Redefining Tradition: Palak Shah on Fashion, Identity, and Impact

In this episode of The Quest for Success Podcast, we sit down with Palak Shah, CEO of Ekaya Banaras, to trace her journey from the cultural heart of Varanasi to the forefront of India’s luxury-fashion scene.

Palak explains how she re-imagined the classic Banarasi sari - elevating it from a cultural staple to a contemporary, versatile fashion statement. She speaks candidly about the early challenges of entrepreneurship, the self-confidence it demands, and the power of storytelling at the heart of her brand.

Beyond design, Palak is on a mission to empower artisans, preserve Indian textiles, and embed sustainability into every collection - all while redefining success for modern women in business.

Key Takeaways
 • Success is about impact, not just accolades.
 • A sari can be powerful, modern, and personal.
 • Tradition and innovation can coexist in harmony.
 • Self-confidence is built through lived experience.
 • Storytelling and emotion drive loyalty in luxury.
 • Empowering artisans uplifts entire communities.
 • Collaboration fuels growth and creativity.
 • Sustainability is essential to fashion’s future.
 • Finding your own voice is the ultimate edge.
 • Fashion can be a platform for cultural change.

Connect with Palak Shah
 • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/palakshahekaya
• Instagram (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/palakshah
• Instagram (Brand): https://www.instagram.com/ekayabanaras

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Transcript

Dylan Pathirana (00:31.17)
Welcome back to the Quest for Success podcast. And thanks so much for tuning in once again. Today on the show, we are incredibly privileged to be joined by Palak Shah, who is the CEO of Akaya Banaras, which is

Palak Shah (00:38.261)
Wonderful, No problem. Let's do it. Let's do it.

Dylan Pathirana (00:57.762)
From my research, it is like a fashion brand bringing a modern twist to a very traditional garment in India, the sari. So we had very interesting guests in our show and this is our very first fashion designer actually joining us. And I had the privilege of studying with Palak at Harvard Business School. And thank you Palak for joining us today.

Palak Shah (01:20.552)
Thank you for having me. I love your research that you've done a little bit. I mean, it's really nice. Thank you for having me.

Dylan Pathirana (01:29.696)
So, Park, this conversation is all about success. And so we need to start with something very fundamental. And that is what does success actually mean to you?

Palak Shah (01:40.66)
I think, know, just two days ago me and my husband were pacing up and down our house and we were just discussing what a success me took both of us and for him of course it's more about I think the numbers and the game and sort of the quantum of things but I think for me success is I think making an impact.

And for me, it's about bringing about a revolutionary shift in the way people view the sari. So the day I have your girlfriend or Jam's wife or anyone else wearing sari like they're wearing the stank top is the day I will be successful. So I think it's more about a revolution. It's more about a mind shift for me, think, more than...

numbers unfortunately.

Dylan Pathirana (02:33.528)
Yeah. So it's like creating like a culture shift or a perception shift around something which is like so important to your culture or traditional in your culture. Yeah.

Palak Shah (02:36.861)
Correct, Correct, correct. You know, I think it's about creating a shift in the way people have been viewing something for many, many years. It's almost like when women suddenly chose a different role in life.

Now, you know, as in like, how do you shift the entire generation and entire world's perspective on how do you sort of view women as not just bread earners, like like just homemakers, but now as bread earners as well. So it's almost that kind of a shift. mean, almost like a national, international, almost like a worldwide shift on how do you sort of see a sari, you just as an occasion wear. And for Indians only, but almost like everyone around the world is like, that's a cool garment that I want to wear.

Dylan Pathirana (03:25.944)
I love that. And I'm really excited to get into that kind of shift and how you create that. But before we dive into that, we really need to understand your context and understand the woman who's sitting in front of us today. And to do that, we need to go back to your early life. And can you give us a little bit of like insight into where you grew up and your kind of early childhood and how you think it's shaped who you've become today?

Palak Shah (03:49.811)
Okay, so I was born in a really small town in India called Varanasi. Banaras, also called Banaras. Banaras is the oldest living city in India. It's also the oldest living inhabited city in the whole of India, right? So it's really old and it's of steeped in culture. And also Banaras is the hub for where sarees are made in India.

Dylan Pathirana (03:51.086)
You

Palak Shah (04:16.699)
And that's the only place where sarees of any kind and every kind are made. So it's really special, the whole place in general. My family, unfortunately, was not as open and modern as we are at this point in time. We were a small town, Gujarati family from Banaras, where women never worked.

My dad sort of used to go to work every day, women were staying at home, they were kind of earning. I'm in a very usual, typical Indian family. Funny enough, we hadn't even seen what outside of India looked like up until the early 2000s. Up until when I was nine years old. I hadn't seen anything of that.

But I've always been very close to my dad since I was very little. So I've always assisted him to go to work every single time he used to go to work. So as a little child, I've always just been kind of like a spectator to what he does. And my dad's been dealing with saris and making saris and making creations since 130 years. It's my family business. And we're actually wholesalers. So we manufacture and we sell. We manufacture and we sell. So we never had a retail outlet. We never had a brand.

Dylan Pathirana (05:18.925)
Yeah.

Palak Shah (05:28.178)
Cut short to my class 11th when I was in grade 11, I was actually sent to a boarding school when I was in grade four. So I was sent out, I was living out, and I was also sent to a very, very conventional girls boarding school because the family's like, you know what, we cannot send you to a co-ed school because, you know, there are boys there and you know, this typical, you know.

Dylan Pathirana (05:50.84)
Too much distraction.

Palak Shah (05:51.057)
Traditional family exactly as like traditional families right because they're scared and so I was in grade 11 and I'm in a boarding school and I'd shifted my boarding school and I was this public boarding school where Everyone was like applying to USC at King's College London and they were applying to NYU when Here I was I'm like I wasn't allowed to like get out and I literally wrote my dad a 12 page letter At that age as in a 12 page hate letter jam if I may saying about telling me about how have you ruined my life

Dylan Pathirana (06:17.742)
You

Palak Shah (06:21.164)
and everyone's going out and everyone is doing what they want to but you're not allowing me to why do want me to have wings when you want to chop it off like the whole emotional letter I'd given and my dad is sitting there weeping and weeping and weeping like what have I created like what the hell's going on and also also like a little bit of backstory since me and my dad were really close when we were little like when I still am very close to him he used to always tell me saying that I said I see you as the next Indra Nooyi of the world

because he wanted me to be independent. He wanted me to sort of like, think, earn my own money. He never wanted me to beg my hand, beg in front of a man to earn money. And that's been his very fundamental thought process since I've been little. So cut short to my this letter and then I've written, was like, you want me to be Indra Nooyi, but you think Indra Nooyi was in India? You know, da da da da. So then we had like about two months left, you know, till my board exams and till the application could go. And of course there was no chance for me to do my G.

and to do my SATs, sorry, back in the day. So we were like, you know what, we'll send you to London. Also in London, my dad had sort of put like a little bit of a clause saying that if you get above 95%, you stay in India because there's very good schools in India, but if you get less than 95%, I can only send you to King's College if you get it. Otherwise you're in India, like you're not going out. And as luck would have it, Jam, I got a 94.5.

