'Courage, Not Safety, Builds Empire': MamaEarth Co-Founder's Business Mantra

Rejection has been a constant companion on her entrepreneurial journey, Ghazal Alagh, the co-founder of Mamaearth's parent company Honasa Consumer Ltd, said, adding it has also taught her many lessons.

"Rejection isn't a one-time event; it's a daily reality you have to make friends with," she wrote on LinkedIn. 

Nearly nine years ago, she and her husband, Varun Alagh, decided to start their own brand, and the road hasn't always been smooth for them, she said. In the beginning, the loudest "nos came from those closest to her," she said.

Ghazal Alagh said that her friends and family questioned the safety of leaving a secure life for a risky venture, especially for a new mother with no experience in consumer goods. 

That's when she learnt a first lesson: playing it safe and avoiding risks does not build something significant; instead, it requires courage to build an "empire", she said.

"That rejection was the first lesson: safety doesn't build an empire; courage does," she wrote.

Ghazal also recalled the moment when many investors dismissed their idea, doubting the scale of a toxin-free, D2C brand, saying, "It's a niche. You won't get the volumes."

Eventually, they found a few investors who believed in their vision. But she said the toughest rejections came from employees who left the company early on. Their feedback was harsh as they didn't want to work with a woman leader who had no prior experience in this field and doubted her ability to manage a fast-growing company. 

Over time, she said she learned to think about rejection differently. Instead of seeing it as a failure, she treated it as part of the process and learned from it. She shared three ways to handle rejection that can help anyone, especially entrepreneurs. 

Ghazal Alagh advised entrepreneurs to treat rejection as data, not a verdict. "A rejection from a potential consumer, investor, or employee is a data point. What can you learn from it? Was the pitch weak? Was the product positioning off? Rejection isn't a verdict on you, it's feedback on your strategy," she said.

She also emphasised the importance of focusing on the one "Yes". In business, you may hear "no" hundreds of times, but that one positive response is what truly matters, she said, adding, "The only number that matters is that one success that fuels the next step. Hold onto your vision and let the noise of rejection fade."

Finally, Ghazal Alagh suggests using rejection as a filter. She mentioned that rejection thickens your skin, gives you clarity, and helps you filter out the people who don't truly align with your mission.

"My journey with rejection has taught me that the biggest risk is not taking the risk at all. Now, over to you," she concluded the post.