In this Conversating with Yhorlife we got to conversate with Premier & Celebrity Henna Artist, Entrepreneur, and overall Powerhouse Neha Assar Panchal. Neha is so infectious, bubbly and professional that I couldn’t stop Conversating and it shines through the interview. My love and respect for Henna goes back to my childhood. Neha’s energy is so authentic you’ll want to purchase her mug or book your Henna. I had a blast and hope you enjoy this Conversating as much as I do - Enjoy!

So! Neha …. how would you introduce yourself to people that are unaware of you …

My name is Neha Assar I am a multi impression Henna artist and creator. My work spans from ancient henna design to housewares; home goods; furniture; apparel; accessories; and wall art. I have an affinity to creative self-expression.

I have a lot of energy inside and I let it out through my platform and my website. My goal is to bring unique hand made art into people’s lives, while fostering a connection with them.

I also want a sense of individuality in my artwork, because I am doing it for that individual. Every time I create my artwork tells a story, and I am excited to share mine with you guys.

What would you say are three adjectives that would describe you (when someone meets you) …

Oh gosh … I think that I am passionate, persistent, and when it comes to my artwork I am really consistent. Oh! I would also say bubbly. Because you just bounced into the room with this amazing hair. Oh! Well thank you, and I will take that.

No, you are bubbly, and you have a warm personality and that translates into your art. Well … thank you, thank you.

Okay so you are known as the top Henna Artist, and you are an entity. Now the henna is just not the traditional sense where it is not just the intricate designs, or special occasions. You have made it where it can be a part of your everyday occurrence and even in art. What do you see as the biggest trend in 2025 , and why do you think henna has become such a staple …

I actually find it hard to predict trends for the future. So, I often look inward to see how far I am willing to push my art. For me it is about feeling connected to what I create. While also building a connection with the consumer, and my customer.

It is almost instinctual. Like I get this feeling when the product is the right one to bring to life. And then I start imagining how it could fit into different spaces. That excites me and it fuels my creativity, and it also translates into my marketing. Somehow it just all comes together, and it works. So, trends for me is just an instinctual feeling, I can not pinpoint exactly what the consumer is going to want. I have to feel it, and then I have to make them feel it too.

***And then why do you think henna has become such a staple …***

Henna has always been a cornerstone of Indian culture. I feel like its influences everywhere in mainstream Indian inspired aesthetics. If you go to HomeGoods Store, or World Market you see products that evoke South Asian artistry.
For me the joy and challenge in blending this Ancient Indian art form with my personal aesthetics, and making it a part of everyday lives. That is my challenge. I want it to be personal, and to feel personal. Not just another henna design on something. I love your designs, not just the henna that you do for brides, that is gorgeous. But on the actual products, the furniture. … it is just beautiful. I was showing my mom, she has been a huge yogi for years.

We went to a friends wedding in R.P.V, they are Indian, and the wedding was simply gorgeous. I probably did their wedding! You probably did! Sometimes when you choose a traditional aesthetic it can seem sometimes outdated. Yes…. I love how your aesthetic is modern and timeless, yet it pays homage to your heritage. Yes!

So, because of that do you think that is why you have seen such a demand for your work. You can so seamlessly blend Western aesthetic and with staying true to the traditional Indian aesthetic …

Yes, I mean I was born and raised in Southern California. So, every time I went back to India to get my henna done we would sit in a restaurant in a corner, and there would be an artist there.

And of course there would be a few people waiting behind me. I would sense that the artist was rushing to finish my henna, there were gaps (in the design), or putting bold art in places where it didn’t aesthetically feel proper. As an artist I always had this artistic perception of everything.

If it visually didn’t set well with me, it would bother me. Then I am stuck with this artwork for like ten days. I would be thinking that I could have done this, and that better. That is when I would go back to the drawing board and do it on paper with my pencil.

I would find myself saying … ‘if I was the one doing it (the design) this is how I would do it’. I was so precise about making it perfect, symmetrical, and even. I have been obsessed with that.