Dylan Pathirana (07:47.022)
Palak Shah (07:47.665)
I said, I'm out of here. So I stepped out and to be honest, I never had a bone of entrepreneurship in me. And I just kind of, as dad had been feeding that I want you to be there next Indra Nooyi, but I was like, you know what? going to, I was like, belong to a traditional Gujarati family. I'm going to get married. I'm going to have a nice husband. You know, I was partying my way out in London. I was at King's College London, you the typical usual thing. Then my dad got a heart attack in 2011.

And my dad had a dream of building a retail outlet for what he did. And my dad was always like, you know what, people are not letting me be creative. I want to build an outlet for what I do and I want to showcase the true potential of Banarasi sarees to everyone. What all is possible?

And I was I think on my second year of college and my dad had sort of wanted to start Ikea in 2011 and because of his heart attack it kind of got pushed to a year later. And my dad was also became a little slow in working, know, but he was always like back to action. In 2012 when I graduated my dad's like, hey why don't you come back to India? You know, you've been out for almost what 18 years back then, you know, why don't you come and stay with us? It's been a while, da da da, whatever.

Bye!

So I was like, you know what, okay, I'm like, I'll see you Pappas. Like, you know, why don't you come join me for a bit? And I, by the way, had almost back the job in the UK. So I was like, okay, fine. I have two, three months to kind of see whether I like it or not. Let me come back. And the true motive for my dad, for me to bring me back was to get me married. True story. My dad's like, you know what, we'll get her back. We'll find her a suitable boy and she'll get married because 21 is a great age to get married and like, we'll do that. Now I come back to India and I joined my dad for about two, three months.

Dylan Pathirana (09:29.742)
You

Palak Shah (09:41.814)
learn the whole trick of the trade and how it works and me and my dad are at loggerheads and I was like I'm gonna kill you and he's like I'm gonna kill you and I was like I was literally like you know what I was like you know what I don't want to work with you anymore I'm going to Delhi I will take care of Ikea

Dylan Pathirana (09:52.075)
You

Palak Shah (10:00.162)
Right? like Dylan, like literally a 21 year old girl. Like when I see 21 year old kids now, I'm just like, what the hell was I doing at 21? Like how the hell did you have so much guts to do what you did? I packed my bags. I left for Delhi, from Banaras. By the way, Delhi back then was the most dangerous city, you know, because you had all these mules coming in. Single girl, 21 year old, packed her bags, left for Delhi. And I said, Papa, I will take care of Nikhaya.

Dylan Pathirana (10:08.366)
You

Dylan Pathirana (10:21.006)
Mm-hmm.

Palak Shah (10:28.991)
And my dad also, you how small town you're just like, okay fine.

go, we'll see. And then I had a driver and a maid. I entered a Kaya and it was done up and everything. My dad had sort of set the tone. My dad had set the brick and mortar place for it. And I enter and there are only my dad's employees there, right? Because my dad's hired them and they're all from there. And for everything they were like, oh, do you want to ask papa, you know, whether this is okay? You want to ask dad if this is okay? And you know, this little 21 year old pat I'd call,

myself. I told my dad I was like either they stay or I stay. I was like you know they don't let me work. So then I ended up hiring a whole team guys like a whole team at 21 year old that were my team and they've still stuck around with me it's been 13 years today from A to Z. I've interviewed everyone I hired and I think I kind of

Dylan Pathirana (11:06.41)
Yeah.

Palak Shah (11:23.599)
And Ikea started growing, right? And I remember saying very, I mean, I remember my mum telling me, she's like, Ikea is growing because of dad. And Ikea is growing because of dad's, know, set up that he has in Banaras. And my uncle said, you know, marketing and growth and strategies or whatever. The reason why you have sales is because we are there for you. And I'll tell you, I'll tell you, Jam, sometimes you just need that little...

Dylan Pathirana (11:47.384)
Yeah.

Palak Shah (11:51.545)
the little thing and you're like, you know what, watch me do it. And I think I just went on this little kind of a bender I'd like to say, but I was like, you know what, I'm going to show you all that I've built this brand.

And then kind of came about me sort of relentlessly and overnight. And Dylan, like literally, you know, mean, like 21, like 22, 23 year old girl, used to go out and I used to get drunk because I was also in that phase, right? Was partying and like going crazy. And I remember this one day I'd come to work, jam hungover, and I had a very transparent cabin. had a very tiny, tiny, tiny little room. And I just passed out and everyone saw me and I was like, how can they see?

me run the business and pass out like what the is going on change that whole narrative and like it just became a quest to kind of prove that

I've done it and that it's me and the first year we broke even, the second year we sort of like opened another branch in Ahmedabad. The third year we were growing at a very good pace and then I kind of like, think in 2014-15, I'd like to say two, three years after the time in the business, I started feeling that I'm going back to my dad's way of working, which is a very traditional way of working. And I was like, you what, if I have studied so much, I don't want to do that.

Dylan Pathirana (12:40.918)
You can do it. Yeah, yeah.

Palak Shah (13:10.561)
I don't want to continue going back to the way my dad works. And not that my dad works in a different way, just that I thought that the sarees can go in a different way. I genuinely, I think I fell in love with the way sarees.

I just loved them and I was like, you know what? If I can create an impact and I can run the business differently and I can and I think it was not a quest against my father ever it was just a quest to show that I can do it and I have it in me to run a business and to prove to them that listen It's my efforts also that are kind of results So in 2015, I was like, you know what? I want to go study I think I want to do my MBA for the years that I can do better and I can learn newer ways of running the business so I left for Boston at the for I said I'm at a Babson and there again

Then again I was trying to...

run the business from there, I had hired somebody, my dad was interfering, when my dad was trying to take the business back to traditional ways of working and I was fighting and then again, alas it came up again, come back and we want to get you married and then again another letter was written to my dad saying how can you do this to me and then of course we came back and then of course Hyderabad opened, Bombay opened, another store in Delhi opened, Forbes you know it's funny Dylan because you know I was rejected for Forbes India

India, 30 in the 30. And I got Forbes Asia, 30 in the 30. And then India was like, you know what, we want you on the list too. It's just been a beautiful journey, one thing to the other, to the other, to the other. then you look back at it and you're just like, how the hell did I manage? And how the hell did you do it? I mean, I'll talk more about it. I'll keep on talking. But it's been a beautiful.

Dylan Pathirana (14:56.312)
No, continue. We want to listen.

Palak Shah (14:59.47)
No sir, I mean like it's been about 13 years for me right now and we have five stores and we have now a strength directly under me, 150 people. And not just artisans, we work with almost over 10,000 artisans, but 150 people under me, under me.

Dylan Pathirana (15:08.194)
Nice.

