Let's explore her journey from Masterchef and Sharktank to leading a successful venture.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your family?
I am one of the Top 6 contestants in Amul Masterchef Kitchen Ke Superstar Season 3 and I’m proudly known for my Grace & 3D approach in my cooking, and First Season Opener of Shark Tank India and receiver of Funding. I was born & brought up in ‘Queen of Hills’ Darjeeling.
Growing up in a joint family of 14 members, where three generations used to live together with a blend of Buddhist & Hindu philosophy, I have a strong influence of Japanese philosophy on my personality. I am married to Nitesh Madan, who is from a Punjabi family, Rohtak Haryana. Carrying a legacy of strong cross-cultural values, which helps me at each and every step of life to stand strong, and fight with the odds, by having deep faith in the almighty.
Before 2016, I had a few unsuccessful attempts at venturing out on my own, and finally, with my two present co-founders, I started and registered BluePine Foods Pvt. Ltd. in Delhi with the promise of offering customers healthy, affordable, and hygienic momos. In 2018, the company opened its first Quick Service Restaurant, Yangkiez By Momo Mami, which was also my name before marriage.
Have you had any formal training or family business?
Life Training & Journey was more than enough to have real-time on-ground training of life and Experience Entrepreneurship in more near & real terms.
We are first-generation self established entrepreneurs.Being part of Masterchef India Season 3 and traveling and living in different parts of the Country has enabled me as an Individual to accumulate many pieces of training and cross-cultural influences that has strengthened me even more.
How did you come up with the idea for your business, and what was the process of turning that idea into a reality?
I am originally from Darjeeling brought up in a joint family of 14 members, but I have been based in Delhi for most of my professional life. In Delhi, I missed the authentic, traditional Himalayan cuisine on which I had grown up.
Me and my husband often spoke of venturing into a business that offers healthy, hygienic and affordable food but we couldn’t prioritize these ideas because of the pressures of living in Delhi. Around 2013 we moved to Jaipur and being a good cook, my husband nudged me to compete in the 2013
Amul Master Chef, which I did and was shortlisted among the Top Six.
This experience was an eye-opener for me. It brought to life the influence of culture, religion, ethnicity, regional techniques, and ingredients on cuisine. It reinforced my desire to use my culinary passion to build cross-cultural integration and promote food innovation.
Kitchen Ke Superstar, as it was called during Masterchef Season 3 a popular cooking show in Hindi. I met the famous restaurateur and chef Vikas Khanna, who affectionately gave me the name Momo Mami, by which I is referred.
To “Change the Way India Eats†the stigma around the product Momos and also Agro produce wastage and decay led to a beautiful Journey of Creating Momos with the basic strength that I had and as a staple food using a wide range of Agro Produce, which first choice is “steaming†i.e., the healthiest form of cooking food.
How have you grown as a leader since starting your company, and what have been some of the key lessons you've learned along the way?
I have evolved much faster and more rapidly in the span of two years than my whole life together it seems. With Cohort learning during the entire lockdown I have learned much more from my peers and embraced it well, organisation has also evolved along with me.
My Journey from An Employee to an Employer/Entrepreneur has been a beautiful one inspite of all the challenges, and difficulties I’ve gone through. It has very well connected all the dots.
During Masterchef, there were numerous challenges like Mahapadav Ka Chakravyuh for e.g which enabled me to mentally and physically become more stronger and disciplined. Like these, I have a huge list of experiences in Life.
Can you tell us about a time when you faced a major setback or failure in your business, and how you overcame it?
There are always a lot of setbacks in an Entrepreneurs daily life, to be more specific and speak on a recent larger part I would say Corona was the major setback as well as a boon for self established food entrepreneurs like us.
Our major hit was in Baani Square Yangkiez by Momo Mami as our investment of effort, time and money lay there which we had to shift during the second lockdown.
How do you stay motivated and focused on your goals, especially during challenging times?
