Today we’d like to introduce you to Karishma Patel.
Karishma, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started out working as a marketing analyst for a company that hired me right out of college. I was with this company for two years when I decided that I had gained everything I could from that role, and it was time for me to leave. I wanted to take some time off and see if what my options were. I considered everything from becoming a dog trainer to going back to school for my MBA, which can tell you that I really wanted to either do something that fulfilled my soul or my career.
Little did I know, that soon I would get an opportunity that would do both. I got a call from the CEO of SocialMama, Amanda Ducach, who also happened to be an acquaintance I had gotten to know through mutual friends, and she wanted to see if I knew anyone that was interested in joining her team. After chatting for about three hours, we quickly learned that I was exactly what she was looking for and vice versa.
At the time, I was looking for a company that matched my values, and a role that actually fulfilled and challenged me… and that is just what I got. Flash forward to now, I have settled into my role as the Creative Director of SocialMama, and I couldn’t be happier. Each day of work looks different for me – some days I am knee deep in a marketing strategy, while other days I am on photoshop for hours mocking up app screens.
In retrospect, while quitting a job with nothing lined up is a risky move, I can say with confidence that it was definitely something that needed to happen. I would be remiss not to mention the wonderful support system I have that encouraged me every step of the way. It is because of them, I was able to make those life-changing moves and end up in this awesome startup.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It definitely was not a smooth road for me. Before SocialMama, I was with a company that just wasn’t a good fit. I realized I needed to leave when the stress of it started to affect my health. Once I left, I dealt with the anxiety of what to do next for many months. Simultaneously, I was studying for and took my GMAT as a backup plan.
While my family was supportive of me quitting my job, I knew I couldn’t be unemployed forever. After numerous job applications, and a handful of fruitless interviews I really started to get nervous. I was worried I would not find a job that was the right fit, and that I would end up at another company whose values simply did not align with mine.
At the time, that was the thought that kept me up most nights. The months of not working before I got my SocialMama call was interesting for me. While I was able to take some time and focus on my health and life, I felt like I was taking a huge risk with my career. I had numerous people in my inner circle kindly let me know that this type of break was “career suicide,” which only fueled the anxiety.
In hindsight, I would say that the idea of needing to grind 24/7 and never take a break in order to have a successful career is not only dangerous but inaccurate. It took me a while to recalibrate my own thinking and realize that having a gap between jobs is not the end of the world and that there is nothing wrong with being selective about where you want to give you time and energy.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
SocialMama is an app that connects moms with other like-minded moms. The mom fills out a detailed profile on the app, and the backend algorithm creates a compatibility score allowing moms to find their best match.
What sets SocialMama apart is that it does the work for the mom. They do not have to swipe through numerous people in order to get a match, the app sends the matches to them. SocialMama has always been, and will always be about changing the lives of mothers.
We strive to make SocialMama a place for moms to come to for friendship, community, support, guidance, and understanding. We want them to have all the resources they need to be the best mama they can.
We are also proud of SocialMama’s zero-tolerance policy on mom shaming. Motherhood is hard enough without that, and we want moms to feel safe in our space.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was always known as the “artsy” girl. As the granddaughter of a renowned artist in India, from a young age, I was pegged as the only one in my family with the gift of art and creativity. I have always been super proud of my artistic ability, and I love that I get to incorporate that creative energy in my new role.
I also did ballet for about 13 years and absolutely loved it. I had to stop because of a back injury, but it is still very much part of my daily life (in the form of a Spotify playlist of all the major ballet classics). For fun, I take tap classes at the MET, and I have also taken up interest in cooking.
Contact Info:
- Email: karishma@socialmama.us
- Instagram: @thekarishmaster
- Twitter: @thekarishmaster
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