Chennai: The urge to do more… The thirst for wanting to achieve… The passion of being an entrepreneur… Possessing massive energy within… – all this put together led Kshama Adka, founder of Shmoozies, to quit her job as a business analyst overnight and pursue her longtime dream – to run an ice cream truck.
When Jyothika does it in ’36 Vayathiniley’, this enthusiast does it (running a successful startup) at ’26 Vayathiniley’.
What’s so special about ice creams? If you think it’s just a dessert, then Kshama has the right answer for you on how her ice creams from Shmoozies, stand apart from all others. In an interview to News Today, this inspirational woman shares thoughts on her journey and what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.
Kshama started off like every other MBA grad. In Hyderabad, she helped her friend initially with baking. This is where her interest sparked. ‘Though I enjoyed my job, somewhere I knew that I won’t fit in. So, I called my dad in Chennai. It was a five-minute phone call and I told him what I wanted to do. He said if I am confident, then I should just go for it. So, this support is what pushed me towards my dre
am path,’ recalls Kshama.
The hand-crafted ice creams from Shmoozies makes them unique. Great attention is paid to the quality of flavours and they do not add cashew milk, almond milk or vegetable oil. They make their own brownies too.
When you have a look at the ice cream palettes here, neither the mint flavoured ice cream is green, nor the caramel, brown. This is because Kshama grinds them and extracts the original flavour just right. ‘We take the raw mint leaves, clean them and infuse it into the milk and this gives the real flavour to the ice cream. So, this our concept,’ says the vibrant entrepreneur.
‘Doing everything from scratch is not a simple task as it is a very labour-intensive process,’ she adds.
FRIEND CHEFS
For Kshama, her friends are her strength. ‘In the beginning, a group of 10 friends will always be there in the shop and they are my critics. They 
give genuine comments and help me try different things,’ she smiles.
TASTE & SUGGEST
‘Once I get settled with my plans, I started exploring different flavours. If a group of 10 people comes to our shop, I make sure each one tries each flavour. The customers also play an important role in bringing about changes / introduction of flavours,’ Kshama says happily.
Now, they have standard 30 flavours. Even if it is chocolate, Kshama uses her creativity in combining different ingredients. For example, dark 
chocolate and coffee, coffee and cinnamon, honey ginger, chilli guava (you can actually taste the spice), and pomegranate are all must try here. Once the customer likes it, then it’s a kick in at Shmoozies.
VISITORS’ DELIGHT
The entire ambiance of the shop is beautiful – it is decorated tastefully – again, all by Kshama’s friends and her architect brother. Personally, I would suggest you visit here with your friends in the evenings and I promise this would become your best hangout spot.
Lit with beautiful lights, surrounded by tall trees, the place is cuddled with calm. Also, the furniture used here are all recycled from old cupboards.