Palak Shah (15:16.429)
And so much has changed, feel, like, you know, the way the way the sort of the business started off as to the way business was going to the way business is now, you know, so much how Howard has taught me, Jam, you know, and I've professionalized my whole company. have like a CEO, I have a retail head, I have a proper HR, I have a consultant on board. We have we have all these increment systems that we've learned at Howard and like, it's really different because why I mean, like, why it may not feel special to many

Dylan Pathirana (15:37.134)
guys.

Palak Shah (15:46.355)
people because they're like, every business has it. But because sari sales in India and the way sari trade was has always been so traditional and so much like handicraft trade where there were no systems, were no sort of structure. There was no accountability. There was no sort of like, like method to the madness. That when I do it, feels like such a feat, right? Because you're genuinely putting, you know, you're giving hope to people that, that all

handicrafts business can transform and can become a real business and it can sort of move from a mom and pop shop to being run as a professionally run multinational business and it doesn't have to always be because you know it's something your grandmother wore and it's something you know it's almost like jewelry trade in India right and I don't know I mean like have you guys been to India Dylan?

Dylan Pathirana (16:39.227)
I haven't been. I've been to India and I went for shari shopping as well.

Palak Shah (16:44.588)
You how is, you know how jam is like sari shopping in India, it's a very traditional way. It's not done and I've always felt like, I mean it's been my, as in it's been one of the mission statements for Ikea saying that if Hermes and Louis Vuitton can glorify their craftsmanship of their country, you're Patek, people are crazy after Patek because they've glorified the craftsmanship of their country, my craftsmanship is better than yours.

Dylan Pathirana (16:47.02)
Yeah.

Yes.

Palak Shah (17:12.874)
because my guys are actually sitting six, seven months overnight, over and over again, weaving. know, like literally Dylan, to weave this much of a saree takes 30 days. Right? And like maybe your Birkin bag is made in five days, but they just sort of glorify it and they show it and they sort of, and that's where you buy into it. And I was like, we as a country, we as...

Dylan Pathirana (17:28.994)
Yeah, yeah.

Palak Shah (17:36.425)
the owners and the custodians of this trade are so ashamed and don't have trust in it and then hence we are not promoting it and speaking to people about it. How can we expect the consumers to have it? You know, so anyway.

Dylan Pathirana (17:48.526)
Yeah, definitely. There's, so much to unpack in this, this story that you've got unfurled, but I want to go back to, think a core point, which is kind of this unwavering self-confidence that you had, you you said as 21, you know, uh, most people wouldn't even dream about doing the stuff that you did. I want to understand, a, where do you think that self-confidence came from? And B, do you think self-confidence is something that can be taught?

Palak Shah (17:54.623)
Hahaha

Dylan Pathirana (18:18.476)
Or is it an a night trite?

Palak Shah (18:21.407)
Okay, I'll tell you, I've never been confident, by the way. You know, because I was the only child, I mean like then, back then, right? Because now I have siblings, right? But back then, I mean, I was the oldest in the family, so I've been overly pampered.

Dylan Pathirana (18:24.718)
You

Palak Shah (18:36.363)
I also kind of lost my mom when I was really little. So I've been raised by my dad and his four brothers. And then my dad remarried, and I now have a beautiful, beautiful mother as well, and I have two siblings, and it's really incredible. But I've been raised by five boys, right? I've been raised by five men, so I kind of have traits of every one of them.

Dylan Pathirana (18:54.339)
Yeah.

Palak Shah (19:00.082)
And it's really funny, like one would expect me to be like this fierce and this, know, this gutsy and now that as the person that I am at this point of time. But back then, because I was raised by five men, I couldn't even cross the road because they pampered me to death. They were so protective. They're like, no, no, no, no, don't do that. No, no, no, you can't wear this skirt. You can't do that. Right. And also went to a boarding school, Dylan, which was a very traditional Indian boarding school. And it was an all girls school. We weren't allowed to talk. We weren't allowed to talk in the

Dylan Pathirana (19:13.624)
Protective.

Palak Shah (19:29.979)
phone. were allowed three minutes to talk to our parents the whole month by the way. It was really really strict. Then I think the shift that happened was I moved schools in when I was in grade 10. I left school and I went to this public boarding school and in that period I met these two girls in my hometown and these two girls were like my god like

chaos, I'd like to say, chaos and debauchery and they taught me to drink, they taught me to smoke, I was sort of doing everything that I'm not supposed to do and it kind of like, I think more than getting me into bad habits because I'm not a person who can get into a bad habit very quickly. I'm kind of very much on the, I'm a very, I don't have an addictive personality.

I have a very balanced personality, also being the oldest child, right? But I think what they did was they removed the fear out of me.

Dylan Pathirana (20:23.17)
Mm

Palak Shah (20:23.496)
And they said that, you know what, drive that car. You know, let's go out at 2 a.m. Let's go do this and let's sort of do that. And that kind of gave me some sort of a confidence inside. it's not all that scary out there, you know. Maybe I can do that. And then I went to a public boarding school, which is very different from a private boarding school. And the public boarding school taught me more because there were girls from all walks of life and with dreams and with something else. Then, of course, even going to London, right? Like I was living all by myself and I had my own experiences.

But think Dylan, think I was still a very, I'm sorry, one second.

Palak Shah (21:03.178)
You know, I was still very, I think, reserved. I was still, so I'm so sorry. I think I was still very reserved. I was quiet. I didn't think I the confidence because I still remember the nervousness I felt when I walked into my first PR meeting. You know, with fashion brands, have our events, right? And you walk into that event and everyone was dressed to the tee and everyone was, you know, glammed up. And here I was, this girl.

Dylan Pathirana (21:10.144)
That's right.

Palak Shah (21:33.144)
from a small town and sure I went to London but my roots are small town and I'll tell you a funny story also Jan after this. You know what as when I went to London I was always sort of put on a very strict budget and I still am till date right.

And when you're in London, you have people from all these rich families and you have people from all these wealthy kids who are just wearing Balenciaga and Prada. Like they've bought it, know, but like actually daddy's bought them. And I remember, I mean, all my girlfriends were all on a budget at that part of time. So I had this girl, and by the way, all my girls are doing so well in life. we were a gang of four girls and we were all on a budget. And I remember like, as if we were on a budget of 600 quid back then per month.

which kind of included our transportation, our food, our electricity bill, included our shopping, included our night clubs. My dad said, what you want to do is your 600. And then there was this whole gang from Delhi, right, who were there buying tables at a club and they were wearing, back then Tory Burch was really in, they were wearing Tory Burch. And I remember as to West Dakota, my dad, and I used to be like, they're wearing Tory Burch and dad, get to buy tables and the thing. And my dad, he said something so sweet,

kind of stuck around with me for it's been almost what 10 years or 12 years and he said he said beta he said he said you know he was like here's 10 lakhs go buy what you want to get done with it and never come back to me again because remember people who don't have personalities use brands to cover it up

Dylan Pathirana (23:10.19)
Yeah

Palak Shah (23:10.825)
He said, I need you to have a personality. I need you to have an identity so that when you walk into a room, it doesn't matter what you're wearing. You could be wearing a plain white t-shirt, but your work talks so much more than that. And that has stuck around me for so long. Literally, I don't think you'll ever see a logo on me. Yes, I love my luxury because I can afford it at this point in time. But am I going to do it just because I will till late?

