Careers today are different from what they used to be a couple of decades ago. Family businesses are no longer the norm and venturing into novel fields is relatively common. Students can study whatever they are interested in and pursue their dream jobs. However, you will find that many professionals today are not keen on settling in their initial jobs, which is primarily due to the absence of inner motivation and a sense of purpose.
A common occurrence seen in colleges and universities is that students show a preference for taking courses in science and engineering subjects. These subjects are presented to them as the ideal choice for career prospects. The reality, however, is that the scope of careers within these fields is limited to one’s interest in the defined subject-areas. This occurrence is not just limited to science, it applies to various fields that students are often pushed into because they either lack the grades to qualify for the course of their choice or lack the support to take on something that lies outside their social standard.
When these students are faced with the daunting task of choosing a suitable career path, they experience mental health and stress issues before they even start giving job interviews. They feel confused because they concern themselves with finding the ideal career path for success instead of thinking about the ideal path for themselves. The answer, however, can be found by looking inside ourselves and understanding our personal motivation and interests.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a psychologist and author of the book ‘Flow’, studied creative and accomplished people for over a decade. He concluded that genuinely creative people work for work’s own sake – that fame was just a bonus for them. What drives accomplished professionals, more than rewards, is the inner desire to contribute and create order where there was none before.
Csikszentmihalyi states that when we are intrinsically motivated, we pursue every task with the highest degree of concentration and passion and often get lost in our work. Therefore, it is extremely important to find out where our interests lie because that is where we will discover our purpose and inner motivation, which will also help us strive for success and maintain our well-being.
Read the full article here in our January2021 issue.
LaVar Arrington is a legend in football. Widely regarded as one of the top linebackers of all time coming out of Penn State University, he was selected #2 in the NFL draft by the Washington Redskins, where he went on to a legendary career as an all-time top linebacker. Famous for his spectacular ‘LaVar Leap’ on the field, Arrington has spent the years after football leaping into business as a successful entrepreneur and advocate for the development of youth. His career trajectory is a prime example of how pro athletes can continue to shine after their athletic careers have ended.
Sport is a common denominator around the world. It is the great unifier, the great motivator, and the global pastime. Regardless of which sport an individual plays, watches or supports, the attributes of an athlete are generally the same across all sports – the ability to function as part of a team, leadership skills, decision-making, patience and self-discipline. LaVar believes that, “While talent plays a role in levels of achievement, talent alone does not turn an athlete into an elite athlete. You must infuse the attributes listed above in order to become a ‘complete athlete’”.
Sport, specifically football, was the foundation of LaVar’s life from the time he was a young child in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – a city well-known for cultivating some of the greatest players in football history. LaVar was fortunate to have mentors and role models such as Dwight White, a legendary football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who was a neighbor in his community; and Jerome Bettis, from whom LaVar had the opportunity to learn many significant career and life skills.
“Sport is a common denominator around the world. It is the great unifier, the great motivator, and the global pastime”
“To be a complete athlete, LaVar represents that an athlete must be physically fit, but perhaps even more importantly, they must also prioritize their emotional, mental and financial well-being”
Over the course of his career LaVar came to recognize several learning gaps that impact the growth of an athlete, and his development as a businessman was based on an endeavor to fill those gaps for others – to help them build the attributes that make a complete athlete. To be a complete athlete, LaVar represents that an athlete must be physically fit, but perhaps even more importantly, they must also prioritize their emotional, mental and financial well-being. Committed to developing and nurturing youth to achieve their full potential, LaVar promotes the complete development of youth, providing an ecosystem of growth and development, focusing on helping youth to build the attributes which will allow them to be elite athletes and well-rounded human beings. LaVar is dedicated to shaping the future, one athlete at a time. Through the Complete Athlete and his Up on Game podcast, LaVar aspires to give young athletes the knowledge, tools and resources to help them develop themselves. In LaVar’s words, “If you can build winning habits as a person, and have winning thoughts and have a winning mindset and apply those attitudes to your life, then for me, we will have succeeded in putting one more positive person into our society; who can make a difference and will give back to others”.
The definition of success changes as we age and mature, and this is no different for an athlete. For the longest time, until LaVar got to an age where he was actually able to comprehend what success looked like and have physical interaction with top athletes, he saw success only as a dream. Now, as an entrepreneur and businessman, LaVar understands the important role that business leaders can play in preparing an athlete for success after their sports career. It is only when industry leaders humanize success – by opening up their daily routines, their decision-making strategies and methodologies – that the youth can see a real pathway to success, the actual steps they can take to achieve their goals. “I never took my talent for granted, pushing myself to always reach new levels and go beyond the limits that our minds – and sometimes our bodies, set for us. By never taking my talent for granted, I was always achieving new levels of personal success, which allowed me to be recognized as one of the greatest linebackers at Penn State University and continue to perform at a high-level in the NFL”, noted LaVar. “Now, as a businessman, I have the opportunity to influence young athletes in a different way – both helping to refine their talents on AND off the field.”
