Instagram Inspiration Episode 2- Manvinder Singh

Hi Vidhi, hi Banu. All right, let's get started. So as someone said, gratitude is the golden frame Through which we see the meaning of life. I welcome you all to this episode 2 of Instagram Inspiration Series, a series which I started to actually connect with people who inspire me on my day-to-day life, who I found that will be really interesting and motivating for people to hear their story from their own mouth. And who can really help people grow, be it their business, be it their life, be it in their journey. So with us, as you can see, is Manvinder Singh, my best friend to say, my friend since high school. We have known each other for more than 20 years now, and I thought it would be really interesting for people to know that a person who belongs to a small town like Jaunpur, which I belong to, and have come a long way from there to come to this place, and, and now he is an entrepreneur. So welcome, Manvinder. I would like to really extend a warm welcome to you. Thank you so much for joining.

Thank you, Haritosh Srivastav. Thank you for your kind words and generous introduction. First of all, I would like to appreciate for the amazing initiative that you have taken to spread the much-needed positivity. So very good morning, good afternoon, and good evening, viewers. Depending on your geographical locations.

Yeah.

And hope you are safe, healthy, and home. And I would like to take this opportunity to share that Haritosh Srivastav and I know each other since we were in 9th standard. And since then, our friendship has been aging like a fine wine. Wow. And whatever little that I've achieved in my life, Haritosh Srivastav has a role to play in it. I still remember back in 2003 when I turned out to be the most successful failure to to convince my mom to allow me to go for my further studies, my professional studies, that's foundation in IATA, which has to do with airlines and feds. And she was more than reluctant for two reasons. A, she never wanted me to leave my hometown, Jaipur. B, it was an absolute unheard term for her. Let alone her, none of my friends, my relatives, or anybody we knew had ever heard about a term IATA. And back then we were not exposed to internet. We are exposed today, so nobody could even help going and Google it out to help her. And that's when Haritosh Srivastav came in and persuaded my mom to allow me to go for the studies I wanted to. And he assured her that I would not let her down, and I'm trying to live up to Haritosh Srivastav's expectations.

Thank you. It's interesting how you said You are still living my expectation. But yeah, thank you. It has been quite a journey. So, Walker, my first question would be— and before I start with my set of questions, it's for audience. Towards the end of the session, we are trying to keep it short, not too long, about 15-20 minutes. So towards the end of the session, we'll probably be able to take a couple of questions. So if you have any question, you can start typing in in the chat window. So here I go and continue with my session. So as I believe, I think it was in 2003 when you left your hometown, Jaipur, and now it's, you know, it's year 2020. If I am gonna give you a very tough task is if you have to summarize that journey in, in say 8 to 10 lines, how would you do that?

Sure. So I am fortunate enough to have a wonderful journey so far. I started my career on on November 1st, 2004, and I worked with Fortune 500 companies like IBM, American Express, to a very beautiful company called Interglobe Technologies that owns Indigo, and a mid-level company like Sahibji Group of Companies that was my previous employer, and a startup as well, that is the Cross Ocean Travels. And I served the industry in various departments in various capacities. So right from the customer service to sales, operations, marketing, recruitment, training, quality analysis, product development, business development, people management, brand management, promotional workshops, contracting, so on and so forth. So in short, I would say that it was completely fulfilling, uh, full of learning, an incredible journey I've had. And then since June 2019, I'm enjoying my entrepreneurial entrepreneurship with Jani Jabadas, and I've been enjoying that as well.

Sure, we'll cover about Journey Javed Das in a while. So, so in your large corporate career of close to 15 years, what is that one thing that have really helped you strive to— I know corporate journey is not easy, and what is that one thing, one, one principle that you have tried to follow which would be really helpful for the viewers to know?

Always invest in learning. And rather learn, unlearn, and relearn. That's the most important thing. And another thing I would like to add is be open to feedback and turn those feedback to feed forward.

