When asked by her father to quit her high-profile techie job to join the family venture, Manjusha Mohan was very apprehensive about how she would fare as cut-throat entrepreneur. But, three years negotiating several learning and challenging curves, Manjusha is finally at ease with her position as the executive director of G’Sons Apparels.
And, she isn’t sinking into the cosy zone, but is busy racking her brains helming various expansion plans.
Born into a business family - G’Sons Retail Private Ltd - Manjusha knew nothing about business and went on to Bangalore before leaving for the US for her job.
“My father always thought I was capable enough to run the business and this was one reason why I decided to quit and take the plunge. But, even then I was determined to go back if things didn’t work out,” says Manjusha.
As she sits down to chat after announcing the expansion plans of Dennis Morton, the famous silk shirt brand from the house of G’Sons Apparels, Manjusha says she isn’t scared to take risks.
“I may succeed or my plans may go awry, but any entrepreneur has to take risks to succeed. What’s the whole point of not doing anything when you have the opportunity,” says Manjusha, who is women’s wing chairperson of the North Malabar Chamber of Commerce.
Even as the expansion plan keeps her on her toes, Manjusha says she wants to do everything possible to bring the youth closer to the brand. “Ever since we introduced the silk shirt to market, it has been the same. But, I want to do something more. Dennis Morton needs to get closer to youth and that is why I chose Sameera Saneesh to work on our new collections. She is a popular designer and she has come up with some wonderful innovations like Mandarin Collar and pin tuck sleeves. So far we have 1,000 shades of colours and we aim to introduce over five shades every month,” says Manjusha about her plans.
While she admits her journey so far has not been smooth, thanks to a different work culture in Kerala, she agrees to have turned bolder and better. “Women entrepreneurs have to face various difficulties here. Kerala has an entirely different work culture. I had to unlearn every single management technique from my corporate life, like the micromanagement theory. And, the first few months were very harrowing even as a woman and as an entrepreneur. During the construction of G-Mall in Kannur, I was a lone woman in the team and I found it challenging to get work done. Most of them were reluctant to obey me but I stuck to my stance and things were changing soon,” says Manjusha. As much as she is a entrepreneur, Manjusha is also a hand-on mom to a six-year old daughter. However like any busy mother, she too rues about the lack of time. “I am always travelling and because of that I only get very little time to spend with my daughter. But, I do take vacations to make up for it,” says Manjusha, a single parent.