Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in Houston?
I am originally from India and have lived in Houston since I moved to the US at the age of fifteen. While I have lived in several parts of Texas as well as a short stint in New York City, I have come full circle back to this amazing city.
Child(ren) and Age(s)?
I have 2 girls ages 4 and 2
One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
I was petrified of dentists for a large part of my early life!
Favorite local things to do in Houston?
Visiting world-class museum exhibits in our backyard. The Houston Zoo. Levy park on a random Saturday morning. World-class cuisine at our fingertips.
Do you have a favorite family-friendly restaurant in the area?
Since we hail from “taco city”(Austin) we were pleasantly surprised to discover Liberty Taco since moving to West U and it has provided a good alternative since we overdosed on Torchy’s back in Austin;-)
What is your go-to activity for yourself for pampering or for fun?
Ever since the kids, I am easily pampered. Basically, any kid-free time when I can take a soak in the tub, go shopping or even a grocery store trip by myself can feel like a treat;-)
For fun, I always enjoy the occasional date night with hubby and hanging with my extended family in Houston
Funniest shortcut/routine for helping you through parenthood?
Peppa Pig, Shakira’s “Try Everything” and Xylitol Lollipops (I am a dentist after all) have all helped in times of crisis!
Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the corporate world? Please share!
I have recently taken ownership of FLOSS dental in the Weslayan Plaza by the Randalls. We are a single doctor-owned dental practice that offers everything from simple fillings and crowns to creating beautiful smiles with Invisalign and a myriad of in-office and home bleaching options. Unlike your average dental office, we also have an in-office Endodontist(root canal specialist) and Periodontist(implant and gum grafting specialist) so we can provide most services at the same location without having to send our patients elsewhere. We also differentiate ourselves by providing Accelerated Orthodontics which helps patients finish their Invisalign treatment in half the time in most cases.
We pride ourselves in providing high-quality dentistry with cutting-edge technology in a fun and upbeat environment which caters to patient comfort.
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
My husband and I along with our girls have moved pretty recently to the West U area but I can definitely share that already we are in love with our new community.
In fact, the amazing patients I interact with daily (most of whom are local to West U), have helped make this journey a breeze so far. The strong sense of community and the amazing resources like Nextdoor, the WestUMoms Blog & wonderful neighbors have been spectacular in helping us find everything from a pediatrician to ballet classes!
What is the best advice for juggling mommyhood and running a business (or volunteering, working, etc)?
I would advise every mom about to venture on a new work/business challenge or a career woman about to enter motherhood to create a strong and reliable support system with great help, family and friends because I know I couldn’t do it without my “village”. I am blessed to have my mom in the same city because this venture would have been a LOT less manageable without her support!
What would you tell the old “You” before you had kids?
I would tell her to work out more with all that free time!!!
I would tell her to enjoy her solitude because having that precious time to just “be” would be a sparse commodity in the future.
Lastly, I would tell her not to be anxious about the idea of motherhood and kids because truly, nothing beats a miniature version of yourself running around your house saying the most insanely original stuff you’ve ever heard!
