Meet: Nalini Mehta
Founder of: Route To India LLC
Tell us about your business:
Route To India has been a journey in showcasing Indian culture through our food. Inspired by the depth, wisdom and vivaciousness of our culture, we seek to use food as our medium. Co founder Nalini Mehta has been an Ayurvedic culinary instructor for the past 18 years and our first product to market is YOGA POPS.
YOGA POPS – are a unique better-for-you snack made from Asian water lily seeds. Our snacks are inspired by Ayurveda, bringing the experience of yoga through food. These ancient super seeds are known for their health benefits and have been used for centuries as part of Ayurvedic medicine, a holistic sister science and philosophy of yoga. Hand-roasted, spiced and packaged in small batches in Atlanta, our crunchy artisanal snacks are a great alternative to popcorn. We currently have 5 flavors of our snack.
As a minority, 100% women-owned business, our social initiative is dedicated to the people who grow our food, making sure that they have access to opportunity, and the education and equipment they need to grow efficiently and sustainably.
What was the best piece of business advice you were given when you were starting out?
Be authentic. Stay true to your story and your reason to believe.
Build your brand based on these principles.
Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently when you were first starting out?
Nothing different.
Name the biggest overall lesson you've learned in running a business?
Stay committed and consistent, it takes sometime to establish a business so stay at it. Initial years are tough and it was hard to know if we were on the right path. This advise kept us moving forward with the right energy.Patience is truly a virtue and believing in oneself has definitely stood us in good stead.
Does your culture influence your choices and decisions? If yes, how?
Route To india is rooted in the wisdom of our culture. Everything we create is inspired by Ayurveda and Yoga. Food is a great medium that folks from all cultures readily accept. Infact more often than not they are curious to try foods from diverse cultures.
Our product YOGA POPS makes our culture available in a bite size and we share the wisdom of ayurveda through social media videos and curations like on Product of Culture so people can appreciate and learn more about its depth.
In moments of self-doubt or adversity, how do you build your resolve?
Patience is truly a virtue and believing in oneself has definitely stood us in good stead. Knowing that our purpose has the capacity to have an enormous positive impact for our farmers and in helping consumers make better choices.
How do you balance your workload? What does self-care look like for you?
As long as I have taken care (yoga, meditation workout, food) of myself and family I am available for my business.
Discover more:
www.RouteToIndia.com
@yoga_pops
@Ayurvedawithnalini
