Leena Mistry - Ambitious, Creative, Adventurous
Leena Mistry loved the art and technology classes at school. As a child, she would make cards for her family for a hobby. After graduating with a degree in Management Accounting, Leena broke the norm of an Indian girl by taking a gap year to travel. She wasn’t looking to be an amazingly paid graduate or to get married or to buy a house. She just wanted to explore! After her year of travels, Leena got back home and took on an accounting role. But she had learned so much about herself during the one year that she knew she wanted to do something else that was for herself. That’s when she went on to study massage and holistic therapies in the evening.
Leena first started Ratanji Rani Beauty by making her own beauty products and offering massage therapy services. She continued to make greeting cards and paper goods here and there as a way to express her creativity. The penny dropped when she created her own stationery for her wedding. She realised this was something she really wants to pursue. And thus, Ratanji Rani Stationery was born. She lovingly groomed this side hustle bit by bit while working full time. Initially based in the UK, Leena moved to Sydney sometime ago. She took on a part-time role after her move so that she could spend time growing her business. Now, Leena offers wedding and event stationery design services internationally while juggling her part-time job, her husband Vick, and her son, Noah.
More than keeping up with trends, Leena simply wants to do what she loves - create. And if you’re wondering just what that’s like, she has kindly offered us a little glimpse into her life for the third installment of Tenacious Women.
When and how did the passion for beauty and stationery start for you? And how did that evolve into Ratanji Rani?
I think it started while I was in uni. I would make cards for my family and friends as a hobby and after my gap year, I knew I wanted my future to include much more creativity instead of just number crunching. On the beauty side, I loved getting massages done and just how relaxed I would feel after a pampering. I always wanted to learn the practices and so, I attended night college to complete holistic therapy courses including aromatherapy. That opened up a whole new world for me to make my own natural beauty products.
What is the meaning of “Ratanji Rani” and currently, what does it mean to you?
To me, Ratanji Rani is family. A lifetime of childhood memories. Ratanji is my maternal grandparents' name (Ratanjibhai and Rattanben). Rani, as you know, means queen and I am proud to be one of the granddaughters aka queens of the Ratanji family. The business itself means the world to me - it’s a place for me to create. A business I can grow and build for the future, for my family.
Do Ratanji Rani beauty and Ratanji Rani stationery come from the same place? Do they feed you similarly or differently?
Well, I don’t do beauty anymore but I feel they come from the same place - natural beauty. I wasn’t into makeup but I was very much into natural beauty products and holistic therapies. With stationery, my love for traditional simple paper crafts developed a passion to create paper goods. Recently I admit I have gone a little more digital with my work, but I still try to incorporate natural elements and traditional craft where I can.
Do Ratanji Rani beauty and Ratanji Rani stationery come from the same place? Do they feed you similarly or differently?
Well, I don’t do beauty anymore but I feel they come from the same place - natural beauty. I wasn’t into makeup but I was very much into natural beauty products and holistic therapies. With stationery, my love for traditional simple paper crafts developed a passion to create paper goods. Recently I admit I have gone a little more digital with my work, but I still try to incorporate natural elements and traditional craft where I can.
I really wanted a gap year too, but that was not something I could have talked my parents into. How did you achieve that and what was the most significant experience or lesson from your gap year for you?
For my 21st birthday, I asked my family to give me money so I could put it towards a ticket to Australia! I don’t think my parents thought I meant for a year! Hahahaha! I have to say I have been very lucky in that way. My parents worked really hard to ensure we could experience things they might not have. I was scared to ask to go abroad on school trips, but my parents have never denied me or my brothers the opportunity to travel and experience.
Travelling opens your eyes to a whole new world. You realise there is so much more to live for than working and saving for a rainy day! I learned to be happy in my own company, I learned to open up more and to not be afraid to try new things. More importantly, I learned about myself; the person I wanted to be, not what society wanted me to.
What does a typical day look like for you?
Haha a typical day for me. It starts around 6.30am when Noah wakes, the usual hectic morning getting him (and ourselves) ready for work and daycare. I work part-time three days a week, so on these days, I’m at the office all day and home in time for daycare pickup. On the other days, I’m out with Noah all day exploring and keeping busy. Evenings are pretty much getting dinner on, playing with Noah, eating and then me and Vick sharing the night routine of bed, bath and clean up. Once Noah is down, it’s onto stationery. I work until about 11 pm (sometimes I have to burn the midnight oil!) If I can squeeze in a bit of relaxation time, that's a bonus.
You are clearly multi-faceted: You’re a mum, a wife, an accountant, a businesswoman, you are the creative and the logistics behind Ratanji Rani. How does it feel to be the one-woman show calling all the shots in these areas and how do you juggle them?
