Xenia

I remember I started my first job; my boss was a nice man. He for a very large part you could say was my mentor. But he would let his mouth run away with him. Needless to say that didn’t sit well with a lot of people within the organisation. Ultimately this caught up with him. Now this is a bit of an extreme situation but we all have seen sparks of this. How one talks to a waiter, a liftman, cabbie speaks volumes about a person. When you walk out of an elevator do you thank the liftman? At the end of the cab ride do you thank the cabbie? Do say could you please to the server who is waiting on your table? And most importantly if you are an entrepreneur do you diplomatically stand up for your staff when a clients’ anger has gotten the better of him/her? Having been a waiter, a housekeeper and a dishwasher let me tell you; it will surprise you how people talk to you or behave with you. I have known school friends who have walked passed me when they saw me in uniform at the hotel...

An Englishman read a letter from an Indian mathematician in England and decided to take a chance. That Indian wasn’t qualified had no degree but evoked something in that gentleman that he sailed him across the seven seas to see with his two eyes the truth of what that one simple dhoti wearing Brahman was capable off. They achieved such great things together they became legends and live on through their work till date; a century no less later. Similarly 30 years ago a young man from India flew to Europe for a day to pitch his services to giant. Anyone on the onset would have told him either to wait whiles establishing himself or rather that he was completely out of his mind. He went anyway and came back with his hands full. He built an empire and created rather large shoes for his children to fill. Yes this man is my father. He has said this so many times I think I have lost count. But nevertheless “Zeenia all you need is your first break.” Today I realise what he was trying t...

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 ...