Wow, I'm learning so many new terms you never told me before. But yeah, learn, unlearn, and relearn, and then yeah, feedback to feed forward. So, uh, now let's, let's go through, uh some deeper question. And then, were there ever a time where you said, I'm fed up with this corporate time? Uh, apart from before you joined as an entrepreneur, in during the 10, 12, or 14 years that you were, were there any time that was very difficult for you and, uh, you felt like I need to give up? And what kept you going at that time?

So every road to success is comes with a puncture or two. So of course, even I had to go through these stumbling blocks on my way. Many a times I felt that perhaps it's going to be difficult for me to going forward. But one thing I've always learned, that problems comes with solutions and guidelines. I mean, those are not the stop lines, those are the guidelines. And the best of the things are done in the most stressed time. So I always look at the positive side of it. I spoke with certain people. I looked up to you as well. I remember when I was completely broken at one stage. So since I've earned some positive people in my life, so I've always come out and come out beautifully and stronger.

Wow, so you actually made my day by taking my name multiple times. But yeah, I truly believe that, yeah, if one thing that can really help you strive in this corporate or other career is the people management. Unless you know how to connect with people, how to grow your network, you will probably not be successful.

Okay, you are positive. You become very positive now, so much so that when I look at this shit, I'll see it as a fertilizer. So that's the positivity I've gained.

Okay, yeah, I'll probably not go into that curse word for now, but okay. So it's time to move on to next question. And hi Taiba, I understand there is a background noise at my end. I'm sorry, I won't be able to do anything at this point of time. I'll work on my settings. So my next question is, uh, what was the epitome— what was that, uh, Isaac Newton's bulb thing or something that you thought, now is the time for me to be an entrepreneur?

Like I said, I've had a very wonderful time working with almost every employer that I worked with, but one thing I noticed that not everybody has a risk-taking appetite. People want to try the tried and tested formula. They don't want to kind of break the glass ceiling around. And today's customers, the millennials, need more information. They want, they want to be more involved, they want to be more informed. So that is when you really need to foresee the trend. You need to go as the trend unfolds. So that's where I thought perhaps the time has come that I should come and bring something new to the customers they are looking for, because now people invest in experience more than any other commodity. So we need to be ready and are the future ready for the new age customers. And that's when I thought I should start it over as an entrepreneur journey of mine.

And how has your entrepreneur journey been?

It has been wonderful so far. Uh, it's just that COVID-19 has come as a stumbling block, but otherwise I'm enjoying myself like anything.

Okay, great, great to see you are able to follow your passion and try to find out something which will make a difference to the customers of Journey Jabardasth. And I'm sure we are having a Jabardasth journey so far in our Instagram session as well. Okay, my next question to you is, and this is more to, uh, the sort of research that I'm gonna do, is a lot of people who hail from towns or small cities like Jaipur, they do come with that stigma that, no, we are not good enough, we, we are not capable. We— hello, I think we are having some connection issues. So you guys able to see me and hear me? Let's wait. Hello, can you hear me?

Yeah.

Okay, sorry, I don't know whether you're able to hear my full question or not, so I'll just quickly repeat. So my question was related to— a lot— there are a lot of people, youngsters, who come from small cities, sea town, like the big places where we are, like Jaipur and small cities. And lot of time they think that they are not good enough, they are lacking something, they don't have the thing that requires for success. So what are your tips for people who come from small town and join corporates or studies or anything like that?

Haritosh, I'm sorry because there was something wrong with the network, so I missed out the question. If you can say it again.

Okay, so what I'll probably try to summarize. So what my question was, uh, what is your advice or your thoughts on people who come from small towns like you and me? And when they come over here, they sometimes get into, uh, small-time syndrome, as they say, right? So if you are from a small town, you think that you are not good enough, you don't know, uh, people, uh, you are— you will not be able to survive or or the— for the matter, succeed. So what are your advice for those people?