I won’t lie, it’s extremely exhausting but I make it work. I have to! I create in the late evenings, or when Noah has his afternoon naps. Weekends are made for family time, as it’s the only time the three of us are together. I only really work now on weekends if I’m on a deadline or we don’t have much on. I’ve learned it’s all about mindset, ‘getting my sh*t together’ and a lot of ‘to-do’ lists.
It’s 2019 but most women are still expected to prioritise marriage and/ or motherhood over personal goals and happiness. Has this been the case for you and how have you navigated that?
I’ve prioritised motherhood over all things since having Noah, but not because it was expected. I’ve not had much choice as I don’t have a support network (like my parents) here in Sydney and Vick’s work often takes him out of the country. So all things take a back burner when they need to. I’ve also been very lucky to have Vick support me from the beginning even when everyone thought I was just going through a hobby phase. Since becoming parents, we both have worked together to make it work. We share the parenthood roles so we can both have time in our hectic lives to concentrate on work.
You mentioned Ratanji Rani is not quite where you would like it to be yet. Partly because your child has caused a shift in your priorities (who is ADORABLE by the way). Was this shift easy to navigate and intuitive or was it a matter of choice? How did you carve out the balance and the acceptance for yourself mentally and emotionally?
Awww, thank you! He has definitely brought a lot of joy into our lives! This shift was actually quite difficult for me. Having this one little person being so dependant on you takes a toll on you mentally and physically. Juggling motherhood and all other things is not as breezy as all those social media business mums make out to be. I wanted to be this amazing mother and run two businesses all at the same time. I cannot tell you the number of times I have burned out from trying. Last year after my back gave in, I decided that was it. How can I be the best mother to my son, if I’m not 100%? So I took a step back from the beauty side and defined my client base for stationery and I learned to say ‘no’ to clients! It’s still not the perfect balance (I'm not sure it is ever is!) but it’s a balance we as a family can work with.
What were the challenges when you had to set up Ratanji Rani and when you had to relocate the business to Sydney? How did you overcome them?
I think the challenge in both cases is getting your work known and actually finding clients. To do that in London and then to start all over again in Sydney was hard. I found in this ever competitive industry, it's about who you know, not what you know. Unfortunately, I’m not the type to create friendships for the sake of getting somewhere, so it’s been a little more of a hard slog for me. Here in Sydney, I’ve not been able to network as much as I’d like to have as most networking is done on weekdays when I’m at work. But, I have been very fortunate to work alongside and build beautiful friendships with the creative community here. I may not see them often but I am very fortunate to have them and collaborate with them.
What is a common comment/ question you get about your work that probably comes from a place of good intention but actually makes you sigh/ roll your eyes a little/ frustrate you?
My stationery is too expensive! That's a common one! I get a lot of clients who love my work but the moment you quote them, decide to use the ‘I can get it cheaper in India’ card. It used to bother me a lot! As a designer, a lot of time, patience, and love goes into creating stationery and I pride myself on quality, not quantity. I work alongside suppliers from Australia to ensure what I deliver is to the highest standard - I'm a bit of a perfectionist like that. I am a small business owner, not a mass printing producer. I’ve now learned to not let it get to me and not accept the job for a lower price. I’m sure there are many designers who will undercut me but you win some, you lose some.
How do you stay inspired?
Hahah, I have a million ideas always running through my mind. Travel inspires me and collaborating with the creative community helps. I used to do a lot of Pinterest research but it's not very often now that I see something that jumps out for me as inspiration. There are a few beautiful niche designers I follow on Instagram who inspire me to try out new things as well.
What is your favourite piece of work so far?
Well, that’s an easy one! My favourite so far is the suite I created for my cousin. We wanted to create something fresh and personal. It really allowed me to push my boundaries and develop my skills. It was just amazing to see it all come together with personal quotes from my masi (Aunty) and both the bride and groom being fully involved. And of course with all that gorgeous colour!
At the end of the day, what do you want your work to convey?
I want my work to be able to convey simple beauty. I don’t want it to just be another design or invite that everyone else follows with the trend. I want to convey that simplicity doesn’t mean boring. As they say, it’s in simplicity we see true beauty. I think as Indians, we always feel we have to live up to the ‘big fat Indian wedding’ trope but I want to break away from that. It has taken me awhile to find my own style and accept that.
What does the word “tenacity” mean to you?
To me, it means strength and perseverance.
What would you say to the woman who is trying to find her passion or niche and stressing about it?
It’s only through trying that we find what we are really passionate about. Don’t be afraid to break the rules. Not everyone will love what you create but the ones that do will be thankful you came along. And most of all, stay true to yourself.
If you would like to find out more about Leena or follow her work, you can do so by following her on Instagram, or Facebook or by checking out Ratanji Rani.
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