As an elite athlete, LaVar recognizes that his greatest responsibility is to enable youth to reach their full potential by empowering them to measure success through the personal and professional development necessary to become a complete athlete. According to LaVar, the methods of building success are truly a learned and applied process, and it’s not something that drops out of the sky. “You are not randomly chosen to be successful; rather, success comes to people who are willing to put in the time and energy and develop the beliefs that make success a reality”, notes Arrington.
LaVar recently launched the Up on Game podcast with fellow football legends, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Plaxico Burress, allowing them to explore relevant issues in the world of sports and life. Through Up on Game, LaVar, T.J. and Plaxico endeavor to be a positive role models for youth, exploring issues and challenges relevant to young people today – at all levels of their game, helping them to overcome these challenges through their experience and lessons learned throughout their career. Additionally, he prioritizes bridging the communication gap between coaches and athletes, parents and kids, using Up on Game as a vehicle to spur conversation, discussion and positive impact.
Up on Game examines the issues and current events in sports, tying it to life, making it relevant for everyone. Edgy, honest, dynamic and raw, Up on Game allows Arrington, Houshmandzadeh and Burress to providementorship, experience, perspective and commitment to athletes of all ages. “Up on Game allows us to contribute to the development of athletes around the world, allowing us to impact lives, shape the character of athletes, developing the perspective and understanding of athletes, coaches, parents and families, who are integral to the success of the athlete”, notes Arrington. His aim is to build a culture of giving back, and to mentor athletes from a young age that a service mentality – embracing the impact that we must all make on society and for one another – is the most important ingredient to success at all levels of life, and it has been a fundamental pillar of LaVar’s life as an athlete and businessman.
“It is only when industry leaders humanize success – by opening up their daily routines, their decision-making strategies and methodologies – that the youth can see a real pathway to success, the actual steps they can take to achieve their goals”
“You are not randomly chosen to be successful; rather, success comes to people who are willing to put in the time and energy and develop the beliefs that make success a reality”
With the Complete Athlete and Up on Game, LaVar aims to familiarize the youth with critical self-development experiences. He believes that if you make youth aware of how important it is to learn who you are and to develop who you are, they will be on a course for a more enhanced life and future. “Had I done this, my life could have potentially been more enhanced, which may have even made me a more phenomenal athlete. In the end, I look at things from the very simplistic standpoint that, undoubtedly, I am more than enough, and also valuable enough to continue building and growing who I am, and that is my ‘magnificent obsession’, as C.T. Fletcher would say”, says Arrington.
Transitioning to the next stage of his career beyond football was easy for LaVar because of his love of helping people and being a person of service. He stresses that his awards and achievements in sports don’t amount to anything if he doesn’t use those experiences to help others achieve at a high level – high enough to potentially be an all-pro, pro-bowler or professional athlete. The Up on Game podcast allows him to have the opportunity to communicate with and mentor younger athletes, which is something he has always excelled at. “I’ve been a better teacher and a better mentor than I’ve ever been an active player. I take a great deal of pride in my ability to communicate clearly the different ways to approach sports AND life to be as successful as you can possibly be”, remarked Arrington. Helping to develop athletes into the complete athlete is something that has been a tremendous passion of his, and he recognizes that he has been blessed to have enough success where he can make this commitment to young athletes his daily focus in both life and business. He acknowledges that, “It is not about what LaVar can do for LaVar, it is about what impact and influence LaVar can have on humanity, and since my lane is sports, that’s where I endeavor to begin my ‘crusade of service’”.
Prioritizing personal development, professional development and continuing education programs for youth is critical to preparing young athletes to excel not only in sports but in their careers and life – by refining key life skills and building on the attributes of leadership that are found in athletics. When businesses commit a portion of their corporate social responsiblity budgets to programs that support the development of the next generation, they make a commitment to the sustainability of our collective future. Contributing to the development of youth means preparing them to be future elite athletes, entrepreneurs, innovators, and humanitarians – better equipped to take the reins of leadership in our metamorphic future.
LaVar’s advice to young athletes is to put as much effort into their personal growth as they do to their athletic growth, urging them not to neglect their mental health. Take risks. To quote William Shedd, “A ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what a ship was built for”. Greatness doesn’t come from comfort zones. As LaVar says, “Dream big, work hard, and don’t give up.”
The contribution by the Indian food service sector is multi-dimensional. Being a people intensive industry, it engages more than five million people directly and seven to eight million indirectly. The industry employs unskilled, fully skilled as well as differently-abled people.
The food service industry encourages growth and value addition in many related industries such as real estate, commercial kitchen and equipment, beverages, food processing and supply chain. research shows that both the organized and unorganized sectors have been contributing to the economy and employment. It is important to note that currently only 30% of the industry is organized, clearly indicating a large growth opportunity.
Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) enjoy the largest share of revenue in the food service industry and 44.7% share of the food service market in 2019-20, with a size of INR 16,920 crore/ USD 2.35 billion. This segment in India is largely dominated by international chains including Domino’s, KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Burger King, and Subway. The large Indian QSR players are Haldiram’s, Bikanerwala, Wow Momo and Jumbo King.
