Irrespective of the industry, women in today's time have made their presence in every business vertical. Be it leading strategic business ventures or building creative enterprises, women leaders are championing both with equal aplomb. The design industry has also seen various women rise to the top owing to their technical, creative and intuitive approach.

Yashashwi Malani is one such design entrepreneur who is revolutionizing this sector by creating unique design outputs for clients. A self-taught designer, Yashashwi began her career as a freelancer. In order to accommodate the rising number of clients she formally conceived Graph, a Design Studio where passionate designers and artists breathe life and soul into their designs.

Yashashwi helms the start-up and leads various functions such as design, marketing, sales, micromanagement, talent acquisition and customer satisfaction. She believes that being an entrepreneur allowed her to explore all aspects of the industry which has contributed to her learning curve. She ensures to never miss an opportunity to learn and grow. Yashashwi's curious, multi-disciplinary and positive attitude has led to the success of Graph.

In an interview with the Women Entrepreneur Team, Yashashwi shares her journey of founding and leading Graph. Here are snippets from the conversation.

How Did You Gain Expertise As A Graphic Designer? What Led To The Foundation Of Graph?

I am a BA (Hons.) Graduate in Textile Design for Fashion & Interiors from Pearl Academy, Jaipur. However, I learned to design graphics on my own. I was introduced to Adobe Photoshop in 5th Grade and I went on to learn a new design software every year. Those long hours practicing editing and design formed the foundation of who I am today, and I treasure every minute of it.

Graph is not a carefully planned business. I was working with various companies right after college on a freelance basis. I always treat every company that I work with as my own and give my 100 percent, which has helped me retain 85 percent of all my clients. This eventually earned me several accolades and propelled me to where I am today. As word of mouth spread, the demand for my design expertise grew to an extent where I needed to recruit people to help me with the projects, and thus Graph was born.

I believe it worked because Graph's values and principles aligned with my beliefs. The company is essentially a more nurtured and cultivated version of myself that thrives on the contributions of each team member.

Tell Us About Some Of The Key Leadership Philosophies That You Rely On In Order To Drive Growth Within Graph.

I believe in passion, which is undoubtedly one of the core foundations of Graph. I began to recruit people based on their willingness and determination to improve the skills they brought to the table. I mentored them to become industry professionals, teaching them design, content and marketing. I am particularly interested in self-motivation and a desire to learn to improve myself. I believe in creating a safe space and giving freedom to explore and then specialise in areas of interest. This has proved to be a good business strategy as it helped us expand and retain the team.

What Are Some Of The Most Challenging Aspects Of Your Job And How Do You Counter Them?

The most difficult aspect of my job is keeping both my team and my clients happy. I struggle to explain and educate clients about the design industry and the pressure of working in an agency with unrealistic expectations. I understand where they are coming from but it is important to foster a healthy working environment. At the same time, I ensure that my team understands the value of the resources that our clients invest in us and never take that for granted. Another challenging part would be training aspiring professionals into industry-ready professionals while expanding when the company requires more experienced professionals.

How Has Your Journey As A Business Leader And Entrepreneur Been So Far? How Do You Keep Yourself Well Aligned With The Periodic Evolutions Occurring In The Industry And The Tech World?

It has been both nourishing and enlightening. Every day, I learn something new from the people I work with and I grow a little more. "To win something, you must be ready to lose something." You have to devote your undivided attention to your business especially at the growing stage. How you nurture your business would decide the growth and welfare of it in the future.

“I believe in creating a safe space and giving freedom to explore and then specialise in areas of interest.”

"When you compare yourself, you are insulting yourself". I never compare my methods, my business or my team to those of others. Moreover, I have never overplayed our achievements and have always put my focus on delivering the best.

Did you know that cockroaches have survived mass extinction because they adapt dynamically to their environments to survive? I like to think of myself as a cockroach too. To keep up with technology and new trends in a rapidly changing business environment, you must develop new ideas and perspectives. As a result, a dynamic business structure is required to adapt to the changing needs of the industry. Our company's dynamism is the only constant in its operations and we remain steadfast in our roots and values.

As A Successful Business Leader, What Would Your Advice Be To Young Women Who Aspire To Become Business Leaders And Entrepreneurs In The Future?

There is no such thing as the `ideal moment'. Trust your instincts and give it a shot. Take cues from the people around you. We come from a generation that has seen our elders establish thriving businesses despite having fewer educational resources and our advantage is that we come from a younger generation that is well-equipped with resources. Instead of being afraid to fail, be afraid not to try. We owe it to ourselves. At the end of the day, I believe everything happens for a reason. Your success or failure in something you have put your heart and soul to will only bring you closer to your overall goal in the bigger scheme of life.

Yashashwi Malani, Founder, Graphe

Yashashwi Malani is one such design entrepreneur who is revolutionizing this sector by creating unique design out-puts for clients. A self-taught designer, Yashashwi began her career as a free-lancer. In order to accommodate the rising number of clients she formally conceived Graph, a Design Studio where passionate designers and artists breathe life and soul into their designs.