So, I think that when my artwork is in demand it is because I actually take the time to do it right. It has to visually look good, I will not put out a product that does not reflect that intention. I think that you can feel that energetically too. As a consumer you can feel when someone is just churning something out. Yes!!!

It is like they may stand behind it, there might be a formula to it, but no soul. There is a fine line between soul and looking chonchsky, and then just bringing the soul of the art to the market. You accomplish that so well. Thank you, I appreciate that.

So, you are also an engineer by trade … I am. Now I call that a ‘hair flip moment’. Awww thanks! Now how did you parlay that knowledge with building your brand. I understand that as someone that is more analytical and going to creative, it kind of blends together. There is a science to creativity. Yes! ... How did you start, from being an engineer… how did you get people to trust you – that you could do their henna …

Well, you know it is crazy, because I have been doing henna since 1994. So this is my thirtieth year do doing henna. Wait… it will be thirty-one years in 2025. I paid my way through school doing henna, I did henna to pay for my full engineering curriculum. At the same time it is like what came first, the chicken or the egg? Was it the precision that came first? Or was it the engineering that taught me to be so precise.

And people always ask me is that why you became an engineer because you are so calculative? And you all about symmetry and perfection … I feel like it fed off each other.

As an engineer I always approach things with a problem solving mindset. So, at any given canvas I have to figure it out. That has been an invaluable part of building my brand. Engineering taught me how to think analytically and systematically. I have applied that to every aspect of my business.

So, when it came to blogging and building my website … designing and maintaining my website required technical skills. I had to be organized, I needed design experience, more like a good eye.

I had to apply my coding experience. Which is so crazy, because coding class was so hard … oh my gosh yes I almost failed out of coding. I had to code my sight, and like the Hex Code. Yes!!! … I thought then what is this, I will never need this. Yes! Oh my gosh yes.

Yet, when I was building my site … you better believe that I found my notes. I thought my professor was a genius. Yes, I even thought what does this even mean. But when you need it you figure it out, right?

Yes, so I approached my blog and website like a system. Identifying what my audience needed, and then optimizing my platform to provide those needs. In terms of my shop and the product development, as an engineer I am very detailed oriented. So, I focus on the entire life cycle of my products. From ideation to execution. And I think about how to make each product not just beautiful but functional. I also want it to be meaningful for the consumer.

Like my mugs for example, my personalized Mehndi Mug is a bestseller on my website. Lets say that you buy just one, and it has your name on it, and it has Mehndi on it. I am sure that you have a Starbuck’s mug, a work from work, and from other conferences that you went to. Yes, just like your favorite mugs that mean something when you see them, and you hold onto them. Yes, they speak to you, and you hold onto them.

What makes the consumer reach for your mug every single time? It is a feeling, a memory. Yes, it is a feeling, exactly. It is also the experience of using the mug too. When I do henna on the skin there is a certain texture to it, it dries on the skin and you can feel it. It dries and there is the paste and it is raised and you can feel it.

Now when I do henna on the mug, and when the paint dries down you can feel the texture. So, it is a very seamless transition from your skin to the cup – and you can feel it. Then is is on a clear mug that holds eighteen ounces of fluid, which is a big cup of coffee, or big bowl of soup, or two scoops of ice cream.

It is totally multi-purpose, they are functional. Yes, totally multi-purpose. When you pour liquids in the mug it totally pops. Those are the things that I analyze when I put out a product. Does it move the person, why would they want to use this.

How long did it take you from being a full-time engineer to jumping to doing your blog, and taking your passion to full-time …

Well, I knew that I was good at the art. For example in 2006, my husband and I were going to get married in 2007. I was saving up for my wedding, and that year I did eighty-five weddings. I did hair, make-up for eighty-five weddings. I used to do hair and make-up back then, and I had my full-time career. I was the one stop shop – I did hair, make-up, and henna.

Let me back up … in 1994 I was working for a salon in Artesia. I worked there for about three years, and then I went off to college. I went to college in Fall of 1998, by Spring of 1999 there was the South Asian Bridal Expo in L.A.

