Meet Upma Kapoor who grew her organic beauty brand from Rs 7.5 L to Rs 2.24 Cr in two years
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.
Upma Kapoor, Founder Teal & Terra, an organic cosmetic startup, wanted to bring a paradigm shift in the organic beauty industry, when she launched her startup. She spent 15 years in the corporate world before deciding to quit, and worked as an independent HR & Finance consultant for some time. Eventually, she decided to take the entrepreneurial plunge with Teal & Terra in 2017. From worth of 7.5 lakh to 2.24 crore in under two years, Ms. Kapoor has worked night and day for Teal & Terra to emerge as a brand. 70% of her revenue comes from repeat buyers in this highly competitive market. She also works extensively towards women empowerment and provides work from home opportunities to women so they can make a living. The company has a team of 18 female employees who take care of marketing, sales, and administrative roles. Her startup endeavours to change the Indian cosmetic landscape by using natural ingredients and the age-old principles of Ayurveda. Here are her responses to our Proust questionnaire…
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Perfect Happiness comes through fulfilled goals and desires, gratitude and appreciation.
What is your greatest fear?
Fear of losing and failure.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Procrastination.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Arrogance, dishonesty, and disrespect.
Which living person do you most admire?
Indira Nooyi. She is tough, resilient and a great communicator.
What is your greatest extravagance?
I love shoes and cars. I have to admit that I own at least 120 pairs of shoes.
What is your current state of mind?
Motivated and progressive.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Perfectionism.
On what occasion do you lie?
When I have to save my loved ones from pain and agony.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I don’t worry much about it.
Which living person do you most despise?
None.
What is the quality you most like in a man?
Intelligence and humour.
What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Independence and wisdom.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“Will be done”.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My son.
Which talent would you most like to have?
To perfect playing the violin someday.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I wish to be less judgemental.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Conceptualising the idea of Teal & Terra, making it a brand known to people and eventually getting recognised for my work by receiving the Priyadarshni Award for Outstanding Woman Entrepreneur 2019 and Global Business Award for Women Entrepreneur of the Year.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
I would like to come back as myself but with fewer challenges, more support, money and time, and money to give back to the society.
Where would you most like to live?
I love to be where I am, i.e., India.
What is your most treasured possession?
My most treasured possession is my mother’s set of earrings. They remind me of how she taught me never to give up and be the person who I am today.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
A person who becomes selfish and sinks to such levels of self-loathing that they tend to lose the bigger picture of life.
What is your favourite occupation?
Reading books.
What is your most marked characteristic?
Perseverance.
What do you most value in your friends?
Their kindness and for consistently being there for me at every point of my life.
Who are your favourite writers?
Alan Watts, Joseph Campbell and Mirza Galib (favourite poet).
Who is your hero of fiction?
I believe my hero of fiction changes depending on whatever books I’m obsessed with but Spiderman has been the most consistent one. I like his ability to come strong against all the odds in his life and helping other people with his power.
Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Leonardo Da Vinci. He had so many interests in so many subjects, learned so many things, and still desired to learn more.
Who are your heroes in real life?
Anyone with the courage to listen to what their heart and gut are telling them and then act on it to create a positive impact.
What is your favourite name?
Kabir- it is my son’s name.
What is it that you most dislike?
Dishonesty, shallowness and superficiality.
What is your greatest regret?
There is no point in regretting something that has happened in your life. If it didn’t work out, move on, work harder and keep on learning.
How would you like to die?
In good health, where I am not dependent on someone.
What is your favourite journey?
My trip to Hawaii.
What is your motto?
It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.
