Ridhi's Story: She Left a 15-Year Career Behind to Follow Her Heart

She had the MBA. The 15-year career. The stability most people spend their whole lives chasing. And she walked away from it.

She chose something better.

In today's interview, Ridhi shares:

• How she left a stable career to build something that actually lights her up
• How she filled her first classes before she even had a business
• How one mall booth landed 20 families in a single afternoon
• How she pocketed $625 by class two
• How she turned a stranger's skepticism into fuel to grow her business
• How she got back something no salary could ever buy

Watch the full interview below 👇

Ridhi Varma has an MBA and spent 15 years in government contracting, working across aerospace, satellites, and structured corporate systems.

She was good at it. Genuinely good.

But when her kids sat down to play and create, something shifted. She kept thinking: this is where I actually want to be.

So she did what most people only talk about. She left.

She started Soji Artsplash. She invited the families she already knew, the moms from the park, the parents from the neighbourhood.

She runs STEAM crafts, so kids aren't just making something pretty, they're building, problem-solving, and learning how things work. A pop-up mechanism. A moving part. The kind of thing that makes a kid's eyes go wide.

The parents were sold from day one.

Within a few months, she'd gone from zero to $625 after just her second class.

 Not Everyone Will Get It 

Ridhi will tell you the hardest part wasn't the logistics. It wasn't finding students or planning lessons.

It was the mind shift. Trusting herself enough to follow what she felt was a calling, even when others didn't see it that way.

At a market booth, a stranger questioned why she would leave a stable career to craft with kids. She had a choice: let that land, or find her people.

"Some people were just like, why don't you just go back to your career? And then there's people who just understand what you're trying to create, and those are your people. There's a reason why you're moving towards that direction, and there is a purpose behind it."

She chose her people. And that choice changed everything.

Because on the other side of that shift, something real opened up for her.

"It's brought me back to me. That's how I feel, because I kind of lost myself."

That's what we hear again and again from the women in our community. It's not just the income or the flexibility. It's the feeling of doing work that is genuinely yours.

And for Ridhi? It started in her backyard. With the people she already knew. One Saturday at a time.

 How She Built It, Step by Step 

Ridhi started simple. Every Saturday at 3pm, families came to her backyard.

She used the lesson plans from CCC Academy as her foundation, then layered in her own creative instincts: adding a science element here, inviting kids to move and play there. The structure gave her confidence. Her heart gave it life.

Once she'd run six classes and felt steady, she expanded.

She now rents space at a local coffee shop after hours. She's run pop-up booths at Pacific City (an open mall near her home) and walked away with 20 sign-ups in a single day.

 The Moment That Makes It All Worth It 

Ask Ridhi what her favorite part is and she doesn't hesitate.

It's the child who walks in reserved and quiet, then walks out proud, holding up a project they made from beginning to end. It's watching a parent see their kid's confidence shift in real time.

"That really warms my soul," she says.

 Her Advice for Anyone Thinking About Starting 

Just do it.

Don't wait for the nervousness to go away. Look around at the community you already have. The parents at the park, the neighbors on your street. Those are your first customers. And when you meet the people who don't get it? Keep moving. Your people are out there.

"Just follow those steps, and it's going to be a success no matter what."

 HERE'S HOW WE CAN HELP YOU 

You've Just Read About What's Possible. Now It's Your Turn.

Join our FREE Get Started Workshop!

In just 60 minutes, you'll discover:

• Why craft classes are the easiest, most fun way to earn extra income
• How to find your first students without spending money on marketing
• How to price your classes with confidence from day one
• How to build a business that gives you full control, freedom, and flexibility

You could be running a fully booked club six months from now, wondering why you didn't start sooner.