I don't think I will ever buy something that I don't deserve. You I remember all my friends and people younger than me and, you know, kids my sister's age are having Birkin bags and they're having Chanel's and I literally tell my husband and my dad, was like, you know what? The day I do this is the day I'll get that.

And till the time I don't believe I truly deserve it, I don't think I'm deserving of carrying something that is worth a lot because I need to make that own money. And sure enough, can earn that. I I earn enough to deserve it. But in my eyes, if I deserve it, it's the day I'm going to get it.

Dylan Pathirana (24:15.902)
So, Palak, now you are building a brand, your own, right? In Indian, you know, I know you work with a lot of other, like famous Bollywood superstars, et cetera, right? So, how do you position, like, you know, again, to me, it's a very competitive industry, right? The saris. You know, how do you really connect to that?

the luxury area or you know like how you position yourself.

Palak Shah (24:49.883)
You know, I think jam, it hasn't happened overnight. It's required a lot of no's. It's required a lot of missed opportunities. But I don't look at it missed opportunities. Like, you know, like through the process when I was growing, you know, many people tend to sort of choose things out of desperation.

So let's say for example, you know when I was growing, I was very clear that I want to be a luxury brand. That I want to be seen as the Hermes of the country. In my head I was always like what would an Hermes do to reach where they have, right? And it required you to not be present at many places.

it's required you to not walk into many doors. And it's also required you in a situation that, let's say for example, when sales are low, like even my father for that matter, he'll call me up and be like, like literally like 10 months before talking to you, he called me up saying, you know, I feel like we should offer a discount to people. And I said, And he said, why not?

And I was like, when an MS has a dead stock, they will not offer discount. They'll figure out a better strategy to liquidate it rather than affect the branding of the company. So it's required a lot of no's. It's required a lot of yeses, a lot of waiting for the right thing to happen at the right time. And I think being in the room with the right people.

Right, so let's give example, like when we had Vogue wedding show back then in 2012, Vogue wedding show was the thing that kind of came about. And all your top designers and all your top jewelers, everyone was there. And I remember we were the only saree brand there in that Vogue wedding show, right? But the other thing was we were placed in the gifting section.

Palak Shah (26:42.682)
right so which is nice which is very good for the branding of like my god Ikea is there and Ikea got to be known whatever couple of years later like cut short to I think five six years later I was like you know what I'm not coming in if you don't put me next to a designer

But they're like, but you're a sari. But I was like, yeah, but I said there many sari brands selling saris. But I'm giving you a lot more than that. I'm selling you an outfit. I'm selling you an aspiration. I'm selling you the whole look. And I said, well, even Sabyasachi is selling a sari. So is Ikaya. But why is my craft weaker than his craft? Because my craft is actually way more valuable. And I said, if you don't put me there, I'm not going to come there.

And sure enough, I stood next to them and I came in. So it's a lot of fighting, it's a lot of believing, it's a lot of saying, no, and you know what, to be honest, Jam, had I chosen to go with an ex with that position or had I chosen to go with a brand smaller than a Vogue wedding show, maybe they wouldn't have taken me after. Because they'll be like, you know what, maybe she belongs to that category.

Dylan Pathirana (27:24.952)
Well...

Palak Shah (27:47.59)
but I let go of that category sale to be because I was like, you know what, if I'm coming, I'm only going in that category.

Dylan Pathirana (27:55.31)
So I guess where I'm going, I wanted to understand like you know, more than you're selling a product, you're selling an emotional connection, right? That's what the brand is all about, right? And so why women feel like wearing an Ikea, your sari, it's more special?

Palak Shah (28:15.312)
You know, for many years, people have used the weavers as a narrative, right? For many, many years. They're like, my god, our weavers' conditions are bad. my god, the weaver is spending 30 days making it. Buy us, buy us, buy us. But I think I'm on a very different trajectory. I am showcasing the aspirational value of a sari. I'm showing people how sexy you can look wearing that garment.

Dylan Pathirana (28:21.921)
Yep.

Palak Shah (28:44.579)
You know how sort of you can look glam and you can be on trend with that. So if you see Ikea's page versus any other page, Ikea is more about how your daughter...

will want to look like that versus, and your wife would want to look like that also by the way because no longer if in case I tell your wife that, my God, no, no, you're 50. So you wear a covered blouse and you must wear in a traditional way or I'm just gonna be like, no, I'm gonna wear what my daughter's wearing because I want to look like her friend. I want to look like closer to her age rather than look like someone like a mother, right? Ikea has become almost like the Pinterest.

Dylan Pathirana (29:02.926)
You

Palak Shah (29:25.776)
for how sarees can look and how chic and sexy and beautiful and on trend and how international a saree can look. And that's where I'm different from anybody else who's saying that. Because you know what, also one second, is that I believe that is a truth. And that is the core point of it because nobody else believes a saree can be sexy. I believe it. I own it, I wear it, and whenever I walk into a room,

it shows that the saree is the sexiest garment there is.

Dylan Pathirana (29:59.374)
And I want to, I want to touch on that point because, know, scrolling through the Instagram page, you know, there's some incredible products that you guys are doing and it's like, you're wearing them in different ways to the traditional sari as well. And I want to go to the point about, know, you're modernizing quite an old tradition. Did you face any pushback in that? Really?

Palak Shah (30:20.261)
Uh-huh. From my own family, from my own family, from my own dad, my dad is just like, but this is not how it's supposed to be worn. I was like, I was like, who defines it? I was like, it's a piece of fabric. said, I'm like, I'll wear it the way I want to. And I think more than anything, it began with me doing it.

I didn't put it onto the page immediately because I like, don't know how it's going to be taken. And eventually as people started taking onto my page and my draping style, and it's really cute, Dylan, because there are girls who tag me when they put the saree around the neck and put a belt on and they were, this is a palak drape. And that's when I was like, hmm. was like, you know, and also I'll you, it's really funny because I think every brand needs to find their voice.

And I found my voice after 13 years. I'd like to say I didn't find my voice in the beginning. It was a lot of trial, error, trial, error, trial, error. Because I also tried to be somebody I wasn't. I tried to be other brands to see what was working for them. And I forgot what is working for me. And the minute I realized that what I have is what nobody has, is that style. And it's that feeling that you can truly wear the sari in any way that you want to. It started clicking.

Dylan Pathirana (31:25.579)
Mm-hmm.

Palak Shah (31:37.444)
Because that's mine and that's nobody's.

Dylan Pathirana (31:40.504)
Yeah. So, Palak, how do you redefine, like how do you create this modern fashion brand but still keeping that tradition going?

Palak Shah (31:52.835)
I think I just have fun with the jam. I don't think I have a strategy for it. Like truly, like every single time I put a saree in my hand, I let it speak to me.

Dylan Pathirana (31:56.878)
You

Dylan Pathirana (32:02.679)
Yeah.

