“Redefining Success on My Own Terms” By Krish Waje, Founder of Lunaire

Credit: Krish Waje, Co-Founder and CEO of Lunaire

Reframing Success: Leaving Behind the ‘Shoulds’

The wake up call that changed everything …

When I was 15, I went through open heart surgery. It’s not something that most 15 year olds have to go through — but it changed me forever. It taught me that life is fragile, time is precious, and nothing is guaranteed. I threw myself into my studies and focused on the path that was “meant” for me. It took nearly a decade, and a growing sense of disconnection, before I finally understood the real lesson that experience was trying to teach me: life isn’t meant to be a checklist of achievements — it’s meant to be lived fully, consciously, and with purpose.

Living the ‘Shoulds’
As a 27 year old South Asian woman, I grew up surrounded by expectations — study hard, get a respectable job, climb the corporate ladder. I got a 98.2 ATAR, landed a job at Apple, then became a full time business analyst at a big tech company. On paper, everything looked perfect. I was living the kind of life others aspired to but deep down I felt like I was living someone else’s version of success. My parents, society’s , anyone’s but mine.

I had ticked every box but lost sight of WHY I was ticking them in the first place. Each promotion, each milestone, left me wondering: “Is this it?”

Choosing the Road Less Expected
In 2024, I decided to stop living for the “shoulds” and start living for myself. I left my corporate job to work on scaling Lunaire — a refillable candle brand designed around sustainability, design, and mindfulness. It felt terrifying at first — leaving the stability of a comfortable salary and most importantly disrupting the “path” I spent so long paving out for myself. But entrepreneurship became the best teacher I’ve ever had. It forced me to confront fear, self doubt, and the pressure to prove myself. More importantly, it gave me freedom, the kind that comes when you choose your own path, even if no one else understands it.

Redefining Success on My Own Terms
When I was younger, I believed success was something you could measure: salary, job title, followers, milestones. Now, I see it differently. Success for me is waking up excited about what I’m building. It’s having the freedom to spend my days with purpose and the peace of knowing my work aligns with my values. I now live on an acreage in the Blue Mountains, where my partner and I are growing my own organic food forest.

My days are slower, filled with the kind of quiet I once mistook for failure. But in that quiet, I’ve found clarity.

Here’s what success looks like to me now:
— Freedom to create a life that feels aligned.
— Fulfillment from meaningful work.
— Sustainability in both business and lifestyle.
— Balance

The Real Lesson of 2025
If 2025 has taught me anything, it’s that you don’t need to follow someone else’s definition of success to live a successful life. Open heart surgery showed me how fragile life is. Entrepreneurship showed me how powerful choice is. Together, they taught me that real success isn’t about status — it’s about soul.

It’s easy to let “shoulds” run your life: you should have a house by this age, you should be earning this much, you should look or live a certain way. But none of those things matter if they don’t make you feel whole. True success is quiet. It’s the feeling of peace when you’re alone with your thoughts, knowing you’re exactly where you’re meant to be.

Looking Ahead to 2026
As I look to 2026, my focus is on depth, not speed. I want to keep growing Lunaire as a brand that encourages mindful living — refill what you love, not what you throw away. I want to mentor others who are walking the same path, helping them build businesses that are profitable & purposeful. Most importantly, I want to keep living in alignment with my values — to measure success not by what I achieve, but by how grounded and fulfilled I feel along the way.

A Final Reflection
We often think success is something we chase, but maybe it’s something we uncover — layer by layer, as we shed expectations that were never ours to carry. For me, that journey began with a scar down my chest and a decision to stop living on autopilot. Now, success means having the courage to slow down, follow your intuition, and build a life that feels like home.
And if that means leaving behind the “shoulds,” so be it.

Meet Our Contributor — Krish Waje
Krish Waje is the founder of Lunaire, a premium refillable candle brand rooted in mindfulness, design, & sustainability. After working as a business analyst for major corporations like Qualtrics & Apple, she chose to redefine success on her own terms — leaving behind the corporate ladder to build a slower, more intentional life in the Blue Mountains. Krish now runs Lunaire full time, along with two other businesses while cultivating an organic food forest on her acreage — living proof that ambition and balance can coexist. Passionate about conscious living and entrepreneurship, she shares honest reflections on business, purpose and personal growth to inspire others to chase success that feels true — not just looks or sounds it.