The only plan that Shriti Pandey had in 2016—after completing her master's in construction management from New York University, she worked in New York—was to take “a year-long sabbatical to explore what’s next for me”. She moved back to India in 2017 and was offered the SBI Youth of India Fellowship where she “got an opportunity to live in a rural tribal area, where there are a million problems, but opportunity as well.” Pandey founded city-based Strawcture Eco in 2018—they make eco-friendly AgriBio panels that are used for construction. In this interview, Pandey talks to us about her entrepreneurial journey and more.
Have you been able to strike a balance between work and life?
When entrepreneurs say achieving a work-life balance is challenging, it is true. It is because the sense of accountability is so high when you are running your own company, you are not able to focus on anything else. I think that you owe it to yourself and to other people in your life to have a better [work-life] balance. If people can carve out the work-life balance from day one, that is perfect. I wasn’t that person. But at this point of time, after four years of doing this, I am making it a priority to have a better work routine for myself for my own mental, physical, and emotional health. And I know that it indirectly or directly impacts people in my life. I would say I am a work in progress and I think most entrepreneurs are.
What do you do when you are not managing Strawcture Eco?
I do have a very long working routine—nine [in the morning] to eight [at night]. Six to nine in the mornings are extremely sacred for me. When I started out, it used to be way more crowded. I use those three hours to exercise, to read as I love reading; I also love cooking. Once I am back from work, I try to de-stress; I go swimming. Most Sundays I like to just be by myself and try to pick up my phone as little as possible. I love cats and dogs, and since I have not been able to adopt any because of my lifestyle, I try to go and spend some time with them in shelters. I recently started to learn pottery, which is what I do on Sundays.
Any key takeaways from becoming an entrepreneur?
If you want to get on this path, be ready to be accountable for your actions and mistakes.
Also, there will be days when you would want to give up, but you can’t. That’s when you need to remind yourself why you started, and what is the fundamental motivating force for you.