You have to keep moving to get ahead: Maude Abraham, entrepreneur

(The Proust Questionnaire is a questionnaire about one's personality. It has its origins in a parlour game popularized by Marcel Proust, the French essayist and novelist, who believed that, in answering these questions, an individual reveals his or her true nature.)

Maude Abraham had what most people would call a dream career from Goldman Sachs to Jimmy Choo, from Melbourne to Singapore. With a major in finance under her belt, she started her work life with investment banking firm Goldman Sachs in Bengaluru. Later, she applied for a master’s program in fashion and textile at RMIT in Melbourne, Australia. She then went on to work with Caroline K Morgan (a fashion brand) and then Jimmy Choo, where she gained tremendous experience. She later moved to Singapore to pursue a career and started GetGorgeous as a B2B business. Eventually, she came back to India to open her own beauty enterprise, the Get Gorgeous Beauty Bar in Bengaluru. We gave her the Proust questionnaire and here is what she had to say….

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

To have all the people I love under one roof with my booming business.

What is your greatest fear?

To be attacked by ants.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Wearing my heart on my sleeve.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

A lack of civic sense.

Which living person do you most admire?

My mother.

What is your greatest extravagance?

I can’t decide between shoes, clothes and bags!

What is your current state of mind?

Happy and optimistic.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

Diplomacy.

On what occasion do you lie?

When I am late or I have forgotten to take something I need for a meeting with friends or work.

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

My nose.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Respect .

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Loyalty.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

‘Basically’ and ‘I am a realist’.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

Zulu my Great Dane.

Which talent would you most like to have?

Time management.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Not to trust people so quickly.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Setting up a successful business.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

Zulu, my dog. He’s got the best life.

Where would you most like to live?

Anywhere by the beach

What is your most treasured possession?

My phone.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Being disrespected and hurt and facing unresolved conflicts with a loved one.

What is your favourite occupation?

Chatting.

What is your most marked characteristic?

Being talkative.

What do you most value in your friends?

Loyalty.

Who are your favourite writers?

Ken Follet.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

Indira Gandhi.

What is your favourite name?

Catalaya.

What is your greatest regret?

That my father won’t be at my wedding.

How would you like to die?

In my sleep.

What is your favourite journey?

Road trips with my fiance.

What is your motto?

You have to keep moving to get ahead.

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