Meet Neha Agarwal, the millennial mother who never gave up on her entrepreneurial dreams
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.
A creator at heart, Neha Agarwal, Founder, Digi Acai, is an SEO specialist. After having worked in the SEO space for over 11 years, Neha started her own consulting services.
Her experience of being a mum and balancing her career with it pushed her to start mummas.com, a community for millennial moms.
Today over 25,000 moms are a part of it and together they inspire each other and discuss their experiences. She believes there’s more to a woman than just being a mom. A mother can look after her child and her career. Ambition doesn’t need to be put on hold when one becomes a mom.
Here are her responses to our Proust questionnaire…
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
A fulfilling career as an entrepreneur and able to perform my duties as a mother.
What is your greatest fear?
If I pause, the world will move ahead and I will be left behind.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Constant thinking about what to do next and my impatience.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Procrastination.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Handbags.
What is your current state of mind?
Grateful for my early success but not satiated because there is a lot more to achieve.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Contentment.
On what occasion do you lie?
If it can save someone from being hurt.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
If I had a choice, I would want beautiful hands with long, artistic fingers.
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Ambition and the drive to achieve bigger things in life.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Ambition and the drive to achieve bigger things in life.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My son and my work.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Cooking. The pandemic has made me realise that culinary skills are very important.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
My tolerance level for imperfection and mediocrity at work.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Starting and running an organisation along with being a hands-on mother, most of the time, if not all the time.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
Myself.
Where would you most like to live?
Dehradun. This place is close to my heart.
What is your most treasured possession?
Letters from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Having no goals.
What is your favourite occupation?
Entrepreneurship.
What is your most marked characteristic?
My honesty and straightforwardness.
What do you most value in your friends?
Support, loyalty, and love.
Who are your favourite writers?
Devdutt Pattanaik and Rashmi Bansal.
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Kalpana Chawla.
What is it that you most dislike?
The lack of effort.
Who are your heroes in real life?
My father and all the moms out there (working at offices or working at home) who are working hard for a better society.
What is your favourite name?
Reyansh (ray of sunshine).
What is your greatest regret?
Not trying my hand at entrepreneurship during my college days.
How would you like to die?
Suddenly. During my sleep and not due to any long illness.
What is your favourite journey?
The dual journey as a mother and as an entrepreneur.
What is your motto?
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Edited by Megha Reddy