At BrilliantRead Media, our aim is to bring to our community some of the finest stories from the startup ecosystem. As part of this endeavour, we invited a passionate entrepreneur – Abhishek Gupta for an exclusive interview with us. He is an entrepreneur, leader, consultant and mentor. Abhishek is the Founder and CEO of Kamuk Life. Let’s learn more about his exciting journey, his background and his advice for our growing community.
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Abhishek:
Talk us through your background and your journey as an entrepreneur, please;
Family and schooling play a vital role in building a person’s character, and I’m no exception to the fact. Coming from a very humble background, I always aspired to make it big in whichever field I would walk into. After completing my school education from Campion School, I pursued BE in Mechanicals from LNCT College, Bhopal.
Back in those days, the concept of E-Bikes and E-cars was an alien thought. But I took a project on E-Bike during the last year of my engineering, without having an idea that it would get noticed by a company in Ahmedabad.”
Me and my team won many laurels for this project as it was based on a subject close to many environmentalists and those who wish to keep our ecosystem in balance. It was then that I got a call from this particular company and I joined it in 2004. My project took a flight and the company became Gujarat’s first company to launch an E-Bike.
Though I was enjoying the phase and the field, yet there was something missing deep down. With time, I realized that working in a 9 to 5 job is not my cup of tea. Hence, I decided to upgrade my qualification.”
I completed my MBA and finally quit the job. After rigorous research work, I came to the conclusion that I would work for myself. And then my idea of Kamuklife was brought on board and since then there is no looking back.
What attracts you towards entrepreneurship instead of a corporate career?
It takes a lot of courage to break the boundaries and run out into a new world. But I knew I was born for this.
The corporate world had put my passion into a cocoon. I could not think beyond what was expected from the immediate boss.Entrepreneurship makes people strong in all aspects like challenging oneself to test the limits and pushing hard to keep up to the standard.”
Making wonders work with minimum monetary support is the key to successful entrepreneurship.
All this always attracted me towards becoming an entrepreneur. And once I became, I got wings to fly high.
‘Kamuk Life’ is such a unique name; talk us through more about it, please. Our audience would also love to know what kind of problem you are solving?
Being Indian, I’m sure all the audience would be well-versed with the literal meaning of the word KAMUK. Well, we are resolving the issues that are not spoken about in broad daylight. It’s very common for couples to lose the spark between them as their relationship gets old day by day.
The sexual urge that one felt during the initial days of courtship or marriage does not kindle throughout. And this is quite natural and human to happen. So, I don’t think that’s the problem. The real issue is that people don’t know the ways to rekindle their lost love. A bit of romance should always remain alive between partners and spouses, no matter how old the relationship has been.
Kamuklife gives you that kind of service which would help you reignite the lost spark. We have a huge range and variety of lingerie that help people get hooked onto each other. There are various categories like a baby doll, teddies, sexy nighty and many more that one can explore and choose from. Not only women, but we also cater to the demands and needs of men too.”
If one would like to get into a fun ride, we provide them with sassy couple costumes and role-play dresses too. An entire range is dedicated to the glow in the dark category which is a unique product in India. And to hit it even harder, we also have made in India BDSM kits.
The cherry on the cake is the patent on Ozone Treatment that keeps all the lingerie safe and hygienic. All the solutions to your bedroom problems are just a click away.
During this COVID-19 crisis, what are the measures you have undertaken to continue your business without disruption?
The entire world is badly hit by the pandemic and the last two years have really been difficult for entrepreneurs. But at Kamuklife, we have not had many issues as the team is not that big.
With minimum human resources, it is very easy to keep the risk at bay. Ours is an E-commerce so, we have been handling the business quite smoothly without getting in direct contact with anyone. Our models and influencers do their part perfectly and it is posted on various social media platforms.
Of course, initially, we faced the turbulence, as most of the products were being imported from various parts of the world, but since last year we have gone completely “Vocal for Local”. All our products are Made in India. This step was a conscious effort taken by us to help the people of our country grow during this pandemic time. And certainly, this has helped us too.
Acquiring the patent on Ozone Treatment was also an added feather to our achievement as the treatment ensures that all our products are virus and bacteria-free. With this, our customers’ faith in us has increased manifold.
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
Turning a clutter into a resource is my way of life. Facing challenges, moving out of my comfort zone and getting the ball into my court is what keeps me going crazy during and after work.
Walking in a herd has never been my choice. So, when there was a lot of hue and cry during the pandemic, I was busy innovating new ideas to upgrade and upscale my business.”
The hunger to excel and the passion to grow big each day, to earn not only money but respect, to carve my own destiny and to remain alive and kicking is what drives me towards working in the correct direction with the greatest zeal.
What are the three most important lessons you have learned while building your startup?
> Things will never be the same throughout. Some days would be excellent while others could be just average.
> Every individual comes with a set of strengths and weaknesses. Focus on strengths and work on weaknesses. But don’t let your weakness overshadow the assets.
> The market is huge but trends are ever-changing. Remain agile and adapt to new trends and technology to survive.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
I have grown up hearing the stories of Shri Ratan Tata. He is one of the humblest business tycoons across the globe.
Simple living and high thinking have brought him to the peak. I am a staunch follower of this noble human who has stated,
“I don’t believe in taking the right decisions. I take decisions and then make them right.”
On the personal and domestic front, my family has played a big role in my growth. My parents have always guided me whenever needed. My wife has been a pillar of support in all the ups and downs and has always given me space to work. The journey started with just me and now I have a team that keeps me motivated to work as their families are also my responsibility now.
Given the rapid pace at which the world is changing, what are the leadership traits that are necessary for success?
As mentioned earlier, perseverance and persistence and of course adaptability are the only keys that will keep you working in this fast-paced and constantly growing world market. Keep updated always.
Please share with us, what has worked well for you so far?
Having an open ear to customers feedback has helped tremendously in growing. We believe and follow as said earlier, “Customers are the ultimate asset”. But don’t forget that the backbone of the company is the workers who are working at the backend. The happy staff keeps a positive aura that attracts positivity from all around.
What are the business mantras you have embraced as you sought to establish your success story?
Hitting on the right opportunity at the right time with the right attitude.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
Entrepreneurship is an ocean of risks. The strategy is to keep swimming into this ocean till you reach the shore. The huge waves would keep you struggling but the same waves would also push you towards the shore.
Keeping the stocks updated and trendy is the need of every hour in this field. Keeping a close watch over the competitors cannot be ignored at any cost. Most importantly, customers are the ultimate asset of the company. So, don’t dare to cross them.
In your opinion, what are the keys to success?
There is not just one key to success. There are many locks and so there has to be multiple keys too. But the most important thing is to have faith in self and to be consistent. Without perseverance and persistence, nothing is possible.
There are 24 hours in every clock, but one needs to know to manage these hours to be successful. Have an eagle eye and keep observing and absorbing the changing trends and needs of customers.
What advice would you give students and young professionals who want to have a successful career?
Students and youngsters are so blessed today. They have a plethora of platforms that can help them build their career unlike us, who had to sit for months with counsellors and elders to decide upon the same. I would advise them to stick to basics initially and not get carried away with the glamour outside. This generation needs to understand that all that shines is not gold. There is a lot of hard work behind each piece of gold one possesses.
There is no shortcut to success but there is a possibility to achieve it in less time if you have a good plan and strategy to execute your plan. Identify your assets and don’t waste time over weaknesses.
There are many aspects of entrepreneurship. Find which suits you the most and work towards the same without channelizing your efforts or getting lost in the world of marketing.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