It was the first South Asian Bridal Expo ever. So, the production company called me up, they said that they did not have anymore booths available but we have a six-foot table for you if you want to come and display your stuff. I was like I will take it, and they did not charge me. Oh! Free is one of my favorite words. Totally!

So, I didn’t know what ‘pipe and drape’ was, so I showed up with a board. A like science fair board. Wait the ones with the three panels? Yes! I looked so lame, I was the lamest person at this bridal expo. People have screens, and flowers. Oh my gosh … yes! I did one expo and I didn’t even have a sign. These people come prepared. Oh yes, the come prepared. It is too much.

Since I use to do make-up, I thought I would do quick make-up and then henna samples on site. I told them if you book me today I will give like 10% off your wedding booking. Genius! Yes, I booked like twenty-three weddings that day. Stop!!! Yes, It was insane, and at that time I was nineteen years old.

I was taking trials for hair and make-up in my dorm. Stop! ...oh yes! I would do bridal henna in my dorm. Often the brides did not have the space for me to come to them, nor did I have a car at that time to go to them. But I was in demand and I knew it. I was like I am going to keep working. I mean I failed a lot of classes along the way because I would work so late.

You know when you are building something, and you have that entrepreneurial spirit, you know if you can do this you can do anything. Yes, that is so true. I knew that if I could do this, and get one person, the rest is just a matter of time. It was those formative years. That is exactly it. In college I told my parents while I was in college that I wanted to drop out of Engineering School. They were supporting me, and helping me. I was like give me the money I will start a business. My parents were like absolutely not. A henna artist is like the lowest, they are sitting on the street doing henna. It is more like a survival skill, and not a profession. So, for them (my parents) they were so embarrassed.

They were like we moved to a whole new country to give you a better experience and you now want to become that person. Yes, I do believe that it is about the minority, ethnic mindset, you have to be better and do better. Yes, it is the idea that you have to fit in (to society), and be better.

When I finally became a full blown engineer, I was like I am only going to do this for five years … and then I am out. Then life happens … I got married, I had kids, I needed those benefits, that 401(k), and all of those things.

My husband and I are both engineers, in oil and gas. Well, it is always responsive to the current government administration. The Administration changes things, politics and the economy changes things. People priorities changes. It is volatile.

See you forget that with engineering, either that be with EV or oil and gas; you just think that industry will be fine. Like if you are in defense, it is fine when you are going to war. Then there are these ethical issues that you are dealing with, like why are we supporting all of this drilling. That was killing me and I was like I have got to get out of this.

But my artwork is what kept us afloat through all of this every single time. In 2020, all of my paintings sold. I always knew that I was going to thrive doing this. In 2021 I got laid off. I worked at this company for five and a half years, and I was the only person doing this function on the West Coast.

In 2020 I got sick with Covid for three and a half weeks, and during this time they found a replacement and laid me off. I thought while I was sick that if I get laid off, I am going to put all of my energy in the art because I can do it.

In 2021, and 2022 my business was amazing, and the best decision I ever made. Yes, there have been struggles, but all in all okay. You know something needs to be said how you took what could have been a soul crushing moment, you took it and ran with it (your passion) … that is a real Hair Flip Moment! Yes, that is so true and thank you. Did you ever feel like quitting...

To be honest coming into this art world and doing it full time, was daunting. There were three pivotal moments. When I started henna in 1994 the first time I picked up a Mehndi Cone, which is the apparatus that I use to do the art.

My client was a bride, so my first professional experience was on a bride. I was fourteen years old and the bride was thirty-three years old. Her parents had told her if you do not get married by thirty years old we will find someone for you, and that is exactly what they did.

So, the entire time the bride was complaining the entire appointment about marrying this man. At fourteen years old that was a lot to take in. It was at that point in my career that I thought I do not know if I want to do this.

So, the entire time the bride was complaining the In 2007 I got married. In 2008, I had a client she was upset, because she did not share (with me) the time and location of her event. It was the day of her event … and I was like what am I supposed to do.

