How would you describe your journey? Brief us on the inception story of your career.
Growing up in a small town where there were few opportunities to make my mark, I always had a sheer will in myself to do something out of the box. Having a regular desk job was not what my plan was. I was never intrigued by the idea of following, instead I was always an avid admirer of creation. Hence, the only way where I could channelize my own ideas and hard work was by investing my mind in creating something new. Thus, I was inclined toward the idea of Entrepreneurship from my early days. The path to becoming an Entrepreneur was not a bed of roses. It was a difficult road full of obstacles that I had to overcome in order to become a successful Entrepreneur. The journey after becoming what I had always wished for since my early days is no short of a roller-coaster ride. Post setting up of the business, the hardest thing is to keep the ball rolling. In order to do that, it is very important to connect with the right people and make the right decisions that would impact the business positively.
Enlighten us about your role in the organisation you are leading / associated with?
Apart from being the Director of Operations of the PR and Marketing Agency, Candid Communication, I am also the proud Director of the abroad education consultancy venture, EduGlobal, where our tagline is Abroad Education @Indian Cost. We don’t take any consultancy fees from students and provide free career consultancy.
Where do you find inspiration? What motivates you to work harder?
My family has been supportive from Day 1 but like others, my parents have their share of suggestions too to avoid problems that might occur in the life of an entrepreneur. They have been a true inspiration to me and have not taught me to quit whatever may occur in life.
The initial period is almost always difficult but some entrepreneurs do learn to bring in a balance after achieving reasonable stability in their businesses. During the first 5-6 years I had to sacrifice my family life and friends, and focus on building a business. Over a period of time, I have learned to balance both my professional as well as personal time.
Kindly mention some of the notable recognitions and accreditations received by your person.
- Featured under ‘India’s 40 under 40 Brightest Business Leaders’ (The Entrepreneurs of India)
- National Award for Excellence in CSR as PR by IRPRA
- Featured in The Entrepreneurs of India’s Womenpreneur edition.
What is the one thing you wish you had known about women in your line of work before you started working?
I wish I had known to cope with the initial stress an entrepreneur faces in the initial days of work for her gender. It took some time for me to understand the situation and how to deal with certain people who have preconceived notions about a woman being able to handle work with élan.
Do you believe it is compulsory for a woman to manage a household alongside her work?
I believe the choice should be of the woman whether she would like to manage household work alongside professional work. Definitely, it should never be compulsory under any circumstances to manage household work. But the freedom of choice has to be there in order to have a balance in the life of a woman as a lot of things are expected by default from a woman because of her gender.
As a woman, what has been the highlight of you career? What are the changes you wish to make for the better in your professional life post-pandemic?
Coming from a small town and from a non-Entrepreneurial background, it was very difficult for me to achieve what I had wished for in my early days. Not having the required support and knowledge in the initial days, was a big challenge for me. However, I always had a strong will of doing something out of the box and on my own. Hence, from my early days, I started working towards my goals. With all the uncertainties and the unknown ahead of me, it was difficult, to come to a new city and try to create a mark here. It did take time, hard work, and courage to remain persistent and not lose focus. It was an uphill task. But I never lost my grit and determination to succeed in what I had set out for.
I would like to take more care of my mental health since post-pandemic a lot of people have been affected by it due to certain situations. If your mind is calm and focused, you could provide more attention to your work and ideas seem to flow properly. Spending more time with family is on top of my mind nowadays as we all have probably understood after being isolated from the world the value of being with close ones.
Brief us on the changes the pandemic brought to your sector and your market. Has the work-culture altered?
The business environment has become more competitive than it was a decade ago. Innovation and smart work could be applied in every segment. A business that may be relevant Pre-Covid has started to lose its relevance very easily given the rapidly changing time we are living in. Innovation and keeping at par with ‘Time’ are important to stay relevant. Similarly, PR and Event management, in fact, education business have gone through drastic changes. Things we could have never thought about have gone virtual and we have become used to it.
What words of wisdom/ inspiration/ advice would you offer to the next generation of female leaders?
Slowly and steadily things are changing, since more and more women are taking a forefoot in the business world. There are plenty of women entrepreneurs in the commercial sectors these days that are doing excellent work in their respective fields. These business-savvy females have become an inspiration for everyone out there many other ladies since entrepreneurship still is a male-oriented territory. However, these hurdles could be crossed by female entrepreneurs with determination, dedication, and by not giving up spirit whatever the situation may be.