The whole purpose defines you to stay focused, the baton of responsibility taken seriously and well for the Role of An Entrepreneur with discipline has helped me be everywhere related to Organisation and focused too.
The Founder is the soul of the Organisation from where the passion, purpose, and strength lies and begins, being aware of the very fact keeps you motivated all the time.
How do you balance your personal life with the demands of running a business?
If you speak about me as an Individual my personal life is my professional life, that isn’t two apart but rather one. I find my happiness in my purpose and passion and never feel that I am doing or have to work on something different.
It’s pure bliss of joy with sharing, caring, and working all imbibed together.
In the ecosystem, I take my family along with the business so it’s never that I have to give a separate time to my husband.
What are your plans for the future of your business, and how do you see yourself evolving as a founder and leader?
Just keep watching the space and follow us to explore the journey unfolding together. Keep showering us with your love & blessings. Gratitude to everyone for their huge love and care for us.
Every target achieved is a milestone, Numbers are important but the purpose is much bigger than the numbers and I have to keep inspiring teens and individuals to achieve that purpose.
If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
That I should have started my Entrepreneurial journey much earlier, for myself the society and everyone in and around.
What's the most unconventional thing you've done to grow your business, and what was the result?
I have realised the importance of developing my skills to lead a business and Joined NSRCEL which helped me in navigating my business by creating a strong base for longer innings.
What's the most important lesson you've learned from a failure, and how have you applied it to your business?
Learning should never stop, In my journey of running the Company, I keep learning and building skills that I as a Founder should know or be aware of deep within. As a women Entrepreneur you are underestimated way beyond, but being focused consistent, being a little ziddi (stubborn) will keep treading the path for you.
Never listen to people who are criticising you, you have to be mentally strong like a mountain and persevere. The most important lesson is to be agile and frugal in everything you do.
In today’s volatile world, speed to market changes is the key differentiator in being a success or failure.
What's the most meaningful compliment or feedback you've ever received from a customer, and why did it resonate with you?
One of the most meaningful compliments I received was from Pune, who related to Momo Mami so much, the way children love and get connected emotionally so much with me gives me the immense motivation that we are definitely doing the right thing with our sincerest efforts, Our Products Handcrafted with love and care ~ we promote artisanal handcrafted products in spite of having automated machine too as that generates employment opportunity amongst the unskilled underprivileged sector to have a better livelihood.
They express their trust in the product and share their experience of being an authentic one, which is in resonance with my vision of making people experience Real Himalayan Food with Convenience and pleasure.
If you had to choose one thing that makes your company truly unique and sets it apart from the competition, what would it be, and why?
The company started with three SKUs, and has now touched 40+ SKUs, including chocolate momos, spring rolls, Thai momos, Hemp Momos, Immunity Diabetic Atta Momos, corn momos, and pizza momos. The handcrafted momos are in different shapes and variations are wrapped in whole wheat, flour, vegan and also gluten-free skin.
The Team strength is that me and my co-founders are passionate about the purpose behind our venture.
We aspire to contribute to many agro and social causes. For instance, using the right agricultural produce for making hygienic, healthy, nutritious, ready-to-eat momos that are preservative-free and have a higher shelf life adds value to consumers and the environment.
BluePine Foods increase convenience in consumers’ everyday life. The company believes in employing underprivileged women and in training its workforce in the HORECA segment to be future-ready.
Find Aditi Madan on social media:
- https://www.instagram.com/bluepine_foods/
- https://www.instagram.com/yangkiez_by_momo_mami/
- https://www.instagram.com/aditibhutiamadan/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/bluepinefoods/
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/yangkiez/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/madanaditi/
- https://www.facebook.com/FROZENMOMOS/
- https://www.facebook.com/yangkiezz/
- https://www.facebook.com/aditibhutiamadan/
- https://twitter.com/BluepineFoods
- https://twitter.com/Yangkiez_india
- https://twitter.com/chefaditimadan
Hope you enjoyed reading Aditi Madan’s story!
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