Bag It All - Book Review

Bag It All
By Nina Lekhi and Suman Chhabria Addepalli
Review By Ila Garg

Bag It All, which is a biography of Baggit M.D. Nina Lekhi, is published by Jaico Publishing House. The cover has Nina Lekhi on it with a bag from her brand. The confidence on her face is simply magnetic. The inspiring smile can’t go unnoticed and encourages one to know her more as a person and to read her journey from being a girl-next-door to a woman entrepreneur. I did review another book on women entrepreneurs on my blog some time ago. Do check if you are interested in the subject.

Nina Lekhi is Founder, MD and Chief Design Curator of Baggit India, a market leader in bags and accessories. She has won several prestigious awards from the Indian government and media for her contributions. Baggit has achieved recognition from PETA for being a cruelty-free, vegan brand. Nina is an ardent follower of Siddha Samadhi Yoga (SSY) and maintains work-life balance by shuttling between Mumbai and the hills of Katarkhadak village (adopted by her to ensure rural employment and overall welfare) with her husband and daughter. She can be reached @ninalekhi on Twitter.

Suman Chhabaria Addepalli is the founder of Urban Firefly – a unique portal for gardening enthusiasts. But she is a writer at heart with a 16-year career in Communications. Suman also possess an MBA in Social Entrepreneurship making her an absolute multi-faceted talent.

The blurb reads as, “As told to Suman Chhabria Addepalli with a foreword by Rashmi Bansal - A bestselling author. The inspirational story of an entrepreneur who built a 100-crore company with the power of intent and love. Indra Nooyi said, ‘Women can’t have it all!’ It’s either career or family. I disagree. As I see it, we can have it all – a successful company, a loving family and the opportunity to follow our passion. When I was a teenager, I started a small ghar-ka-business selling trendy handbags. Today, Baggit is a 100-crore company. Along the way, I became a wife and a mom, and navigated the various twists and turns in my personal life. I could do it all because of my loving, supportive family and my guru, who have made me a better person and a better entrepreneur. This is the story of how a C-minus student – a failure in college – became an A-plus entrepreneur. If I can do it, so can you. My secrets are in these pages.”

I have been reading a lot of non-fiction books lately, so I never felt out of place while reading Bag It All. Nina Lekhi has actually spilled her secret to success in these pages. The story of her life moves in a flow and there’s absolutely no disconnect. It’s so well-written that once you pick up, you cannot keep it down without finishing it off. I found it quite engaging. The language is easy to comprehend too and gives a lot of insight into Nina’s life. It’s a motivational tale of starting a company and shaping it into a 100-crore business. It’s not as easy as it seems though on reading. It requires a lot of patience, hard work and utmost passion to reach that level and Nina’s story gives the readers a pathway to reflect on their own long cherished dreams.

Further, this 204 page book is good enough to show what a young ambitious girl can do after being detained during school. How starting a part time job and taking it seriously can actually be a start of something as BIG as BAGGIT! What makes the book stand out is the realistic approach that the author took in narrating the entire journey in 15 chapters with each chapter ending with a teaching, a learning that the readers can apply in their lives. Thus, it’s not just to know Nina Lekhi and her journey, but the readers can gain something out of the process of reading the book. It can be a life changing read for some of us if read seriously.

It’s a light read and overall a compelling book, and acts as a huge inspiration for everyone who dreams to be an entrepreneur, especially housewives.

Ratings: 4/5

Buying Link: Amazon