1. Home
2. 
3. Lifestyle
4. 
5. Personalities
6. 
7. Celebrating the Doyenne: Fatema Agarkar

“For most of history, Anonymous was a woman.” ~ Virginia Woolf. On this International Women's Day, GlobalSpa recognizes and celebrates the women in the industry as we delve into their success mantra they follow, mistakes that have helped them grow, and of course, their WELLNESS philosophy.

Veteran of 3 educational start-ups Fatema Agarkar is an Educationist and the Founder of Agarkar Centre of Excellence (ACE). Her passion for teaching and learning for children defines the different roles she has crafted – as an edupreneur, educator and mentor.

What is your wellness philosophy?

I suppose being a sportsman’s daughter, sister and now wife, the one thing that has stuck over the years is that fitness cannot be compromised, and everyone can have their own fitness mantra - mine has always been walking daily in the morning, getting the metabolic rates up (not to mention warm water routines) and eating small but frequent meals. It goes without saying that as one grows older, getting fitter is more from a health perspective than when I was younger and keen to shed those ‘extra’ kilos. I don’t overdo things like gym or Pilates etc. - work schedules don’t permit (and quite frankly, I never enjoyed it so there is no point doing stuff when you know you will ditch the routine the first time you get a chance) and I love the outdoor walks daily and if possible, in the evenings. It helps to unwind with music and away from the to-dos of the day.  I love fruits and veggies and salads have become my mainstay for most days. Indulgences are few and far between because I am conscious of maintaining a routine and while I think it is hard work, it is truly worth it.

Your success mantra?

Wow!! I don’t know if it is a success mantra, but I am an extremely self-motivated individual who thrives well with challenges because I enjoy finding solutions. Also, very committed and disciplined and I think I get it from my father whose passion for work at 78 is inspiring. As he never misses a day at work and loves it which shows that it has to be about discipline as well. Prepared to work hard - I have been loaded. I am dogged about work but I also think my mind needs the stimulation and I would be lost without the motivation.

A lesson you learned from making a mistake?

It will not be the first one and definitely not the last one. Find the root cause quickly and learn to never make the same one twice. Be quick to learn.

Any piece of advice for all the women out there?

Enjoy who you are, what you do, and what you aspire to do. Dream - and it does not matter how big or small it is, but you got to have a space that you desire to be in. It will do wonders for your own motivation. Being self-reliant and financially independent, leaves you in such a happier space when dealing with people. There will be some dark days, and it happens, just learn to wade through those moments remembering the good stuff. Learn to laugh more, find humour in everything and it makes everything ‘dealable’.

What has been your biggest pride as a doyenne?

As an educator, when a mother told him - I had changed the way she thought about her son, and her son is quite a young success story. Just that note that said timely advice, communication, and a deep sense of knowledge saved my son. I thank you for being that mother who saved another mother!