“It’s not that I lost interest in the law. Katona said, “I just fell madly in love with this other idea and became obsessed with it.” “What if there is a business in this food of my ancestors?”
As it happens, there was. Mowgli, which specializes in authentic Indian comfort food, has expanded to over twenty locations throughout the United Kingdom. Katona has also established a nonprofit, written four cookbooks, and made frequent TV appearances as a cuisine expert.
Katona, before she began organizing the first Mowgli restaurant, had been working as a trial attorney (or barrister, as it is called in the U.K.) and teaching Indian cooking workshops and authoring cookbooks. As a British citizen of Indian ancestry, she felt a responsibility to perpetuate the culinary traditions and customs to which she was exposed as a child.
It dawned on me that this was a popular snack at school. Katona adds that this was not reflected in mainstream retail. The entrepreneurial bug had bitten me at that point.
It was not a simple choice to devote one’s life to Mowgli. She was anxious about being able to provide for her family, paying off her mortgage, and investing her life savings.
“The roof over my family’s head was in danger,” she explains. “I knew, deep down: This is going to work.”
As a result, she did not rely on having just plan A. “I took a lease that meant I could get out in two years,” she explains. I planned Mowgli so that it could double as a cafe the day after we opened.ona was reluctant to leave the legal profession. Her many years of experience in the courtroom
Additionally, she did not instantly stop working full-time. She worked as a lawyer during the day and spent her evenings building Mowgli’s first restaurant from scratch, which meant she seldom got any sleep.
If asked for advice, this is what I’d always say. Wait until you’re sure the second rope is safe before swinging over to it. For a time, you’ll have to juggle both roles.
How to Become a Successful Businesswoman
Katona doesn’t stop there with her guidance, particularly for aspiring female company owners, whom she says possess all the required talents but have not been socialized to see themselves in a business context.
Katona, however, places less value on such external indicators of success. “You can build businesses around words like love and betterment and purposeful and fulfillment,” she says.
It’s all about genuineness and true love, so you can show up in your jammies if you have to… With the correct product, however, that method may be used by anybody.
Katona argues that women have an inherent edge that makes them better equipped to lead teams and establish enterprises with lasting impact because of their gender.
It’s because “we bring something completely different to business,” she says. We’re as competent as any man leading or founding a business because of our exceptional interpersonal skills, elegance, and modesty.
Insights may be gained from any source
Katona thinks that business experience is not necessary for entrepreneurs, which is a crucial point.
You need not have business experience. No prior experience in business is required. You’ve got the best individuals on the job for that kind of stuff. She explains, “For instance, I would never conduct my own accounting.
However, as Katona learned when creating Mowgli, it’s crucial to acknowledge and make use of existing abilities. When it comes to developing the brand, developing recipes, constructing restaurants, and instructing cooks, she is “all over” everything.
She gained the ability to read people during her time as an attorney, which she now puts to use in her ability to choose the best candidates for employment. Since she (like many others) was already juggling several responsibilities at once, starting Mowgli while still working full time and caring for her family felt like a natural progression.
It was nothing but a strand of thread. Katona muses, “It wasn’t the end of the world.”
She says that since the first Mowgli restaurant addressed an unmet need, it attracted investors rapidly. She declined their offer since she was set on running Mowgli as a solo operation.
She is still the CEO despite bringing in outside investment.
What did she say as parting advice? Achieving anything is out of the question. Because Katona didn’t and still located it.
