In this episode of the BouncersToBoundaries podcast, host Harish Mehta (Abundant Harish Mehta) interviews guest Shrenik Shah. The conversation is framed as a sharing of the first twenty years of each guest’s life, with the purpose of inspiring listeners to emulate the values, energy, and commitment demonstrated by these individuals. Shrenik recounts his upbringing in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, his schooling in Gujarati medium, the transition to English-medium higher education, early work editing letters for a nationalized bank’s chief executive, and his entry into international business in 1985. Harish narrates his own early life: born in Delhi in 1958, schooling in Kolkata and Delhi, excelling academically (5th all‑India in commerce), playing cricket alongside future Indian cricketers, completing a B.Com (Honors) at Shriram College, and receiving a direct appointment to a bank job in Kolkata in 1979, symbolized by a story about cutting cricket tickets to focus on his career. Both speakers emphasize themes of relentless commitment, passion, self‑motivation, and the importance of learning from role models. The episode ends with a motivational call‑to‑action, inviting the audience to join future episodes for further mindset‑building content.
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Hello everybody, this is Abundant Harish Mehta. As committed as we shared in our introductory episode, me and Shrenik Shah, the man Who was silenced and now speaks through his silence in Sound of Silence talks. We together, today is our second episode, will be sharing our story. The purpose of sharing our story is. To engage with your minds to find out, to discover what have these great people done in their lives and why do we need to listen to them, learn from them, and bring it into our own minds. That we need to emulate them, become the person they are, the energy that they give, the radiation they provide to people, and care for the people around them and for the world. Sir Shredik, let me have the honor of requesting you to please share your early days in life, the first 20 years of your life, and let the viewers, let the listeners Let the people who are going to be watching you learn something from your first twenty years in today's episode. So go ahead, and it's all yours now, Shrenik.
Thank you. Thank you, Parish. First of all, let me very clearly state. To all the listeners, including you, Mr. Parish Mehta, abandoned coach Parish Mehta, and I would not tell me that Valentine's Day for simple reason that for you and for me every day is Valentine's Day, and that's the life. We are living, we have lived, we are living, and we are going to live forever. So that is our absolute commitment.
Thank you.
Commitment.
Thank you.
You are most welcome, friends. I am first proud Indian. Number two, Gujarat, and number three, Ahmedabad. Let me tell you a very simple saying that was before 500 years when our city Ahmedabad was. Established by Ambaja Bacha, and the story was like this: When कुत्ते पर सच्चाया, तब अम्बाजा बच्चा ने शहर बचाया। That means if the rabbit is stronger than dog, and so so is the culture, so is the mindset. Of people from Ahmedabad, and I am one of those proud Ahmedabadi. I learned my schooling in a Gujarati medium because in those days English medium was not popular, and You will be amazed to learn. Unlike today, I learned alphabet writing English in a 4-liners note in 8th standard. So that was the beginning when people, individuals, kids, when are learning now in Montessori I learned from 8th standard and I did my graduation in English medium. So you can imagine the difference. At times, you know, it is being said for so many candidates who are appearing For interview, that if you if you have been you you have studied in Gujarat University, you know English is really not that good as compared to other states. But we have proved that wrong, that we are one thousand percent at par. With the other students in terms of speaking English, in terms of delivering English, and terms of communication. So it's all about passion, it's all about dedication, what you are able to do it and how best you are committed to do it. And friends, after graduation I joined our family business, but at the same time, I had golden opportunity of editing letters, English letters of one of the chief executive of a nationalized bank for years. So the journey is endless, learning is endless, and it's all about adding momentum with the love, with the commitment, with the confidence, with the dedication. And that's the life I lived till I entered into international business. That was in 1985. Thank you.
Very inspiring. How you picked up from Gujarati to English medium and then you started editing, that's a great, great achievement at that time. For me, it is very simple. Born in '58 in New Delhi. First 12 years in Kolkata. My father was posted in Kolkata, and my mother gave me birth in Delhi, and then we moved to Kolkata where my father was serving. Studied in Kolkata in the best school, South Point High School. Studied till class 7, and then My father's company moved to Delhi because of the Naxalites taking over and the new government coming in. The late Jyoti Basu came into power. So from '70 to '75, I did my senior school at Salman Public School, New Delhi. And happy to share, I stood fifth in all India in the commerce division at that time. Thank you. And was playing cricket for the school, for the local club, and those people with I was playing was. महेंद्र रमनाथ, सुरेंद्र रमनाथ, कीर्ति आजाद, सुरेंद्र खन्ना, रमन लाम्बा, अरुण लाल, all those people who played for India thereafter. So cricket was my passion, and I joined Shriram College of Commerce. I was invited to join because of a merit list in school. I joined them because my father studied there, and he was there at the 25th year, and I was there the Golden Jubilee year, 50th year. I take pride in mentioning this. So from 1975 to '78, I did my B.Com Honors and somehow passed. You'll be surprised. I used to play cricket, not 24/7, but 6 AM to 5 PM. And my friend Rajat Sharma, who is a broadcaster today, was my college mate. He used to say, come, let's sit and have a chat in the library. I said, "No, I am going to play. You go and study the books." Today, as you see, Rajat Sharma heads a channel, one of the leading channels in the country. So we were together, and thereafter in seventy eight I passed out. Just managed to pass. I repeat, just managed to pass. And my father was watching all this. Since he was in a great position, he told my mother, this boy is not going to become anything in life, so we better pack him off from Delhi. I have friends in the bank, and I will request some of them to give him an appointment letter and make him join in Kolkata. So, Shrenik, I did not prepare a CV and no resume. I got an appointment letter straight away, and my father packed me to Kolkata.
Fantastic.
1st of January, 1st of January 1979, I land up in Kolkata. And my uncle, my mother's brother, he says, today we are having a test match in Eden Gardens and I have 2 tickets. Would you like to? You can join your career tomorrow. Look at the clarity I had at that time. I The tickets, I cut them into two and put it in the dustbin. I said, "I am going to join." So, second of January two thousand one nine one nine seven nine. Second of January one nine seven nine. This man started his career, and then. How glorious it was! I would love to share in this next episode. Now, training. As far as the studies went, we were good. We became worse, came back to rise. That's what we need to share with people—how we inspired ourselves, motivated ourselves to become what we have become in the last 42 years. So, closing this episode, I want you to share your comments.
Definitely. First of all. Congratulations for your wonderful dedication and commitment to deliver the best. On the other hand, friends, if you are at all looking for a magnificent, fabulous, fascinating, mind-blowing mindset setting Get on board in our next episode because you know that episode is going to make you one of the best individual intelligent and you will be able to also. Your personal and professional credit as unstoppable. Trust me, you guys are going to be unstoppable. Don't forget to join us, learn from us, and trust me and courage. You will remember us for the lifetime. Thank you so very much. Thank you for your time. And we love you all. Thank you.
Thank you everybody for listening, and see you in our next episode next week, same time. Thank you.
