Conversations with Entrepreneurs
Started by a brother-sister duo, Anushka Jhawar and Arjun Doshi, Cuddles for Cubs has 100% cotton loungewear and sleepwear collection for newborn babies to 6-year-olds and it features vibrant, colourful and gender-neutral outfits that can be worn at any time of the day. Their website doesn’t have a separate ‘Shop Girls’ or ‘Shop Boys’ section. Instead, it is by the ages and the kind of clothes. They ship all over India, and this lockdown venture has garnered a massive response already. They are being adored by parents and kids alike. In this interview we focus on the journey of Anushka Jhawar!
1. Tell us a bit about yourself
I love entrepreneurship, yoga, meditation, books, swimming and movies! I’ve moved around a lot in the past few years – Boston, London, Mumbai & Delhi. I’m currently based in Delhi and co-founded Cuddles for Cubs with my brother, Arjun.
2. What do you enjoy about your current job?
I love the creative aspect the most – seeing a design in the development stage to its final creation and then seeing photos of children across the country wearing Cuddles for Cubs outfits. The start-up industry in India is growing tremendously, I’ve had the privilege of interacting with entrepreneurs in different sectors over the years. Learning through their experiences have taught me so much and I look forward to building this network through my current job.
3. Let’s zoom back, Can you describe a few challenges you faced while finding your first few internships at Alok Industries and StoneTurn Group ?
I remember back in 2011, finding an internship in India was quite a challenging process. I was fortunate to work in the designing and marketing department at Alok Industries, where I learnt a variety of skills including design fore-casting, marketing, B2B export sales and finance. At StoneTurn Group in London, I was mentored by Antoinette Pincott, who had set up the ST office in London several years ago. I was able to apply a lot of my knowledge and interact with large European clients in the Defense Industry. I found the work challenging, tedious and highly-detail oriented but definitely helped me prepare for my career as an entrepreneur.
4. What challenges did you face while setting up Cuddles For Cubs?
Manufacturing delays, setting up a robust supply claim, hiring a talented team while being bootstrapped. There are challenges every day but I enjoy problem-solving so this makes my job very fulfilling.
5. How did your time at FLAX help you realise a gap in the current market that influenced your decision to start ?
I learnt PR which was a new industry for me soon after I graduated from Babson College. The team was highly competitive and I was able to study international clothing brands like Petit Bateau and La Coqueta, which inspired me to start Cuddles for Cubs in India.
6. What qualities do you look for while hiring interns?
Motivated team players, data driven, creative, willing to take on any task at a start-up and love to ask for more challenging tasks!
7. Any advice you would like to give recent graduates, especially those who are finding it difficult to navigate and find a path, especially amidst a pandemic?
Be aware of your strengths and also be open to building a new skill set. Internships are a great way to realize what you enjoy working on and where you need to improve! There are lots of remote roles available with the pandemic – try to work in a small company where you will have tremendous learning opportunities.
8. How did your different volunteer experiences shape you not only professionally but also personally?
Empathy & Giving back to society are essential today. The pandemic has widened the income gap tremendously and we must all contribute in our way. As an employer, I always try to see things from an employee perspective and this has made us build a collaborative learning environment where team members can call upon each other and individual growth is only linked with success of the overall organization. I am proud of the company culture we have built despite being a remote team!
