Meet The SHEROES: Shilpi Goel Sr. Manager, Key Accounts, Soothe Healthcare

Please do share your career journey, what do you do?

I work as a Sr. Manager, Key Accounts at Soothe Healthcare, a consumer healthcare company. I develop and manage key client accounts and strategic partnerships for the company. I have played a prominent role in launching the company’s flagship fmcg personal care brand ‘Paree’, and have thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it since the past three years.

Did you become what you 'studied' to be, or did you change course and chart a different path?

My childhood ambition was to excel at whatever I did, and have fun while at it. I wasan excellent student in school, topped college, and excelled in post graduation. This was followed by an excellent performance at my first job as a real estate consultant with CBRE, a billion Dollar fortune 500 company.

I received good education and earned an MBA to excel in business. However, I feel one has to chart one’s own path in the real world. Education helps to get that job or start a business, and opens many doors, but what you achieve depends on the skills you develop over the course of time. My education certainly helped me, but I feel I have charted my own path, breaking set norms of seeking  career growth in only a ‘regular job’.

Why did you chose to enter the healthcare sector?

I came across Soothe Healthcare in May 2013. This was a year after my baby was born, and after a career-break of about three years. I felt I really had to get back to doing something more than raising a family, to stay sane! I discovered SHEROES.in, found various options and received two offers. I chose Soothe, because of the company’s vision of making a difference in people’s lives by making affordable and quality healthcare available across the nation. I was also excited to join a startup, and was aware that the learning would be immense.

How did your family and friends react to this choice?

My family and friends were supportive, and a bit surprised that there were good flexi-time and remote work options available. I learnt to manage my time well, and to balance my professional and personal life, especially while working from home,  with a young child around. I also had to manage my family’s understanding of my job as they felt I did not need to have one, and had low expectations of career growth in a flexi time role.

Did you have to overcome any hurdles at work?   

I was the second employee to join the organisation, and have built the brand and company from scratch. We are now a large company with a strong core team, and my colleagues are supportive and proud of my role. I feel lucky that I have not faced any gender discrimination and the quality of my work and professionalism has been appreciated.

I had the will to prove to myself that I could do different things, take up new roles and challenges. The company helped tremendously by training me, and giving me opportunities to grow.

What do you see changing for women professionals in  India?

This is a great time for women professionals and entrepreneurs. The business scenario is surely pro-women with many companies initiating programs like work-from-home, flexi time, remote work, back-to-work. There is no longer a dearth of good opportunities. I would encourage women to decide what works best for them, go all out , look for the opportunities that suit them the best, and make the most of it. Flexi-time and remote-work options can also turn into full-time, stable,  growth oriented roles, just as it did in my case.  

What inspires you, and what is your long term goal?

I inspire myself, and everyone doing well in their work inspires me too. Nature inspires me to stay firm against all odds. My long term goal is to continue growing and developing both personally and professionally

Could you share tips on how manage flexi-time work well?

I maintain a work life balance by leveraging my strength of being very organised, finishing what I start, and do it to the best of my ability. Mindfulness is important for doing any task well and for optimum utilisation of time.

We need to recognise: we are human and will need support. So, build a good support system. Prioritise tasks and jobs. Practice mindfulness: meditate and exercise to develop this. Most important: get enough sleep!