The evolution of aggregator deliverers (such as Swiggy and Zomato) in India has challenged QSRs who previously dominated the delivery market. Consumers now have a plethora of F&B options that can reach them swiftly. QSRs are somewhat cautious of being overly reliant on aggregator deliverers given, in part, that none of the aggregators are yet profitable. To this extent, there is a latent interest in maintaining control over delivery and all aspects its value chain.
The food service delivery market in India is already among the top ten in terms of Gross Market Value (GMV) – a key metric that measures value at the level of consumer spend (as opposed to aggregator income for example). Delivery aggregators – companies that capture orders from customers and deliver the ordered restaurant meals – are largely responsible for the recent rapid growth. The growth in the food delivery business has been powered by the rise of aggregators, cloud kitchens, logistics providers, own-brand ordering apps and a plethora of ancillary services that include enhanced POS software, innovation in technical fields such as AI and robotics, and data analytics.
Currently, growth strategies being pursued by aggregators appear clear: acquire new customers, enter new markets and expand share – and do this primarily on a ‘value’ or discounting stance. To this end, profitability has been a secondary issue but there are signs that this is changing, especially as Covid is likely to have a very material impact on balance sheets. There are still significant growth opportunities for entrepreneurs in this segment – from technology solutions to specialized logistic solutions and of course cloud kitchen concepts.
My Journey
My career spans over 30 years. I started at the bottom of the pyramid – washing dishes and bussing tables during a summer job while at The Doon School! After working part-time during school and college vacations, I did my Hotel and Restaurant Management degree from the Cornell Hotel School, USA. Subsequently, I worked for two years in the US – at The Four Seasons Hotel, Philadelphia and Spring Garden Bar & Grills, North Carolina.
I came back to India in 1992 and joined Nirula’s as a Technical Advisor and worked in various areas including operations, business development, marketing and PR. I helped establish Nirula’s in Muscat, Oman. In my second stint between 2006 and early 2012, I was a co-investor and CEO. We significantly grew the busines and contemporized the brand. This included creating new smaller formats which were replicable in various retail settings including airports, metro stations and highways. Nirula’s expanded from 35 outlets in 2 cities to 85 outlets in 8 cities. The Nirula’s brand has a strong emotional connect across generations, as it is Indian to the core of its heart, while still being international in look and feel.
From 2001 to 2004, I set up over 100 Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants in India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Bangladesh for Yum Restaurants as Manager (Development) for the Indian Sub-Continent. I was then Joint Managing Director of MARS Hotels and Restaurants in Mumbai, India from 2004 to 2006; the company operated diverse F&B Concepts and boutique Hotels in Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore.
Eventually, by identifying the niche for operational consulting and leveraging my diversity of work and start-up experience, I founded Tasanaya Hospitality in 2012. We serve clients across the Food Service, Hotel, Retail, and other related industries and have executed over 100 projects in the past 8 years. I have a very hands-on approach, have always promoted empowerment in my teams and fostered a culture of innovation. I like to recruit people who are driven, hard-working and take initiative.
I often don’t know how to talk about what I ‘do’ – at different points of my life, I have been a writer, an editor, a wildlife photographer, a short documentary maker, and a digital marketer. I frequently juggle a few of these professions simultaneously.
I have had a varied career, to put it mildly. Some might even say a bit too varied to be ‘stable’. In all honesty, it’s a dilemma that I have happily embraced. Why? Because I love what I do, more than anything else in the world. And that’s not something that comes easily.
Let me state my case – not to defend my choices but to offer a perspective different from the primary one we are exposed to – in the hope that those attracted to ‘alternative’ careers can feel less timid in pursuing such careers and don’t make the same mistakes that I did.
To do this, I will turn back the clock a couple of decades.
After completing my Master’s in English Literature in 2002, I commenced on a fairly regular path for someone of my education. For almost a decade, I pursued content writing, editing, and communications roles in medium-to-large sized corporate organizations, and I did well professionally. My work was appreciated by peers and supervisors, I was promoted regularly – sometimes within an organization and sometimes by jumping ship. That said, I was never really satisfied. I was beginning to strongly feel what is now commonly known as the urge to express oneself in what one does for a living. I knew that I would not be able to sustain this.
I gave up a flourishing communications career in 2015 and, not really knowing what direction to take, I embarked on a journey as a freelance professional. The need to express burgeoned relentlessly and with it resurfaced a childhood appreciation for the natural world. And that is when I picked up a DSLR for the very first time. Struggling to find a niche in the world of content creation, I would often go to the nearby Okhla Bird Sanctuary to get away from it all and practice my photography skills.
Little did know then that nature and photography would soon take over my life – and I mean in the best way possible.
In 2017, Canada happened. The decision to move was an easy one (I wanted to be closer to my 4 year-old son, who had left with my ex-wife) and the immigration process was even simpler. Contrary to popular opinion, I decided to not go with an immigration lawyer/expert; instructions on the Canadian immigration website were very easy to follow and the steps were clearly outlined. The only thing that required serious effort was procuring the necessary documents – transcripts from university, letters from past employers, and so forth.
