Passion for Fashion

What is common between dancing, cooking and fashion designing? Preksha Jain.
Who is she?
Preksha is a creative fashion designer who is equally at ease doing all the three things. She says "I was always keen on creating my own designs and styling up even as a young girl. I play with fabric, colours, cuts, and prints and try to create designs which can be worthy of being considered to be in fashion."

After doing BBA from JD Birla College, Kolkata, Preksha joined IBS Hyderabad for her MBA(Marketing). A keen choreographer, her team won many competitions. 

Carefree college life ended soon and she joined Emami India as a Brand Trainee in 2013. Bitten by an entrepreneurial bug, Preksha soon took the plunge. She shares her startup story below.
"We have all faced this question at some point in our lives – “Where do you see yourself in the next five years?” After graduating in 2011 I knew I wanted to create a fashion brand, which looked like a blurry vision then. Today it gives me immense happiness and pride to see my label “Preksha Jain– The Fashionate”. I started with an exhibition of costume jewelry and was much appreciated for my product offering. That was the stepping stone and over the next few years I achieved clarity regarding my product positioning, market segmentation, product differentiation and value creation."

Isn't the fashion market very crowded?
"To create a niche in the heavily competitive market, I strived to establish a one-stop destination for fashion apparel and accessories. It has paid off."

What are the challenges being faced by you?
"Three years into the business I am still faced with challenges like 
inventory management, online/offline competition, adapting product designs to the fast-changing customer preferences and  maintaining exclusivity. However, constant effort towards building up a good understanding of the market segment has helped me overcome the same. There were several risks involved but a vision backed by theoretical knowledge helped me achieve my dreams."

Preksha has shared an exclusive video with us. It answers questions such as 'Is it essential for a woman entrepreneur to come from a business background?' and 'Can home makers become entrepreneurs?'

Coming back to the question how is fashion designing similar to dancing and cooking? Preksha clarifies "Just the way you can play with the cuts in the fabric, similarly you can play with the steps in a dance. So this is my ultimate stress buster. Second would be my newly found interest in Cooking. Just the way I love mix and matching fabrics to create a new design, similarly in cooking, one can mix and match vegetables/other ingredients to create a new dish." 

Married to Piyush, both of them love dancing as you can see in this 30-second video clip.

What is your message to budding entrepreneurs?

      “Listen to you heart”, and for that give yourself a quiet hour. Sit in a     quiet room with pen and paper, and answer the following  questions:

    What is it that you want from life?

    What is it that you are passionate about?

    What is that one thing which you can never get bored of doing?

    And are you ready to take risk and failures?

   Once these four questions have been answered, your journey to      

   entrepreneurship becomes much easier."

Preksha's story is the fifth in a series titled 'Proof of the 
Pudding'. It showcases Ghumakkad's ten former students who have become successful entrepreneurs in last 15 years. Their enterprises may not be huge, but they have followed their heart. They have pursued their passion. It was such a pleasure to reconnect with these former students and to learn their success stories. Thanks are due to each one of them for sharing their journey after graduation.

Name	MBA Graduation	Business Area	Venture Name & Location
Prabudha Saurabh	MBA(HR) IBS(2010)	Career Coaching	HRscope Consultants, Patna
Prashant Jadenavar	MBA(HR) IBS (2010)	Entertainment/ Theatre and Performing Arts	XpressionZ, Bangalore
Kirti Sharma	MBA(Mktg) IBS (2012)	Image Consultant, Corporate Trainer	Tualmagis, Mumbai
Aayushi Kasliwal	MBA(Fin) IBS (2012)	Designer Soaps- manufacture and supply	Soapatite, Indore
Preksha Jain	MBA(Mktg) IBS(2013)	Designer Apparels and Accessories	Preksha Jain – The Fashionate, Kolkata
Anjali Raj	BBA IBS(2013)	Healthy Mother, Healthy Baby	ILove9Months, Kochi
Ishita Raksha and Nidhi Upadhyay	BBA IBS(2013)	A Gourmet Dessert Studio	17 Sugar Street, Hyderabad
Sriram Gundepudi	MBA(HR) VVISM(2016)	Employability Skills Training	Digi Freaks,Hyderabad
Amruth Charan	PGDM(Fin) VVISM (2016)	Digital Marketing, Web/App Development	Aresol India, Visakhapatnam

Thanks for browsing. More inspiring stories will follow.

      - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 26th Jan 2018

#Entrepreneurship #IndiaShining #StartupIndia #IBSHyderabad #VVISMHyderabad #WomenEntrepreneurs #GhumakkadHB #GhumakkadHarsh #PrekshaJain #WomenLeaders 

Innovate to Evolve

"Innovate to evolve" was the crisp message by Aayushi Kasliwal- Ghumakkad's former student turned entrepreneur. Aayushi did her early schooling at The Daly College Indore. She obtained BA (Hons) in Philosophy from Lady Sriram College Delhi before joining IBS Hyderabad for MBA. She is a finance professional turned entrepreneur. She worked in the finance sector for more than two years. 

Even as an MBA student, she stood out. Here is a recall of Personal Effectiveness course which I took for Aayushi's batch in 2010 at IBS Hyderabad. When the whole class was still watching the video clip, Aayushi appeared to be answering the questions. It was an on-line test on listening skills. See the picture taken in 2010 below.

Aayushi credits her success in large measure to team work in the college.

Hailing from Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Aayushi made designer soaps for Sankranti - the festival of kite flying! See the picture below:

Aayushi's story in her own words follows.

      How did the idea for your business come?

Two years back I started with my business-Soapatite which deals in designer handmade soaps! These range from honey, oatmeal, charcoal, aloe vera and lemon to even chocolate, coffee, and green tea! The soaps are all handcrafted and hand-wrapped. No harsh detergents or synthetic materials are added to the bars. Being a self funded start-up, I’ve always focused on making soaps in small batches which in turn gives the utmost perfection in each of them.

During the initial days, I used to make a few batches of soaps and try them on my near and dear ones and even gift them to friends and relatives. With sustained demand for these soaps within my social circle prompted me to take it up to the next level of turning it into a business.

Over a period of time, I had a lot of requests for customized orders. What started as a hobby, soon turned into a small home run business. What worked for me was that people nowadays have become more aware of the harmful effects of the chemicals being used in commercially manufactured soaps and are gradually looking up to natural and organic living. My brand makes customised soaps and even takes bulk orders. 

   Has your entrepreneurial journey been as exciting as you had expected it to be?

For all the aspiring and budding women entrepreneurs out there, trust me there’s nothing that can stop you from pursuing your dreams. Initially I did face a few hurdles in convincing my family and friends about the whole concept of handmade soaps as a business idea. But then when people started appreciating the whole concept and talking about it amongst themselves, I think, that’s where my carpers got their answers.

I feel Soapatite is still a budding start-up but what makes me going is the positive feedback from my customers. With almost two years into the business, I can proudly say that people love my soaps and I find great joy and utmost satisfaction when people come back to me and say that their skin feels very good after using Soapatite’s soap. Here is the link to her web page.

What are the key challenges that you are facing in your enterprise and how do you plan to overcome it​?​

It’s been close to two years, since I started my entrepreneurial journey, and like any other startup founder, I have had my shares of highs and lows. The initial challenge was to make people aware of the harmful effects of chemicals which were present in the store-bought soaps. And I believe, there is still a long way to go before people appreciate the value of natural products, and come to terms with having to pay a premium for them. While it’s a long mile ahead, the journey is certainly paved with some interesting learnings, which has helped me to get closer to my goal of becoming a master in my chosen field of endeavour.

As far as marketing for my brand is concerned, it has been mostly 

through below-the-line activities like sampling, exhibitions and word of mouth. I also participate in many exhibitions in my hometown and nearby cities. Social media has helped me a great deal to receive online orders and to take my business to cities like Guwahati, Baroda, Gandhinagar and Surat.

    What is your message for present students who want to take the entrepreneurial dive?​

Sharing some lessons from my entrepreneurial journey here, which I feel may benefit my budding peers. 

1.  Constantly Innovate to evolve, be dedicated and creative and improvise based on customer feedback, take criticisms in your stride; success can come from even the most basic ideas with a ‘twist’; learning is a perpetual process, learn and grow.

