It’s a special day, 26th April 2020!
That year this day, back in 2011 I quit my last stable job as an employee at Shobiz and moved on towards my entrepreneurial journey... quite honestly, I had no idea or experience on how this was going to be the perfect step for my life... it’s about to be a decade next year, Woah, too much time I’d say!
I’m a 9-year-old entrepreneur today and would like to propagate my learning, life’s too difficult being an entrepreneur. It fucks you every single day. You’ll lose friends, family, money, confidence etc… etc… over this journey, Insomnia might turn out to be the best friend, fixed costs might just hover on you at the dinner table, team attrition & office politics will give u free anxiety, lockdowns/epidemic diseases/global slowdowns/act of god will all be part of your nightmares. It looks really fancy on the other side, but at the end of the month, salary is what looks better than motivation. and it’s never-ending!
All said and done, but the sweet smell of success and it’s all worth it. All these seem to be petty issues when compared to the joy of achievement. Small appreciation from client or happiness in your heart of doing what you have never done. Your team backing you in tough times or your peers respecting your methods. It’s absolutely worth tonnes of dilemma. Trust me, it just makes you a stronger, better and wiser person for sure.
I would always be there for new entrepreneurs on the block, I know how it feels to be one. I would highly recommend everyone who’s been on the edge and could not decide, to go for it. Of course, after lockdown I do not want to be killed for my advice please, chote chote bache hai mere ;)
I met some beautiful souls over the time, some stuck, some left... some genius creative personality, some flamboyant lovely minds, some idiots, some well-wishers, but one thing for sure holds true, each one gave me learning to grow and memories to cherish for life. I don’t think so, anyone ever gave me any regrets.
It has been such an adventurous journey since then. I want to thank some of my mentors who’s helped me enough, who’ve made me the person I’m to be able to take such bold step or at least confidence to try something stupid ;)
I would want to start with Pervej Siddhwa at 24x7 Events where I laid my concrete career foundation, it’s been over 15 years since then. I made my first estimate, first ppt, first real set up on my own under him, I still follow your ways of working sir. Thank you!
Followed him was Pravin Mahajan at Shobiz, thank you, Sir... you absolutely turned me into a complete event manager from a novice figure. I’ll be always thankful!
(Btw, the thank you list at Shobiz is quite elaborate, but for some other day, some other place, I don’t want to flow with lengthy post for now, because it’s indeed a long one)
Can’t ignore contributions from Jay Mathuria, Manoj Mahla and all the seniors with whom I freelanced for initial 3 years.
A huge huge thank you for all my colleagues who’ve been more of friends over the journey!
Started with my own baby InchbyInch Productions, went on for good 3 years before I decided to be part of a larger organisation and better learning curve at NeoNiche Integrated Solutions... while IBIP made me a good risk taker and NeoNiche made me a better team player and improved my appetite for more!
Shout out to Jigar Dave for such fabulous work at IBIP, I’ve been blessed with a brother like that who’s been doing some insanely creative work, we go back to fourth grade with our relation, still going strong and will always do so... heartily thanks to my brothers at NeoNiche for weaving such important missing link in my entrepreneurial journey. Have learnt a lot from you guys!
They say a little hiccup is just god’s way of saying wake up and see the next... which led me to another adventure, again I gathered some courage and started from scratch... Here my male wife Samy paved a way for me, turned out to be god’s messenger, roll down the red carpet, lit the chandelier, awaken the paparazzi and BANG....it moulds out to be the ROBUST EVENTS!
June 2015, I took a leap of faith amidst being a laughingstock in the industry to begin my third phase of this entrepreneurial journey. People judged, they giggled, they mocked, nobody trusted me, but look at the graciousness of the almighty, this June Robust Events is turning 5!
And this time around it looks like we began in the right direction this time... we seem to be doing fine 😉
Here I’d to thank sunny also for helping us grow Robust for a brief period of time, I’m glad he’s moved to his entrepreneurial journey and been doing absolutely good. Good luck bro.
They say, you don’t meet good people everyday when u get them... relish them, cherish them, ensure they’re yours... life did bless me with Bhavin here... not sure, if we were the initial plan at Robust, but couldn’t be better than us for sure... Patel would testify the Colombo diaries over this ;)
I don’t want to thank Bhavin for being my strength, that’ll be too less for the stuff he’s done to me... it’ll be unfair to summarise his support in one word or a paragraph!
He is Mr. Robust, a pure synonym of Being Robust... we wouldn’t have reached here without him and will never be able to do so without him!
Probably he’ll soon do Baazigar on me with the pace he’s growing... Saale, Madan Chopra, hahaha!
So, here I am, about to be five this June with Robust and 10 next year being entrepreneur, quarantine or lockdown, nothing seems to be worrying us. We’re here for good!
Thank you, all my friends, well-wishers, my family and most importantly Namrata for helping me run through these 9 years successfully. I promise to make you all proud one day!
Life’s good, Life's Lit, Life is Beautiful, Live more, love more, God’s been kind to us. May the Sun Shine brighter on us every morning, every day!
#BeingRobust #BeingEnterprenuer #BeingRaviMehta
P.S – There’s quiet some surprises to be unfolded on our 5th anniversary on 23rd June 2020. Stay tuned!
