Just like at work, why can’t we build teams at home?: Naiyya Saggi

Founder of parenting platform BabyChakra 'Mom Boss' Naiyya Saggi, who is also a mother to a four-year-old, believes in striking the right balance in both her roles.

Sharing her thoughts on motherhood and her journey as a working mom with exchange4media, Saggi said an ambitious woman should not give up on her career after becoming a mother.

Sharing how motherhood has given her more perspective, she said it's the little daily wins of seeing one's child grow that contribute to overall success.

“Being a mother has given me a lot more perspective. I have started celebrating the small wins. When I saw my daughter taking her first steps, it was a big milestone for her and for us as parents. Now I have a lot of acknowledgements for smaller wins, which we see in our daily lives as entrepreneurs," she stated.

“Earlier it was all about that big movement and big news or launch, but as you see your child grow, you realise it is the daily wins that lead to this overall cumulative journey of success,” Saggi said.

As advice to mothers who have been ambitious, she said that it may be tough to bounce back, but with the right delegation of duties, it is workable.

“Don’t give up on your career if that is what gives you joy and satisfaction. It is tough to get back to work after having a baby with so many questions in mind about yourself. Stay connected. Constantly delegate.

“It takes a team to build what you want at work, so why can’t we build our teams at home. It’s your partner, your staff, extended family, neighbour. Whoever it may be, you must have teams to succeed,” she said.

Sharing her journey as an entrepreneur and a mother, Saggi said, “At BabyChakra, we are serving over 30 million mothers across the country. Personally, for me being a working mom has not been so much of a challenge. I have never felt that being a mother has held me back. In fact, it has been great for business because we got more credibility while building BabyChakra.”

From her own experiences and those of other mothers, Saggi said she realised that people question your commitment towards work when you’re pregnant, which leads to self-doubt. However, with a supportive ecosystem at work and home, she managed to bounce back with full force.

The Co-Founder of The Good Glamm Group also observed that people are now realising and valuing the role of mothers more than ever but there is a long way to go before it becomes easier for women to be mothers and fulfil their ambitions as well.

“There are challenges like caregiving which are still unstructured at home. Equal parenting where fathers can also step in and be partners in raising the child, is happening slowly. There is a long way to go but it is a heartening movement there. More and more employers are now saying that they want mothers back at work.

“Encouraging movements are happening in the ecosystem but there is a long way to go before it becomes very easy for mothers to be mothers and fulfill their ambitions as well,” she said.

Saggi began her entrepreneurial journey with BabyChakra in 2015, years before she herself became a mother. This platform aims to build a community of mothers who can provide each other with advice, recommendations, and support.

“We launched in 2015 and rapidly became the most trusted platform for parents in India, especially for mothers. We handhold mothers through the whole journey of pregnancy and parenting in a very personalised way,” she said.

“The journey has now evolved into how we complete the cycle of care by launching our own products. Last year we launched BabyChakra products which were co-created by mothers and doctors across India. They have gone on to become organically bestsellers on marketplaces and our D2C platforms," Saggi pointed out.

“I started BabyChakra when I was not a mother. So, it has been my companion as well,” she told exchange4med