2.  Assign redundant and less important work to staff, so that you can devote your time and energy to other major tasks. While as a startup you would prefer to keep it lean in size, it’s preferable to identify and allocate least important tasks to some other capable person

3.  Put your CSR learnings to practice. Realize, that its not purely about you and your business. It’s equally important to give back to the society by being a socially responsible and ethical person. Take out time to serve and help others. Trust me, it’ll make you feel so much better about yourself and in turn help your business too!

4.  Appreciate and celebrate small victories, even if it means rejoicing over a small Thank you note from a customer; you don’t always need a big, outstanding client to mark your success. Recognizing small achievements can raise your morale and give you that motivation to keep going.

5. And most importantly, enjoy this beautiful journey and lead by example, as only a contended and passionate person can build a great start-up!!

Aayushi has shared an exclusive two-minute video with you. 

Aayushi's story is the fourth in a series titled 'Proof of the Pudding'. It showcases Ghumakkad's ten former students who have become successful entrepreneurs in last 15 years. Their enterprises may not be huge, but they have followed their heart. They have pursued their passion. It was such a pleasure to reconnect with these former students and to learn their success stories. 

Thanks are due to the following entrepreneurs who came forward to share their stories.

Name	MBA Graduation	Business Area	Venture Name & Location
Prabudha Saurabh	MBA(HR) IBS(2010)	Career Coaching	HRscope Consultants, Patna
Prashant Jadenavar	MBA(HR) IBS (2010)	Entertainment/ Theatre and Performing Arts	XpressionZ, Bangalore
Kirti Sharma	MBA(Mktg) IBS (2012)	Image Consultant, Corporate Trainer	Tualmagis, Mumbai
Aayushi Kasliwal	MBA(Fin) IBS (2012)	Designer Soaps- manufacture and supply	Soapatite, Indore
Preksha Jain	MBA(Mktg) IBS(2013)	Designer Apparels and Accessories	Preksha Jain – The Fashionate, Kolkata
Anjali Raj	BBA IBS(2013)	Healthy Mother, Healthy Baby	ILove9Months, Kochi
Ishita Raksha and Nidhi Upadhyay	BBA IBS(2013)	A Gourmet Dessert Studio	17 Sugar Street, Hyderabad
Sriram Gundepudi	MBA(HR) VVISM(2016)	Employability Skills Training	Digi Freaks,Hyderabad
Amrut Charan	PGDM(Fin) VVISM (2016)	Digital Marketing, Web/App Development	Aresol India, Visakhapatnam

More stories of these young achievers will follow soon. Stay connected.

Thanks for browsing,

     - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 22nd Jan 2018

#Entrepreneurship #IndiaShining #StartupIndia #IBSHyderabad #VVISMHyderabad #GhumakkadHB #GhumakkadHarsh #Soapatite #AayushiKasliwal #WomenEntrepreneurs #Innovation 

Its not all about money

"It's not all about money!" coming from a banker, you get foxed.  
But Kirti Sharma is not a conventional banker. She gave up her lucrative career in a bank to become an entrepreneur. Why? Who is Kirti?

Kirti is an alumnus of Birla Balika Vidyapeeth Pilani, one of the finest boarding schools for girls in India. She says "I feel extremely privileged to have completed my Higher Secondary education from there. It also gave me a platform to develop me as a person who never stops learning!" Kirti's exciting and challenging journey then took her to Miranda House, a renowned college in University of Delhi. Kirti credits her college thus "This institution was my cradle of leadership and nurtured me and making me what I am today".

Kirti went on to do her MBA in marketing from IBS Hyderabad. She was my student and took active part in both curricular and co-curricular activities on the campus. Team work at school or college goes a long way in our lives.

Kirti was member of 'Infinity' the movies Club of IBS Hyderabad. It was adjudged the best club. Kirti and other team members with the trophy.

Campus placement at IBS took her to HDFC Life followed by HDFC Bank and then on to ICICI Securities. From a Management Trainee she rose to become a Chief Manager in a record five years. Quite an achievement by all standards. While at HDFC Life, she received ‘Employee of the Year’ award for FY 2013-2014.