Palak Shah (32:02.848)
and I let it sort of just I drape it around my body I see how I'm feeling that day because you know it's truly a piece of fabric right it has no structure it has no rules it has no definition you drape it the way you want to literally and you know you don't have to make the pleats if you don't want to make the pleats you don't have to drape it like this like like we've decided that you've to put it on your left shoulder but what if I put it on my right who's gonna who's gonna walk in and who's gonna tell me anything

Dylan Pathirana (32:30.147)
Absolutely,

Palak Shah (32:32.742)
whatever I put around my neck, whatever I just put around my waist, like who defines all these things and nobody defines it and tan is the beauty of the saree, right? And every single time I wear it, I'll walk into my closet and I'll be like, hmm, maybe I put a jacket on with it and maybe I just wear like a waist belt or maybe I do something and that's truly what makes me the happiest.

Dylan Pathirana (32:38.176)
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Dylan Pathirana (32:54.122)
So in a way you're like an artist, right? You're creating things. Yeah, yeah. And you're trying new things and just testing, you know. But how important to have that storytelling ability when you're doing that.

Palak Shah (32:56.822)
I'm an artist.

Palak Shah (33:12.215)
You know, I feel like anything that is authentic and anything that truly comes from within you...

It does not need storytelling to be told because people can sense it, people can understand it through your imagery, right? I feel like the day I try, and like I've always told people, right? I said, be true to who you are, figure out what works for you. It's like Jamlet's an example. Now you see Brad Pitt wearing shorts and wearing a blazer. And you you think, oh my God, it looks good on Brad Pitt. I will put it on myself. And then suddenly you're feeling very uncomfortable because your body language is uncomfortable. You're pulling this jacket and you're walking in because you're not sure.

The products looking horrible on you but the same time when you know you wear colorful pants and That is truly you right and you walk in thinking you're looking like a million bucks And you truly are looking like a million bucks because the confidence shines through Similarly with the sari. It's like the story is mine

Dylan Pathirana (33:49.976)
Yeah. Yeah.

Palak Shah (34:09.059)
I've owned it and I truly believe in it and I truly live it every day and like even if somebody saw me at a party and like my mum and I have this argument all the time and she's like again you're in a saree and I was like because I'm comfortable in a saree and one can sense it right so I don't think that storytelling needs to be laid out in the most literal sense but people can sense it, people can smell it, people can absorb it, the energy is there you know and that makes such a difference.

Dylan Pathirana (34:32.727)
Mm.

Dylan Pathirana (34:36.054)
Yeah. Yeah. And in terms of the building, the brand, you said you've done it with this team and I want to go to team culture because I know it's at least for me, it's one thing that separates you, you know, rather than having the flash corner office, you know, you'd like to be with your team and, know, interact with them and build that creativity. What, does team culture mean to you and how are you trying to build it in the organization?

Palak Shah (35:02.114)
You know when I started Dylan, I didn't know what team culture was right because I built it according to what I mean. was 21 years old I was not I don't know jack shit like org structure. I didn't know anything right So I've always like I mean I began with a team humble team of like 10 people that is going to be 20 30 40 right We've always operated like a family and I haven't opened up our policy like like literally and

I can tell you what sets me apart from everyone else is that I know exactly what is going on in my team's lives. Not just at work. Sure, I may not know the numbers and I may not sort of know, okay, how much sale you've done, what's your AUR and what's your average ticket price and to conversion, all that I know. But like now I've started tracking it. But it kind of, it always comes down to my employees' wellbeing.

I know what my manager is going through, is dad's okay, dad's not okay, what his state of mind is, what's going on, I'm always checking in, they feel connected to me, And it's because they feel connected to me, they will give up their life for the company.

Like I've had people literally stay up till 6 o'clock, 5 o'clock, back to back, back to back, back to back and they literally be like, you know, what we're here for you. And you know, and violet culture went on for many, many years. It went on for almost 10, 11 years, I'd like to say.

It has its pros and its cons, right? The pros become like they are giving up their life for the company. But cons is because I'm also not on their head because I'm so close to them. I'm not on their head to kind of fight for numbers and fight for targets and achievements and put them on the treadmill and be like, you know what, it's time to run. And they'll be like, no, but you don't want to run. And I'll be like, okay, I I understand, don't run. So when I went to Harvard is when I started implementing a lot of checks and measures.

Dylan Pathirana (36:39.406)
Mm-hmm.

Dylan Pathirana (36:46.817)
You

Palak Shah (36:56.514)
It was a lot of, I hired a retail head, I hired a consultant and it shook everyone. It shook everyone to the extent that I've had people leave. I've had people go like, know, they're like, you we can't and like since the past two years, it's been one of the most tumultuous years I've had because it's kind of making me question everything that I'm doing. It's making me question that.

Am I doing the right thing, even changing the narrative or the way the company is run? And many of old team members have come saying that the soul of the brand has left and now we have a layer between you and the people. Now what is right, what's wrong? I'm we grew by 25 % last year. Nobody in the country grew by that amount. But also I lost my employees.

I also lost a soul a little bit, right? Now what is wrong, what is right? But at the same time, I've tried to balance it out as much as I can. I'm still available for my team. I'll still pick up the call. I'll still figure out what's going on. I'll still make them feel like, okay, fine, you don't have to go crazy. We're not killing you over targets. But it's always a journey, right? It's always like, what's right, what's wrong? Am I doing the right thing? Am I doing the wrong thing? Like, you know what I mean.

Dylan Pathirana (37:46.99)
Mm-hmm.

Dylan Pathirana (38:08.034)
Yeah, there's no such a thing called, know, you just go with the flow, right? And try your best. So I want to understand a little bit more about your brand and how you are growing it. So I know you mentioned Brad Pitt and I know you're associated with or addressing many Indian famous movie stars, celebrities. Who are the

probably the most famous person that you dressed.

Palak Shah (38:40.519)
Everyone. I've been very fortunate, like from Aishwarya Rai to Sonam Kapoor to, you know, international. I've had the First Lady of Korea being dressed up. I've had like, mean, touchwood, we've got a lot of love. And that's also something that, like, it's more of a...

more like a pull strategy rather than a push strategy because year on year, like earlier you know I said a lot of my campaigns used to be very artistic, it used to be very different, it never sort of showed people how you can look, it showed the aspiration, it showed the arty side of things and then I came to the conclusion that I was like you know what I want people to look at my campaigns and be like that's exactly how I want to walk out of my house.

Dylan Pathirana (39:04.3)
Okay.

Palak Shah (39:27.977)
And that kind of made a lot of celebrities wear and play with the saree. You name it, everyone's wanted. In the country, all the top, you're Aishwarya Rai, Diya Mirza, Kareena Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Bhumi Petnikar, anyone that you can imagine.

Dylan Pathirana (39:51.736)
Amazing. And have you used collaboration as a growth strategy, like collaborating with these? Yeah. Can you explain like how you've gone about that?

