Clean Hands, Big Dreams ft. Sonal Bhuwalka, Beyond the Bio

Sonal Bhuwalka grew up in Bangalore, studied at Bishop Cottons and Christ University, and started her career in corporate finance at DE Shaw. None of that prepared her for what came next. Today she runs two businesses that operate in completely different worlds. Atara Events is her curated, intimate event business known for the kind of detail and experience that takes 6 hours of setup before the event and 4 hours of breakdown after. Squeaky Clean is her portable soap tablet brand, currently the only soap tablet brand available online, stocked on Amazon, Flipkart, Blinkit, WH Smith and The Organic World. In this episode of Beyond the Bio, Sonal sits down with host Subashini Lakshman to talk about leaving corporate finance, what nobody tells you about the events industry, the moment Squeaky Clean was born, the realities of cracking FMCG distribution as a first time founder, and why she refuses to put pressure on outcomes. Listen to this episode if you have ever wondered what really happens behind a beautiful event, how a first time founder cracks national distribution across Amazon, Flipkart, Blinkit and modern retail, or what it takes to run a service business and a product business in parallel without burning out. Beyond the Bio is FLO Bangalore's flagship podcast featuring conversations with women entrepreneurs, founders, and leaders who are building something real. Key themes in this episode include the corporate to entrepreneurship pivot, building two businesses simultaneously, the unglamorous side of the events industry, FMCG distribution in India, modern trade and quick commerce for first time product founders, and a grounded approach to founder mental health. Follow Sonal: Atara Events: instagram.com/ataraevents.blr Squeaky Clean: instagram.com/thesqueakyclean.in Beyond the Bio is powered by Sahasra Property Capital. Instagram: instagram.com/sahassra.official LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/sahassra-property-capital Credits: Title Sponsor: Sahassra Property Capital Production Partner: Indx Creator Space Makeup Partner: Tvesate by Preeya (instagram.com/tvesatebypreeya) Follow Beyond the Bio on Instagram: instagram.com/beyondthebio Follow FLO Bangalore: instagram.com/flobangalore Subscribe to the channel for more conversations with India's most interesting women.