By Surokshya Manandhar

Beauty, Brains and Balance

Carving out a niche for herself, Seema Golchha has been making her presence felt in the Nepali business sector. In the male dominated Nepali society, when Golchha decided to join her family business, it was something unusual. Never before had any woman from the Golchha family forayed into business.

George Bernard Shaw once said “Some men see things as they are and say why - I dream things that never were and say why not.” Similar has been the attitude of this ambitious businesswoman Seema Golchha throughout. Carving out a niche for herself, she has been making her presence felt in the Nepali business sector. In the male dominated Nepali society, when Golchha decided to join her family business, it was something unusual. Never before had any woman from the Golchha family forayed into business. She confessed that her father-in-law was the one to motivate her to join the business. Ever since she took a bold step toward business, there has been no looking back.

 Exploring the lesser known, and rather personal side to Golchha, she reveals to you, her journey from a young, liberal and warm hearted Indian girl to being the daughter-in-law of one of the most reputed business house in Nepal and finally to establishing herself a successful entrepreneur.

 “I always had a smile on my face, she said, recalling her childhood days. Brought up in Lucknow and Dehradun, Golchha had a happy childhood. She completed her schooling from Dehradun and pursued her higher studies in Delhi University. She was always a vivacious and an independent girl. For her, the inspiration to lead an independent life always came from her working mother. Unlike ordinary women thirty years ago, she lived independently in a flat and worked for advertising agencies.

However, things changed completely for her when she got married to Shekhar Golchha who belonged to a completely different cultural background. “I was leading a very modern and liberal lifestyle before marriage and hence getting married to a conservative family brought a huge cross-cultural transition in my life,” expressed Golchha. Although it took her some time, she eventually adapted to and adjusted with the new environment that she was placed in back then.

 Golchha, who has perfectly balanced her personal and professional life, believes that time management is the key to balance in life. Wife of a businessman and a mother of two, she is also a perfectionist. Although it is not possible to score 10 / 10, she, as a mother, a wife, and an entrepreneur, is doing justice to every role with sheer conviction. . Enjoying every moment of the day, she still tries to work out details in whatever she engages. “We should always give our cent percent in whatever we do,” she said.

Entering business was intentional for her, as she always had an interest in it. “I am happy being involved in business as it recharges and completes my life in a way,” she said when asked about her professional life. She started her business with a women’s showroom in Durbar Marg. Since then there has been no looking back for her.

 “Success is important, but it is not everything,” said Golchha. She believes that every step taken towards achieving your goal counts. It doesn’t matter if one succeeds or not, it is important that one should work hard to meet own expectations and goals. When she first joined the family business, a showroom like Samsung Plaza was an innovative idea. It was very rare in Nepal to find such a range of electronics under one roof. Today, 10 years later, she is expanding the exclusive outlet of Samsung electrical appliances across the country. Despite many obstructions like load shedding and strikes, she is also looking to further expand her business by launching two more Samsung Plazas, a Timex Watch outlet and a Bajaj Appliances outlet. She strongly believes that if you have faith in yourself, nothing can stop you and hence she is moving ever onward.

 She has always held the view that women should be empowered. Hence, most of her employees are young, motivated girls. In her line of business, it is important to understand customers’ temperament because at the end of the day, customers’ satisfaction is what matters most. So, when she is recruiting her employees, academic qualification is not all that she looks for, she also observes their personality. When asked about her management strategy, she shared that it is important to provide employees with space for innovation in order to improve and upgrade the company’s status. It is also important to provide enough opportunity for communication between management and staff. She also makes sure to set an example of dedication, in order to motivate her employees.

 She is surely dedicated to her work but a trekking enthusiast, Golchha doesn’t forget to take a break every now and then. For her, friends and family are an integral part of her life and she lets her hair down while having fun with them. She believes that socializing is an important aspect of both personal and professional life. She is also an avid book reader. With her life moving back and forth between so many roles of a woman, she still manages to maintain equilibrium in her life. With an amazing life graph and career ladder, she is beauty with not only brains but also balance.

 PERSONAL SIDE

Hobby: Reading. She is a voracious reader. She always carries a book and is currently reading “Immortals of Meluha” by Amish.

Pets: Loves dogs and cats. She has three dogs and would love to own a cat. But she complains that her husband is not fond of cats.

Friends: Integral part of life.

Brands: Brand conscious. However, if one can carry her/himself well without brands, it is perfectly alright.

Success: Important but not everything.

Planning a holiday: Loves travelling. Has already planned a holiday for Dashain.

Cosmetics: Clinique.

Leisure time: Listening to music, reading books, spending quality time with family.

Favorite travel destination: Europe.

Sporty Indulgence: Swimming, Trekking.

Socializing or not: Yes, a big socialite!

Life: Each day a new motivation to live with happiness and self-contentedness.