GlowTouch's Vidya Ravichandran quietly pursues dual roles

Growing up, it was second nature for Ravichandran and her brother, Hari Ravichandran, who now owns a business in Boston, to answer phones or assist customers.

When they weren't helping in the business, the two typically were immersed in their studies.

In India, extremely high academic credentials were needed to get into schools and to get hired, Vidya Ravichandran said, so it was expected that she would excel.

"It was part of life," Ravichandran said. "You didn't think about it. You didn't question it."

She remembers squeezing in guitar lessons and family trips to India's historical and cultural sites. But otherwise, her time was dedicated to learning.

Forging her own path

At age 21, Ravichandran moved away from her family to continue her education in the United States. While a graduate student at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Ravichandran met Chadha, whom she married in 1997.

Although also from India, Chadha hailed from the northern part of the country, and Ravichandran was from the south. So their native languages, cultures and religions were entirely different.

But both came from families that were "progressive and open minded," Ravichandran said, which made it easier for them to find common ground.

The two also shared an entrepreneurial spirit that helped draw them together, said Chadha, who is managing director of Greater Louisville Inc.'s Enterprise Corp.

Even while in college, he said, Ravichandran knew she wanted to become an entrepreneur, and she was not afraid to take the risk that comes with running your own business.

"Taking on new challenges, being willing to try different things, being adventuresome — those are the things that really attracted me to her," he said. "She always has this can-do attitude. She says ‘yes' before she even knows what I'm proposing, which is a great quality."

Shifting from spontaneity to a strict schedule

Her desire to try something new also made her a fun social companion.

In the early days of their marriage, Chadha said, they would use buy-one-get-one free coupons to visit new restaurants four or five nights a week.

Ravichandran said most people would be surprised to know that she had a spontaneous side and could "really let her hair down. … I used to be pretty happy-go-lucky and carefree."

These days, as work and family responsibilities demand more of her time, her life has become much more regimented.

"Everything has got to have a time, or we'd never get through the day," Ravichandran said.

She and Chadha juggle their older daughter's activities, and the couple has a live-in au pair from India who helps care for their youngest daughter.

Being a mom eases stress for Ravichandran, Chadha said, because when she's with the girls she focuses on them 100 percent and gets her mind off work.

She also is careful to take weekends off and spend time with friends.

Other outlets for her are watching movies, particularly foreign films and romantic comedies, and traveling.