Tanvi Parulkar turned her love for art into Rum & Raisin, a brand dedicated to creating playful, non-intimidating tools for daily mental health care. In this interview, she shares how personal experiences with ADHD and anxiety shaped the brand, the struggles of scaling a bootstrapped business, and how she balances creativity with the demands of entrepreneurship—all while managing ADHD, anxiety, and depression.

1. What led to the creation of Rum & Raisin? Was there a specific moment that sparked it?

Rum & Raisin studio was a result of my craving to make art for a living, and have creative freedom while I did so. It took multiple avenues, and a lot of trial and error before it found the strong brand voice it has today. It is a reflection of my personal journey with my mental health, hoping to make people laugh a little, and feel less alone through the products we make.

2. How has your experience with ADHD and anxiety shaped the brand and its products?

All our products and the artworks we share on social media are based on my real-life experiences or those I observe around me. Living in today’s world, almost everyone experiences stress and anxiety, so we have a large audience of people who can relate. The more art I put out, the more I realise how my mind is so similar to that of my audience, and that’s what makes everyone resonate so much.

3. What were the biggest hurdles in growing Rum & Raisin? Any unexpected roadblocks?

Rum & Raisin is completely bootstrapped; we are a very small company with limited finances. Investing in inventory and having to do a lot of trial and error—with some products doing really well and some not—can be difficult at times. But we are slowly seeing our brand gain organic reach and a lot of love even internationally, so we are hoping to grow our business at a slow and steady pace to ensure long-term sustainability. We don’t believe in overnight successes and virality—we prefer building a real audience and trust over time.

4. In a world that glorifies long hours and constant hustle, how do you manage your mental health while running a business?

It’s quite hard—having ADHD, anxiety, and depression; managing the uncertainties of business can take a toll on me and has before. But I genuinely love what I do, the products we make, and the community we’ve built, so I take short breaks but focus on consistently showing up. You can’t be at your 100% every day, but it’s important to do your best at whatever level you can show up each day.

5. How do you balance the creative side with the demands of running a company? Do they ever clash?

I was surprised to realise this the hard way—running an art business means you spend very little time actually making the art. Most of your time is spent on management, logistics, marketing, and admin. But that is a part of the game, and I try to make it fun for myself by switching up tasks or gamifying the boring ones.

6. What would you tell someone who wants to build a business while navigating their own mental health challenges?

It is very hard, but it is also worth it. I would highly recommend active self-regulation and self-care when you decide to run a business because it keeps throwing curveballs at you—so if you don’t learn how to prioritise yourself and take care of your mind, you won’t be able to handle challenges the way you need to. Secondly, you can never truly “be ready”; you have to start, and you will learn along the way. Everything is “figure-outable.” 🙂