[100 Emerging Women Leaders] Neelima Thakur on starting her entrepreneurial journey at the age of 50

Early on in her life, Neelima Thakur spent decades working in schools as an English teacher. Later on for eight years, she served as a communications professor in universities.  

In 2016, her paths changed. At the age of 50, she decided to become an entrepreneur. At that point in her life, she had been dealing with health issues which also took a toll on her mental health. 

“I started feeling very low-spirited and was almost on the verge of breaking down whenever someone started a conversation with me,” she shares. 

Despite regular doctor visits and medications, nothing seemed to improve her mental health. It was also around this time when she noticed several of her students struggling with hair loss. 

“I had an inclination towards natural herbs and oils. I prepared a concoction and gave it to my students and within two months they started experiencing good hair growth,” she says. 

She continued to give hair care solutions to her students, and one day, decided to put the recipe on a Facebook group she was a part of.  The same evening, she received a call from a friend. 

“She [the friend] sounded furious. She had seen my Facebook post and called to tell me that instead of sharing the recipe on Facebook, I could start a business," Thakur recalls, sharing that upon listening to the suggestion, she had broken into laughter. 

Soon after, the friend placed an order, and as the word spread, Thakur gained six to seven customers. 

Ramesh has come a long way since then. Her brand Shine Herbals has grown to have a product portfolio of 22 home-made hair care products comprising hair oils, shampoos, serums, and more.  At present, Thakur sells her products through ‘Shine Herbals’ Facebook page, which has close to 4.4k followers. 

When she first started, nobody seemed to believe that she could make it work, and she kept it a secret for two years, managing everything on her own.

“You will meet more people who will demotivate you. So, you have to keep your spirits high. Keep patting your back yourself. And I can be your example because I started my business with no one’s support. So, don't ever quit,” she advises young entrepreneurs.

“I have lived enough for others. Now I will live for myself,” she says. 

(This story has been updated to correct a quote attribution and headline)