Palak Shah (39:56.469)
Yes, yes, No, so you know one of the biggest growth strategy for me was collaborations actually. And I still collaborate a lot, by the way. I think one of the biggest things that worked for me in the beginning was that I collaborated with designers. So I collaborated with people who have never worked with Indian textiles before. And the idea of wanting to work with people who have never worked with them before was to see the endless possibilities that can come through.

Right, so now if I collaborate with a jam, he does not know the limitations of an RC textile. So he'll come up with me like, you know, Pala, I saw this really beautiful checkered thing on this mural on this New York street. Do you think we can make it on a sari? And maybe I can't, maybe I can't, but it pushes me to try if I can. And the minute I try it, I'm able to create something that nobody else has ever done. And that's where...

Dylan Pathirana (40:51.426)
Yeah, you need that outside perspective.

Palak Shah (40:54.698)
You know, exactly, and I also need that push and that challenge for people to be like, you can you make it? And I'll be like, you know, let me try. And I don't know whether I can, and maybe if I can, but if I can't, maybe I'll land up somewhere close to it. But I'll at least land up in a way that nobody else has created anything in this textiles industry before.

Dylan Pathirana (41:11.246)
What's one of your highlights in the career so far doing this?

Palak Shah (41:17.811)
You know, actually my highlight was, I mean, it's followed by a funny story. But when I was in Boston, this lady, this French lady came to my brand manager back then. And she said, you know, we're, you know, we represent the Federation of Made to Measure France, and we'd like to use your fabrics for making French wedding gowns. And you know, like you have all these people come in and you know, you're like, yeah, whatever.

And I said, okay, we're chatting, let's see. and that kind of, this kind of led to a really big show in Paris at, next to the Ritz Carlton, next to, you know, the Saint, in Lafabou area, in Paris, which is right next to the, as in the Hermes showroom. And I had a fashion presentation of Ikea, and our fabrics were used in French wedding gowns with laces and with leather and.

And I was proudly wearing a sari in Paris and I was repping my country. And I remember again, Jam, I fought, said, if it's not Ikea X Federation, whatever, I am not doing it. I said, I'm not a fabric supplier. I'm an equal partner because I'm making the fabric for you. And the way the fabric looks is an integral part to the way the garment looks.

So I'm not doing it. And I remember that day and I'm sitting in Paris and I'm looking my creations there in formal dresses. Me and my dad were there and I'm wearing a sari and I'm smiling and I was like, my God. said, I reached here and I didn't reach in the Indian community of Paris. I've reached in a global community of Paris and I'm sitting right next to the Hermes showroom and presenting my clothes. And it was really funny because then I had my marketing manager come in with me that time.

and we're crossing the Eiffel Tower and I was like, Indira, what's next? I was like, now let's try for one million followers. And she literally gave me her wrist and she like, here, suck the remaining blood that I have in my body right now.

Dylan Pathirana (43:18.254)
Music.

Palak Shah (43:19.007)
And we just giggled and we giggled. It was a beautiful, beautiful moment.

Dylan Pathirana (43:24.206)
Yeah. So you mentioned about collaboration. Like if you had the chance to collaborate with any brand or any person who would you choose?

Palak Shah (43:37.889)
I definitely want to collaborate with like, you know, I mean I'd like to say a Bottega Veneta or you know, I want one of these international ones to kind of come in and to showcase how can you use a Banarasi fabric into bags and accessories and dresses and real high fashion because that's a skill I don't currently have.

Maybe I do, after two years you never know, I might just get into that. But to really kind of showcase how, like I want the international top fashion, like a Prada or a Miu Miu or someone to come in and to be like, you know what, we want to work with you when we want to sort of do a collaboration with you. And jam, I believe it will happen.

Dylan Pathirana (44:21.806)
Amazing.

Yeah, it will happen. I'm sure they will listen to this podcast and contact you. See, you said you, you don't think you have that kind of self-confidence, but you have this self belief, which like it rings true throughout pretty much everything you're saying. I want to know where that comes from. Cause it, to me that underpins all the success that you've had is this

Palak Shah (44:28.846)
Yeah!

Palak Shah (44:47.377)
You know now I have self confidence. Now I do. have a lot of self confidence. do and I agree with you. I have the self belief which I think is my US belief. I don't know where it comes from but I truly believe I can. Like you know to be honest like I was talking to somebody and I was like you know what I want my products to be on Moda Brandy.

And they were like, why would they? And I was like, it will. I said, you watch it, it will happen. And I don't know how, when, what, where. Some people call it manifestation. Some people call it self-belief. I don't know, Dylan, I truly believe I can. And because I think I have the faith in my product. I have the faith because I think it's love for what you do.

Dylan Pathirana (45:38.456)
Yep.

Palak Shah (45:39.165)
And I think it's truly believing that what you see in front of you is possible to be, to see, I mean like you see the light of it. have, like the way you have confidence in your child, right? You're like, you know, my child will go to Harvard. I don't know how, when, where my child will go to Harvard. I may not have confidence in every spears in my life.

Dylan Pathirana (45:50.275)
Mm-hmm.

Palak Shah (46:00.559)
I may not have confidence that I can make it, I can become the fittest human being or I can have six pack abs. I don't have confidence that at all because I my actions don't relate to that at all. Like I just will do everything unhealthy there is. But I do believe that Ikea truly will be one of the biggest brands in the world and I do believe that I will be at Moda Operandi and I will collaborate with a Bottega Moneta or a Prada or a Miu Miu. I don't know when, what, where, when, how.

Dylan Pathirana (46:13.71)
You

Palak Shah (46:29.649)
But to be honest, life has led me here so far. And I have faith that it will. Because I'm also working towards it, right? I'm not sitting on my ass and I'm not just waiting for the magic to happen. No, I'm working towards it. I'm creating collection on collection. I'm changing the way sarees are happening. But I'm having a lot of fun while doing it.

Dylan Pathirana (46:50.094)
Yeah. Amazing. And I love that. I love that mindset. And in 2018, you were named woman of the decade. Wow. I want, I want to know how you view your kind of role as a role model to other, especially, or not just entrepreneurs, but especially young women in India. Like, how do you, how do you perceive that?

Palak Shah (47:11.936)
Honestly, I don't think I'm a role model but yes I am, I know too many people because many girls come up to me and they're like, oh my god, we love what you do and it's really sweet because there many times I've been stopped and they'll be like, are you Palak? And can you take a picture? And in my head I was like, do people know me? I'm such a goofball. You know, internally you don't have that kind of thing. But it's really nice but I also like, I think...

Dylan Pathirana (47:28.942)
You

Palak Shah (47:36.348)
The beauty of it is that I am just an ordinary girl from honestly the background that most of these girls come from, right? I come from a small family. I come from a small town. In fact, I was not given half the kind of a privilege that most of the girls were given, right? And what you make out of it is totally up to you. Like you decided and I've decided my fate. And up until now, like...

