You come into this world with talent. Believe in yourself.
When Lulu Raghvan returned to India at the age of 32, she had no idea she was stepping into
what would become one of the most defining chapters of her life. She was young, Westernized
from years of living in the U.S., and charged with a daunting mission setting up Landor’s India
operations from scratch.
“It was a one-person show,” she said. From ordering her tea to meeting vendors to handpicking
every member of her team, she did it all. That period, she says, was the start of her
entrepreneurial journey. The challenges were immense: B2B branding was still an alien concept
in India, and Landor had almost no presence or portfolio in the market. She had to sell an idea
that wasn’t yet understood, let alone in demand.
But she didn’t give up. Instead, she worked harder than ever before. Slowly and deliberately,
she built a team from zero to 250 and cultivated a culture that reflected excellence, inclusivity,
and integrity.
Lulu had once imagined a career in finance, but a serendipitous encounter with someone from
the design industry changed her trajectory. It was love at first sight. Design, she discovered, was
where strategy and creativity met, and it became her life’s passion. Now, 25 years into her
journey with Landor, she doesn’t just work in branding, she lives and breathes it.
Through her leadership, Lulu has impacted not just brands but people. She recalls a young
woman on her team, immensely talented but paralysed by self-doubt. “She didn’t do anything
good for herself. She was always loath to perfectionism,” Lulu remembered. “I used to tell her
it’s good. It doesn’t have to be perfect.”
That philosophy, “don’t be harsh on yourself, it takes time to build”, is one Lulu holds close. It’s
how she leads, and how she lives.
Her discipline is the foundation beneath her energy. She wakes up at 5 a.m., sleeps by 9:30
p.m., and works out every day. “I might be the oldest or second oldest on my team, but I’m the
most energetic,” she laughs. Even as an only child who could have had everything handed to
her, Lulu developed an inner drive early on. She was always studious, always driven, and her
love for sports instilled a sense of rhythm and resilience that she still carries.
Of course, her journey hasn’t been without pain. Early in her career, she was removed from a
project she cared deeply about. It devastated her. “I cried a lot,” she admitted. But her husband
helped her refocus, and she eventually poured herself into other opportunities.
Another difficult moment came when Landor had to lay off a group of employees a gut-
wrenching failure for any leader. But it taught her a critical lesson: never over-hire, and always
learn how to run a business with foresight and compassion.
Now, what fuels her most is purpose. “Being able to light the path for someone else that’s what
matters. I can’t hire everyone who reaches out to me, but I can give my time, my guidance. And
when I leave this earth, I hope people remember something I did for them.”
Her message to women—especially those just starting out is clear and powerful:
Believe in your inherent worth.
She loves the L’Oréal tagline “Because you’re worth it,” not as marketing, but as truth. “You
come into this world with talent. Believe in your worth. That mindset will change everything.”
Lulu Raghvan didn’t just build a successful career she built a life grounded in values,
movement, and meaning. And in doing so, she proved that you don’t have to choose between
ambition and balance, or success and self-care.
You can design your own life just as beautifully as the brands she’s helped shape.
