#LifeLessons – Dr Blossom Kochhar
A pioneer in the Indian salon and beauty industry, Dr Blossom Kochhar’s years of personal and professional experience offers a wealth of information that translates into valuable life lessons for today’s generation and the ones to come. Speaking to Beauty Launchpad for our new series to document life lessons from inspiring personalities in the industry and beyond, Dr Kochhar takes you through her views on everything from health and wellness to education and hope for the future.
Could you share any professional lessons you have learnt?
Money is an important factor; without money, you cannot grow your business. You have to keep a check on what you have and spend accordingly. Your profit should be more than your expenditure. Plan your expenses keeping in mind your earnings and profits.
Has the economy hampered you or helped you in any way?
It hasn’t hampered me in any way because I haven’t gone on to ‘help helplessly’. I always believe that If you want to do something, you have to have a plan. The other thing is, I have never believed in taking out loans to expand the business, because to pay it back is a big headache. I prefer to grow slower, without a sword on my head.
Has anyone you ever met changed your views about life?
Everybody! I love people, they have been the greatest motivation for me, they have been the greatest help, inspiration, and have really ignited my passion.
In business, it’s obviously Mr Leo Passage (March 21,1936-May 11,2011), the Founder-President of Pivot Point, who was a great friend. He really helped me in the business sense and was my mentor.
What are your thoughts on the educational standards in the country?
I feel the children should be taught how to be more street smart and not so much by the book. More practical knowledge, more of what is needed rather than just learning to pass exams. They should really learn to be better people.
Books
I love to read and make it a point to read a book for half an hour every morning and at night. I read a lot of self-help books and autobiographies that have helped me greatly. As for fiction, though I try to read at least one book a month, it’s not always possible. I love the smell of books and having a book in your hand beats Kindle or any screen.
Getaways
Getaways are fantastic and the best way I have done it is through my work. Whenever I travel for work, no matter how busy I am, I always set aside 2 or 3 days to see the place I am visiting and enjoy it. So, for me, work and getaway work well together.
What is your take on Spirituality?
I believe spirituality is an important factor; not religion, but spirituality. Any religion can be spiritual and that is an important thing. We have to be spiritual because it helps your emotions and your soul, and that helps to complete you.
What is the role of Health & Wellness in your life?
One of the major things I have learned in life is that unless you have health, nothing else works. It is not just about the body, it is mind, body and emotions. We have to not only work towards a healthy body, but also a healthy mind by always thinking positively.
In my experience, eating a good diet has really helped with my health. I believe intermittent fasting really works for me; but not when done through the day. My approach is to eat when it is light and stop when it is night — eat a good breakfast followed by a light lunch and an early dinner. This gives me enough fasting time between dinner and breakfast.
Yoga is another important part of health and wellness for me. It’s not just an external workout; yoga is about exercising and massaging your internal organs. Meditation goes without saying.
Quote:
Life inspires me, people inspire me, everything inspires me. It’s a wonderful world.