I truly believe that I am a simple girl living a simple life. You know, you'll see me traveling in the simplest of forms. I live a very simple life. Of course, like I have the means to it. I enjoy my luxuries and I'm not going to deny that I don't enjoy my luxuries. But at the same time, like we're all...

that it is possible for people to do so, right? And if you truly believe in it and if you truly try and fight the system sometimes and honestly, Dylan, I've not even tried to fight the system. And I've been blessed with a very supportive father, I've been blessed with a very supportive family who has pushed me and told me that you can become the next Indra Nooyi of the world. And I believe I can, you know, and it's just about that, think.

Dylan Pathirana (48:33.006)
Mm-hmm.

Dylan Pathirana (48:48.802)
And so how important do you think environment is then?

Palak Shah (48:52.847)
Very, very important. Very, very important. Because I'll tell you why. I'm not from rich white family, So when I started the business, my dad had full faith in me. And I don't know where his faith came from. My granddad, he gave his whole business to a 21-year-old girl. I don't know what he saw in me.

My uncles did not question until date, I'll tell you, Jam, it's been 13 years of me running this business, 14th this year. My family has not questioned me once on any decision that I've made. They do not interfere. This is my business that I'm running since day one, by the way. If I want to take it to Turkey, I want to take it to Singapore, I want to do London, I want to open another store, I want to collaborate, I want to spend 50 lakhs somewhere. Not a question. They don't even interfere. My balance sheets are not checked. My dad checks it, of course, because he wants to kind of see whether

everything's okay or not, just to kind of like not in a very interrogative manner but in a way like let me sort it out for you and let me kind of pay your taxes on time because I'm busy dreaming but in a way that you dream on and you know and another beauty is that that I've I've been married to a very beautiful man also my husband also is a startup founder he owns a brand called well-being nutrition and every single day instead of me being like you know I just want to chill a little bit and be like get your ass to work now

Dylan Pathirana (50:07.15)
Thanks

Palak Shah (50:15.837)
And he's like, you're not doing this, you're not doing that, you're not da-da-da-da-da. And you know, after a woman gets married, most women are kind of taking care of the house as well. And they're taking care of the family, and they're in-laws. And my in-laws and my husband, they're literally like, you go run the world, everything will be managed.

Dylan Pathirana (50:16.462)
you

Palak Shah (50:38.209)
I am traveling literally two weeks a month. I'm on the go two weeks a month. My husband's traveling two weeks a month. We're both trying to coordinate our time zones, mean our times as we can. But guys, never a question. Literally never a thing. And that's beautiful, think. Sorry.

Dylan Pathirana (50:41.262)
Wow.

Dylan Pathirana (50:57.454)
Amazing, that's good. Finally your dad won, right? Finally he got you married.

Palak Shah (51:00.975)
My... I won, I fought with my dad by the way, for this guy.

Dylan Pathirana (51:05.325)
Alright. Awesome, awesome. Falak, you mentioned before there's thousands of artisans behind actually making this happen. So you're not just creating an amazing brand, also helping a huge community. So tell us a little bit about that.

Palak Shah (51:28.696)
You know, so I work with almost 10,000 artisans and they've worked with my dad, my grandfather, my great grandfather. It's like generational old, right? So like, let's example, their kids come into business and then their kids come into business. And over the years, you know, their kids stopped coming into the business, right? Because sarees had started being treated like, you know, there's one of those products which is not sexy and which is not desirable, not aspirational. And it started being looked upon as something that was not...

not a business that you wanted to be in, right? Because no young generation was coming into that business. until now, many young generations are not coming into the business of sarees because even my own brother, he looks at it as like, you know, it's a very traditional way of working. I want to do something in finance, I want something in this, but it's all about, I think, having faith in what you do. But regardless of that, is that I think with what I'm trying to do even with my community is of course, pay is one benefit, right? But I can, JAMA can give you 10,000,

Dylan Pathirana (52:00.717)
Yeah.

Palak Shah (52:28.796)
dollars a year, a month right? And if you're doing something that you don't like you will eventually leave it.

if you don't see a future in it, right? And I feel like with Ikea, we're trying to break the monotony of doing the same thing over and over and over again. I'm trying to show the viewer and the next generation that this is a desirable business, that this business has potential, this business has a future, this business can be sold internationally, this product can be sold anywhere in the world. And hence I'm convincing the next generation to kind of walk into this father's business and be like, you know what, dad, I will show you that it's possible. And hence that whole revolutionary shift

cultural shift that I'm talking about is that I want weavers to continue being in the business and to not let this trade die by any chance.

Dylan Pathirana (53:15.352)
I want to go to kind of a revolution, which is happening in all industries, which is sustainability. And I saw that you guys, you launched something called second chance, which is where you can read, resell and we always do here at the quest for success. but you guys launched second chance, which like helps resell and repair the saris that you guys sell. How important is, you think this kind of circular economy and sustainability for you guys moving forward?

Palak Shah (53:25.687)
Wow, you've done your research.

I love it.

Palak Shah (53:46.105)
I think it's very important. I'll tell you why because again it comes from a very different mindset for me. You know how you have thrift shops in the US and everywhere in the world. You have your Galianos and your Dior's being sold and know, being bought over and over again and stuff like that. I mean I always look at our craft as also a timeless Couture piece.

Dylan Pathirana (53:56.846)
Yeah.

Palak Shah (54:11.201)
And why must our grandmother's sarees or mother's sarees all be just kept in a wardrobe and not be given to access to people who genuinely want to wear it? And why can't we position it as luxury items that deserve a second chance? And hence came my proposition of second chance. of course, I also feel like many people, know, like sarees in the women's mindset is something that...

They have enough of them, they're like, you know what, we're done, we can't buy more. But I'm like, here, said, you know what, you haven't worn it, give it to me. I'll sell it at a lower price to somebody who really wants it so that you can buy something that you want. Let's reshuffle your wardrobe and why the hell can't we do that? And that's what I'm trying to get at with Second Chance. It's like, give your wardrobe a second chance, give yourself a second chance, give my clothes a second chance, give the Indian textile industry a second chance to be looked at in a very different manner.

Dylan Pathirana (55:06.882)
Yeah. I suppose one, one aspect, which kind of goes back to what you were saying before. This is just purely out of curiosity. How do you balance that with, as you said before, when your dad suggested giving a discount, how do you kind of balance keeping that strong brand perception, but still offering that second hand service?

Palak Shah (55:25.4)
Because I mean, it's only a portion of it, and it's only like 5 % of it. There's a little rack that we try and curate, and which has a second chance tag on it that you can buy it. But it's not my entire store. Also, if a Dior can do it, if an Hermes can do it, it's really how you tell the story. It's really how you explain to the customer what they're doing and what they're buying.

Dylan Pathirana (55:51.982)
Robert. So how do you see your Ikoya brand in the future?

Palak Shah (56:01.144)
see it Paris, see it in Almodo operandi, I see it in like a Nettie Porter, I see it being worn by people across all ages, I see it being worn across all cultures, all continents, and I see it becoming the next kimono of the world.

Dylan Pathirana (56:20.898)
Alright, so how do you want to remember as Palak one day in about 50 years time?