See, uh, now we are global citizens with the rise of internet. So very first thing is that be confident. It is all right. Maybe people coming from smaller town, uh, to bigger cities, they have one kind of a challenge that perhaps they are not as fluent with the spoken English as people from the metro cities are. That could be one of the things. But gone are those days, I believe, because Now everybody has an access to internet, a lot of learning. People have really raised the bar in terms of studies and everything. So just be confident, focus on your skills, and, uh, that is it. That's all you have to think about. You don't have to think about anything else. Just focus on your skills and what your goal is.

Okay, very beautifully articulated. Okay, uh, so let's move on to the next question that I have, is, and that's about the The horrendous thing which is happening, uh, what have the impact of Corona been to you personally and to business? And the next part of the question is, uh, how are you keeping yourself motivated and engaged during these times?

So COVID is very unfortunate episode that almost everybody is affected with. It's a global pandemic, of course, uh, but like I said, uh, the most successful businesses are built in the most stressed manner, most strained. So unfortunately, we can't do much about the corona thing right now, but what cannot be cured must be endured. So it's important thing is to look at the positive side of it. So this is the time we can take a pause, we can analyze what went well with us, what has not really gone well with us, what has been exceptionally great with us. So that's what we are introspecting, number one. Number two, we are also trying to analyze, taking the feedback lines from the team members because I follow the democratic process in my organization. So I take the feedback from everyone, see what exactly needs to be improved, what are the area of improvements. A lot of training is happening, a lot of product developments and redevelopments are happening. As for this study analysis and the feedback, we are structuring and restructuring our organization and trying to focus on the new product that we can come up with. This is the time we can focus on the, uh, you know, innovations. This is the time I'm trying to have a lot of IT infrastructure involved in my business. Like, my website is not yet ready, so I'm trying to get that done. I'm trying to have CRM involved. I'm trying to automate my business. So I've already worked with my, uh, you know, what is my technology partners. So a lot of business, uh, optimization is something that I'm doing at this point, and learning of course.

Okay, so as I understand, it is the time to take a step back, reflect on your journey, and, and make a plan for when things will be normal. Because when things become normal, you will not like to restart, you like to grow.

By the time we should come as a stronger version of ourselves, as a better version of ourselves, and perhaps more optimized version of ourselves. Awesome.

Okay, so I think Now we can, uh, move on to couple of questions from audience. There was one question from Taiba is, what are your tips for budding entrepreneurs? I'll say, what are your top 2 or 3 tips for any budding entrepreneur? Anybody— sorry, anybody have any other question, please feel free to type in. We'll try to accommodate one or two more. Go ahead.

So very important thing is, in case you're going to be— you're a startup, you're looking forward to start it over Always try to come up with a product which is solving a problem, which is solving a problem. So first of all, identify a problem that you are facing yourself, or maybe you see somebody facing. Build your product or service around it so that you are helping customers. Second point is, at this point, nobody wants to be sold to, but everybody wants to buy. So you need to see how you can help your customers instead of selling your products. Make sure that you study your market well. You should know what your competitor or somebody doing the similar business is doing at the moment. What is the latest customer behavior? Foresee the market, how the trend is going to be, and always build your business around that. And do not underestimate the power of the technology. That's the most important tool at the moment that we have. And digital marketing is must to have as well because the time is not for you to find the customer. The time is for you to be found, rather. So that's very important for, uh, I would say, the entrepreneurs. And yes, uh, always have the human element in whatever that you do, because nothing can replace the human element, no matter how much automation you go for.

Okay, that, that's quite profound. So to, to take away, I feel, is one is having technology, because that can boost your business and your growth. Another is Being still grounded, being connected to people, because though you still— we still are not in the era of robots or computer doing the shopping, so somebody has to really shop you. Okay, so, uh, yeah, anybody having any other questions? I can go on. Amazing answer. Let me see. Okay, there's one more question from Raman. Is Okay, so as Manvinder, as everyone knows that right now the situation is very critical due to corona outbreak and the most affected industry is yours, that is the travel industry. How are you dealing with it?