Moving to Canada was the easy part, however. For the next year, I struggled to re-establish myself as a full-time content professional. First, I was out of touch and out of practice. Second, becoming a corporate slave again was a dreary proposition. Third, my photography was growing by leaps and bounds as I explored the vast expanses and amazing wildlife that Canada had to offer. To support myself, I eventually worked with a furniture company in their factory and later in their customer care department. The good thing about this arrangement was that I had plenty of time to go out and take pictures, and I eventually landed a freelance gig as a portrait photographer with Photos Unlimited.
In mid-2018, I met a biologist who heard me out and advised that I enroll in Fleming College’s Environmental Visual communication (EVC) program. This truly unique program is placed at the cusp of science and art – it teaches students the skills to communicate effectively about science and the environment through videography, photography, social media and campaign management.
I realized that this is exactly what I needed to give structure to my desperate need to express artistically. Most of all, the prospect of being able to use art to create positive change and help conserve endangered habitats and species was too tantalizing to let go.
Before I embarked on this 8-month-long Ontario Graduate Certificate program – I considered other options as well, including a Master’s in Environmental Education. For someone with my experience and inclinations, EVC turned out to be the most suitable option. Not only did it allow an Arts student such as myself to enter a field that is usually reserved for biology majors, it actually drew upon the skills I had learnt during my decade-long career and built upon them by adding a strong visual element. For someone seeking a stronger theoretical base in environment-related issues, I recommend opting for a degree program. EVC is all about building skills needed to communicate about environmental issues, with a strong focus on the visual side. Apart from learning how to use advanced audio-visual equipment and accompanying software, the program also focuses on storytelling for diverse audiences and campaign management.
Since completing EVC, I have had the opportunity to work for a number of Canadian environmental organizations as a short documentary maker and photographer, notably Birds Canada and The Atmospheric Fund. I have also taught photography at a few workshops. While I have been happy to expand my repertoire and work with scientists, climate change experts, ornithologists, arborists, and the like; being around wildlife is what has given me the most joy. EVC also made me competent at using social media for business purposes, and I have used these skills to promote and sell my own wildlife photography through online channels such as Etsy and my own website. My work has been widely appreciated and I have been invited to do exhibitions as well.
With Covid-19 having hit hard in 2020, career options in the field of conservation have been limited. Nevertheless, as we increasingly realize that as a species we stand on the brink of several environmental crises, communication about environmental issues is now a vital profession and a viable career option. Scientists and science organisations have also begun to realise that tackling these issues cannot be done in silos by “experts” – everyone needs to be involved and that is where visual communication comes in.
From a personal perspective, it has been a long journey for me – from the Himalayan peaks and jungles of India to the Boreal and Carolinian forests of Ontario. Now, as a wildlife photographer and as an environmental communicator, the path ahead for me is very clear. Not only do I wish keep creating art that reveals the immense beauty of the world we live in, I also wish to be an advocate for environmental justice and tell stories of the marvelous creatures that co-habit the planet with us.
In this season of personal introspection, why does improving time management remain such a persistent, perennial goal for so many of us? The irony is that we need to become better managers of our own efforts to improve time management. We need to prioritize our developmental efforts. This path begins with turning away from alluring quick fixes and instead toward assessing and building our underlying time management skills before another new year’s resolution reaches its dissolution.
Time management is one of the most important aspects of life that enables one to make the most of the given 24 hours in a day. We all have the same hours every day, the reason why some achieve more is not only because they work harder, but because they work smarter! It is often said that by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail; most people will be ready to vouch for this. The only way to combat this problem is by promising to follow effective time management strategies. Like many other things, time-management is a strategy that can be learned and improved with time. So here I’ve curated a list of insightful time-management tips you should follow to ensure that you utilize every 24 hours in the best way possible:
1. WORK SMARTER
Time is the essence of life. Managing your time effectively will not only maximize your productivity but will also leave you some spare time to follow your heart. Setting priorities may not be easy, but prioritizing is good for time management. It always pays to make a list of the things you need to do, put a timeline to each activity and then prioritize them at the beginning of each day, week, or month. It is also advisable to have a time audit every once in a while, to help you know whether you need to make any adjustments.
2. DO IT NOW
It is said that we fail to manage our time appropriately because of procrastination. As Dr. Tim Pychyl explains in his book, “Procrastination is by definition an irrational behavior because it runs counter to our own idea of what will make us happy.” But is procrastination a time-management problem or emotional management problem? The problem in fact lies with your emotions and not with your willpower. The best way to combat this problem is by being mindful – through concentration, focus and equanimity. Research shows that emotional regulation plays a vital role in reducing procrastination and improving productivity.
3. CHECK FOR ADHD
Find out whether you are suffering from ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), which is one of the most common mental disorders affecting children and adults. ADHD can create special challenges at work. Handling ADHD along with a challenging job is no easy task, but by tailoring the workplace environment one can leverage their strong points while minimizing the negative impact of ADHD symptoms.
