The night that Shubhangini Prakash went into labor with her second child was the same night she learned about her acceptance into the prestigious Target accelerator — and it started right away. This meant that the owner of the waterless and nontoxic skincare brand Feather & Bone, the products for which she designs and formulates herself, was hard at work from her hospital bed, a brand new baby in her arms.
Now 39, Prakash was inspired to start her skincare line after battling a bad reaction to a product when she was just 12 years old, drawing on her family’s Indian heritage and natural ingredients, always with an eye toward sustainability.
“Our products are inspired by Indian traditions but backed by science,” she says. And while the business has been in the works for decades, it wasn’t until she became a mother that things really took off.
Moms are often celebrated for being able to “do it all.” And while the multitasking of motherhood knows no bounds, there’s so much more to the story of building a business while raising kids at the same time. We caught up with Shubhangini Prakash over email about all things motherhood and business.
Tell us a little bit about you and your family
My name is Shubhangini aka Shubs. I am a mom of two little boys and we live in Jersey City. I am Indian but grew up in Dubai and went to boarding school in England. My husband is Polish so our house is always filled with a mix of Bollywood and Polish music. We are big music people.
What is the “origin story” of your business?
When I was 12 years old, I had a bad skincare reaction to a face wash product I had used many times before. Nothing was calming it down — burning, itching, redness — and going to school with this reaction was terrifying.
I was too scared to try other products, especially after what a doctor gave me made the reaction worse. My mum, who is super into clean skincare, introduced me to Indian sandalwood. She said this will help with the burning, and it did instantly.
I started wondering about the skin and what we need, especially natural plant ingredients. I started to make all kinds of mixes and masks at home, and soon that led to formulating my first product, now known as the Face Gems.
During business school, I was taking a mix of pricing and product development classes, which all led to an a-ha moment of evolving this formula into a tablet/bead. I sat in our chemistry lab at school and hand-pressed a bunch of tablets. Everyone around me thought this was a crazy idea. Why would anyone want this? But I felt there was something [there], so I took this bunch of hand-pressed tablets, a mockup of the packaging, and went to a Whole Foods trade show. I got an order for 30 stores…and so the journey began.
Feather & Bone owner Shubhangini Prakash
Credit: Photo courtesy of Shubhangini Prakash
What is the secret sauce to scaling a business while also juggling motherhood?
For me it is being patient and kind with myself. It hasn’t been easy, but it has been important to go through the ups and downs of the business and raising kids. As women we want to do it all and be great at it all but I have realized that it can be hard.
Some days if your kiddo is sick and you have been up all night you might be too tired to work. And that is OK. Or if you are at a conference and your kids miss you and you have mom guilt like no tomorrow, that is also OK. Allowing myself to take a day off or make mistakes has been huge.
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I also involve my kids with my work, not just in online content but taking them with me to the post office or helping me fill packages, etc. I get to hang out with them, teach them things. So I don’t always have to pick one or the other. Sometimes it can be together. And a lot of this has come from being patient and kind with myself. I’ve been able to create spaces where the two can live together.
Is there anything about being a mom that has helped you with your career? Or vice versa?
Personally one of the best things I have found with being crunched on time, my efficiency has improved dramatically. There are always hundreds of things to do, but I have learned to figure out quickly what is the most important task. I have learned the importance of grace and kindness to myself.
I realized if I want my kids to learn it — I have to do it, too! So in my madness, I carve out my 20 minutes of me time, my meditative time, and if things don’t go as planned it is OK!
Also the importance of being positive, leading by example, and thinking outside of the box: All of these have shown up in motherhood and career, but in different ways, which then opened up my thinking.
Feather & Bone owner Shubhangini Prakash with her children.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Shubhangini Prakash
Prakash learned that she was accepted into the Target accelerator program the night she went into labor.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Shubhangini Prakash
When it comes to the content you create online under the Feather & Bone Instagram account, what is your “personal brand” — what are you hoping people will get from your content?
Be you. I am all about embracing your inner weird and not worrying about anyone judging you. I think my hope is that people watching feel inspired to also embrace their inner weird and let themselves be themselves.
It is so easy on social media to fall into a trap of thinking you’re not enough or doing enough, so my hope is that people watching our content recognize that they are doing enough and are enough.
If I want my kids to be confident in who they are and stay positive, I have to show it, too, and live it, too.
Top 3 things you can’t live without as a mom (could be products, apps, even childcare — interpret as you wish!)
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My friends and family’s support: Whether that is to vent about the tough days or help when we need it or just to have a laugh about the silly moments of momhood. This also extends into the support from my son’s school and the local mommy WhatsApp groups.
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Disney+: Definitely helps when you need to get something done or even just a quiet moment!
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Jersey City Recreation desk: Kids need all kinds of entertainment and classes can get super expensive. As a resident of Jersey City, we have access to extremely affordable (sometimes even free) sports, arts, and music classes. It has been amazing to teach the kids all kinds of activities.
Top 3 things you can’t live without in your professional role
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My people support system: From advisors to entrepreneur friends to my husband who all help me navigate the craziness of running a business, always keeping me grounded and reminding me why I am doing this when things get tough.
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My to-do notebook: I am a big list maker, so having a notebook where I list all the things I need to do helps me be super organized.
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Practicing resilience and reflection: Whether that is reading about others who practice it or doing it myself, it has helped me be rooted, creative, and a better problem solver.
What do you wish more people knew/understood about working moms?
That we are essentially doing two jobs. Being a mom is a job. Yes I love my kids, but raising kids is a full-time job.
What advice do you have for other moms looking to launch their own business?
The juggle is not easy, it’s not perfect. I remember after my second son was born it took over a year plus to figure out my routine. It was always just so hard to figure out the balance and the timing. I would end up not working at all or overworking and would just be exhausted all the time.
So with that, have a clear understanding of what your goals are and the timeframe in which you want to achieve [them]. Because what you are thinking and the reality [of it] can be far apart.
Understand your support system from professional to personal — especially with your partner. You both need to understand how you launching a business will change things and evolve roles, especially if you are going from a stay-at-home mom to a working mom. And again, always be kind, patient, and loving to yourself.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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