To seek and share advices is important in any profession. Good advice helps a person to grow not just professionally but also personally, keeping one focused and motivated to achieve their goals.
In this issue of B360, we interviewed young and innovative entrepreneurs to know more about their ventures and the best work advice they have received.
Aashish Adhikari CEO and Founder, Red Mud Coffee
About Red Mud Coffee
Red Mud Coffee is one of the fastest growing coffee/ café chains in Nepal. We are a successful startup on a mission to introduce Nepali coffee to a wider market in Nepal and abroad. We currently are an 80+ strong family and we aspire to create over 300 jobs by 2022.
The Best Work Advice You Have Received
It was from my mentor who is also my older brother. He said, “Be where your heart is.” Did I listen to his advice? Yes, I did! I decided to leave the US and come back home to Nepal.
“Be where your heart is” means to not to waste time doing what makes you miserable. People tend to become comfortable where they are and will start to compromise on their dreams and aspirations. Obviously, you will regret not having taken a chance in life and done something against the tides.
The Best Advice You Can Give
Always know why you do what you do. Always seek to know more. Always be mindful and aware. Greater the risk, greater the reward.
Aayusha Shrestha Founder/ Designer, AAMO
About AAMO
AAMO prioritises skill development and spreading awareness about existing and potential traditional skill sets available within Nepal. The vision of the brand is to spread practice as well as sustain inter-generational transmission of knowledge and skill sets that we house within our large and varied communities.
The Best Work Advice You Have Received
While I was switching my field from sociology to fine arts and design, there wasn’t much support from people that mattered to me. However, during the course, my mother reminded me how blessed I was to have everything I needed so I should be less worried about failures and more focused on being the best at what I choose to do.
Her advice has always stayed with me because it’s as good as fact. Running your own business while also being constantly inspired to create works of wearable art can have its hard days. It’s those days that my mother’s advice always manages to push me ahead because I am acutely aware of high achievers who had humble beginnings.
The Best Advice You Can Give
Be comfortable in your own skin. You can earn degrees, learn new skills but only you can understand yourself and accept yourself for who you are. I believe it is also what will set you apart if you are truly individualistic and help you better understand what you want to do and achieve in life.
Abha Dhital
Co-Founder and Illustrator, Little Things
About Little Things
Little Things is a company that makes, curates, and sells quirky illustrated gifts and cards. The products are designed by Nepali illustrators and printed/made in Nepal. Our USP lies in ‘Nepanglish’ designs that boast very colloquial lingo to which our customers resonate very easily.
The Best Work Advice You Have Received
The best advice I have ever received is from my Co-founder Sabin. Whenever I am at a low point and thinking of giving up because the competition is by and large multiplying he says, “Wait this out. Companies mushroom when a trend picks up, but not everybody knows what they are doing and not everybody has the patience and perseverance to make it to the end. You know what you are doing because you love what you’re doing. Just give your best without worrying about the competition.”
Whenever I feel low, I take the time to reflect at how far we have come as a company and focus on growth instead of focusing on competition.
The Best Advice You Can Give
First and foremost, forget about the hard and fast rules that surround the idea of entrepreneurship these days. Do what you need to do and do it in a way that suits you best. For example, if you have a job and you want to keep it as a safety net, do so by all means. You don’t have to throw your life away to start over if you don’t want to.
Also, experiment and experiment a lot. Find a partner that complements you, understands you, and is willing to work on being on the same page. Focus on growth and be prepared to fail!
Mahima Uday Sunder Shrestha Co-Founder, Bridal Stylist and Advisor, MP Nepal and MP Luxury Bridal
About MP Nepal
My sister and I started MP three years ago as an online store with just Rs. 5,000. Now it is a one stop shopping destination where you can find wedding outfits for brides and bridal styling, imitation jewelleries, wedding invitations and packaging, bridal/non-bridal makeup , photography, videography and skincare services.
The Best Work Advice You Have Received
My father always quoted, “It is always better to be the big fish in a small pond than being a small fish in a big pond”. He opined that it is not necessary for the young generation to migrate abroad looking for jobs and opportunities. After my father passed away, there was a time when I was in two minds about stepping into complete bridals from just accessories. It was our god-father/advisor (my late father’s best friend), Dipak Man Shrestha who advised, “The limit is the sky. Aim for the sky. Even if you fail or fall, just get up, dust yourself and aim for the sky again. There is nothing to lose.”
These two advices are always in my thoughts every time I plan a new business strategy and plan our marketing, sales and promotions.
The Best Advice You Can Give
I actually have two. “Empower, Evaluate and Encourage” and “Nothing is permanent. Nothing is impossible”.
Manish Modi
Founder and Director, Janaki Technology Pvt Ltd
About Khalti
Janaki Technology has a couple of products, namely Sparrow SMS and Khalti. Khalti is our new product. It’s a digital wallet and payment gateway.
The Best Work Advice You Have Received
Rather than the best advice, I believe in the work ethic quoted by late Steve Jobs, “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish”. This quote has been used by many in technology companies like ours.
Being a technology company, we need to do a lot of R&D in which we make mistakes, learn, take a new approach and implement. So, we constantly have to be motivated and this quote always keeps me motivated.
The Best Advice You Can Give
Move fast, break things. You will either succeed or learn.
Ravi Singhal
CEO of Social Aves, and Co-Founder of Sarathi Cab
About Sarathi Cab
Sarathi Cab, a company which started its operation in 2017, is a tech platform for taxi users to make their rides easier and cheaper.
The Best Work Advice You Have Received
I got it from a very close friend Nikita Acharya, CEO of Urban Girl, and it sounds best in Hindi “Sabsebada rog, kya kahengey log” which loosely translated is the biggest disease is worrying about what people will say. And the Nepali startup culture is infected with this as well.
You have to go chase your dream keeping out other people’s opinions. Instead start doing. At times the results are not as expected, but I am always proud of what I do. Having said that I learn from my mistakes, and it has helped me in my career and life decisions.
The Best Advice You Can Give
Get out of your comfort zone. Sometimes you have to see the world outside your comfort zone. Get customer feedback, pivot your idea and build on it. You need to listen to people – your team and your customers, but acting on it or not is eventually your decision.
Bilal Ahmed Shah CEO and Founder, Latido Leathers
About Latido Leathers
At Latido our focus has been on custom made leather products. We started with leather jackets and slowly are venturing into bags, wallets and other leather products. We prioritise on the importance of crafting a single piece of product carefully and with details.
The Best Work Advice You Have Received
One person who stands out is Gary Vaynerchuk. A couple of his sayings have stayed with me: “Nothing works apart from unlimited amounts of hustle backed by unlimited amount of patience as well” and “When it comes to everyday goals, it’s about speed, and when it comes to waiting for results, it’s about macro patience.”
It has helped me in taking less stress and becoming more productive. Instead of doing everything, I would rather do a few things but in a more strategic way. Now, I am more self aware of my feelings and emotions and it has helped me build the business gradually.
The Best Advice You Can Give
From my personal experience, the thing I lacked during my initial days was patience, and that’s the problem we Nepalis face. We want everything to happen as quickly as possible and also without much effort. That’s the mother of all problems. Life doesn’t work the way we want, but we can make it work the way we want if we analyse it, look at it from a different perspective and keep fighting for it. As Gary says, “Find your craft, and keep building it day by day.”
