Shaily Mehrotra, CEO and co-founder of Fixderma, lately made her debut as the most recent shark on Season 5 of Shark Tank India. In a single episode, Lewisia Wellness founder Manoj Das was slammed by sharks for claiming his merchandise are ‘pure’, and the ‘aromatherapist and naturopath’ was known as out for referring to himself as a ‘physician’. In an interview with Hindustan Instances, Shaily slams the ‘pure skincare’ model for promoting equity, talks of her Shark Tank journey and extra.
Indian’s skincare market preys on deep insecurities, says Shaily
Shaily says that Lewisia Wellness is an instance of the sort of model that sells the promise of ‘equity’ to these weak. “For too lengthy, the Indian skincare market has preyed on deep-seated insecurities about pores and skin tone. We see many manufacturers utilizing fear-based advertising and marketing to promote equity to a weak viewers. And a stark instance of this was the pitch from Lewisia Wellness on Shark Tank,” she says, including, “The mission is to shift that narrative solely and transfer the main focus away from honest pores and skin. Equity is a stereotype we should go away behind.”
Placing that one expertise apart, Shaily says she has a ‘founder first’ philosophy going into Shark Tank. “After I’m within the Tank, I look past the numbers. If I join with a founder’s power and really feel a real conviction of their ardour, that’s the place I see the potential for a partnership. My hope is that the takeaway from my stint is that authenticity and grit are simply as priceless as an ideal pitch. I wish to empower founders who’re constructing from the guts and wish to take Indian startups world,” she says.
From working a skincare model to Shark Tank
Shaily, who has been working Fixderma for 15 years now, says that being within the digital area has modified the sport. For over a decade, her model’s focus was on constructing a basis by dermatological prescriptions. “It’s this depth of expertise and market authority that led to my invitation to hitch Shark Tank India as a brand new Shark. SonyLiv is actively looking for contemporary views to foster innovation, and I’m thrilled to carry my science-first experience to the tank,” she says, revealing that her model can also be one of many present’s sponsors.
Past introducing her model, Shaily says that what drew her to Shark Tank is the ‘uncooked hustle’ of younger founders. However she additionally acknowledges the pitfalls of being on TV. “PR is undeniably a double-edged sword. In at present’s digital age, it’s common for a single sentence to be taken out of context and amplified for the sake of going viral. I’ve developed a thick pores and skin to this,” she says, including, “Over time, I’ve grown resilient to exterior noise, however I stay fiercely protecting of our model’s integrity.”
Capturing for lengthy hours with fellow Sharks
Amid discussions of labor hours within the leisure world, Shaily additionally reveals that some shoot days lasted 10-11 hours for her and her fellow sharks. “I’m extremely grateful for the nice and cozy welcome I obtained from my fellow Sharks. They went out of their technique to make me really feel at residence,” she says, including, “Shark Tank shoot days are demanding, typically lasting 10 to 11 hours, however the time flew by due to the unbelievable camaraderie on set. The power they create is so infectious that, regardless of the lengthy hours, there was by no means a uninteresting second. It was a pleasure to work alongside such a dynamic group.”
Shaily says one of many good issues about entrepreneurship is that it’s ‘basically gender-neutral’. “The market responds to worth, not whether or not you might be male or feminine,” she says, including, “I sometimes skilled the courtesy of getting my information prioritised in authorities places of work, however I additionally confronted inevitable biases with folks questioning if my husband was the one who ran my enterprise. I select to navigate these moments by carrying horse blinds and let the outcomes converse for themselves.”
Shark Tank India 5 airs from Monday to Friday at 10 PM on Sony Leisure Tv and will be streamed on SonyLIV.