“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.

Yahvi Mariwala, the woman behind Nandan Coffee, is a 3rd generation coffee roaster in a mostly male-dominated profession, as well as a former Junior National Champion and the sole female member of India’s Show Jumping team at the South East Asian Championships in Seoul, South Korea. She wants Nandan, an award-winning, organic, single-estate coffee company, to grow into an empire.

What is your wellness philosophy?

It’s not always necessary to find large chunks of time to take care of yourself or for “wellness”. Car rides can be used for meditation, you can take the stairs instead of the elevator for movement.

Your success mantra?

If you don’t ask, the answer is always “no”.

A lesson you learned from making a mistake?

If you sense a problem, run to it. Very often we get inklings of any major issue, be it quality or supply chain far before they happen. If anything has happened once, it’s likely to happen again so it’s important to address issues head on.

Any piece of advice for all the women out there?

It’s important to find great mentors and partners who buy into your vision and want to see you succeed.

What has been your biggest pride as a doyenne?

Seeing Nandan Coffee taking on a life of its own!