Each mother or father carries a quiet dream — that their youngster will at some point stroll into the world with confidence, doing one thing they love, and being met with kindness. However for some dad and mom, this dream comes with questions. Not as a result of they love much less, however as a result of the world can really feel unsure, even unkind.
When Aryta Persaud gave beginning to her daughter, Anasuya Sarma (fondly named Anu), in 2006, she felt all of the love a brand new mom can maintain. However layered below that pleasure was one thing else — a heaviness she hadn’t ready for. Anu had been born with Down Syndrome, and out of the blue, the longer term appeared stuffed with unknowns.
Aryta wasn’t unfamiliar with challenges. As a enterprise educator, she was used to fixing issues and breaking down complexity. However this was totally different. This was private. And in these early days, the questions got here quick and heavy: Would Anu ever lead an impartial life? What sort of alternatives would she have? Would individuals see her for who she is, or just for her analysis?
She and her husband, Raj, started reaching out to different households. Not for solutions, essentially, however for glimpses of risk. What they obtained in return had been tales — not of perfection, however of persistence. Kids who discovered slowly however absolutely. Households that celebrated small wins. And thru these tales, one thing quietly shifted. Concern changed into curiosity. Fear gave strategy to hope.
From that place, Aryta started to think about — not simply what Anu may want, however who she might turn out to be.
From yoga mats to lemonade stands: constructing abilities, one second at a time
Decided to offer Anu the instruments she’d want to maneuver via the world, Aryta launched her to yoga at a younger age. The thought wasn’t efficiency — it was presence. Light stretches changed into routines, and people routines progressively constructed self-discipline. Over time, Anu developed not simply motor abilities, however a quiet form of resilience.
Lecturers, in the meantime, had been harder. Anu attended an inclusive faculty the place she learnt alongside her friends. However writing was gradual, maths even slower. Each idea took time. What got here simply to others usually took additional persistence and repetition for Anu to understand.
Nonetheless, she confirmed up each single day. Quietly. Persistently. Her tempo might have been slower, however her effort by no means wavered.
Then got here 2020. The world slowed down, and in that surprising pause, Aryta noticed a distinct form of classroom take form.
She arrange a lemonade stand of their storage. To not become profitable, however to make that means. Anu practised counting cash, measuring elements, and—her favorite half—chatting with neighbours who stopped by. Every glass served was not only a drink, however a small, significant step in her journey towards confidence.
That’s when Aryta observed one thing else: Anu liked lipsticks. Not simply sporting them, however admiring their colors, textures, and packaging. Her eyes would gentle up in entrance of mirrors. And as a substitute of brushing it off as a passing section, Aryta leaned in.
“What if this may very well be one thing?” she puzzled. Not a plan. Only a risk.
So that they started.
From failed batches to household manufacturing strains: how ‘Lovebird’ took flight
They didn’t begin with a marketing strategy. They began with YouTube tutorials, late nights, and the willingness to be taught.
With no formal coaching, Aryta and Anu watched hours of movies — studying the best way to soften, mix, pour, and set. Their kitchen changed into a mini lab. The primary batch of lip balms was a whole failure. The feel wasn’t proper. The fragrances clashed. Typically, the balm simply wouldn’t set.
However they stored going. They tweaked ratios, swapped elements, and took notes. Slowly, a system started to take form.
After they had been lastly pleased with a batch, they shared it with shut family and friends. Just some tins. No fancy packaging. No emblem. What got here again wasn’t simply well mannered encouragement—it was actual enthusiasm.
With that spark, Lovebird was born.
It wasn’t simply Anu’s enterprise — it turned a household affair. Her elder brother Satya helped design enterprise playing cards, which Anu proudly carries in her purse. Orders had been packed at residence, and elements had been sourced collectively. Each step turned a shared reminiscence.
As soon as, whereas chatting with a relative, Anu requested, “What’s your job?” When he replied, “I’m a senior supervisor,” she grinned and mentioned, “I’ve my very own enterprise. I’m the CEO.”
Aryta remembers the shocked silence that adopted, after which the laughter. It was a small second, however one which spoke volumes.
Lovebird lip balms — infused with Indian fragrances and vibrant colors — quickly discovered their method into houses and even company gifting lists. Bulk orders started coming in. Anu’s story and her spark had been discovering their method into the world.
“My ladies and I like Anu’s lip balm. We had the honour of assembly her. She is precocious, assured, and bold. All the things I need my ladies to be — the position mannequin they want. She is the embodiment of woman (girl) energy,” says Sonia Singh, a buyer who swears by Lovebird.
Behind the model: studying to depend, create, and lead with coronary heart
Constructing a enterprise taught Anu greater than the best way to make lip balm — it gave her an opportunity to construct life abilities with that means.
Aryta broke down every step gently: the best way to measure elements, why hygiene mattered, what it meant to obtain an order for 200 models. They wore gloves and hairnets, cleaned surfaces with care, and approached every batch with dedication.
Then got here Excel. At first, the numbers regarded like simply characters on a display screen. However slowly, Anu started to recognise patterns. She began typing in names, monitoring portions, and including totals. She was studying, adapting, and doing all of it with rising confidence.
“She’d generally sneak off and ask Alexa for solutions to her observe sheets,” Aryta laughs. “And truthfully, I used to be proud. That’s resourcefulness. And why shouldn’t she use expertise to her benefit? That’s what all of us do.”
These weren’t simply classes in revenue and packaging. They had been classes in independence, communication, and self-worth.
At a neighborhood café that showcases merchandise by entrepreneurs with disabilities, Anu stood behind a small counter, explaining her lip balms to clients. “This can be a lip balm I made,” she’d say, eyes shining.
For a lot of, it wasn’t only a pitch — it was a reminder. Confidence, too, may be made by hand.
A narrative nonetheless unfolding
As we speak, Anu is nineteen. Her days embody yoga, schoolwork, family chores, dance breaks, and stretches of teenage pleasure — music, screens, laughter. Lovebird stays a part of her world. However so does merely being a younger girl, nonetheless discovering who she is.
Aryta hopes Anu will develop extra socially related, maybe make extra associates, possibly discover new passions. However she additionally is aware of this: her daughter is already sufficient.
She’s constructing one thing actual. She’s studying day-after-day. And he or she’s doing all of it in her personal time, in her personal method.
“I really feel happy with myself,” Anu says. “My recommendation to anybody beginning a enterprise can be this: Work laborious, ask for assist, and by no means hand over.”
Edited by Khushi Arora; All photos courtesy Aryta Persaud