Shruti’s story is coming in like a fresh breeze in the midst of a lot of chaos that all of us are experiencing right now. I think we need more stories like hers, this story is not about sacrifices or struggle or toiling, this story is about a fresh perspective in life, this story is about being open to change, this story is about being able to take a situation which we never plan to be in and turning it into something which is enjoyable, fulfilling and equally rewarding. It’s all about the ‘can do’ spirit and the attitude of a winner.
When we are younger, we make plans for life. We put ourselves in boxes. I also had such plans. I had plans to always live in India, closer to my family, working in brand management, but life almost always does not go as planned. My life is a perfect example of that. Being very close to my family, it was very clear to me that I will never move abroad. I managed to stay away from marriage proposals from NRIs, but destiny had its role to play, I ended up liking and marrying a guy who was based out of the US. I left my family and career and moved out of India with an open mind and a positive attitude. When my husband suggested me to consider IT consulting as a career, my mind was completely receptive to that idea, without having any background in IT, I build my own IT consulting firm. Can you believe a fashion merchandising graduate, running an IT consulting firm, that too in the US? But it did happen, only because I decided to open the box and think out of it.
My priorities in life have been very clear. I always knew that I would put my family first because that is where my real happiness is. After having my daughter, I devoted all my time to her, and I believe it has been the best decision so far because what she is right now is because of the time and dedication that I gave her.
A lot of decisions in my life have been taken based on my impulse at that moment. Another major journey of my life began with such an impulse when I decided to launch my own jewelry design business a year before my son was born. The creative side of me is delighted with my venture, Qiyaara, which I started with a friend. It’s been 4 years since we started this venture, we have been very successful in sustaining ourselves amidst a competitive market because we continued to adapt to the changing trends and demands of the market. It is essential to have an open mind and let the creative side drive the decisions. If you have an inkling to the creative side, nurture it, because when you feel low, these creative outlets really pull you up. For me, it is my jewelry design business, gardening, photography, and arts.
What Qiyaara has given me in the past so many years is beyond description. I meet so many new people, it has made me a better person, I see the perspective, I see the personality and one thing I have realized is that people are so simple, across various identities and nationality. Qiyaara has taught me the skill of relating to others, and their behavior and molding myself to communicate with them based on those connections. There is so much goodness in the world, and Qiyaara taught me to give that goodness back which I receive through my clients.
The way I look at life may not be the typical notion, but, for me what matters is the small joys and experiences of life. These experiences and learnings make me the person that I am - the creative, always thinking out of the box, living life on impulse.
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