I have always believed in the phrase “I Can” and because of my will power I always change it into “I Did It”. That’s how I have come so far in my life .
When I got pregnant for the second time little I knew that it’s going to be a life changing experience. During my 21st week of pregnancy something happened and I had a miscarriage. I had a lot of blood loss and I was almost losing myself. Somehow doctors revived me and I was saved. As much as it was physical loss, more than that it was an emotional loss for me. When a mother loses her child she always thinks it’s her failure and I also thought in the same way. It was a very uneasy time for me emotionally but I already had a daughter to look after and because of her I was gaining my strength back.
After a few months I was pregnant again and this news was very healing for me but again as I was weak I had to be on complete bed rest. I was not even allowed to visit the washroom. But I was very determined that I wanted this baby anyhow.
My doctors were worried because of my health. By the time I reached my 23rd week of my 3rd pregnancy, I was diabetic and was gaining weight rapidly. By my 6th month, I was almost 76 kgs. I was on insulin thrice a day. I still can’t believe that I used to poke myself 4 times to check my sugar level and inject myself 3 times to take insulin. I am very very scared of injections even today.
After delivery I was 88kgs with no strength in my back and legs. I was totally taken aback when I realised that I was not able to walk. But I had to gain the strength back as I wanted to play with my baby and hold him in my arms.
Gradually, I started my training and fat loss journey. During my fat loss journey when I was 70 kgs I came to know that now I have one more unwanted guest – PCOS. It made my journey troublesome but I was no less. Rigid that I am, with proper nutrition and exercise I reversed my PCOS completely.
Today I am PCOS free and a very healthy and confident woman and a mother of two beautiful kids.
I have written this as I want to tell you all that if a moment ever comes in life that you feel defeated – Always remember the person you wanted to be. Take small and steady steps, maybe you will fail but you will surely learn something from your failure.
Look back, appreciate yourself for becoming the person you are today. Always remember that you are unique and that you will always strive for the best.
A 'non-9-5 desk job' ambivert geek who chooses her own audience, Sonali loves sharing stories and finding the corners where humanity still exists! She believes that every individual's story is unique and special. She loves writing about the untouched and unspoken segments of society. When not writing, you can find her listening to someone's stories or playing with dogs. Sonali values mental health and encourages people to speak their heart out!
Culminating out of love and experience in child care over the years, CITTA is the brainchild of mother-daughter duo Akanksha Sharma and Monisha Sharma who bring a gift of baby skin care products for millennial parents. The duo incorporates the ancient child care methods with the backing of modernity and advancement to provide a safe and nourishing skincare solution for children. CITTA was created with the serious desire to create a sustainable Indian product for the discerning customer.
Her Story
A team always seeks inspiration from a leader who is dynamic yet humble, goal-driven yet accommodating, and fierce yet kind. These qualities are exactly what defines Akanksha Sharma as the new-age young female entrepreneur of India.
AKANKSHA SHARMA, Founder
Twenty-three-year-old entrepreneur Akanksha, is the epitome of contemporary leadership. With an education in Design & Management from the United States of America, Akanksha is able to approach business through her multidimensional understanding of concepts and ideas.
Having grown up with some of the most noteworthy names of the Indian business domain, with edupreneur parents, Pankaj Sharma & Monisha Sharma, as well as her grandparents and uncle and aunt (pioneering leaders of The Lexicon Group, Pune), Akanksha believes she was destined to venture into entrepreneurship early in her life.
She has witnessed her family’s indefatigable work ethic and how they have built an entire body of business right from scratch. This drive and motivation led Akanksha to launch CITTA, a premium brand of baby skin care products for children.
“CITTA is a brand embodying the clear ethos of conscious business; with products that are all-natural, chemical-free, and manufactured upholding the highest standards of practice, this a brand that blends Indian traditions and new-age scientific technology”, says Akanksha, CEO & Co-Founder of CITTA. She oversees the entire operations, marketing, and sales at CITTA since its launch in August 2020.
Mission and Vision
Inspired by the traditions and knowledge of childcare passed down by grandmothers to mothers, the #Dadi Nani Ke Nuskhe is what CITTA’s range of baby skin care products pride in. This homegrown brand caters to millennial parents specially curated baby products for the age groups of 0-5 years.
“Working on the principle of ‘Tradition backed by Science’ all CITTA products is a culmination of painstaking research into rituals, customers, and best practices in baby-rearing and caring. Therefore, each one has been designed with thought and age-old wisdom married with state-of-the-art technology and natural Indian ingredients”, adds Akanksha. The brand envisions providing the same love and caring that a grandparent would, while today’s parents juggle personal growth and parenting altogether.
“Our products that are all-natural, chemical-free, and manufactured upholding the highest standards of practice, this is a brand that blends Indian traditions and new-age scientific technology”. 2020.
“I envision this brand to be an Indian household name for skincare products for children. My mother is the Director of The Lexicon Group & Co-Founder of CITTA, who also has a keen interest in and a sound knowledge of cosmetics and skincare”.
Her mantra of entrepreneurship is perhaps deeply inspired by her father’s personality and his experiences: “Focus on what can go right, not what can go wrong; believe in yourself and make your own path to success.” With no apprehension of going the extra mile for her personal and professional families, Akanksha Sharma is the vibrant new face of Indian business.
What is special with this baby skin care product?
Keeping in mind the tender and fragile skin of babies and toddlers, CITTA’s formulations are Safe and Tested that work well for the fast-paced demanding self-sustained life of millennial couples today. That is why, they are developed using natural ingredients and are guaranteed free of parabens, sulphates, silicones, mineral oil, and allergens. Keeping the motto of transparency as a way to serve each parent, CITTA mentions each ingredient clearly on its packaging.
Whether it is the various natural oils, the oat silk, or the multiple extracts, each one of them has been combined with precision in a controlled environment and has received all the safety approvals, and is cruelty-free.
Achievements
Akanksha was a TEDx Speaker in 2020 and a panelist at ‘How and why MSMEs will be the growth catalyst for India to become a $5 trillion economy at the Pune Times Mirror Leadership Awards. She had collaborated with the Governor of Maharashtra, Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, to distribute CITTA care packages to the underprivileged children of the community.
Infano Thanks Akanksha Sharma for sharing her story with us.
If you know of a powerful woman whose story needs to be heard, mail us at infano.care@gmail.com
Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin has done her masters in Journalism & Communication and has worked as a senior journalist, editor and columnist for leading publications like The Logical Indian, Deccan Chronicle, Worldwide Media Corporation, The Bridge and Provoke.
With Infano, she hopes to create more awareness about women’s health issues. Suffering with Fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition, she has also been advocating for its awareness through media.