4. ORGANIZE ORGANIZE ORGANIZE
The power of good organization can never be overstressed. Organize your office, cubicle, or desk, one manageable step at a time. Then use the following strategies to stay tidy and organized:
o Set aside daily time for organization. Mess is always distracting, so set aside 5 to 10 minutes a day to clear your desk and organize paperwork. Experiment with storing things inside your desk or in bins so that they don’t clutter your workspace. Remember – a place for every thing and everything in its place!
o Use colors and lists. Color-coding can be very useful, even for people with ADHD. Manage forgetfulness by writing everything down.
o Prioritize. More important tasks should be placed first on your to-do list so you remember to do them before lower priority tasks. Set deadlines for everything, even if they are self-imposed.
o Find your peak performance time. Break your typical day into three to four time-slots and over the course of a week, rank these slots from your most to least productive.
o Treat your time like it’s money. Create a time budget that details how you spend your hours during a typical week. Categorize time into fixed time (must do’s) and discretionary time (want to do’s).
o Avoid ‘sunk cost fallacy’. When you think you might be spending too much time on an activity, step back and evaluate its importance – how valuable is the outcome, who will be affected if it’s finished or not finished, and so forth.
o Use a calendar app. Record due dates for tasks and appointments – and do this immediately when they are planned or requested.
5. MINIMISE EXTERNAL COMMOTION
Face your desk towards a wall and keep your workplace free of clutter. To discourage interruptions, you could even put up a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign. If possible, let voicemail pick up your phone calls and return them later, turn off email and social media during certain times of the day, or even log off the Internet completely. If noise distracts you, consider noise-canceling headphones or a sound machine. In other words, do anything that helps you minimize factors that stop you from concentrating and delay your progress.
6. BEAT THAT STRESS
Erratic sleep, an unhealthy diet, not enough exercise – these are all issues that can lead to extra stress, bad moods, and feeling out of control. The best way to stop this cycle is to take charge of your lifestyle habits and create healthy new routines. Eating well, getting plenty of sleep, and exercising regularly can help you stay calm and reduce stress symptoms such as inattention and hyperactivity, while regular routines can help your life feel more manageable.
All said and done, research shows that we are actually responsible for 50 percent of the distractions that sabotage our focus. When someone interrupts us, it takes an average of 29 minutes to resume our focus. When we do not choose where we direct our attention, time-management becomes a problem. It doesn’t matter how well we manage our time if we can’t focus our minds on what we want to accomplish. So, for time management, first learn attention management and always try to start the day on a high note. Remember what begins well also ends well if the focus and attention is maintained throughout the task. We all have 24 hours in a day to get things done; it is how we manage these 24 hours that matters – success doesn’t come from hard work alone, purposeful work is also important.
Although becoming a hotelier was an impromptu decision for me, I can’t see myself doing anything else! My career has enabled me to travel all over India and the world, allowing me to gain first-hand knowledge from some of the top hoteliers in the industry.
The hospitality industry naturally engenders a multi-cultural environment. Working in a hotel does not mean that internationalism within the establishment stops at the clients, as the people behind the reception, in the kitchen and at the offices come from all corners of the world, and bring with them their own language, varying cultural backgrounds and ideas on how to efficiently work within the industry.
During my internship I worked with people from different cultural backgrounds and all these people taught me how to maximize my working capabilities based on their own personal experience, from their own place of origin. This not only enriched my practical skills but my knowledge of other parts of our country and the world. Working with such diversity all around me resulted in great development of my communication skills and, ultimately, the feeling of being a part of one big team.
The hospitality industry allowed me to develop professionally and as a person. Not only did I master the professional skills I had learnt during my education, but with time and commitment I learnt others, as I was put to the test with exposure to a vast variety of colleagues, clients and situations. From organisational skills, communication and working in a team, to more technical competencies such as serving, revenue management, accounting and facilities management; I learnt it all.
One of the most important factors in hospitality, literally, is taking care of people. My experience taught me that it takes empathy and commitment to put another person’s needs and desires ahead of your own – while keeping a smile on your face. Customers want an experience, irrespective of their reasons to stay in a hotel, and just as people differ greatly, so does the care and commitment each hotelier exhibits to the clients’ needs. I always enjoyed stepping out of the box to ensure that the needs of my customers were met.
I love hospitality simply because it’s fun and enjoyable. All the dynamics, all the shifting with different responsibilities and the feeling I got when I started in training and ended up in management positions is more than satisfactory. For me personally, the fact that I got the opportunity to meet and socialize with people representing a wide range of nationalities is the career highlight of my profession. The hotel industry is a pretty interesting and pleasant domain to get involved in. As with any other job, it has its ups and downs, and that’s the great part of it: there is always a place for innovation and there will always be innovators like myself.
One such innovation I am proud to be a part of is EazyDiner. I have been a part of the hospitality industry since 1997 and have been with EazyDiner, as Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer, creating India’s leading restaurant reservation app since 2014. EazyDiner is one of the success stories in the new wave of digital start-ups in the Food and Beverage industry.
