Masoom Minawala Debuts Talk Show with Nykaa’s Falguni and Adwaita Nayar

Global influencer and entrepreneur Masoom Minawala has launched her own talk show, bringing intimate conversations about life, work, and personal growth to audiences. Her first episode features an enlightening discussion with Nykaa founder Falguni Nayar and her daughter Adwaita Nayar, CEO of Nykaa Fashion, centering on the delicate balance of motherhood and career ambitions.

The first episode of The Masoom Minawala Show captures the unique dynamic of three generations of working women.

The conversation opened up a heartfelt dialogue about postpartum experiences, with Adwaita, a new mother of a two-month-old, sharing her journey of returning to work. “I started going back to work about two weeks ago… I feel kind of empowered that my body just went through this, I’ve got this beautiful baby, and I’m getting back to work. I’m being able to be effective,” she revealed.

Speaking about her postpartum experience, Masoom offers a reassuring voice to other new mothers: “Postpartum has not been too bad. I think I was really warned about it, and I’ve been reading a lot… I was very concerned that I hope I remain sort of positive and well through it. But luckily, I think I’ve not faced too much trouble.”

Falguni Nayar, drawing from her experience of raising twins while building her career, offered valuable insights about career pacing. She emphasized that women don’t need to be in “the fastest lane” to succeed, pointing to her own journey of starting Nykaa at 48 as testament to this philosophy.

“Careers are really long, and you need to just be in the race all the time. You can’t back out, but you don’t have to be running at 100% all the time,” she advised.

The episode delved deep into the concept of “mom guilt,” a universal experience that both generations of women acknowledged facing.

Falguni shared how she managed this by making conscious choices about career moves, such as staying in the same job until her twins were three years old. She stressed the importance of keeping work as one of the top priorities while being flexible enough to let it take second or third place when needed.

Adwaita offered a millennial perspective on balancing work and motherhood, sharing how she involves her son in her work life: “I talk to my son a lot about my work… he knows today mama has a big shoot, so he wished me good luck.” She emphasized the importance of helping children understand and respect their mother’s work from an early age.

Host Masoom Minawala reflected on her own approach: “I grew up obviously with a working mother and that was such a big role model for me… It’s never been a question for me in terms of will I get back to work? How soon will I get back to work? How will I manage? It’s always been a non-negotiable that of course, I will get back to work.”

The conversation also touched on workplace policies for working mothers, with Falguni advocating for more flexible maternity leave arrangements and better support systems.

She highlighted the crucial role of understanding bosses, sharing her own experience of needing flexibility with office timings when her children were young.

Throughout the episode, both guests emphasized the importance of having strong role models. Adwaita reflected on how watching her mother pursue her passions gave her the courage to do the same: “Having all of that as a role model and as an example gives me the courage to be like I can also do it. I want to live for myself because I saw someone live for themselves.”

The Masoom Minawala Show marks a new chapter in Masoom’s career as she adds ‘talk show host’ to her impressive repertoire as a Global Influencer, Entrepreneur, Investor, and Author.

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The first episode sets a promising tone for future episodes, creating a space for authentic conversations about real challenges faced by working women. With this new venture, Masoom Minawala aims to create meaningful content that resonates with modern women while drawing wisdom from established leaders across various fields.

The frank discussion about postpartum experiences, career choices, and the realities of balancing family with professional ambitions offers viewers not just insights but also practical wisdom from women who have successfully navigated these challenges across different generations.