Lisa Mukhiya, Founder, Foot Fetish and Itta

The Evangelist with a Fetish

What is the difference between reflexology and authentic sushi? The answer to this rather absurd question could be best articulated by budding entrepreneur Lisa Mukhiya. Adding a certain amount of exoticism to what Mukhiya does is that she easily dabbles between her unusual pet ventures of a reflexology centre, Foot Fetish, and a Japanese restaurant, Itta, in the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal.Mukhiya belongs to the rare breed of young women entrepreneurs who chose to take the untrodden path of starting a business rather than taking up a job or settling down in a blissful marital life. Mukhiya, a BBA graduate started Foot Fetish at the age of 22. “Foot Fetish”, she says, “is a reflexology centre which practices the alternate medicine science of reflexology”. Reflexology is an ancient form of alternate cure which says that there are reflexes in the feet, hands and ears, which correspond to every part, gland and organ of the body. Through application of pressure on these reflexes one can get rid of tension, improve blood circulation and promote the natural function of the related areas of the body. The treatments provided at Foot Fetish, have proven to be beneficial for health besides being a complete relaxing experience” adds Mukhiya.

Starting Foot Fetish was a rather well thought of decision because of the rising need for good therapy centres in Nepal. Nepal being the ideal playing field for adventure seekers around the world, tourists were always on the lookout for a good therapy centre where they could recuperate and rejuvenate.

Talking about her entrepreneurial venture, Mukhiya says, “Foot Fetish from its initial days wanted to capitalize on the flux of tourists coming to Nepal for trekking, mountaineering etc. Most of the tourists that come to Nepal are in search for adventure, and nothing is more appropriate than a complete pampering session after a tiring trip. Over the years Foot Fetish has been successful in creating awareness among the locals as well. Thus, it now caters not only to the tourists but the locals alike.”

Our young mogul is no less adventurous than the customers that she caters to. She hates the monotony associated with a regular 9 to 5 job and likes to follow her own ideas and own path and that is the reason she chose to take the path of entrepreneurship. In her own words, “Being an entrepreneur gives you an opportunity to experiment your ideas at your own cost so if you succeed its your achievement and if you do fail you have nobody to blame but yourself. I am a risk taker and I would rather take a risk and learn than not try at all.”

Mukhiya’s growth as a successful entrepreneur is even more commendable when one considers the problems that she had to face in starting her business. Besides the ubiquitous problems like lack of funding, she also had to fight the perception that people had about massage centres. The other major problem for her and for almost every business in Nepal was the political instability that the country was experiencing for the past three to four years. Many businesses had to shutdown. Mukhiya, too suffered the closure of one of her branches. However, the young fighter stay put and now is a proud owner of less of three branches of Foot Fetish in Nepal; excluding the five outsourcing initiatives. She took all these problems in her stride and not just setup a profitable business but has also changed the views that people have had about massage centers. “Foot Fetish is now synonymous to excellent foot massage and other wide range of treatments at an affordable price. It has now become a household name associated with health and well being; this is our biggest achievement so far”, says Mukhiya with an emphatic tone. The media was her ally in creating this awareness among people.

A bullish magnate, Mukhiya has a clear picture of future prospects for Foot Fetish. She plans to open a full fledged spa along with her current services. She wants Foot Fetish to provide reflexology treatments at all exclusive venues, and aims to tie-up with international airlines and five star hotels.

Foot Fetish has thought of unique ways to increase their foot prints. Mukhiya is targeting at outsourcing her trained employees to five star hotels and VIP lounges at international airports. This budding entrepreneur wants to bank upon Nepal’s potential as an excellent spa destination with its trained manpower and the advantage of various Himalayan herbs available in the region. Also, with the huge demand for skilled spa workers around the world, Foot Fetish sees tremendous opportunities in the unexplored sector as a supplier of trained massage therapists.

Mukhiya has thoroughly enjoyed her ride through entrepreneurship. She chose to be an entrepreneur because she wanted to do something which nobody else was doing or thought was worth doing. And being a pioneer for the industry, she feels she has definitely reaped the benefits. Though there have been times when she contemplated on pursuing a regular job for financial stability, the thought of quitting has never crossed her mind despite the political and economical instability of Nepal.

She admits that as an amateur entrepreneur she has made few mistakes in terms of finances, marketing and brand building. However, her motivation lies in getting to know her strengths and weaknesses and working on both of these.

Giving advice to others who would like to follow her footsteps, Mukhiya says, “Believe in yourself, your product and your service, believe in what you are doing and others will believe in you.”

She might be young but she’s definitely not an amateur. She has a clear view of the future from the driver seat of her venture and YourStory wishes her more success in the years to come.