Being a major foodie with a strong desire to change the way India dines, I have maintained the role of Chief Innovations Officer, with primary focus on app development, creating crazy deals and initiating and executing new ideas with customers always in mind. As one of the Co-founders, I have been involved in the establishment of the initial platform of the company and in executing the core values and goals. From sales to team building (which incorporated recruitment and training), I have actively contributed to the growth of EazyDiner. I have been involved in and strategizing for and execution of customer building, from zero to almost 6.5 million. I was also deputed to Dubai in 2016 for the launch of EazyDiner from the foundation level, resulting in a success story for the company.
My Advice to the Younger Generation
If you are at a complete loss when it comes to career choice, talk to people who know you. Family, friends, tutors, and so on can often give illuminating feedback.
Turn to someone you admire. Everyone has a role model in their lives, someone who could be the most inspirational person for you. Often, you want to follow in the footsteps of your role model and it is motivating and inspiring to be like them.
Don’t base your career choice on job titles. Roles change over time, and you may well have the chance to develop yours. For this reason, focus on finding companies where you feel you would develop professionally, rather than being led solely by job title.
Follow your heart and avoid the traps of employment and accidental career paths. Many people spend years in education, only to stumble into the first job offered to them, and 20 years later they find themselves in a career they hate. Make the right choices at the start of your career to ensure that you have the freedom and flexibility to evolve as you move through life.
Seek career advice as you prepare to join the workforce and pay attention to tips from advisors, as they are the counsellors who have your best interests at heart. Always remember, you are the future.
Once you have embarked on your career pathway, time gets away at lightning speed. My advice would be to regularly spend time really thinking about your career. Professional development is vital for growth, both career-wise and personally. Do a career mapping by giving yourself a career objective and/or pathway. Have a concrete time frame of where you want to be in certain period of time – with defined goals such as seeing yourself getting promoted or even owning your own business one day. These motivational thoughts keep you excited as well as grounded.
Going through the textbook descriptions of leadership traits, one would likely come across dozens of chapters on integrity, dynamism, charisma, vision, positivity, inspiration, et al. Rarely would one come across the nuances of leadership decision making under stressful and difficult situations, or relative to complex relationships and conflicting goals.
I am often confronted with situations while multi-tasking, where quick decisions are required to be taken under stressful conditions with negligible reaction time and with important long-term consequences. Over the years I have somehow become seasoned in dealing with these types of situations. However, I was recently stumped by an unusual audience question during an Educational leadership Conference where I was the keynote speaker. I was asked by a professor of a medical college to name the one single key to good decision making in such situations. I dare to confess, I did not have a straight answer. There was no magic mantra which I could spell out. And that led me to reckon and introspect within to get an answer; and I did!
‘Smart Switching’ is what I figured out. It is no secret that all of us in leadership roles constantly multi-task. Good leaders follow the principles of prioritization and queuing of urgent and important work (incidentally they are different and poles apart in functionality). However, when confronted with multiple urgent and important decisions, under constraints of time, the leader either buckles under stress or his decisions lack impetus and depth.
That is the time when one has to exercise a ‘Smart Switch’. It’s actually simple if practiced over a course of time. Imagine a typical situation of a Monday morning for the CEO of a multinational company. He could be faced with a situation which demands multiple quick decisions – all at the same time. Say, a finance decision on one hand as it’s the finance quarter-end closing, an urgent procurement to be negotiated by lunch, a prescheduled new-product presentation to attend, the usual Monday morning weekly meeting of Heads of Departments, a conference call with overseas office before they close, the list seems endless. And not to forget the nagging friend asking for a nine-hole game in the evening, his wife’s long text message pleading to attend the first equestrian class of the son, and if that is not enough, the Outlook inbox showing hundreds of unread mails from over the weekend – two of which are reminders from headquarters of a missed deadline of the monthly sales report. Gosh! While it seems impossible to many, it is a situation which a leader faces more often than not.
So what do we do? We make a ‘Smart Switch’. Take each decision at a time. Concentrate, focus and collect the right ‘dashboard’ for a decision. The dashboard being a set of right inputs, suggestions, risks and consequences given by your teams. Trust the dashboard. Decide to decide fast and not procrastinate. Once decided, believe in your decision. Give a clear path for execution and then forget about it. Switch to the next situation. Concentrate on the next dashboard. Repeat the process. Decide, forget and move on.
As I said, it is not easy and comes with time and experience. But one has to begin somewhere. For me ‘Smart Switching’ has always paid off, with the right decisions being made in a short period of time. Remember, leaders do not have all the time in the world to decide. Decision-making requirements keep pouring in and the leader has to keep pace. And, frankly speaking, that is the leader’s job; to make measured decisions.
“When you are faced with an uncertain future or when suddenly the path you are on takes an unexpected turn, it is advisable to explore a wide variety of options rather than sticking single-mindedly to one”
Within a few short months, the world has transformed. Such unexpected events disrupt our routines, our plans, our goals. The pandemic has caught us unawares and with increased uncertainty it has impacted the graduating students immensely. In my interaction with several students I have realised that many of them are shattered as their plans have all gone out of the window, and they are concerned and confused as they have to rethink their career choices.
