My entrepreneurial journey began with a choice that felt impossibly simple yet deeply symbolic: attend my daughter’s school event or meet an urgent client deadline. Laptop open, heart pulled in two directions, I sat torn between two worlds. The guilt, the conflict, the need to be in two places at once—it was a familiar feeling for any working mother. My Gen Z daughter calls it FOMO—Fear of Missing Out. But that day, something shifted.
It became a turning point—not because I found a perfect solution, but because I saw the need to create one.
Motherhood didn’t diminish my ambition; it ignited something deeper. I still had dreams to chase, goals to meet, and ideas to bring to life. But I also longed to be present—not just physically, but meaningfully, for my daughter. To hear her stories, celebrate her wins, console her losses, and savor her everyday magic.
The conventional work structures I had known didn’t offer what I needed. So, I set out to build it.
That was the seed of AltC—not just an Integrated Marketing Communication agency, but a workplace rooted in values I held close: flexibility, empathy, integrity, and fire-in-the-belly ambition. I envisioned a space where professional excellence and parenting could coexist without apology. Where client deadlines were met with the same determination as bedtime stories. Where communication didn’t just sell products—it told stories that mattered.
The journey was far from easy. There were months when invoices were delayed and sleepless nights when doubt crept in. I questioned whether I had taken on too much. Yet, in the quiet chaos of motherhood—between school lunches, client crises, and pitch meetings—I discovered resilience and courage I never knew I had.
Motherhood became my greatest teacher. It honed my skills in project management, financial planning, emotional intelligence, crisis handling, and negotiation in ways no MBA could. It reminded me that failure isn’t final, and neither is success. Together, love and grit can fuel empires.
Before I formally ventured into entrepreneurship, I often told my partner, “While I’m creating systems, processes, and managing people at home, invisibly, I’m also preparing to create a business.” Our home transformed into a war room and sanctuary, filled with brainstorming over tea and the hum of life from the garden. And then there was Rocky, our tail-wagging cheerleader, who knew just when to curl up beside me on the hardest days or bark me out of a work fog.
Today, when I walk into a client’s office or pitch a new idea, I carry my daughter’s wide-eyed wonder with me. To her, I’m not just the mom who packs her lunch but someone who built something from scratch—with love, courage, and unwavering belief.
This Mother’s Day, I’m not celebrating balance—it’s elusive. I’m celebrating the choice to stay rooted in love while reaching for the sky. Because from home to headquarters, motherhood isn’t a detour—it’s the fire that fuels the journey.
As my daughter steps toward independence, I find myself ready to reinvent both myself and my business. Entrepreneurship, for me, isn’t just about profit; it’s about building a legacy—a reminder to my daughter and others that chasing dreams with perseverance and love is not just possible, but powerful.
Pallavi Priyadarshini, Founder, AltC, Altering Communication, an Integrated Marketing Communication Agency