So like I said, that travel industry is one of the first industry to get affected and perhaps the last industry to get recovered from this pandemic because nobody is going to go for travel in Immediately even after the corona is over. So the only thing which I am doing and which I suggest everyone to do right now is like my previous question that I answered, that just be focused at the learning, try to make the most of this, most of this opportunity, trying to come up with new products, do more and more learning and see how you can make your business even better, like how you can convert the more of, you know, conversions, how you can work on the, you know, the response time to be even lower, and how you can make the products the right fit for your customers, rather more personalized and customized for your customers. That is something which we can do perhaps at this moment.

Okay, thank you. Uh, are there any other questions? We can take one more question. Uh, but in the meanwhile, uh, what do you think are the new, uh, norms that's gonna be after the corona is over? What is gonna be the normal which was not before Corona? I'll say what was 1.0 which will not be in the 2.0 after Corona, especially in travel industry.

Yeah, I believe, uh, be travel industry or any other industry, at this point the major shift is going to be from the traditional to online shift because people were more than reluctant to go online to have the conferences, but now everybody has come to Zoom to have the conferences. That's one thing I've seen. And work from home was something that employers were reluctant, they were not confident, they thought it's not going to happen, but Corona made it happen. So I believe a lot of work from home thing is going to happen, a lot of digital conferences are going to take place, and this is going to open the doors for people even sitting in the smaller towns. Because even with sitting there with the right skill, with the internet, with the laptop, they can still work and then you do not have to come to the metro city to pursue their career. So that's going to be another beautiful thing that's going to happen post-corona.

Okay, good.

So after corona, I, I'm assuming there is going to be the employer saying that, 'Ghar se kaam, corona.' And most importantly, for those housewives, because a lot of housewives, they unfortunately could not work just because they are taking care of the other responsibilities, although they are highly skilled. So this is going to be a very positive move for them because they would get some openings to work and showcase their skill sets.

All right, so now I think we are coming towards the closer of the session. Uh, it has been my endeavor to keep it short and not make it too long and boring. So, uh, what are your closing thoughts, uh, about this, uh, industry, about your journey, and any tips for any young folks who aspire to be a travel, travel professional or travel enthusiast?

For somebody who wants to be, to start the travel industry, the very important thing is, like I said, first of all, invest in knowledge. It is very, very important. And the right way of doing business right now is to make sure that you are educating your customers instead of just selling a product. Because now the customer needs to be more informed, more involved. And most important thing is try to sell something which is very, very different. Rather, you can go for the experiential stuff. People now want to try something new, something with the road less traveled. So that is the focus area. And whenever you make a product, always make sure that you should know what your target audience is going to be. The best practice is not to say yes to everything. But to know when to say no to things. So try to have the market, know what your market is, know what your product is going to be, do the brand positioning as per that, and build a product which is not so regular at this moment. Try to come up with something new, something fresh, so that you have your own customer base and your own brand, and you don't have to go to the customers. Customer come back to you finding what you are selling at the moment.

That, that's so amazing, and I think you have really summarized and put a hope for a lot of people, be it from a small town or be it from a large town. There is hope and it is not end of the world as media is saying. So thank you so much, Manvinder, for joining me. It has been an absolute pleasure and honor to be with you on this Instagram Inspiration, uh, episode 2. I wish you all the best for all your endeavors and I am I'm gonna keep in touch with you, no need to say.

For sure.

For the all the people who have joined across the world and people who are gonna listen this video afterwards, I have one request. Please help people who are, who need help now. This is not something which is usual, so please reach out to people and offer their help. And when I say help, it's not only money Haritosh Srivastav, I could also be bringing them something. And also, if possible, make an extra chapati and put it for all the stray dogs and cats and cows, because animals— nobody is talking about animals and the impact they have. So I hope you enjoyed this session. The next session, I'm trying to get one of my mentors. I'm not going to reveal that because I've not yet got confirmation. But there would be the next session, would be on coming Tuesday at the same time on Instagram. Until then, keep learning, keep growing, and keep going out of your comfort zone. This is Haritosh Srivastav, and this concludes the episode 2 of Instagram Inspiration. May God bless you all.