Xenia

I had almost zero attrition till about August this year. My first employee put in his papers due to a medical issue and that started the domino effect. In a short span of about a few months, I have had a complete team change. One Monday I walked into the office and one of my employees who has been with me for a long time put in his papers. I didn’t stop him. I knew I couldn’t offer him anything as he was changing stream completely. But my heart sank. This lead to panic and I called the only person I knew who would know what to do, my father. He laughed and said this is normal and that he went through the same thing when he started 38 years ago. I felt relief sweep over me. But this got me thinking and I started speaking to a lot of my fellow entrepreneurs. To my lack of surprise, they all were facing the same issues. The answer to this was as simple as daylight “ Stability and growth.” I remember saying I wouldn’t work for a startup you never know when they close doors ...

“Don’t judge a book by its cover” I remember my grandmother saying this but it was always in a different light i.e. just because it may look like the person might not come from the same strata as you doesn’t mean they have nothing to offer. I have realized recently that this holds true when you turn the tables as well. Ever so often I’ll hear comments like “what struggle ya she/he is rich” or “how does it matter they have the money” or the ever so famous “ Ya, so we aren’t as fancy as you so.” While I wouldn’t say much, smile and laugh it off a few times; I must admit; it did tick me off. But my upbringing got the better of me and I stayed quiet instead of voicing my opinion. A few days ago a friend brought this up in a very serious conversation saying, “you know you talk about your money too much. This does intimidate people……” While I respect that point of view its not entirely true. This is still just one side of the story. What about the other side? What about the peo...

We have all been through something that has changed the course of our lives forever. Sometimes those events change us and overnight we grow up or become different people. It’s through these life-altering instances that we mould our mind and from our set of principles; those at the time; swear by. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” or so they say. While this analogy does hold true for the most part there is a hidden angle, stronger doesn’t always mean better. The rough patches in our lives change our perspective on the way we view the world. Sometimes it relaxes our principles and other times it winds them up tight. We do this as a form of self-preservation if you will, vowing to ourselves that we wouldn’t put ourselves or anyone else through the same thing ever again. When we set out into the world our new set of virtues it makes us also extremely judgemental. Often times we wouldn’t be able to comprehend the actions of others simply because they don’t align wit...

A few weeks ago I got back from my first solo trip and everything all of a sudden felt different. My relationships with a few people changed, people around me started acting differently. Everyone seemed a lot busier than when I left. Now if that’s because my mind is a lot quieter or whether it's just plain old circumstance I can’t tell but it sure as hell bothered me. Mostly because I couldn’t control it and turn things back to the way they were. The truth of the matter “ It is what it is!” “Words of wisdom you might say (eye roll)” but the fact is that change is inevitable and accepting, “said change” in whatever regard be it personal or professional is hard for everyone. Because there is not a soul on this planet, that likes all kinds of change. We are social beings that pride ourselves on consistency and regularity. We have rules and norms for everything in our society and lives. We are supposed to drive a certain way, conduct our businesses a certain way, not lie, obey th...

I am one of those fortunate individuals who have everything and I am aware of it. I have a family that adores and spoils me, a business that’s doing reasonably well, friends who always have my back and employees who are like family. Yes, I lead a very charmed life and I am aware of it. The reason why I say I am aware is because I am grateful. So grateful that ever so often a feeling of guilt creeps in when I see the few less fortunate struggling about things I so mindlessly dismiss. In a society where 90% of the wealth is owned by 10% of the population survival becomes hand to mouth. Rising prices leaves majority reaching for scraps and scampering to make ends meet. This has been the harsh reality of society since the evolution of the class system. We have designed it in such a way that power is kept in the hands of a few leaving the rest in despair. We as the privileged lot take so much for granted where basic human rights aren’t available to the masses. Thankfully in ...

You can’t always choose the people that hang around you or do business with. And sometimes we choose to hang out with people who don’t necessarily fit our click but we do it anyway for various reasons. Like in every social aspect in our lives in business as well your reputation of your company and you is paramount. Part of that reputation is developed by perception on the crowd we hang out with and how we treat the people around us. Being part of the “IT” crowd is what everyone wants to do. Because that’s where the connections are and correspondingly that’s where the money is at and everyone wants money. Within the “IT” crowd there are various kinds of people – The-I-Think-I-Am-So-Popular, The-Look-How-Much-Money-I-Have etc. and then you obviously have the ever so rare down to earth people who you can genuinely connect with. Question is who are you? Coming from a reasonably affluent family I feel sometimes I am caught between two worlds. My entire life I have been ble...

There is a schedule or a time line if you will that society has mapped out for us. We are suppose to go to school, college, university, MBA (now a days is mandatory apparently), get a good paying job, get married, have kids, raise them, grow old and well die. Nothing about this is easy. Some find school tough, others their career. It’s all about your journey. But there is one thing for sure should you decide to step out of the social norm be prepared to forsake some elements of this timeline set in front of you. One would think that today things like marriage isn’t as important as it used to be. I would say STOP and think again. I can already see most of you nodding at the screen or smirking. But it is true. This is for the few of you who haven’t found your betroth, it’s ok. I say this because we all want to find someone. We are social animals and even the most introverted person needs some sort of companionship. Most of us find someone, settle down and get marrie...

My grandma always used to say, “I complained that I had no shoes, till I met a man with no feet.” This holds true especially today. We all have these moments in life, which makes you stop and take account of all your blessings. Today I had multiple such moments. Life is tough sometimes. It deals you a bad hand or couple in row. Everyone around you will say stand up, dust it off. I’d say easier said than done. But one thing is for sure if you stop and take notice of all the good in your life getting by definitely becomes easier. Why some of us have more money, a better car, better lifestyle etc.? That I do not have the answer to, but what I do know is this if you have been given more than some it is your duty to make the most of every situation. It is your duty to shine for others. For most have done far more with far less. Today the world is a smaller place. I saw a snapchat of an astronaut in outer space today. Who would have thought that could have been possible? We h...