Shalini Vadhera’s journey from being jewelry and fashion entrepreneur, celebrity make-up artist, best-selling author of Passport To Beauty, favorite guest of Dr. Oz, Today, and The View to the founder of a multi-million dollar global cosmetics company is nothing short of remarkable. Vadhera has transformed this platform while using her business acumen to create global beauty, lifestyle, and business solutions to empower women around the world.
Being a global leader in beauty innovation, Shalini consults some of the top businesses in the world on beauty and spa therapies and branding and has created multiple best-selling beauty brands in her own portfolio.
Shalini is the recipient of the 2017 Mahatma Gandhi Award at The British Parliament for her work in women’s empowerment and leadership. She is the recipient of the 2019 Jewel Of India Award from the Prime Minister’s Office, the 2019 Woman of Excellence Award – Women Economic Forum, and the 2019 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of The Year Award Nominee. She was named the #1 Person To Watch by The Economic Times of India, Winner of the Game Changer Of The Decade Award in Beauty, and Winner of the Oprah Beauty O~ward. In 2020 Shalini was named the President Of The International Women’s Wing for global women’s empowerment by the NRI Welfare Society in New Delhi.
Catch the Ms. Shalini Vadhera, the Beauty Moghul in conversation with Ms. Namita Nayyar, President, Women Fitness.
Namita Nayyar
As a young girl, you traveled the world to visit family in India and Kenya. On those trips is where you fell in love with the beauty of diversity. Please share about your child & education? Also what attracted you to the world of beauty & fashion?
Shalini Vadhera
I grew up in San Diego, California. As children, we had the opportunity to travel to India and Kenya to visit my grandparents and family. On those trips, we s=would stop in different countries. I was so enchanted by the flight attendants on those flights. I remember being a young girl on a Japan airlines flight and going to ask for a glass of water and walking into a group of the most beautiful flight attendants painting their nails and doing their makeup. As a little girl, they were walking dolls to me. That was the first moment of attraction to the world of beauty and fashion.
Namita Nayyar
You started your entrepreneurial journey at the age of 19 and you went on to create your own luxury jewelry and fashion lines sold to Macys and Nordstrom. Throw some light on those early days.
Shalini Vadhera
I started as an entrepreneur at 19 when my father gave me a plane ticket to India and told me to start my own business. I had no idea what to do but when I reached India ( I actually cried on my flight thinking they were secretly arranging my marriage!!), my uncles from Ludhiana took me to their knitwear factory and I started designing and importing sweaters for the surf and golf industry. It was really difficult as a 19-year-old! It was hard to get my uncles to take me seriously even those I was sitting on orders.
I then pivoted into sterling silver and semi-precious stones and sold those into major department stores but my heart was always with beauty. That’s when I started working in the beauty industry getting my first job at the Clinique counter. I worked my way up to get my big break as a celebrity makeup artist at NBC Studios working on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and that opened up the celebrity makeup artist world to me, got me on TV, from there I was offered a publishing deal to write my best selling book Passport To Beauty and then launched my first beauty brand in Sephora and QVC.
Namita Nayyar
That passion for beauty motivated you to launch your makeup career at the top with a big break by working on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. It must have been a dream come true. Share a fond memory from that incident that has stayed with you to date.
Shalini Vadhera
I actually thought they were firing me the day I got my job on the Tonight Show. I remember I had only worked at NBC for 6 weeks in the news department. One Day the head of the entire studio came into the makeup room and told me to pack up my stuff. The other makeup artist looked at me and laughed and said it was nice to know you. So we all thought that I was being let go. As I followed him out of the studio I was so nervous thinking that it had been a good six weeks
, when he decided to turn left and walk me onto the set of the Tonight Show. He said, “you’re really good and you’re going to work here now”. What a twist of events!My 1st day at work was working with Jay Leno and the crew trying to get President Clinton a birthday cake. It was the most fun I had ever had.
Namita Nayyar
You are the Founder and CEO of Ready Set Jet, a wanderlust-inspired beauty brand built for the Go Generation™ with a strong social impact give back geared to empower and inspire women by using beauty as a vehicle for global change. Please share some insight about the brand.
