The Brigade that Builds Brands: Air Force wife Meghna Johar's 'wood be lovely' story of a handmade brand

Hello everyone! How have you been? I’ve been a bit slow on the blog, taking time out to travel back after a long trip, clean up the dust that Delhi is known for, and get back into the groove of the daily routine. Today, I’m back with another edition of The Brigade that Builds Brands. This series is all about Fauji wives who create businesses or stay uber creative while juggling all the social + family commitments. Please meet Meghna Johar, founder & creator of a handmade décor brand WBL by Meghna and Air Force wife. It truly “wood be lovely” to find out more about her unique brand and story.

 C. Please tell us something about yourself – what do you do, where are you based and how long have you been a fauji wife.

M. Through my joy called WBL by Meghna, I I enjoy my occupation of  creative expression in wood, upcycling and interior design. WBL which started out as “wood be lovely” has many impressions now. Some of them being “wood brass and all things lovely” , “wood be lively” , “wood by and large”....

I am presently based in Delhi.

I so cherish my two decades plus years as a fauji wife.

C. What has been your business or creative journey been like: how & when did you start your venture?

M. My initially creative hobby has slowly evolved into a business. It has been an exciting and challenging run up until now and the urge to continuously grow creatively has kept me going.

I started my venture in 2010 with a carton full of woody goodies, a shoe string budget and a head buzzing with ideas! Gladly haven't looked back since.

New Ideas for the Blog

I haven’t posted on the blog for a little while. Every now and then, I need to disappear down the rabbit hole of quiet, away from social media and the virtual world, to think and fill my well. Also, we’re just back from a very long sojourn, cleaning up the dust and settling back at home.

But all through this, I’ve also been thinking of ways to get more creative at this blog. While I generally only post a couple of times here, what can I do to showcase my love for everyday Indian saree style, my passion for military spouse entrepreneurship, and my admiration for the arty-writerly-crafty lifestyle?

I’m thinking of new columns that feature some of that love. In the months to come, I hope to interview & feature authors, artists & crafters; shake up things in the saree style section; and, continue shining the spotlight on #fauji wives who carve out businesses from the boondocks. Maybe, I’ll also throw in some work-from-home posts – because really, there are so many myths shrouding that arena.

So, dear readers, be ready to see more collaborative posts as we journey through this blog. I hope you'll collaborate, read and enjoy the new posts that I'm about to roll out.

In the meanwhile:

I’m also brainstorming for my online wellness & green living magazine, Gorgeous Girls Go Green. Slow living and its impact on the environment & our health is my current obsession. That, and more about simple ways to stay well & go clean are on the list.

I’ve also been creating and teaching workshops on the above topics (mindful eating, holistic wellness, green living). 

There’s lot’s to do, but I’m taking my blogging, writing & teaching journey, one small step at a time.

What have you been upto?

An announcement: I’m looking for a Social Media Intern to help with the social media aspect of this blog’s & GGGG’s posts i.e. help post it on various forums and channels. This is perfect for a college student interested in writing or the media, or someone who is simply good at social media. If you’re interested in this or know someone who might enjoy this, please email me at chandanabanerjeewrites@gmail.com.

#blogging #blogideas

The Brigade That Builds Brands - Pooja Kapur juggles a jewellery design biz & Army life with elan

The Brigade That Builds Brands is featuring artist & jewellery designer and Army wife Pooja Ganapathy Kapur this week. If you ever thought that passion for something cannot be turned into a career, especially while being on the move, then you've gotta read what Pooja has to say. I hope that this interview, like all the others, will give you enough inspiration to create a brand/project of your own. Being a #militaryspouse can mean frequent postings, lots of social commitments, lack of basic facilities like a good internet connection & more; but if you have the will and the gumption to do something, you can be an entrepreneur from wherever you are posted. So, go on and enjoy Pooja's interview.

C. Please tell us something about yourself – what do you do, where are you based and how long have you been a fauji wife.

P. 41 years on this earth, mother of 2 boys, 18 and 14 year's old respectively. Married into the olive green for 20 years. Based at Bangalore currently. Belong to a beautiful hill station called Kodagu /Coorg. An artist by profession, a jewellery designer by passion, a dreamer, believe in being positive and nothing is impossible if you set your heart and mind into it. In the past I have owned a playschool, a boutique, dabbled in the teaching field, owned an online clothing line and was the brand ambassador for Armed Forces for hotel Marriott.

Inherited Love by Katie Mettner

There’s much to love about author Katie Mettner’s Inherited Love. Cuddly dogs & heroes, characters with regular imperfections (I don’t like perfect dudes and dames!) and plenty of goodness to go round. I enjoy wholesome stories like these where there’s more good than evil, tantalizingly unusual names to mull over and protagonists who aren’t the perfect body shape, always swathed in designer glad rags.

Author Katie Mettner with her novel

Cinnamon Mabel Dalton (Cinn for short) has a cracker-jack of a grandmother, and she’s just inherited a slobbering Saint Bernard and a house from her. With no clue about how to take care of him, she starts talking about pet care with Dr. Foster Kern, a slightly chubby, baby-faced vet and director of the Humane Society, as well as a friend of her grandmother’s (he’s just a few years older than our Cinn here). What begins as a tete-a-tete in a dog park named after Cinn’s grandmother, turns into so much more.