At this juncture, as a society, we need to come together, support and help. This is an important time for families to build a bond with their kids and motivate them to stay positive so that they do not fall into depression and other mental ailments. The situation is affecting everybody, but my advice to the students would be – look at this as a golden opportunity to explore your skills and what you would love to do. It is an important time where a student can reflect and rethink, as life is all about being prepared for the uncertain.
In these unprecedented and uncertain times, understandably, a student is more restless than ever. They need to be guided to utilize this period in the best way possible. While the ongoing crisis will have a long-lasting impact on every sector, the need of the hour is to give our students the right direction so that their career plans are not disrupted.
Students:
Learn. Learn, and learn more.
“You may feel unmoored, you may lose your bearings and oscillate, but it is all right as the career path is an emotional experience of what you want to do and what you land up with, and of finally taking a decision to follow what you love”
“It is an important time where a student can reflect and rethink, as life is all about being prepared for the uncertain”
When you are faced with an uncertain future or when suddenly the path you are on takes an unexpected turn, it is advisable to explore a wide variety of options rather than sticking single-mindedly to one. One should stay positive, as, even when there was no pandemic, you must have heard of many people who opted for a career change in their forties, as suddenly it dawned on them that this is not what they love. A career path is necessarily a messy journey of exploration. It is a good time to explore options by taking up virtual internships, which are available from the comfort of your home. It is a time to explore opportunities and to discover yourself. Do not waste this time; utilize each minute.
To dare to do something new you must move out of your comfort zone, and that takes courage. As humans, we generally feel safe and secure with what we know, even when we are in a miserable situation. To help you move out of your comfort zone, visualize what it would be like when you have reached your big dream. Open your boundaries and dream in 3-D. Visualize every little detail, with all five senses, what life could be like when you are actually there. Close your eyes and daydream. Stop only when you can ‘see’ yourself in your perfect day, with a wide grin on your face and a nice, warm feeling inside. Now open your eyes and write it all down. Every little bit of it; where you are, what you feel, who is there, what you are doing. Is it warm? Are you in a city or in the country? Is it a special celebration?
Make it a vivid ‘Vision’ of your perfect day. Imagination is the root of everything we do, and by far the most powerful tool to succeed. Unless you can imagine yourself being richer, happier, healthier, fitter, or whatever else you want, the chances of you ever getting there are slim. Your brain needs to ‘see’ the results of your actions before it will allow you to apply your time and effort in striving for them.
You may feel unmoored, you may lose your bearings and oscillate, but it is all right as the career path is an emotional experience of what you want to do and what you land up with, and of finally taking a decision to follow what you love. But this fraught stage is a necessary part of the journey, because it allows you to process a lot of complex emotions and conflicting desires, and ultimately prevents you from shutting down prematurely and missing the better options that still lie ahead.
The current crisis is likely to prolong this confused state for many of us. While frustrating at times, the state has its benefits. As Steve Jobs wrote, ‘Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it’.
“Traditionally, India has always had a penchant for sustainability when it comes to clothes”
In the fashion world, sustainability has come become synonymous with protecting the natural environment while looking good. But is that all there is to practicing fashion ethically?
At its core, fashion needed to be sustainable because of the large amounts of water that was required to produce clothes for fast fashion brands. By definition, fast fashion meant that it may literally leave stores within a week; and this led to the production of enormous amounts of waste that ended up in landfills when numerous brands scurried to produce the latest trend to outdo competitors. The boom in fast fashion is partly due to the increased purchasing power of the middle class in the last decade, according to Nohar Nath. In recent years, however, Instagram influencers have also been particularly instrumental in promoting the latest fashion trends of fast fashion brands by marketing those clothes via social media profiles to their mostly younger audience.
With new emerging knowledge about our changing climate milieu, the market that was dominated by fast fashion is now undergoing a shift and it has become more important than ever to revisit the ways in which popular brands source and make their garments. For example, both H&M and Zara have come out with their respective sustainable clothing lines, proving that you can have your cake and eat it too.
Globally, attention has also shifted towards purchasing pre-loved clothes, or wearing more vintage garments. According to Goodnet.org, fast-fashion retailer Nordstrom is the newest participant in this trend of offering second-hand clothes in its stores. By taking this step Nordstorm has joined retailers such as Macy’s, J.C. Penney and Madewell, who had previously taken a step in a similar direction. This movement of purchasing second-hand clothes has propelled consumers to pay more attention to the craftsmanship of a garment and to its timeless value.
“When I see brands using vegan sources, recyclable materials and natural dyes, I find it in line with what I believe art should do – inform you and at the same time make you think deeply”
Image credits: Eka.co
Traditionally, India has always had a penchant for sustainability when it comes to clothes. You may remember your parents advising you to not throw away your old clothes and to use them as rags instead. Or, you may remember that oftentimes clothes, as an essential item, were passed down from generation to generation. Still, the idea of owning pre-loved clothes as something we consciously purchase is a new one in India; however, it is a fast emerging idea, and is taking shape in the form of popular online stores such as RetroDays, which offer vintage and second-hand clothing at low prices.
