The quiet power of starting the workday slow

Even as her batchmates were celebrating campus placements and job offers, Vrinda Singhal was working overtime figuring out the basics of running a start-up. Through entrepreneurs in her family, she was aware that the time ahead would be full of ups and downs.

“The risk was worth it because I knew that the guilt of passing the opportunity was going to far outweigh the guilt of failing. That was the way I looked at it—a learning curve as opposed to a gamble,” says Bengaluru-based Singhal, 28, co-founder of Swizzle, a clean-label, ready-to-drink mocktail brand.

While studying the market, Singhal realised that most drinks were “either overly sugary or positioned too seriously as health products”. Swizzle started out with cocktail kits for house parties. The use of real ingredients requires an efficient supply chain and inventory planning, while working closely with partners to ensure that quality is maintained. Singhal picked up a lot of the skills to tackle these challenges during her days as a student, studying information technology at the Bundelkhand Institute of Engineering and Technology, Jhansi. “Engineering trained me to think structurally, breaking big problems into smaller, solvable parts,” she says.

Singhal talks to Mint about mentorship and why she feels at home in Bengaluru’s Cubbon Park.

Who do you consider your mentor?

My brother, our investors, fellow founders and senior industry folks who’ve guided me at different stages.

How do you mentor your colleagues at work?

Mentoring is about providing an environment where you can test things, where you can experiment and where you can learn. It’s about being free to allow the team to own things, rather than micromanaging.

Productivity principles that have made your professional and personal life much easier?

Prioritising ruthlessly, saying “no” more often and blocking deep-work time on my calendar. I’ve learnt that separating thinking from execution sharpens efficiency at the workplace.

What’s your morning schedule like?

I like starting slow—some quiet time and a 5,000-step walk that builds toward my goal of 10,000 steps a day. Before diving into calls, I map out my top three priorities.

How do you unwind?

I’m fond of music. On Sundays I usually spend time walking in Cubbon Park. Lately, I’ve become more intentional about boundaries, logging off at a fixed time and protecting Sundays for rest. It’s helped me avoid burnout and be more productive.

Monday Motivation is a series in which business leaders discuss their mentors and work ethics.