CaughtCrafthanded- Grandmother turns Entrepreneur with Granddaughter
Grandmother who proved that age is just a number
When we think of entrepreneurs and startups, the first thing that comes to our mind usually is a visual of millennials and GenZs huddling over roadmaps and progression charts, passionately brainstorming, exhibiting all the zeal of the “young blood” considered key for innovation and success. Similarly, when we hear the word “retirement” our mind first processes the visual of people in their old age. One of the most preconceived notions we have about age is that it is a determinant of ability. The world desperately needs to drop that mindset and look at life through a brand-new lens where age doesn’t define who we are. It is then that we will be able to live life to the fullest, devoid of regrets! Presenting a conversation with the unique dadi poti (grandmother and granddaughter) duo, who have set an entrepreneurial example at the age of 78.
“Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up interest wrinkles the soul. You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope as old as your despair. In the central place of every heart there is a recording chamber. So long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer and courage, so long are you young. When your heart is covered with the snows of pessimism and the ice of cynicism, then, and then only, are you grown old. And then, indeed as the ballad says, you just fade away”
Douglas MacArthur
CaughtCrafthanded: Crocheting Passion into Profession
Age isn’t a limiting factor when it comes to fulfilling dreams. Meet Sheela Bajaj, a 78-year-old grandma, who via her small but thriving crocheting business, has set a brilliant example of how passion can trump age! But, there is something more that makes CaughtCrafthanded extra special – the venture is an embodiment of profound love between Sheela Bajaj and her granddaughter Yukti Bajaj. The duo started out with a simple Instagram page and now, with love pouring in from all over the country, they are all set to take their little business to new heights.
The team at From the Experts Mouth (FTEM) got in touch with the amazing duo at CaughtCrafthanded to learn more about the fantastic chemistry they share, their brand journey and some interesting anecdotes and lessons from grandma’s life.
Grandma’s Childhood
Please tell us something about your childhood and growing up days.
Grandma – I was brought up in a very strict environment. We were not allowed to talk to anyone or step out of the house even to get anything that was urgently needed in our school projects; it was always either my mom or dad who would get us anything we required. We were not even allowed to wait outside for the school bus; we were to only step out when the bus had arrived.
Related Read: Childhood Remembered in Manipur
Education
Grandma – Back in our days, people had a rather conservative approach towards the education of the girl child. Educating them up to the 5th standard was considered more than enough. Since I was adamant about continuing my education, I studied till the 11th standard. In fact, when we were living in Bihar, which had a very small Punjabi community, my sister and I were the only Punjabi girls who studied till the 11th standard! Whereas, the others? They only studied till the 5th grade.
Related Read: Education for the Future
Marriage and the Life After
Grandma – When I turned 17 and was studying in the 12th standard, I was married off. After moving to my nuptial home in Delhi, I expressed my wish to pursue a career and take up a job. However, my father-in-law objected to the idea, stating that the family was making enough money to look after their daughter-in-law and that there was no need for me to step out and earn. My innate desire to be allowed to work was rejected.
So, I stayed indoors and did the household chores and since we were a big family, there was so much to do that time would just fly by. And then when I gave birth to my children life got much busier and just like that, I spent most of my life.
Related Read: Career in Social Sector
The Idea
How did it all begin?
Grandma-I was always passionate about knitting and crocheting. I would make things for my children and grandchildren. Yukti once saw me making something and remarked, “my mummy is indeed very skilled at it”. She fondly calls me “mummy”. So that’s how she thought of building a profile for me on social media and the rest is history.
I thank the Almighty and all of you who poured in their blessings and love. It has all come together because of my granddaughter, Yukti. I thank her from the bottom of my heart and shall forever be indebted to her for all that she has done for me.
Related Read: Gratitude
Yukti– I had built a page on Instagram where I would put up my sketches and doodle artworks but since I was into a full-time job, I never had time to keep it alive.
And then when I made a page for Dadi (grandmother), the idea of which came to my mind during one of those late-night sessions, I realized that she had a lot of her creations that could be displayed for the page to remain buzzing.
Surround Yourself with People Who Believe in Your Dreams:
The Light in The Heart by Roy T. Bennett
Surround yourself with people who believe in your dreams, encourage your ideas, support your ambitions, and bring out the best in you.
Learning- Key to Overcoming Obstacles
When you embarked upon your entrepreneurial journey, did you face any issues? How did you overcome them?
Yukti– We started our venture in November 2020 when the country had just gone under lockdown. During that time the market was closed and getting all the material such as the yarn was impossible. So, to kill the boredom, my grandmother would take all my old bags, mufflers, shirts etc. and open up their knits and stitches and create new stuff out of them. We would put up the pictures of those items on our page.
Eventually, the page started garnering good engagement and people started placing orders with us. We weren’t sufficiently equipped to cater to the growing demands and I had little knowledge of the craft and the material required. So I accompanied my grandmother to the market a few times and learnt the kind of material needed for different kinds of projects. Later, having understood what is required, I started visiting the market alone.
Related Read: How to deal with Adversity?
