'Never be defeated by mistakes, just learn from them': Dipali Mathur, Founder and CEO, Super Smelly personal care products
The Proust Questionnaire is a questionnaire about one’s personality. It has its origins in a parlour game popularised by Marcel Proust, the French essayist, who believed that, in answering these questions, an individual reveals his or her true nature.
Private banker turned entrepreneur, Dipali Mathur Dayal is Founder and CEO of The Natturel and Kool Pvt Ltd, the parent company of the brand, Super Smelly, which is a brand of personal care products for Gen Z that is 100% toxin-free and made with natural ingredients. In her present capacity, she spearheads the responsibility of product vision, investor management, brand management, strategy and direction for the company.
A chemistry honours degree holder from Delhi University and a post-graduate in Business Management, Dipali carries the professional experience of over a decade as a successful private banker with organizations like HSBC and StanChart. However, she was always inclined towards taking up the role of a full-time entrepreneur. While the shift wasn’t easy, she managed to take the plunge with confidence.
Dipali rolled out her first entrepreneurial venture from scratch in 2016 along with her partner, Magnifique Boutique Spas and Salons in Delhi. She went on to launch her second venture with the same partner, Super Smelly – 100% toxin-free brand of personal care products for the Gen Z, in 2018.
Apart from her entrepreneurial commitments, Dipali loves to spend time with her family, likes to read, loves to travel and is also a fitness enthusiast. Here are her responses to our Proust questionnaire…
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Sipping a hot cup of tea still tucked in my bed early in the morning followed by morning cuddles with my daughter.
What is your greatest fear?
Losing someone I love.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
That my days are a series of foot in the mouth moments, as I take one foot out to generally put the other one in!
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
A sense of entitlement.
Which living person do you most admire?
My mother.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Self-care.
What is your current state of mind?
Excited !!I find myself humming this song by Danny Gokey, which has lyrics like, “My best days are ahead of me” and I have this constant feeling that something great is about to happen.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Chastity.
On what occasion, do you lie?
To protect myself.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
My teeth.
Which living person do you most despise?
Someone you don’t know.
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Intelligence.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Intelligence.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“Right” and “You know” … there are more of these in a sentence than the actual thing.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My daughter.
When and where were you happiest?
Right here, right now! Today.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Eloquence.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Just one? This list is long and I am work in progress.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I used to be a person who needed validation for everything, but now I have become one who doesn’t need any.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
Me, and in that life, I will start loving myself much earlier.
Where would you most like to live?
By the sea.
What is your most treasured possession?
Old photo albums.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Poverty.
What is your favourite occupation?
Reading, fashion, movies.
What is your most marked characteristic?
An introvert and shy person by nature, my ability to come alive on a stage.
What do you most value in your friends?
That real friends are non-judgmental and forgiving.
Who are your favourite writers?
Currently Carmine Gallo, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and Phil Knight.
Who is your hero of fiction?
Wonder Woman.
Which historical/mythological figure do you most identify with?
Lord Krishna.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Elon Musk, JK Rowling, Michelle Obama, Oprah.
What are your favourite names?
Prashali, Prashant and Dipali in that order.
What is your greatest regret?
That I have hurt the people I love.
What is it that you most dislike?
Networking events.
How would you like to die?
Sudden, while I am asleep.
What is your motto?
Never be defeated by mistakes, just learn from them!
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