Summer is approaching and my wardrobe definitely needs some breeze. The winter coziness now needs to be replaced with summer fun. Come summer and my wardrobe goes lighter. Here are some of my summer essentials:
Whites and lots of them
I am a total believer of basics and white remains my favourite child. You will find a variety of white shirts and tees in cotton and linen in my wardobe. I pair them creatively with my jeans, pants, skirts and shorts. They are my effortless besties and help me stay cool, away from the scorching sun.
Denims
Not just any denims, I prefer my summer weight denims in this hot weather. Baggy fit is the most preferred one along with wide legged pants that allow the air to pass. Boyfriend jeans are also my all-time favourite summer staple, they give me style and relaxation – the perfect vibe for the sunny weather. I prefer the lighter shades of blue and grey to keep it summer casual.
Flowy one-pieces
Nothing can beat my super flowy one-pieces in summer. I prefer to wear them in subtle florals and abstract patterns with zero textures and breathable fabrics. From shorter lengths to graceful long ones, I adore them in any form. When paired with one-sided slings and scrappy sandals, they are my go-to ensemble for a quick coffee or even lunch.
Shirt dresses
Shirt dresses for me double up for a casual evening to a formal office wear. From denim to khadi, shirt dresses can be made in a variety of fabrics, we just need to choose the right piece from the right place that takes care of our needs.
Cotton Sarees
Cotton is always the most sought after fabric. Kota Doria is even more breathable and light weight. I have a penchant for this six yards. I just feel so comfortable having it draped around me oozing grace and elegance.
These are a few of my favourite things. What about you?
Human being or Human Resource? How do you treat your employees? When we treat our employees as resources, it somehow, takes away the emotions and the connect that we have with each other. The moment we think of them as human beings, we immediately embrace them with their positives and negatives. The world is moving at a lightning speed where we don’t get time to stop by and analyse ourselves, let alone others.
Compassion is the quality of being there with someone without even been asked for. Compassionate management doesn’t come easy to all. Being compassionate means getting involved with people. This involvement entails understanding people, their strengths, shortcomings, skills and weaknesses. It also means stepping into the zone of others to see what they are going through. Spending time with people might seem like a time consuming affair to most but only the ones who do it would know the long term benefits of engagement.
Most organisations have started operating differently since pandemic. They have also realised the potential for growth the digital way. Engagement however is critical to the organisation. Many leaders believe that being compassionate is equivalent to being weak. But there are plenty of reasons that disregard this thought. It is in fact true that when employees feel cared for, their performance shows a rise. Not only that, it also boosts their morale and loyalty for the organisation.
There are few points that help to build a compassionate workplace:
A conducive culture An environment of trust and credibility Engagement and employee development Transparently laid out rules and policies
Pandemic has made us all realise that artificial intelligence might be the way forward but human connections are inevitable and mean the most to us in testing times.
Sustainable fashion is something that we are all aiming for. Being sustainable could mean different things for different people. We need to know the philosophies that we are supporting while we make our purchase decisions. End of the day, we all want that our wardrobe needs to appeal to our senses and be productive at the same time. This might seem difficult in the first go, but it’s actually easy. Here are 5 fashion rules to live by would be:
Having Clothing staples
Aim to have a wardrobe that has a fair mix of basics and costume pieces. Ideally, a wardrobe must have 70% of basics which includes classic pieces like simple tees, denims, jackets and solid one-pieces and 30% costume pieces including flowy florals, blingy one-pieces, party casuals and the likes. If you can ensure this, you are most likely sorted.
Mix and matchability
Ensuring we have more basics, solids and classics in our wardrobe helps us to create new outfits each day. This not only creates interest but also helps us with a new look each day. A floral top can be paired easily with a blue denim for a casual coffee and the same when paired with a blazer can serve as an appealing fashion formal for a dressy afternoon. We need to have the knack of creating clusters with few garments and accessories.
Re-loving clothes
Clothes that were once in trend and were our hot favourite may now no longer hold any value in today’s trend. These are most likely costume pieces which sadly would have been worn by us less than 5 times. One of the best ways to utilise the same could be to redesign these clothes or even detach some parts of them and use them in another costume. This way we remain in trend with some of the most attractive pieces and at the same time protect the environment.
Removing the wardrobe orphans
Clothes that have been lying untouched and unworn in your closet for more than 6 months are truly the discarded ones. For sake of emotions or belongingness, we might want to retain them. But the fact is that these are clothes that we don’t like much for one reason or the other. Removing them not only frees up the space in the cupboard but also declutters our mind. We can then shop for new ones with more freedom and less guilt.
Know your personal style
Being more informed about what we like and what suits us always makes up for a good and productive wardrobe. Going blindly behind fashion might not always be the best idea. It is important to know our clothing choices in terms of line, colour, shape, pattern and textures. If only we have clarity on these, each piece in our wardrobe would speak for who we are. After all, fashion is what we make out of it.
