mental discipline will propel me forward in every aspect of life.

Grit: She instilled in me the power of grit—the unwavering determination to see things through, even when the going gets tough. She taught me that true strength comes from within, from facing challenges head-on and finding the resilience to keep going.

- Radhika Ghai, Founder and CEO, KindLife

Health is real wealth

Throughout my upbringing, my mother profoundly influenced my perspective through her actions and guidance.

She taught me that ambition knows no gender boundaries, which fuelled my ambition to build my business.

She also taught me that good things take time, patience, and a lot of hard work.

Her strong belief is that a healthy body and mind are your real wealth. Over time, her belief has become my core mantra.

Not only did she teach me the significance of being financially independent but also made me conscious about spending and investing at a young age.

Lastly, she taught me the valuable lesson of contributing to our community to make this world a better place.

- Vineeta Singh, Co-founder and CEO, SUGAR Cosmetics

Believing in people

The world says I look like my dad, but deep down, I know, I am always my mama's girl.

She taught me:

• The importance of standing up for what is right, even in the face of adversity—whether it’s speaking out against what’s not right or advocating fairness even if you’re standing alone.      
• The power of quiet strength, demonstrating that you don’t need to be loud to be influential. And that girls can indeed, do it all. Her wit, ever sharp, has instilled in me the ability to find humour even in the darkest of times or awkward situations.
• We are a family of foodies—so I got my love for food from her.
• Most importantly, unwavering cheerleading—always believing in people and telling them they can do it, especially on days they feel they can’t.

- Ragini Das, Co-founder, leap.club

The epitome of perseverance

My mum was a teacher and instilled the love for lifelong learning. Till date I am always taking up new subjects to learn—AI being the latest. 

In my corporate career and now in the development sector, education and teaching make up a large part of my role. 

My mum was an entrepreneur using her talents (cooking, teaching) to earn an extra income so that she could give us a few luxuries in life.

In addition, she gave many people jobs and set them on a path to financial independence. 

I guess I picked up my entrepreneurial spirit from her, founding three organisations and employing over 20 people. 

She is the epitome of perseverance and never gives up. Everything is possible, you just have to find the way.

I have always been able to stay calm under pressure and use all resources available to achieve the goal. 

She always planned and organised well in advance; and with a small budget she was able to make things look grander than they were.

She ensured I had multiple skills so that I could always be independent, resourceful and creative. 

Integrity was at her core. Her motto, which I follow, is: never beg, borrow or steal.

- ElsaMarie D’Silva, Founder, Safecity

Power of empathy and kindness

My mum taught me that gender should never define one’s capabilities or restrict one’s dreams. This belief instilled in me the confidence that I can achieve anything I set my mind to.

She emphasised the importance of self-care, teaching me that it’s not selfish to prioritise my own well-being.

My mother constantly nudged me to embrace independence, however scary it may seem at times.

She ingrained in me the virtue of diligence, stressing that there’s no substitute for hard work when striving for success.

Lastly, she showed me the power of empathy and kindness, reminding me to always treat others with compassion.

I’d also like to do a shoutout to my mother-in-law, who has exemplified perseverance and resilience, teaching me to push past my fears and uncertainties.

- Hena Mehta, Co-founder, Basis

Actions speak louder than words

My mother taught me the importance of leading a simple lifestyle. She always taught me to aim and achieve bigger things in life, never forgetting my values on the way.

The way she remained positive throughout shaped me into an individual capable of tackling problems with an optimistic attitude that was strong enough to withstand any form of adversity.

She instilled the importance of building and maintaining relationships that were based on trust and empathy.

She would always say: actions speak louder than words.

She also passed down the idea of completeness in health, where physical as well as emotional well-being must be nurtured alongside one’s faith. These have helped me in building Gynoveda, where we strive to embrace women’s wellness from within.

- Rachana Gupta, Co-Founder, Gynoveda

Never too late to follow your dreams

On her 60th birthday, my mother Sushma Jain started her career as a wildlife artist, finally presenting to the world a skill she had honed over a lifetime of dedication and painstaking effort, but never as a career. 

Since then, she has exhibited her works all over the world—galleries in Mumbai, Dubai, Singapore, and New York and Art Basel Miami. 

Her journey taught me invaluable life lessons:

It’s never too late to follow your dreams

Her first solo exhibition was a gift to herself on her milestone birthday. It’s never too late to go after what sets your soul on fire.

Persistence pays  

Despite obstacles and detours, my mother’s persistence allowed her to keep growing as an artist.

Embrace what makes you feel alive

For my mother, diving wholeheartedly into her art awakened a renewed excitement and momentum within her. Rediscovering her ardour brought out the best in her skills and spirit. Lean into what invigorates you.

Turn passion projects into purpose

Through her wildlife portraits, my mother found purpose in raising awareness about wildlife preservation. All the proceeds of her art shows are being used to build the first veterinary hospital in Lonavala, a mountain-top town near Mumbai, which has no animal care thus far. When you pour yourself into your life’s work, it can positively impact the world around you.

Take charge of your destiny

My mother has always inculcated a sense of ownership in us to drive our own destinies. The biggest life lesson I’ve learned from my mother’s journey is encapsulated in this saying: Khud ko kar buland itna, ki har taqdeer se pehley, khuda khud bandey se poochey, bataa, teri raza kya hain? (Elevate yourself to the extent that before every destiny, God should ask the person what they desire.)

- Neha Bagaria, Founder and CEO, HerKey

Learning to face challenges

My mother has been a pillar of strength, and I have learnt many lessons from her.

A classic trait of mothers is that they are great managers. From managing household chores and handling finances to being able to juggle between multiple tasks ... To keep the home running smoothly is an exceptional skill, and I have seen my mother do it extremely well, all these years.

I have tried to imbibe all her managerial tactics, which I deploy at work today, and I continue to learn from her.

Families are faced with challenges, and my mother was always the rock at home and navigated situations with utmost patience. Her resilience has been able to get me through a lot of tough situations.

Becoming a leader is also something that my mother taught me. Taking charge of the family and ensuring that everyone’s needs are catered to and the way she managed the whole family as a team are, in my view, true signs of a leader. I think my leadership style is extremely inspired by my mother.

A lesson we all should learn from our mothers is empathy. The way my mother comprehends my problems and helps navigate situations helped me increase my emotional intelligence quotient.

Last but definitely one of the most important lessons I have learnt from my mother is adaptability. Through the journey of motherhood, we have to continuously face new challenges, which help us adapt quickly to the changing circumstances. She has helped me embrace change with a positive mindset.

- Ghazal Alagh, CEO and Co-founder, Mamaearth   

(The copy was updated to correct a typo)