TheGlitzMegaStarMom Shouger Merchant Doshi is a mompreneur par excellence. She started her legal career in commercial litigation in 2009 after obtaining her law degree in Chicago, Illinois. While she loved her law practice, she found herself also interested in every business that launched, and in their strategy, buzz-building tactics and marketing techniques. In 2018, she founded Rainmaker Consults working out of home with two team members. Today, Rainmaker Consults has completed successful years in business and worked with over 200 brands, restaurants, hotels, properties, etc. and has a team strength of 40. Shouger also created and conceptualized the Pinwheel Project in 2015, one of the most popular and sought-after mom and kids exhibitions in Mumbai and Calcutta which is now in its 12th edition and successfully garners 10,000+ footfalls at the event.

Amidst the pandemic, she also authored a book called ‘The Power of Make Believe’, which highlights her parenting journey and tips and tricks for utilizing pretend play to engender creativity in your children. The book was subsequently published by Penguin India. Ask her about her ‘mompreneur’ journey and Shouger says, “Whatever I do, I do it for my son.” Read on…

As a part of TheGlitzMegaStarMom initiative, could you tell us about the magical moments of your journey as a MegaStar Mom and what TheGlitzMega StarMom initiative means to you?
…Always honoured to be considered a star mom. Honestly just being a mother is limitless – you realise that time management is such a crucial part of life and you automatically become more efficient so you can rush home to see your child and spend those magical moments with them. 

Could you describe your experiences as a mompreneur? Pick out three of fave moments with your li’l ones.
Being a Mompreneur or an entrepreneur is a part of my DNA. I am extremely wired to be independent, work in a specific fashion and I am not risk averse. So I have all the qualities it takes to be an entrepreneur. As a mom, you need to have a plan, backup plans and organisation so I feel they go hand-in-hand. My fave moments as a Mompreneur are when my son comes to the office with me, understands my work and realizes that everything I do is for him. 

Tell us about three challenges and rewards of running a successful business while being a mother. 
So running a business has a lot of challenges that come with it and learning to deal with them as they hit you is a very important part of being an entrepreneur. But juggling the everyday craziness while being a mom is a whole other level of insanity. You can have the best plan in the world but when your child is sick or needs you – there’s no way your best laid-out schedule is working that day. So backup plans are good to have. Running a business whilst also running a home and a tiny human’s life is definitely very stressful because you will always feel you aren’t doing justice to either. Mom guilt is real and I haven’t yet found the answer to managing it but I have learned that it’s important to prioritise that specific moment where one needs you more and just give it your all. It’s also rewarding whilst running a business and being a mom because I genuinely believe that I want my son to see how hard we both work and how only hard work will give you what you need in life and to never take that for granted.