We all know that when we exercise, our body releases chemicals called endorphins. These endorphins signal our brain receptors to reduce the perception of pain. We also start feeling happier, positive and energised. Hence, relating exercise with stress relief is a natural argument. Here are 5 reasons that highlight the same:
Transports you to another world
After a long walk or a fast-paced run or an energetic game of tennis, we often tend to forget the worries of life. We get transported into a world which is full of rigour, enthusiasm and life. In fact, small muscular pains actually vanish after an exercise session. This is majorly because when our body comes in motion, we release happy hormones and tend to overlook, even ignore our pain.
Exercise acts as a mood elevator
Any form of exercise when practised regularly can ease tension, anxiety and even depression to some extent. When we exercise, our body comes in motion, we breathe faster and inhale more oxygen. Our lung capacity increases and makes us feel more relaxed. Not only do we feel lighter but also happier.
Fosters mind body wellness
Exercise forms like yoga, pilates and tai-chi have gained tremendous appeal in the past few years. People have realised that sweating it out on the treadmill isn’t the only way to keep fit. Exercises that are aimed at mind-body coordination have many health benefits including boosting the immune system, making the heart stronger and of course relieving the pressure on the mind.
Venting the unwanted energy
Many a times we have witnessed people venting off their anger or frustration through vigorous exercise. Exercise is an effective way to release the unwanted, accumulated and negative energy from the body. Once we release such energy, we feel lighter, relieved and relaxed.
Being physically active improves the way our body battles stress. Let exercise be on the top of your to-do list and make it a part of your regular routine.
Tracking relevant business activities is a must while you are running a business. To understand the progress of your company, it is essential to map the performance of a company vis a vis the goals that have been established.
It is essential to understand the key business metrics that must be tracked. Some of them are:
Revenue
If tracked well, the sales revenue of a company tells a thousand things. Revenue is the sum total of the earnings less the costs incurred. The revenue of a company is the key parameter to measure the performance of business. Revenue must always be checked on a year-on-year basis and not as a stand-alone yearly figure. This also helps in comparison of results with the past years as well as with the competition. This financial performance when measured also helps us in goal setting for the future.
Fixed and variable costs
Fixed costs are there to stay irrespective of the units of production. Variable costs on the other hand, like, labour, raw material, commissions and wages largely depend on the quantity of products you sell. It is important to understand the impact of fixed costs on the potential of the product to make profit. The business must calculate the average fixed and variable cost in order to understand and manage the company’s growth and pricing.
Gross and net profit
sale volume increase make business grow, Flips cube with icon graph and shopping cart symbol.
Gross profit of a company helps us to understand the efficiency of a business. It tells us how much profit a company earns from the production and sale of its goods. Net profit on the other hand is the profit that remains after all the expenses have been deducted. It is the measure of the company’s overall profitability and reflects on the performance of the company.
Customer retention
The rate of retention of customers means a big deal for any company. It shows the loyalty the customers have towards the company. It also increases word of mouth sales. The retention rate shows the number of clients who keep using the company’s products and make repeat purchases. Customer loyalty is a great tool for any company to build trust and goodwill in the market.
Conversion rate
Leads and references received by a company is just the starting point. The same need to be rigorously worked on in order to confirm them into sales. Conversion rate is often a topic of discussion at sales meetings. The rate of lead to sale conversion always depends on the quality of the sales team, their conviction in the product along with their selling skills. It also is a tool to analyse the product and check whether it fits into the market. A higher conversion rate is always a dream for any company.
Employee satisfaction
None of the activities of the company would be fulfilled if the employees of the company do not have job satisfaction. Happy employees are productive employees. Employees always look forward to a safe and congenial place to work that is mindful of their needs of growth, learning and progress. It is important to check whether our company is a place where people are happy to work.
Mother Teresa said, “We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked, and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.” This quote is a true reflection of empathy that women possess accompanied by the feeling of service to humans. It’s been decades that people are worried about growing the economy instead of delivering to humanity through concerted efforts. Snehal Brahmabhatt is the name that gave rise to Sneh Shilp Foundation.
Snehal Brahmabhatt has been working towards not just developing spaces but also equally contributing to uplift the needy. The foundation believes in turning people’s dreams into reality by keeping their needs in focus and building around them. Sneh Shilp Foundation also believes in taking a leap and giving back to society by doing what it takes to make a significant difference in people’s lives. Snehal mentions, “Sneh Shilp Foundation has been established with the sole purpose of bringing sunshine to lives, smiles on faces and service to the ones in need to create a world where everyone gets what he/she desires and truly deserves. Our thought towards making humanity the priority always helped us to keep pushing boundaries. “
Adding to this she said, “We simply want to prevent human suffering by alleviating poverty and hunger, conserve the natural world and help animals and enhance the lives of children through adequate education. Our initiatives including Blood Donation Drives, Environment Day Drives, Clothes drive and Grocery Donations are a way to thank humanity and above all uplift the needy. We have been taking so much from society and one of the biggest examples is using trees for daily essential products. What we return is nothing, so Sneh Shilp and the volunteers associated with it dedicated time to plant trees through a specially designed event called Project Neenv. I really hope that people value nature and humans lives more than anything else.” That being said, Snehal Brahmabhatt has been a true inspiration for what today’s women should look like inside out.
