I have done different things in life , some by design many by accident. A few day to go before we welcome a new year and it got me thinking , “What is the core of Sanjay?” , what is my essence.

Past two years have been different for all of us , we had the pandemic , the lockdowns like never seen in our lifetime. I have lost friends and close family to COVID and some to sudden deaths.

It is a moment of reflection , what makes me really happy ? when do I come alive ? what is my purpose ? what can I contribute to the world ?

I am 56 soon to be 57 , officially in India 60 is the retirement age. But I don’t believe in retirement. My father passed away at 75 due to cancer , till the very end he worked , not because he had to but because he loved to work.

35 years of marketing and sales , across corporates , agency , startup and then past 3 years entrepreneurial journey building consulting practice and agency. and now I am working on plans to invest in a startup.

At every stage I was challenged , a new product , a loss making branch , a market leader , a first of its kind pan India integrated marketing company, a first in the cashless economy startup , a social commerce platform for startups , a sudden pivot at the startup.. I had to take a call .

I had two choices either go back to the corporate world or start my own business. It was no an easy decision to move away from the habit of a regular paycheque.

My first client and then the next and then the next .. and each of my clients found something that they liked about me , they told me this … I would bring deep insights that helped them turn their business and shine.

I reflect back to my first job I turned around a loss making branch to a profit centre by observing the sales team , they were so much under the pressure of targets that they missed the connection with the human sitting across the table.

It was this insight that helped me come up with an idea “forget your targets, make a friend” as simple as that and the business turned it became a role model and I got promoted.

But more important was my Trust and Belief in people , I believed in my team to deliver , I knew they had the potential. This comes naturally to me , I believe each one of us has a unique gift that needs to be shared.

It is the same thinking that let me encourage my children to take up offbeat careers and find their happiness . It is the same quality at work when I talk to each of my clients most of them founders or leaders of business or nonprofits.

There are non believers all around , also there is the small voice within, the voice of doubt , the voice that makes you play safe , follow the rules. I have seen this when I started my business .

Non Believers It was this boss who was a friend philosopher and guide who said I cannot do be an entrepreneur and there was another long time friend who said I am a corporate guy so I should not get into business.

“It is not easy , things are bad , business is down.” I was warned.

And surely as I began soon we were hit by the pandemic.

It has been 3 years now I am in business and it has been an exciting journey of learning , meeting new people , dreaming and making my dreams come to life.

My Core

I have figured out that my core is about deep trust in the idea that every person has a unique gift and that it must be shared with the world and I also know that there are voices that stop the possibility.

Every entrepreneur , every startup founder, every non profit leader faces this same challenge , voices that stop , voices that doubt , voices that say why it is not possible , voices that say what things can go wrong.

My Mission

I am on a mission to spread the idea every entrepreneur , every founder , every nonprofit leader is out here to shine and spread the light within.

Believe in yourself first before you take on the world.

The fight is against the voices that say NO you cannot do it , it is not possible.

Life is a Story

Every life is a story , it is the story we tell of ourselves to the world and we have the choice of the story we wish to tell. If that is so why not tell a story that is inspiring a story full of adventure . Entrepreneurs and Nonprofit leaders have an opportunity to shape their story and with their story change the world to #SHINE their light.