Ritu Agwekar enabling co-creation and promoting women economic empowerment

With a work experience spread over two decades, the core work expertise lies in Real Estate, General Corporate, Contractual and Commercial Laws, ranging from retail to corporate, across all sectors. The expertise extends in pre and post transaction legal due diligence, documentation, society redevelopment projects, commercial contracts in real estate, drafting of contractual documents and corporate agreements like joint ventures, collaboration agreements, Non-Disclosure/Non-compete agreements, Project Management Consultancy Agreements, Employer Employee Agreements, Vendor Supplier Agreements, her forte’ is solution based, balanced transaction closure for the clients. Also, she is a retainer with BCP Associates, Bengaluru, for its POSH vertical and feathers the honor of being an honorary Consulting Advocate to “Gharonda” NGO, an inmate Facility for the Senior Citizens.

My entrepreneurial fleet includes Co-Founder of LEAP Business Partners LLP and Founder of Wo-Men (Power Within), enabling co-creation and promoting women economic empowerment. She also is a Soft Skills Trainer (TheSylf-your Rendezvous’ with self), Mentor {SHEROES and Thrive with Mentoring (P)} and an Advanced Pranic Healer and Pranic Psychotherapist.

A few of my accolades include featuring in many Talk Shows, Magazines and as a Panelist and Women Achiever Award on International Women’s Day- 2017 and a nominee for the Nari Shakti Awards-2018.

With core areas of expertise being Real Estate, General Corporate, Commercial Transactions and Contractual Agreements, I have been associated with renowned law firms of India and currently practicing as an independent Legal Consultant, based in Pune.

How did you get your idea or concept for the business? 

A common belief is “We choose our Profession”, in my case “The Profession chose Me” 🙂

What service(s) or product(s) do you offer/manufacture?

Mine is a Service Based Industry, I help people manage their legal issues in my area of Expertise…Iam a Lawyer 🙂

How do you advertise your business and product/service??

Reaching out to people who need my legal assistance in my field of expertise is first and foremost through word of mouth, good and timely work is the best advertising in my field. I also have found intangible benefits of developing connections through Networking forums and Business Events.

To what do you attribute your success?

Perseverance, Grit, Focus 🙂

What do you look for in an employee?

The most important thing to us is that they fit into our corporate culture!

Teamwork and Growth Mindset. The ability to stay focused and know the importance of being a learner, most important 🙂

Do you work locally or nationally or Internationally?    

Global. I have National as also international Clientele.

What is unique about your business?   

My Profession has many stalwarts, its my ability to value each and still have my say in the transaction that sets the tone.

What are the most important things to progressing as the owner/Director of a business?

These could be characteristics, values, skills etc  Focus and perseverance, flexibility, constant urge to learn , update, be open and inclusive.

What have been some make or break moments in your career?

Important client meetings, presentations, procurement pitches etc       A few make moments, a lot many break moments, when inspite of all things in favour, the transaction doesn’t get through due to either of the sides withdrawal from it. That hurts 🙂

Why is gender balance and having a more diverse workforce important, especially in senior management teams?      

It balances the approach, the vision and the support.

What made you choose this type of business?

As I mentioned, looking back , I always feel that this Profession chose ME 🙂

Does your company help the community where it is located?  

On my entrepreneurial side the created forums undertake and execute many such events which are based on co-creation and serving the community, at large.

If any, what challenges have you experienced as a women in business during your overall career?  

Gender biases exist 🙂

Have you ever turned down a client?    

Yes.

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? 

Stay focused. Law as a profession, is one of the noblest of Professions, stay put , stay strong, stay in your lane and Success will be yours.

How did you make your first sale?        

My first Client was a start up, way back in 2003, it has been a steady and stable growth, since then.

How did you get credibility quickly?   

Nothing is quick, most of the times its unsaid, repeated work from the same Client , over a period of time , is a testimony of ones credibility 🙂

If any, how did you develop key partnerships?     

At present am on my own, but certainly as time passes by, there are strong associations in the pipe line. I guess the underlying principle for any partnership is mutual trust and extended cooperation.

How did you get funded or what creative strategies did you use to execute on minimal cash flow?     

So far so good. All business/professions have a different financial requirement and planning. Its about budgeting it right, preparing for the fixed outgoings and spreading it over the coming months. Foreseeing potential emergencies and providing for new clients/work not coming through for next months.

What was your biggest mistake? How did you deal and learn with failure?    

I have always considered the term mistakes as tools for knowing where one needs to improve, having said that, they need to be addressed at the right time, so that they are not repeated. I guess mistakes are relative, too, what one needs to focus more on, is how they are quickly corrected and addressed to minimize the impact.

If you are given chance to re-start your business, what would you have done differently?   

Would obviously not repeat the mistakes again….hahaha

How do you balance work and life responsibilities?        

I enjoy everything that I do. And therefore while am working also, I feel its a part of my life responsibility balancing out my work responsibility :-). For everything else, which at time doesn’t balance out, I indulge in Healing and Meditation, I am a Pranic Healer as well 🙂 and being a social person, I love to spent quality time with a few of my Friends, go trekking or just read. Balance is a very individualistic thing and therefore requires an individual approach too. One need s to figure out ones trigger point and then address those with appropriate tools :-). LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL.

Who inspired you and why?

I have been my own inspiration, trust me, that’s the most important inspiration- the within factor, you can be inspired by someone, but not motivated, so that self inspiration is absolute essential. Having said that, during my journey as a professional, I look up to a lot many women, like Zia Modi, Indra Nooyi, Oprah Winfrey, Sudha Murthy, Gita Gopinath :-). There are many in the list, but one common thing to all those is they did not need someone else validating them, they followed what best suited them, there was no need for any uncalled for competition and I guess they all are just beautiful in the way they and what they do…:-).

Will you be interested to help lift other women up. 

Yes