Ever keen on learning along with the job, on weekends Kirti enrolled herself for a certification program by National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET), Quality Council of India. Completion of this course with an All India All Time Rank 3 in Train the Trainer program entitled her to become a qualified Soft skills Trainer. Additionally, Kirti also became a certified Image Consultant under the curriculum of Conselle Institute of Image Management, USA. In December 2016, Kirti wrapped up her corporate career, decided to take the leap of faith, and started her entrepreneurial journey. 

From MBA marketing to a Banking career to Image consulting- it has been an exciting journey for Kirti. She shares her entrepreneurial journey of TuaImagis Image Consultancy (http://tuaimagis.com ) with us.

Has your entrepreneurial journey been as exciting as you had expected it to be?

My journey till now has been phenomenal and has given me the opportunity to explore myself beyond expectations.

Kirti spoke to us in this exclusive video.

What are the key challenges that you are facing in your enterprise and how do you plan to overcome it?​ 

F    Few challenges are:

a)   Creating a culture of continuous training support

b)  Convincing the decision makers that Soft skills shine the hard skills!

I have committed myself to create value at every interaction level to ensure a collaborative approach with conviction from the participants as well. This ensures outcome and result oriented discussion pre and post training.

Kirti trains not only corporate employees and professionals but also school children. See the picture below at a Municipal School in Mumbai.

What is your message for present students who want to take the entrepreneurial dive?

    One key message is: It’s not all about the money!

 One thing an entrepreneur should clearly understand is that we won’t get rich quick and it will happen eventually. But one needs to be consistent, have patience and faith in oneself!

We thank Kirti for sharing her journey with Ghumakkad. 

This is the third story in the series Proof of the Pudding. It showcases my former students who have become successful entrepreneurs across India. Ghumakkad has been teaching MBA and PGDM courses at two different colleges namely IBS and VVISM Hyderabad for last 15 years. We  located ten former-students-turned-entrepreneurs through social media. Their ventures may not be huge, but they have followed their heart. They have pursued their passion. It was such a pleasure to reconnect with these former students and to learn their success stories. Thanks are due to each one of them for sharing their journey after graduation.

Name	MBA Graduation	Business Area	Venture Name & Location
Prabudha Saurabh	MBA(HR) IBS(2010)	Career Coaching	HRscope Consultants, Patna
Prashant Jadenavar	MBA(HR) IBS (2010)	Entertainment/ Theatre and Performing Arts	XpressionZ, Bangalore
Kirti Sharma	MBA(Mktg) IBS (2012)	Image Consultant, Corporate Trainer	Tualmagis, Mumbai
Aayushi Kasliwal	MBA(Fin) IBS (2013)	Designer Soaps- manufacture and supply	Soapatite, Indore
Preksha Jain	MBA(Mktg) IBS(2013)	Designer Apparels and Accessories	Preksha Jain – The Fashionate, Kolkata
Anjali Raj	BBA IBS(2013)	Healthy Mother, Healthy Baby	ILove9Months, Kochi
Ishita Raksha and Nidhi Upadhyay	BBA IBS(2013)	A Gourmet Dessert Studio	17 Sugar Street, Hyderabad
Sriram Gundepudi	MBA(HR) VVISM(2016)	Employability Skills Training	Digi Freaks,Hyderabad
Amruth Charan	PGDM(Fin) VVISM (2016)	Digital Marketing, Web/App Development	Aresol India, Visakhapatnam

Hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as we did putting it together. More stories of these young entrepreneurs will follow soon. Stay connected.

Thanks for browsing,

    -  Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with editorial support from Deepthi Nair/ 15th Jan 2018 

Postscript: Few responses on the story
Kirti Sharma:

जीवन के हर अंधकार में,
रोशनी दिखाते हैं आप,
बंद हो जाते हैं जब सारे दरवाज़े ,
नया रास्ता दिखाते हैं आप ,
सिर्फ किताबी ज्ञान ही नहीं ,
जीवन जीना सिखाते हैं आप।

Incredible feeling when your Teacher and Mentor showcases your life weaved in such encouraging words.
Thank you so much Sir, your words have uplifted my spirit to add value in every action!

#Entrepreneurship #IndiaShining #StartupIndia #IBSHyderabad #VVISMHyderabad #GhumakkadHB #GhumakkadHarsh  #ProofOfThePudding #KirtiSharma #Tuaimagis #WomenEntrepreneurs