Pressure of running a Rs 2,000 crore company, a household and mother 24X7: How Mamaearth's Ghazal Alagh keeps her cool

Time of India

29-05-2025

Running a successful business while being a full-time mother and managing household responsibilities is no small feat. For
Ghazal Alagh
, Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Honasa Consumer Pvt Ltd—the parent company of Mamaearth—the pressure is constant. As her company crossed Rs 2,000 crore in revenue in FY25, the weight of leadership and daily life doesn't get lighter. But instead of letting it overwhelm her, Ghazal has turned inward, learning to prioritize her mental space as much as her professional responsibilities.
In a reflective post on LinkedIn, Ghazal shared a moment of frustration that made her realize how mental overload often manifests in everyday interactions. A simple question from her family became the tipping point—not because it was intrusive, but because her mind was already juggling multiple high-pressure tasks: unanswered emails, internal team changes, a parent-teacher meeting, and product development deadlines.
This moment of self-awareness made her rethink how often mental health is ignored in high-performance environments. For founders and leaders, there is often an unspoken expectation to always be composed and decisive. But that composure comes at a cost when emotional well-being is sidelined.
Importance of mental health
To maintain balance, Ghazal has implemented a few practices that help her stay centered. First, she protects her mornings as phone-free zones and dedicates that time to reading, allowing her to begin the day with clarity. She also pays close attention to how she communicates when under stress. For her, tone and presence are just as important as words—both in professional settings and at home.
One of her key learnings is the importance of presence. Whether it's a one-on-one with a colleague or dinner with her children, she avoids multitasking. Being fully present, she believes, helps build trust and strengthens relationships. Another strategy she uses is structure. A fixed morning routine and designated screen-off times in the evening help reduce decision fatigue, freeing up her mental bandwidth for more critical thinking.
Ghazal now sees mental well-being not as an afterthought but as a core part of her leadership. It's embedded in how she shows up—as a founder, a mother, and a person. Her candid post struck a chord online, with many netizens praising her for normalizing conversations around mental clarity and emotional resilience in leadership.
What netizens said
Comments echoed her sentiment, with many noting that internal clarity is essential for effective leadership. Others appreciated her framing of mental health as not just personal care but as a strategic advantage. For entrepreneurs juggling multiple roles, Ghazal's approach offers a refreshing perspective.