With people constantly looking for products that are made naturally using organic ingredients, and wanting to lead healthy lifestyles and eat well, Tanushree Ishani D and Pooja Karegoudar saw a great opportunity there. Thus, was born Body Café. Pooja is a baker at Ovenly.in, an entrepreneur and runs an event management company in Bangalore, while Tanushree, from Assam, got bitten by the entrepreneurial bug after her M.Sc. in Organizational Psychiatry and Psychology from King’s College London.
– How did you come about choosing the name ‘Body Café’?
No thoughts or planning. We wanted something that was for the body and soul. We added Café because our products are handcrafted and bespoke, to make users feel that we are ‘serving’ them food for soul!
– Tell us how you both met.
The entrepreneurial spirit is very strong in both of us. I met Pooja when her events company was handling my wedding. We met and as conversations started rolling, we realised how similar our passions and interests are. The first discussion began with me talking about how I want products to be organic and chemical free, and how I am obsessed about bespoke collections.
– Were the two of you anxious/apprehensive about the response? What kind of response did you receive initially?
Of course! There is always a certain level of apprehension and anxiousness. We were nervous, but more than that we were excited. We knew this is something people would love and most importantly, we are 100% sure about the quality of our products. We did a small market research and found that there was an opportunity for us. We deliver across India and the response so far has been fantastic. We already have a strong loyal customer base. The only downer is our stocks are limited and if users do not hurry, it gets sold out by mid month 🙂
– Pick 5 of your favorite products from the brand.
Just 5? That would be unfair ?. Our soaps, lip balms, definitely the charcoal range (gets sold like hot cakes), men’s range, hand & foot cream & the body butters, oh we love them all! We will soon be launching home and pet care ranges.
– What message would you like to give to those who are shy of taking risks in the entrepreneurial field?
‘Entrepreneurship is not for the faint hearted’ – this is what my husband, who is also in the startup field, told me once. And Pooja is already an entrepreneur with her baking label Ovenly.in.
It’s too early to give out messages and advice, but one must remember that you need to eat, breathe, sleep your venture. You cannot slack. You cannot stop learning. Making mistakes is OK and you cannot keep everyone happy. Focus and do not settle for mediocrity.
We can’t wait to try their products!
Rhea Hussain
This 22-year-old political science graduate is a self-proclaimed fitness freak with a love for collecting books and smelling them incessantly. A few things that she digs are crunching on ice cubes, binging on momos and travelling. She has an unconditional affection for dogs. Although she says that she does not have a philosophy in life, but she believes that "happiness is subjective, so never compare".