So, I was obviously late by the time they called me.

I got there and did the service, by the time I was ready to leave they did not want to pay me. I was like no you have to pay me. They went out of there way to crumble up one and five dollar bills just to come and throw it in my face. That time I left the appointment crying.

As a result of that experience I knew that I was going to increase my rates, and not put up with ‘b.s.’ anymore. It made me stronger and more courageous as an artist. I realized that group of people did not deserve my attention nor my art. It could have gone either way – I could have left the industry saying I am not going to put up with this ‘b.s’... but I rose above it, and persevered.

Then in 2023 I almost decided to give up on my art career, and go back to my engineering career – which I thought would never happen. It was because my business just tanked for some reason. It could have been because the economy tanked, and my business is more of a luxury service. I had an art studio in 2022, I signed the lease and by Thanksgiving of 2022 I knew that I could not sustain the lease.

My lease was up in April 2023, I knew that I could not go past that, and I knew that I was not resigning. Wedding bookings were not coming through like they customarily were, and my online orders had declined. Black Friday 2022 sales were down, and I just could tell. Christmas sales were down.

It tanked and I was stressed out, this was our livelihood. But by November of 2023 SZA called, and she saved my life. And everything happened at that time. It was amazing and I am grateful that I still get to work with her.

Do you find that it is way more work to work in corporate? ... and the stress of knowing you can be released, or replaced at any moment. Or to take the entrepreneurial path where you face the unknown mixed with volatile markets, and working ten times harder and making maybe ten percent of your earnings in the corporate job...

You know I don’t feel like… well, the numbers always added up for me. I was never like I am only making ten or twenty percent of what I use to make. I knew that sometimes I made in two days what I would make with my engineer salary. I mean a two week paycheck.

Yes, and if you can do it once you can repeat it. It can be done… Yes, and that is the formula that I am still trying to figure out, but that depends on someone else. That is where my husband gets upset, because he is still the engineer, and I am now the artist. He is like don’t you want peace of mind knowing that your paycheck is going to come on Friday?

Yes, but not really because you don’t ever know what your employer is thinking. You might be working hard and thinking that you are doing a great job (at work). Meanwhile your boss is thinking your work is subpar. SO, that is not really peace of mind. Yes! It comes in different ways, in engineering I always had to prove myself fifteen times harder. Because I was that girl that wore heels, and hung out with others and socialized.

The others had their heads buried in their computers with the highlight of their days was where are going for lunch. Mine (highlight) was that Kylie Jenner called, and I am going to her home in Hidden Hills after work!

I remember in December 2015 I got published in the Wall Street Journal, it was two things - the first day they were going to drop in print and the next day they were going to drop online. So, when it dropped in print I stopped at Starbucks to pick up the paper to distribute all of my family.

When I went into work I could not even celebrate. When it dropped online the next day, Wall Street Journal India liked the article so much they picked it up. They featured like seventeen photos of me which was huge.

What are your three staples of clothing that makes you feel most confident...

I really like a statement jacket, or some piece of outer wear. That is why I paint jackets all the time. Hats are something that make me feel real edgy too, and I do artwork on the hats. Then lastly shoes, because you can build your whole outfit around them.

What are some of the most rewarding parts of your job...

Some of the most rewarding parts of my job are seeing the impact that my work has on people. If it is henna designs, or bringing someone confidence or a product that adds beauty and meaning nto someones’ life. That is huge for me. I feel fulfilled in knowing that I am creating something with purpose.

My personal connections that I make with clients, customers, and the joy that it brings them. It is really rewarding for me.

What is your favorite way to unwind...

Spending time with my family, I do all of this for them, and that is huge. I also crochet a lot. And that is one thing that I have not even monetize on yet, and I know that I should. I am working on handbags now though, so it will launch soon.

Then being in nature. I love hiking, going to the ocean, and being in nature. I love going to the beach in Seal Beach area.

Thank you so much Neha this was so much fun talking with you! …. Yes, thank you so much!