Vani Krishnamurthy: “[I have learned to] enjoy the journey rather than be too focused on whatever the end goal” (Episode 26/S3 Ep8)
Happy summer! I’m in awe of our guest today — not just because she’s an ivy leaguer but because she’s so multi-talented (she is also a Bharatnatyam dancer and a Carnatic singer) and yet grounded. Vani is a #WomanInTech with the soul of an artist! It was fun to learn about the story behind CoCo Gallery, a platform that connects artists and people who want to own/buy/commission personally meaningful art. I loved learning how Vani’s work helps bring the power of technology to people who aren’t in the know and ones whom typically technology tends to leave behind in a cloud of dust as it races on.
Vani is a mother of two beautiful little girls. And one way in which she exposes them to the world of Art & Culture is to perform for them if they eat their veggies! :)
Happy listening!
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Guest Profile
CoCo Gallery is an online service that matches individuals and interior designers to artists around the country for original art commissions.
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Age: 38 years
Bio:
Vani is passionate about enabling artists to realize their commercial potential. She founded a consulting firm for arts organizations, collaborating with clients such as Lincoln Center, World Music Institute, a host of theater and dance companies, and visual artists from around the world. Prior to this, she worked at top-tier consulting firms such as Bain & Company and The Boston Consulting Group. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, received a Fulbright to India to study temple art and architecture, and has a BA from the University of Pennsylvania. She lives with her husband, two daughters, and an inordinate number of crayons, markers, and paintbrushes.
Fun fact:
I have been an Indian classical dancer since I was 5 years old and have performed around the world, on stage and through lectures/workshops that cover the history of Indian dance. Given my love of Indian arts, CoCo Gallery has even started to incorporate some artists from India in its network!
What childcare option did you go with for your child(ren)? Why?
Currently my kids are in school half day, and then they are with either me or my nanny of 4 years. In the beginning, my nanny was a part-time mother’s helper, she then turned into a full-time nanny, and now is back to being part-time (we share her with another family). Since the kids are in school, I think it’s important that they have downtime at home and our nanny has really sort of “grown up” with the kids, so I trust her to be the one to watch over them and give them the right atmosphere to be on their own or playing with each other at home.
How do you continue to work on your professional growth with motherhood in the balance?
It’s definitely hard to fit it in — with the kids, general family responsibilities and trying to grow my business. However, I got to a point where I really needed to parse out all my thoughts about where my career was going in the future, and I am now working with a career coach remotely to work through it all. It’s great because she understands that I can only fit it in when I can, so we’re very realistic about what she asks me to do and the time she gives me to do it. It helps me remember that everything is about professional development in the end and to just enjoy the journey rather than be too focused on whatever the end goal is.
How do you proactively network given the constraints of motherhood?
I live and work out of Hoboken but try to schedule days where I’m in the city, meeting with potential partners and artists. If I have time on those days, I then try to squeeze in coffees or lunches with people from my larger network. Honestly, this group has already been such a great way to make me meet new people — it helps jumpstart conversations and connections, which I really don’t have time to do through attending general networking events.
In what ways does your spouse/family/friends support you and how much does that factor into your success?
They all support me so much. My husband has been a huge proponent of me working as soon as things calmed down a bit with my little ones, and really helped me craft my move into this entrepreneurial venture, encouraging me to try it and learn from it. My parents are tremendously supportive and help keep me grounded when I start to get overwhelmed. I have a few friends who are also entrepreneurs and it’s great to have them as a sounding board, especially when I’ve been working largely alone on my company.
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