Xenia

Children have the most impressionable minds. Their minds are like sponges. They soak up everything, the good, bad and ugly. Which is why they say “Not in front of the children.” This is why it’s so easy to pick up new languages, play an instrument, and learn a sport or a dance form. Cause there is no filter or inhibitions. As time passes we grow older and experience life in its raw form. As we all know life is very unforgiving sometimes. So we develop defence mechanisms over a period of time and start to filter what we learn. But all we have learnt by association we retain and some of us do for the rest of our lives. Not everything we pick up from our parents is positive. Remember they are human. Everything they do for you is out love and nothing else. With this love comes a series of other emotions like pride, protectiveness etc. Which is why you had an 8pm curfew when you were in school or weren’t allowed to go on dates till you were senior citizen. But we all got around th...

Everyone these days seem to be walking around with their head really low trying to ride out the storm that has engulfed us. This is the worst economic state India has been in; some say the worst in 40 years. Warehouses stocked with export quality produce and no buyers. Property; god forbid; is becoming “kind off” affordable in some parts of the city. People are loosing their jobs. And the people that actually get hit the worst are business owners; contrary to what people think. There comes a time in every entrepreneur’s career at least once where he wont be able to make his payments, salaries and will be living on borrowed time. No matter how big or small your conglomerate you will face this situation and hopefully it will only be that one time. Sometimes it’s the economy, sometimes it your own stupidity (yes we all make mistakes) and sometimes you are trying to get a new venture of the road and that eats into your savings. So how would one “hedge” for something like th...

Ever notice how no one takes you seriously when you have just opened your doors. Your clients don’t trust you and your vendors don’t take you seriously. But when you start making a dent in the market they all flock around you. Till such time as you don’t grow getting either clients to trust you or your vendor to give quality service becomes an issue. Its like the chicken and egg situation, we all struggle with it. The same with getting quality and loyal employees, no one wants to work for a company with no name or backing, as they need to think how it will look on their resumes. Honestly I wouldn’t blame them, the thought of working for a start up back when I was an employee was unfathomable. What’s even more frustrating that just when you think you can settle into a routine the person up and leaves. And you start the process all over again. I have personally done this so often in the past three years I have lost track. But the ones that stick with you are the ones that have ...

Whoever turned around and said “Life is as easy as you make it out to be” HAD HIS SHIT TOGETHER. I met a person a few years ago and what she said stuck with me. “We are all screwed up. The degree in various aspects of our lives differs.” There are times in our lives that we have no control over what is happening around us. E.g. certain people come into your life and leave. You can’t control their actions anymore than you can control the rain or a storm. And yet we feel that accepting this in some way is giving that other person the upper hand; so we hold on and drive ourselves positively crazy till we are so mentally exhausted and we start questioning ourselves. Not realizing that in no way is this a reflection on us. In a similar fashion there are multiple instances where you do have to walk away from various people for various reasons. Most often than not we don’t, because in some way we think we can change them, or the current circumstances will be altered. But that rarely...

The one faux pas we make being in business is that we are used to getting everything we want. Not because we are spoilt but because we are used to working hard to achieve everything we want. If there is one thing successful people know that's to get somewhere or get what you want you have to be willing to go to any length to get it.  The problem with this theory is that we don't know where to draw the line. We apply the same rules to personal life as well. Now if that's a good thing or not is a discussion for another time. But professionally or personally there is one thing I learnt recently and that's you can't have everything! Now now before you bite my head of hear me out!  You can't have everything cause nothing is ever going to be enough. Let's say u win an award, achieve your target or whatever it is you set out to do the moment it's done you will start plotting your next challenge or start questioning what's missing. This to a certai...