An Actress Takes an Entrepreneurial Path Here's what compelled Jacqueline Fernandez to look beyond her flourishing acting career and take up an entrepreneurial venture.
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The sassy Sri Lankan beauty and actress Jacqueline Fernandez had grown up under the tutelage of an entrepreneur father, who runs his business in Bahrain. About the influence, she says, "Growing up, I was very influenced by the passion that he had for his business. That kind of energy is infectious." Joining the likes of Selena Gomez, Beyonce and Kate Hudson, Jacqueline's decision to launch Just F was based largely on her own challenges as a woman while looking for a decent activewear range.
Today, women are getting health conscious and moreover, they want to look good while working out. She says, "I couldn't find any female activewear products that weren't generic "pink and shrink' knock-offs of the male activewear line. I wanted to address this imbalance and decided to launch something that is designed around the specific needs of women."
After discussing it with the Mojostar team, the idea of co-owning a female activewear brand intrigued her, she announced earlier this April. The first range came out in July. Apart from selling through the website, the brand has also partnered exclusively with Amazon fashion. When asked what it feels to see that your efforts are being paid off, she says, "To see a brand that you have been involved with from the very beginning – which you feel is an authentic extension of your own persona – is definitely heartening."
Talking about juggling between her acting career and business, Jacqueline says, "Just F is a passion project for me, as is acting. I'm equally committed to both." And comparing the two roles, she says, "As an actor, you generally have an entire team managing and fussing over you – how you look, how you dress, whether you're hydrated enough." As per her, when you're an entrepreneur, you're amongst equals who are experts in their fields. No one is there to mollycoddle you. "You take in their comments and suggestions, but the ultimate decision of what you choose to follow is your own," she affirms.
Talking about her collaboration with Mojostar, she says, "Having an experienced business partner has definitely helped in ensuring that my learning curve as a first-time entrepreneur isn't as steep." As a newly-minted entrepreneur, her philosophy is clear, "If and when I do launch another business, the focus will be less on the industry I am operating in, and more on the need-gap that it addresses," she concludes.
