Isn’t it a hassle to select the perfect furniture for your home all by yourself and without any guidance? Enaah Shahi, a furniture consultant makes people’s lives more comfortable, by adding a hint of luxury to their furniture and making the best choices as per their lifestyle. In conversation with Urban Melange, she talks about being a woman in the industry and how she decided to build a career around furniture.
What sparked your interest in the world of furniture?
I was always intrigued with the crafts and often crafted miniature things, always tinkering with different materials and building something out of it which is useful and “sustainable”. This extended to my adulthood, and here I am a Furniture Consultant. My initial projects were for international clients which gave me a lot of exposure to different cultures and lifestyles which is very helpful while executing export projects. My father has been in the furniture industry since 1988 which also helped me gain first-hand knowledge of furnishing a space complimenting Indian lifestyle.
According to you, what are the pros and cons of being a woman entrepreneur in this industry?
Women are usually the ones more involved in home space even when they’re working. So, as a woman, it’s easier for me to understand requirements of each family member with a deeper understanding and enhances the chances of providing the most fitting solutions to the clients. Cons are not industry specific, it’s circumstantial, you meet people who will always undermine you for being a woman, can be clients, vendors or workers, it’s definitely hard, you need to know how to navigate through such situations and it’s very exhausting at times. You also meet people who are very encouraging and appreciates the professionalism and work, it’s very uplifting, just wish for more such people who do not see gender as a bar and treats you as a professional throughout the process.
Tell us about a woman who has inspired you the most?
My mother, definitely. She is resilient. She inspires me to work through most challenging situations with invigorating attitude.
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