Women’s Day Special: When the Odds are Against You, Make it Even

A woman is a full circle, within her is the power to create, nurture, and transform – Anon

She dons the hat of multiple roles with equal ease. At 39 years, she’s the Managing Director of a healthcare firm, a mother, a daughter, a mentor, a guide, a friend, and much more. She’s a woman who has an unbeatable zest for life, and believes in living it to the fullest. Meet Pallavi Jain, our special feature for this month on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

Life is but a roller-coaster ride. But, for some, this ride transforms and reinvents a personality to showcase a persona one has never seen before.

More than 20 years ago, a very special ceremony was taking place. Pallavi, like any other bride, was excited to be married and begin a new chapter in her life. A brand new story was unfolding and she looked forward to being with family members and taking on multiple roles. 3000 attendees to her wedding and it couldn’t get any bigger! Born to a Marwadi family, this under-graduate from SNDT, Pune, is also a Sangeet Visharad. However, life had a different path for her as she found out. She embraced it showing great strength and character.

While the initial 2 years went by peacefully, this phase did not last with life throwing some twists and turns soon after. This was also the time she gave birth to her son which brought immense happiness. But, misfortunes soon engulfed her family causing a financial dent on Pallavi’s personal accounts as well. At the age of 22, Pallavi witnessed their house being sold and her joint family struggling to make ends meet in a modest rental apartment. As the losses increased, her urge to bail her new family out of the situation became stronger. 

The talents in her came to the fore and she stepped out of her comfort zone to start a boutique at Pune’s M.G. road. While she was extremely successful at running her venture, it was not long before things went downhill. “I was excellent at marketing with strong presentation skills and business development. I, therefore, did not look into the maintenance of finances. Besides, I had a business to run and could not put my fingers in too many pies hence needed to rely on others,” she adds.

However, the chaos increased, leaving little happiness in her life. In this moment of crises, Pallavi said to herself, “I am a special child. I have all the attitude and confidence. I have the talent.” She reminded herself. After all, she had immense support from her parents and they had instilled strong values and self-respect in her.

Pallavi explored event management as a career and was extremely successful at wedding planning. She’s had 500+ weddings under her belt with numerous recommendations in her 10-year career span.

Around 2010, Pallavi walked out of her marriage for personal reasons. Without looking back, this enigmatic lady could only look towards her future. “Who will take care of my son? How will I stabilize my monthly earnings? Will a job fetch me sufficient earnings?” These and many questions boggled her mind. But her faith in the unknown was stronger than her fears. Being a single mother wasn’t an easy decision for Pallavi, but her parents stood by her with utmost conviction in her abilities.

There was a pleasant turn of events around February 2011 when opportunity knocked on her door and she began working with Krsnaa Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd., Pune. With barely two centers in an operational mode, she joined as an Executive Manager. She traveled, worked 24 X 7 and gave all she had to this new profession. “I was not associated with healthcare and this was a new chapter for me. However, my strong presentation skills, an excellent command over the language, and the flexibility offered gave flight to my wings. Within 2 years we witnessed a growth of 20 centers! I was promoted to the post of a Managing Director.” Today, Krsnaa Diagnostics is present in 10 States with 1500 locations.

Her new career gave her the freedom to raise her son in a comfortable environment. While her parents continuously showed their support for their stellar daughter, she worked relentlessly to show she’s the ultimate pillar of strength. As she grew in her professional journey, Pallavi interacted with Ministers, celebrities, and traveled the length and breadth across the country. She was now working on par with the best of people and the past 4 months have taken an exciting turn with awards coming along her way.

Pallavi has been recently awarded:

1) ‘Star of Asia for Health Excellence and Social Work’ (November 11, 2016) by His Excellency Khun Korn –the Former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand.

2) 30 Most Influential Women from India were awarded as the ‘Pride of India’ (December 21, 2016) and Pallavi was one amongst other powerful ladies and celebrities spanning different industries. Chief guests Lord Raj Loomba and Shri Anupam Kher graced this event.

We quizzed her how it feels to finally overcome hurdles and begin a successful chapter in life.

Pat comes the reply, “This is just the beginning. I feel proud of my community and the support my family has shown. I feel proud when people say that they wish they had a daughter like me. It makes my heart burst with pride when they say I am equal to 10 sons. I am also excited as I fulfilled my parent’s dream and took them on a pilgrimage. I ensured my family traveled by flight. The joy reflected in their eyes made me realize that you can achieve anything you want if you have the will to do it.”

While Pallavi mentions her son as a source of her strength, she says with conviction, “I’ve ensured my son realizes three important things. Never make a woman cry. Never disrespect women. Always give your partner equal opportunity.”

Pallavi is also a self-confessed shopaholic who can zero in the best outfits from the chaos in shopping malls. Let’s take a look at Pallavi’s fashion mantras. 

1) Always arm yourself with a wonderful smile, attitude, and confidence. No outfit is complete without it.

2) She says, “I avoid loud makeup. But like every other woman, I love makeup and keep it subtle and always accentuate my eyes. Find your best feature and highlight it.”

3) I make it a point to try different hairstyles. They add a wonderful twist to any look.

4) Keep it comfortable and simple. Outfits with collars are her personal favorite and that’s her style statement.

As we come to the end of our conversation, she signs off saying, “Challenges are indeed a blessing in life.  I have no regrets, no complaints. Life is a blessing. And challenges are a part of your journey. Change your perspective and watch those obstacles disappear.”

As we leave the effervescent lady to explore her new challenges in the mountainous regions of beautiful Shimla, she has indeed left a strong message for women on this International Women’s Day. The team at Something Black hopes to motivate every person with this story and we wish her success in this journey.

Do share your wishes in the comments section below.