Palak Shah (56:25.944)
I want to be known as a saree lady. The girl who changed the way the sarees were worn. Truly like, I hope so Dylan, I really hope so. I don't want to be known as the Ikaya girl. I want to be known as the girl who changed the way you look and wear a saree. You know, I want to change the whole industry. I want to change the way people look at it.

Dylan Pathirana (56:30.264)
You

Dylan Pathirana (56:34.414)
They'll do Harvard case studies about you.

Dylan Pathirana (56:48.982)
Remember, yeah.

Dylan Pathirana (56:55.64)
Remember we did a case study at Harvard and we similar to what you're doing, because your business is not just about creating a band, you're creating a the whole industry, not just industry, beyond that community, you're growing a community together. And impact that you're creating is amazing, right? So do you ever thought,

Think of that, that way.

Palak Shah (57:27.957)
You know, I do. I know the impact that I'm creating, but I don't think it's in my head it's as big as it is. You know, in my head it's just like, I'm having fun while doing it. But I don't know how big the brand is, to be honest. If you really ask me, and it's not coming from a pace of humility, but I genuinely think I have a long way to go.

And I don't think that I've made it and I don't think I'm on top of my game and I do not think that I'm the brand in the country yet. I have a long way to go.

Dylan Pathirana (58:05.302)
And I suppose in your years of accidental entrepreneurship, what do you think is the one biggest takeaway that you have that you can share with other people?

Palak Shah (58:16.725)
I think just the belief in what you are doing right? I think if you believe it you can move mountains and it's true. I think it's truly if you believe it and if you don't believe it and also like something that find your own voice. I remember someone told me, one of my collaborators that told me something really nice which has stuck around with me for a long time. She said they can be better than you, they can be worse than you but they can never be you. Right? Just find who you are.

Dylan Pathirana (58:41.287)
Nice one.

Yeah.

Palak Shah (58:46.512)
And the day you find who you are, you won the game.

Dylan Pathirana (58:50.52)
So Palak, what exactly, not the sorry lady, but just Palak, what do you want to be and how do you see yourself?

Palak Shah (59:01.494)
I don't know. feel like my identity is my business at this point in time. I am who I am. Like literally if I were not doing this, I don't know what I would be. But I think I just want to have a lot of fun while doing whatever I'm doing. Like I want to have fun with life. I want to have fun living. I want to do what makes me happy. And this truly makes me very happy. And all while doing it with a lot of kindness.

And I think balance most importantly, yeah. I think it's a very key thing in my life, That I want to balance my family life at the same time. I want to balance my personal life at the same time. And I want to be doing well. It's not one at the cost of the other. On days when it's required for me to be at home, I'm okay to be at home. I'm not a feminist. I'm not one that was going to fight with my partner and be like, you get to go to work and I get to be at home.

If it's required, I'll do it. And I'm not ashamed of it.

Dylan Pathirana (59:59.15)
Well, Palak, I suppose to kind of wrap this conversation up, looking back on your journey, do you feel successful given that your definition of success was largely around impact?

Palak Shah (01:00:11.859)
Let's just say I do not feel not successful. I mean, I don't know. I feel like I still have a long way to go. But at the same time, I don't feel defeated. I don't feel like a failure. I feel I am successful as in I'm getting there, definitely. But am I successful is like the end destination, right? And I don't think I've reached my end destination yet. I hope so.

Dylan Pathirana (01:00:20.824)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Dylan Pathirana (01:00:34.188)
Yeah, you're on the right track though.

So, Palak, this has been an actually incredible conversation. I wasn't sure, you know, what I would learn about fashion. It's not really my area of expertise, but it's been such an insightful conversation. I'm really glad that we got to sit down. before we wrap up, I've jotted down a few core traits, which I think have been critical to your, what I would say is quite a successful life. And I'd like to share them with you. The first one I think is...

Palak Shah (01:00:41.503)
Thank you.

Dylan Pathirana (01:01:05.526)
is definitely your ironclad self-belief. Or like going out and forging your own path. It was kind of, know, opposite to your dad. You wanted to do your own thing. You wanted to become your own person. And I think in that kind of journey of trying to find yourself, you develop this self-belief. know, whether it was your time abroad, overseas, you know, or at boarding school, just...

Having that time to forge your own path, I think is what has kind of helped develop your self belief, which gives you that kind of tenacity, I suppose, which is the next one I have tenacity to go out and really make your dreams come true. know, going in and working with these, you know, international brands and really trying to put your culture on show. think that that tenacity to, to make things happen is, is another one of your core traits.

The next one I've got is, is you're very grounded. know, you, you, as much as you've become successful now, you still keep your roots. said, you know, I'm still a small town girl at heart. And I think that's really important because it, it, it gives you something to look back on. It gives you a baseline to look back on and go, okay, I started here and now, now I'm here. And it just keeps you grounded and humble, suppose, throughout the journey. And then the last one I've got is.

You're very value driven. You know the value that what you're selling, you know the value of it and you're trying to build awareness and take it to the international market and showcase what it is that you do. And I think that's such an amazing cause. I'm really glad that we got to sit down and have this conversation. And Palak, what Dylan said to add to that list, you're very authentic, you know, your brand is you.

pretty much the palak is palak what you see what you get and and that you reflect that through your brand it's amazing and I feel like we are talking to the the next big brand coming up you know so so

Palak Shah (01:03:10.004)
I hope so. I hope so. I'm feeling very awkward hearing all these things, but I'm flattered. Thank you.

Dylan Pathirana (01:03:18.432)
Yeah, one day we look back and maybe a few years back, wow, remember we talked to Palak, know like, Ekaya. That's what we like to see.

Palak Shah (01:03:24.499)
No, I really hope. I really hope Ikea ends up being a part of every wedding that you go to. And I hope it's a part of your wedding jam for your daughter's wedding.

Dylan Pathirana (01:03:34.07)
Amazing. Sure. We love to. And Polak before we go, if people want to find out a bit more about Akai, where can they find some more information?

Palak Shah (01:03:44.915)
They can go to my website, ikaya.in. My Instagram is very active, ikaya banaras. My own page, if in case they want to come and see a little bit of a glimpse of my chaotic life, they can. And yeah, we have stores in five cities across India, two in New Delhi, one in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. And let's hope soon we're on international websites as well.

Dylan Pathirana (01:04:07.938)
Awesome.

Dylan Pathirana (01:04:11.904)
Yeah, we're looking forward to it. And we'll put the comments down in the show notes below and Polak. Thank you so much for this conversation. And for our listeners, if you've gotten something out of today's episode, would do us a massive favor. If you could go and like and subscribe and follow us on whichever platform you're listening to this on right now. And you can see all of our inspiring content over on our website, the quest for success podcast.com. And with that, we'll catch you guys in the next episode. Thanks for listening. Thank you. Hey, Polak. That was awesome. Hey.

Palak Shah (01:04:38.333)
Thank you. Thank you.

Dylan Pathirana (01:04:40.632)
Thank you. Hey, you know, Baranasi, right?