ZestMoney’s Lizzie Chapman finds happiness in entrepreneurship

Quick Bytes by Lizzie Chapman

Originally from London, Lizzie Chapman made India her home seven years ago. After working in various finance firms, Lizzy co-founded the fin-tech startup ZestMoney in 2015. Now settled in Benglauru with her family, Lizzie aims to "make life more affordable" for the large population of India.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

I am happiest when I am engaged in something - it doesn't have to be work only; it can even be a really good run that is going really well. It is about being in the momentum of something and finding that you are getting better and better at it and progressing.

What is your greatest fear?

Being irrelevant and doing something that is meaningless.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Impatience.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Laziness

Which living person do you most admire?

My mum.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Stationery. I like to spend money on good notebooks.

What is your current state of mind?

Trying to focus on the "now" a lot more. Meditation is helping me focus these days and stopping me from always thinking about the future.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Patience.

On what occasion do you lie?

When friends ask me if they look good in different outfits.

What do you dislike about your appearance?

My skin gets very red in India. I wish I blended in a bit more.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Respect for women.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Respect for women. I really like women who help other women.

What words or phrases do you overuse?

'That's amazing'. 'Excellent'. I trend to overuse over-the-top 'praise' words?

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

My husband.

When or where were you the happiest?

There are bubbles of happiness in my life every other day - like when we've had a successful month or something good has happened in the business. Those are the ultimate peaks of happiness. 

What is the talent you'd like to have?

Music. I love listening to music but cannot contribute in any way.

What would you consider your greatest achievement?

Building a really good team of people. That is still my proudest moment, especially when I see how smart and productive they are.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I only focus on strengths.

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing who would it be?

It would be a person who devoted their whole life to making change and ideally, creating change for women around the world. There aren’t enough people doing that right now.

Where would you most like to live?

Fort Kochi or Kolkata.

What is your most treasured possession?

My phone, as it allows me to productive. As I grow older I realize that possessions are not very important. The things I treasure most are memories and people.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

As I am an extrovert – I would say loneliness.

What is your favourite occupation?

Entrepreneurship.

What is your most marked characteristic?

I am very friendly. I like people.

What do you most value in your friends?

I value the fact that my friends are different – some are arty and creative and some work in charities. That’s what I really value about them as they bring a totally different perspective to my life. I don’t have friends who are entrepreneurs. My friends are from a completely different world.

Who are your favourite writers?

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie who wrote Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah.

Who is your hero of fiction?

In the book, Great Expectations – there is a character called Pip who keeps reinventing himself.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

I wish I was like Emily Pankhurst the leader of the British Suffragette movement who helped women get the right to vote in the UK. I would love to be like her.

Who are your heroes in real life?

My mother and mother-in-law. They are both really strong women. Both of them do a lot of social work and have a strong moral compass.

What are your favourite names?

Kiara

What do you most dislike?

People who have low standards in general -- about morality or about how they treat people. I hate people who look down on others and have no respect for other human beings.

What is your greatest regret?

I don’t have any regrets. I don’t believe in that philosophy.

How would you like to die?

Very quickly, with no pain and without anyone knowing about it.

What is your motto?

Pain is temporary but pride is forever. When things are difficult, you need to see the bigger picture. Sometimes you think, nothing good happens to those who wait. I would say -- do wait and make it happen.