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Jui Patil is an ambitious and successful entrepreneur, with her feet firmly entrenched in the world of architecture and her dreams eyeing the sky.
Jui Patil was recently covered in an interview with the ‘Humans of Thane’, which immediately spiked our interest in her as a prolific individual. At Women’s Web, we are always on the lookout for stories which inspire and challenge women to overshoot their limits and aim for the stars. So here goes her story.
Jui’s heart always lay in designing and architecture. Her formative years were peppered with instances such as curating a scrapbook with Interiors and Architecture related pictures and cutting open thermocol boxes to create miniature versions of living spaces. She religiously visited the public library and poured over issues of ‘Inside Outside’ and ‘Better Interiors’. She lived and breathed architecture and consequently, when the opportune time arrived, she majored as an Architect.
Unlike many others who are yet to find their calling in life, Jui Patil was extremely focused right from the start. She loved architecture and she clearly wanted to devote her life to it. Her ambition to make a definitive mark for herself combined with her passion for architecture and designing, spurred her to sow the seeds of her own venture, JRarchitects.
She is most joyous when she uses her creative senses to create something, akin to a mother giving birth to her child. Her firm deals with Architecture Designing, Landscape Designing and Execution projects primarily. It provides advisory services to construction companies in addition to being empaneled as Landscape Architects with the local Urban Municipal Bodies.
When Jui Patil started out, she had no network to tap into. Her father constantly worries as to how a lone woman can work in a field dominated by men. She admits that “His worry wasn’t misplaced”. However, by dint of her persistence and hard work, she started getting hold of quality projects across all budget ranges. Slowly and steadily, the testimonials started flowing in.
In the words of Jui, “I still remember those tears in my eyes after the completion of my first project at Powai and the appreciation I received from my client.” She also realizes that a house has a significant amount of sentimental value associated with it, and her satisfaction in helping her clients turn their houses into a ‘living paradise’ is simply unparalleled.
Validation of Jui’s work came in multiple forms. Her work was published in a Marathi local newspaper, followed by congratulatory messages from family, friends and clients alike. Jui recently received the ‘Thane Gunijan Award‘ from the Thane Municipal Corporation, as a testimony to the firm’s achievements in government projects.
Image source: JRarchitects FB page
Her parents are extremely proud of their deserving daughter. Her plethora of clients end up giving the firm stellar testimonials and references, which keeps quality work in the pipeline. She wishes to implement projects on scale and also wishes to take up off contour, challenging sites for bungalow architecture projects. Her vision plan is ambitious and grounded, which is a rather potent combination.
Jui Patil credits her husband, Rajdeep, to continue to push and support her in her journey. All this while, Jui manages to get to work by 11 in the mornings after finishing her household chores, does her site visits and, structures designs and works non-stop till 8 in the evenings. And doesn’t forget to quip, “You won’t feel like you are at work when you follow your passion.”
As a woman who is self-employed in the business of construction, Jui is judged every single day. She was viewed in a rather flippant manner, and not as a goal oriented professional. This blatant form of discrimination bothers Jui no end, yet she chooses to take the high road and let her work do all the talking.
She also cites the shocking attitude of some clients who flirted with her and pursued her endlessly, demanding unnecessary site visits and meetings. She let go of projects when clients did not treat her respectfully and made sexual overtures. Such instances nurtured her steely resolve of never giving up.
Jui has managed to break free from the prejudices surrounding her, while being the first woman in her household to move out of the confines of her house and create her own space in this world with its misogynist underbelly.
Life lessons & advice to readers
Jui Patil is an inspiration to every woman. She urges every woman to never underestimate herself and drives home the point that women are not born only to cook and take care of the family. She strongly believes that every woman must be financially independent. And in this joyride called life, she says that, “It is supremely important to find a partner who supports your dreams and motivates you to rise higher.”
More power to you, braveheart!
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Images source: Jui Patil
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Women making compromises for the sake of their families is real; I have seen, heard and read about them. My family has been my biggest cheerleaders!
‘I suppose you will work after marriage?’ My (then) prospective mother-in-law asked a few minutes after we had met.
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‘Yes, of course,’ I replied without blinking, trying to gauge her reaction.
I huffed, puffed and panted up the hill, taking many rest breaks along the way. My calf muscles pained, my heart protested, and my breathing became heavy at one stage.
“Let’s turn back,” my husband remarked. We stood at the foot of Shravanbelagola – one of the most revered Jain pilgrimage centres. “We will not climb the hill,” he continued.
My husband and I were vacationing in Karnataka. It was the month of May, and even at the early hour of 8 am in the morning, the sun scorched our backs. After visiting Bangalore and Mysore, we had made a planned stop at this holy site in the Southern part of the state en route to Hosur. Even while planning our vacation, my husband was very excited at the prospect of visiting this place and the 18 m high statue of Lord Gometeshwara, considered one of the world’s tallest free-standing monolithic statues.
What we hadn’t bargained for was there would be 1001 granite steps that needed to be climbed to have a close-up view of this colossal magic three thousand feet above sea level on a hilltop. It would be an understatement to term it as an arduous climb.
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