I want my daughter to always remember that her mother is a fighter who never gave up or failed, says Lopamudra Banerjee

Being a mother of a 13 years old daughter, Lopamudra Banerjee has proved that sky’s the limit for achieving success. When life knocked her down with serious ailments like rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune disorders, she fought against them and is standing proudly today. She is just not chasing her dreams but helping others to chase their dreams as well. Lopamudra has scaled great heights and has broken many barriers when she chose to switch from a 9 to 5 job to a sought after health coach today. Her transformation from a corporate executive to a personal and professional trainer was not easy or fast. She has over 9 years of experience and aeons of successful clients who have paved her path to success. She decided to enter into the fitness industry when she was chosen for the Gladrags Mrs. India contest in Mumbai.

After Mrs. India, she decided to get into fitness full time and undertook fitness and nutrition learning know-how with various national and international certifications and courses. Then, she started ‘World of WOW Fitness’ in the year 2016 to expand her reach and to help as many people as possible to achieve the fit and healthy body they crave for. World of WOW Fitness has a wide clientele pan India but comprises mainly of women between the age of 25- 45 years who look up to her for motivation and fitness. Lopa truly believes that the key to being fit starts in the kitchen and ends with a workout that makes the body strong and the mind fresh.

Here are a few excerpts from the interview where Lopamudra speaks about her journey with HelloPost Team:

Tell us something about yourself and your company.

I am Lopamudra Banerjee a lifestyle coach and weight loss specialist and founder of World of WOW Fitness. I am a certified personal trainer from the American Council on Exercise and hold various professional certification such as kickboxing, cardio interval, steps aerobics and Kettlebell exercises etc. My speciality is weight loss management, especially in women of all ages with expertise in helping post-partum weight loss.

My company is a health and nutritional organisation which helps people find the track to fitness which suits their needs. We are present throughout India and have helped over 2500 client’s clients reach their fitness goals. The company records a record-breaking 96% success rate with a client renewal of 40%.  The reason for such a stupendous success is because the company follows ‘a comprehensive, yet simple and reliable health management approach’

What inspired you to start your own venture?

I decided to do a career switch when I met women from various challenging and different backgrounds when I was a finalist at the Mrs. Gladrags Pagent. There were women who were suffering and going through a lot in their life and they were there! Those made me think about what am I doing with my life? After coming back I decided to look after myself and my family and plunge into doing what I love best- Fitness and Nutrition.

Then I started focusing more on my health and fitness and started training myself in intense workout session every single day. I was felt encouraged when people in my apartment came up to me asking for nutrition and workout advice. So that is how I decided that I can actually make a career in fitness and started WOW.

How has been your entrepreneur journey so far?

Being an entrepreneur is never easy, being a mompreneur is even more challenging. But as the quote goes ‘do what you love and you will never work a day in your life’- I love fitness and have always been keen on helping others. But every single morning I wake up thinking I want to make a difference in someone’s life- I love that I can help a teenage girls PCOS disappear, help a mom be fit and healthy post-partum or senior professional play tennis again.

I always believe that the up’s and downs of an entrepreneur will come and go, but my passion to help people is what has kept me strong and motivated in the past and enthusiastic about the future.

What were the initial challenges that you have faced in your journey?

I was lucky to have lot of initial clients who had great faith in me and in the early days, word of mouth marketing was the only thing that kept getting me newer client.

When I decided to expand, I had a little problem in spreading awareness and building a name for myself, but after working hard over the past few years I have grown well organically. I am grateful to all my clients who never forget to recommend me to their friends and family.

What has been your biggest achievement in this journey?

My biggest achievement was when I helped a young lady who was desperately trying to conceive but was unable to do so for a very long time. She was also in the process to undergo the IVF treatment when her doctor asked her to lose weight.  Over the course of the next 6 months, I helped her shed the extra kilos and at the end of which she was able to conceive. This was truly the best achievement for me.

Apart from that I recently won the Karnataka Women Achievers Award. This was a great milestone and has only motivated me to work harder!

What are the things that help you to stay organised?

Apps, alarms, planners, dairies and everything thing else that helps me stay organised. Juggling between work and home is difficult and I try to stay organised to do justice to both.

What are your strategies for creating a work-life balance?

Honestly, work-life balance is great in theory but very difficult for an entrepreneur. But every day I set a heart stop and make sure I plug away from work to spend at least a few quality hours with my family. It is a strict rule that we always eat at least one meal together a day and no phones during that meal!  I also make sure I take a periodic vacation where I totally switch off from work and have fun with my husband and daughter!

What keeps you motivated through ups and downs of both motherhood and entrepreneurship?

Passion.  My passion to help people live a fit and healthy life. I deeply care about all my clients and their well-being and helping them achieve their health goals keeps me going.

Passion to be the best possible role model for my daughter is also what encourages to work harder and set example to her that anything is possible if you work hard and are passionate about what you do.

Who is your role model?

I follow Deanne Pandey in India. She is really an inspiration. At 50 she is still fit and in shape. Similarly Sushmita Sen.

Globally, I love Jennifer Lopez who has fought body shaming and carries herself with confidence. Both these women have carved a permanent spot for themselves against all odds and they are certainly an inspiration to all women.

Please share some tips on how to achieve success as a mompreneur.

• Stay focused
• Be passionate
• Accept help when offered
• Delegate work
• Prioritize what important every single day 
• Plan, plan, plan and then execute to perfection.
• Stay organised

What’s the one thing that you want your children to remember about you?

I want my daughter to always remember that her mother is a fighter who never gave up or failed. Even when life knocked me down with serious ailments like rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune disorders, I fought against them and stood tall.

Any recommendations to mothers who dream about being an entrepreneur?

Don’t just dream. Make plan and take the wise first step. Everything else will fall into place.