Shalini Vadhera
Ready Set jet is a brand with a mission to empower women and impact change. The brand was created after I received the Mahatma Gandhi award at the British House of Lords for my work in beauty and women empowerment. Shortly thereafter I came to India for my cousin’s wedding and the day I arrived government officials were waiting to meet with me and requested I find a way to create an impact for the girls in India. After doing quite a bit of research I realized that it was time to use Beauty for a higher purpose and that’s when I decided to create a new brand with targeted products for the Indian consumer while also taking part in the proceeds to create impact for dis-enfranchised girls in the slums and villages by skilling them and vocationally training them in beauty and entrepreneurship to help them become the next generation of beauty entrepreneurs.
After Covid hit, we realized that the impact with much broader with so many girls reaching out to me on Instagram that had lost their jobs or had been furloughed and needed to find a way to become self-sufficient. That’s when we decided to add the online Academy (we are building now but have a Facebook group) where women anywhere in the world could gain personal and professional skills to live their most beautiful and powerful life. We are excited to have an Omnidirectional approach to becoming the best version of yourself through everything Ready Set Jet offers.
The products in Ready Set Jet are revolutionary. They are the first of their kind on the market with interchangeable and customizable packaging. Vegan-powered skincare in every product. Cruelty-free. And we worked with a chemist to create a proprietary formula of marine botanicals that protect the skin from pollution, inflammation, and aging.
www.readysetjetofficial.com @readysetjet
Namita Nayyar
Diet pattern you follow? Any specific diet you seem is idle for a woman.
5 Foods you love to eat & 5 you keep to a minimum.
Shalini Vadhera
I find that when I follow a “diet” I stick to it for a few weeks and then binge on everything I couldn’t eat. For me, it’s about mindful eating on a daily basis and allowing myself to eat treats in moderation. For idle women, Intermittent fasting is wonderful to stay in shape as well as lowering your carbs. Also identifying foods that inflame your body should be reduced or removed.
I focus on healthy fats like olives and avocados and lean protein.
5 Food I Love To Eat:
- Avocados
- Anything Mexican! Fajitas
- Hummus and Cut Veggies
- Thai veggie curries
- Dal Makhani & Paratha
5 Foods I keep to a minimum:
- Dried fruit ( high sugar)
- Candies
- Meat
- Sodas
- Bread
Namita Nayyar
The secret behind your glowing skin & beautiful hair.
Shalini Vadhera
Lots of water, collagen powder in my morning shake, and healthy fats in my daily meals like Olive Oil, coconut oil, ghee, or avocado.
Namita Nayyar
5 Smart tips for menopausal women to keep their skin healthy and prevent early signs of aging.
Shalini Vadhera
Collagen!!! Taking an adaptogenic like Ashwaganda (and if you can add moringa oil you’ll get high anti-oxidants that protect the skin from pre-mature aging) opt for coconut oil as a daily moisturizer and “slug” your skin 1-2 x a week with a heavy balm ( like the Ready Set Jet Hydrate and Glow) over your face and neck to lock in moisture and reduce the appearance of fine lines. Double your water intake and control your stress.
Namita Nayyar
You have talked about “facing sexual harassment, gender bias and the lack of female mentors on her entrepreneurial journey” Smart coping tips for young women & girls to fight harassment at work who set out to their dreams?
Shalini Vadhera
- Use Your Voice
- Find a female mentor to help you navigate the situation
- Find a champion in your work place that you can trust and who will have your back
- Know there are other work options for you and this isn’t the end of the road.
Namita Nayyar
Motivational quote you live by?
Shalini Vadhera
There is no such thing as No.
Namita Nayyar
Your future plans?
Shalini Vadhera
To continue to build amazing products and brands that empower women around the world.
Namita Nayyar
Message for your fans & followers?
Shalini Vadhera
Pay it forward and help your fellow friend or entrepreneur. Collaboration is so much stronger than the competition
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