Many local Indian fashion brands have adopted the mantra of ethical sustainability too. The focus is on sourcing the cloth locally and using organic materials such as cotton, linen or khadi, having local artisans work on the garment and then producing the items in small batches so that they can be marketed as bespoke. Brands such as Lila, Eka and Pero are a few high-end brands that are dominating the sustainable high fashion movement in urban India. Since their garments are produced locally and are handmade, they provide sustenance to many local artisans and at the same time are reviving indigenous textiles that had fallen into disrepair in recent times. These brands and, most significantly, Nicobar – which is marketed towards the younger audience that frequented Good Earth – are also increasingly hiring young students from fashion schools in order to keep their lines in sync with current trends, while making clothes sustainable at the same time. This is a great practice in informing the younger generation of the upheavals, and at the same time, the benefits of making fashion sustainable while creating job opportunities for all. A few noteworthy upcoming sustainable fashion brands such as Upasana, Ka-Sha and No Nasties even strive for humane working conditions for their entire staff.
As a patron of art, I tend to look at fashion the same way I look at art. When I see brands using vegan sources, recyclable materials and natural dyes, I find it in line with what I believe art should do – inform you and at the same time make you think deeply. So I do believe that sustainable fashion is here to stay, and not just as trend. While rapidly evolving as an idea, it has taken the shape of a global art movement, and has shown the path of how to stay environmentally conscious without compromising on one’s fashion sensibilities.
As a student who had just finished high school, I was not keen on conforming to the ‘norm’ of having a degree. To me, it was more of a societal norm than a genuine requirement in terms of gaining knowledge and a practical education. I continued to feel this way till the time I discovered a university in the UK that offered a Bachelor’s degree with honours in Make-up and Hair Design.
On my arrival in the small city that would be my home for three years, I was a bit confused. The weather is always a hot topic in the UK because it’s absolutely uncertain, it takes a little time to get used to this!
Being an overseas student, there were formalities to attend to, such as opening a bank account and getting registered at the NHS healthcare facility.
Coming from India, it was refreshing to have a legitimate system for everything. There are clear steps to follow for everything you need to get done, and things work quite smoothly. At the university, the faculty and management were extremely approachable and helpful. They always tried to find the easiest and best solutions to any problems the students faced; financial, academic or physical/mental health-related problems. In my very first month there, I lost my wallet, which also held my Biometric Residence Permit (visa). Naturally, I panicked because I had not yet opened a U.K. Bank account and only had a foreign exchange card. I filed a complaint at the police station after blocking my cards and reporting my visa lost. The process was not difficult at all, and within eight weeks I received my new Biometric card. Help is always at hand and systems are in place to help you through any problems you may encounter. Just remember that it’s expensive to live there so you might want to save your pocket the trouble of losing wallets and missing trains!
There is a vast range of options for student housing in the UK. I chose to stay in private student halls, which are the same as student dorms, with en-suite or non en-suite room options. These were privately owned, so there was a mix of students from the two main universities of the city. I found it extremely comfortable and safe as they were gated flats and all bills were included, if you are lucky you could get beautiful views from your windows too. You will probably have to deal with fire alarms going off at odd hours (we are all learning to cook) or hear a group of people getting back from the pub when you might want to catch sleep, but it’s all part of the experience. It is an extremely enjoyable student life.
“The system of education in the UK lays great emphasis on independent learning, which meant that students have to manage their own time and have to learn to prioritize projects on their own. The intention is for the students to not just learn, but to be self-critical and to choose the knowledge they seek”
The system of education in the UK lays great emphasis on independent learning, which meant that students have to manage their own time and have to learn to prioritize projects on their own. The intention is for the students to not just learn, but to be self-critical and to choose the knowledge they seek. Apart from the seminars and lectures given in class, we were expected to have our own individual approaches to our projects. This was difficult initially, because the CBSE board in India functions quite differently. However, after my graduation, I realized that I had not only explored a variety of artists’ work and gained more knowledge about beauty and culture as a whole, I had also developed a sense of direction in my chosen career. I had cultivated the ability to make decisions and definitely learnt to overcome procrastination. Learning to manage time when you have more hours to ‘independent study’ than be in classes took me three years!
One thing I would like to add is that England is not just an outwardly beautiful country – the greater beauty of it lies in the fact that it allows you to be exactly who you are or want to be. You are in a constant state of freedom, which teaches you a lot about yourself; at least that was the case for me and my friends, whom I will cherish forever.
To conclude, I would like to say – it was never a part of my plan to move to the UK to study. It was not a part of the plan to study further at all. At the end of my student years, I graduated with a first honors degree and an award for innovation in practice. The expansion of my horizon would not have taken place if I had refused to enroll myself for this course. I can feel the change within me, in my attitude towards life, and how it is continuously shaping my career. I am now twice as confident with myself and with my professional approach.