Happiness is Handmade
Yukti – We do not have an inventory of ready-made items; we make everything on order as we customize everything as per our customers’ tastes and requirements, be it the type, color or size.
Grandma – When it comes to heartfelt gifts, there’s nothing quite like receiving something handmade. There are many beautiful things available in the market, but there’s just something extra special about knowing that someone took the time to personally make you something with their own hands.
Secret Sauce to Success
What is the secret behind your zeal? Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Grandma – Some of it comes from the Almighty himself and some from my sweet granddaughter. She keeps giving me her input on everything I make.
Yukti – And the best feeling is when the order gets placed or dispatched, and especially when we receive a positive response and our customers wear our products and send us pictures appreciating our efforts.
The happiness Dadi experiences at that moment is just surreal. You know, it’s just a strand, weaving it into a full-size sweater takes a lot of time and hard work. All the efforts get rewarded when we receive happy feedback.
Related Read: How to Stay Motivated As An Entrepreneur
A Note for the Young Generation Falling Prey to Mental Health Issues
Today, people at a very young age are undergoing mental health issues, anxiety and depression. Could you please share some tips for the youngsters so that they can remain positive and lead a fulfilling life?
Grandma – Patience is key. Everybody on this planet has some or the other problem in their life. Lord Krishna had problems even before he was born! When faced with a predicament, we should practice patience and courage and keep going, the Almighty will indeed help us out. With tolerance, love and composure, everything will fall in place.
When we keep complaining about the problems we have, without even realizing, we manifest them into bigger issues. Tell yourself that ‘this too shall pass’. Life is filled with hardships and happiness. Just as we experience good times, we also have our share of bad times. Even when suffering from an ailment one shouldn’t call oneself sick. One must remain positive and say “I am absolutely fine!” When we keep calling ourselves sick, we get all the ailments!
Related Read: Positive Thinking via Daily Affirmations
Nurturing the Grandparent-Grandchild Bond
You spend a lot of time with each other, collaborating and working together. You have taken the grandparent-grandchild relationship to a whole new level. What would be your advice for grandchildren all over the world on how they can create a similar bond with their grandparents?
Yukti– Spending time with your grandparents is the most important thing to do. Sit with them and talk to them. There is no greater wisdom than that which comes with age. The physical signs of ageing, such as grey hair and wrinkles may not be glamorous but are indicative of a life well-lived. While you get to learn a lot from them, you might be able to impart some wisdom to them too. It is not always the elderly who teach us, we children can also teach them a lot.
Another very important thing to remember is that our grandparents need us. We are also working with other grandmothers and they often express their disenchantment towards life. I think if we spend time with them, they would feel happy, loved and content and so would we.
Related Read: How To Care For Elders: Supporting Loved Ones In Their Old Age
Generational Differences
Please tell us about the generational changes you have witnessed, what you like about the present generation and how well you adapted to change.
Grandma – Our generation was brought up in a rather strict environment. Girl children were raised to primarily shoulder household responsibilities such as cooking, stitching and knitting and simple reading and writing. What I really like about the current generation is that it focuses on quality education for all so that each and every child can grow up and become financially independent. I didn’t want my daughters to follow in my footsteps and so I focused on getting them the right education.
Related Read: A Witness to My Changing Self: Introspection Of The Journey of Life
The First Order
What was your first achievement like?
Yukti – Our first order- a pair of earrings. When we received that order, Daadi was elated. She immediately got down to working on it. Even though it was an order of a very small amount, it was very important to us.
Building a Community of Independent Grandmothers
As a brand, what are your future plans? How do you want to take it to the next level?
Yukti – When we had started we had not imagined the kind of response we would get. Earlier it was just Dadi who would work on each and every order.
With the growing clientele, we feel the need of expanding and in this context people with similar skillsets are reaching out to us from all over the country. Mothers and grandmothers from various cities are joining us.
Just how my Dadi feels happier and a little independent now, I want other grandmothers to feel the same way.
Related Read: FTEM’s QYOUrious Community
A Note for Aspiring Creators
What would be your advice to people who are ardent lovers of creativity but are somehow inhibited to follow their passion?
Grandma – They must not lose hope and keep trying. Good things take time. Almighty will definitely acknowledge the efforts and bestow you with His blessings!
Progressing at a snail’s pace is still progress, and slow progress is better than no progress. Never be stagnant, and never give up.
Slaying Dragons by Richelle E. Goodrich
Unleash With FTEM – Watch The Full Video
The above are excerpts from the conversation between Sheela Bajaj, Yukti Bajaj and Manasi Srivastava, in this episode of ‘Unleash With FTEM’.
Check out the playlist of Season1 of UnleashWithFTEM.
Subscribe to the channel for more!
Want to share your entrepreneurial journey with our readers? Please fill in the details in the form here.
About CaughtCrafthanded
CaughtCrafthanded, a growing business started by Yukti Bajaj (26) in collaboration with her grandmother Sheela Bajaj (78), offers a range of handcrafted products, including sweaters, accessories, earrings, pouches, potli bags, socks, gloves, and home decor items.
Related Reads:
Note: The article includes affiliate links to books, on which we will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Inspiring journey and noble thoughts