At BrilliantRead Media, our aim is to bring to our community some of the unique and compelling stories from the entrepreneurship and the leadership world. As part of this endeavour, we invited yet another passionate entrepreneur– Devanshi Saraogi for an exclusive interview with us. She is the Founder of D RefleQtion. Let’s learn more about her inspiring journey, her background and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Devanshi:
We are aware of your contribution to the ecosystem, talk us through your background and your journey as a women entrepreneur, please;
Since childhood, I’ve always been deeply passionate about expressing my emotions and thoughts with colours and brushes, but it was just a hobby I was trying to be good at.
Ive always wanted to do something different and make an impact. I was too scared to end up doing something ordinary or following the herd.
In 2019, I was happy to be done with school, but there was a feeling of total panic & fear of the unknown. At this age, we feel everything is life and death, and that we should have it all figured out. The whole system compels us to believe that a conventional way is the only way you can be successful.”
But, degrees can show you a path, but in the end, we have to walk through it ourselves. And, if we are focused enough, we can find our road in any possible way. Confused and not wanting to be ordinary, I finally ended up taking a course, I was interested in, but never saw my future self in it.
It’s now I realize that it wasn’t confusion or fear of ending up nowhere, but unacceptance of what my inner voice was telling me. People are always saying “find your passion”. But, I realised that I already found my passion, I was just ignoring it. There’s some topic/activity/idea that dominates a significant amount of your time, your conversations, your web browsing, and it dominates them without you consciously looking for it.”
But, for the longest time, I consciously kept ignoring it. I left college within a few months and decided to pursue my undergrad through distance learning and devote all my time into something I am truly passionate about. I just needed a little courage and my mother’s faith in me. After all, our life is a process of self-realization.
I’ve been a freelance artist since I was 16 years old, but I decided to take my art & designing seriously and turn it into a proper business when I was 19 years old.”
What attracts you towards entrepreneurship instead of a corporate career?
When I was in school, I loved the idea of getting a good job in a good company with a stable income.
But as I grew older, I realized that I am allergic to routines and monotonous life. I like being constantly presented with new challenges and risks.”
Since starting my brand a few months ago, the best thing I must admit about being an entrepreneur is that I never feel like I’m going to work. It doesn’t feel like work because I enjoy it. The entrepreneur community has a certain energy. Personally, I found it to be absent entirely from the corporate world, and we thrive on it daily today. I do not have to sit at a desk for a specific period of time, turn in X number of projects and hit specific goals, or make it into the President’s Club to be successful.
‘D RefleQtion.’ 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?
D RefleQtion is highly personal to me. I started off with an art page on Instagram by the name D RefleQtion.
My art and designs have always reflected my emotions to quite a great extent, and hence, I wanted the name to reflect that as well. Without much thought, I chose this name for my then art page. Now, when I read the name, I realize how much D RefleQtion has shown me my true reflection.
It only takes about 7 seconds for a client or customer to form their first impression of your brand. That means that within the blink of an eye, you could either gain a new customer or lose one. That also means that it doesn’t matter how good your product or service is if your presentation isn’t visually appealing.
Most often businesses consider marketing, product quality, having an online presence, etc. but one thing they often neglect is – having a strong visual identity for their business. It was in August 2020, I realized that for many it seems like a better idea to try your own hand at graphic design or wait for revenue to start pouring in before contracting a professional instead of getting a hiring one for creating a consistent brand representation.
Branding matters now more than ever because as the coronavirus crisis deepens, companies are slashing advertising budgets but branding never goes on pause.
D RefleQtion understands that each brand is a story, and it aims at narrating it’s client’s brand to their customers.
During this COVID-19 crisis, what are the measures you have undertaken to continue your business without disruption?
Every decision your company takes in the COVID-19 outbreak will be examined more closely than ever before.
It is no surprise that supermarkets came out on top for having been vocal and responding well, followed by the healthcare, pharma, and food and drink sectors. Even companies that have been forced to close need to find ways to communicate with their audiences to stay relevant and help their customers.
The quality I’m seeing from good brands, like the supermarkets, is the sense that ‘we are all in this together, the best way for brands to demonstrate solidarity is to show empathy with their customers and their supply networks.
As mentioned above, it was in August 2020, I realized that for any business communication is very important. We at D RefleQtion, communicated and helped our potential clients solve how they communicate with their potential clients with the help of branding. Clear, timely and honest communications to staff, customers and shareholders is critical to maintaining a firm’s reputation.
What are the business mantras you have embraced as you sought to establish your success story?
People say practise makes a man perfect, but for me believing in myself made all the difference.
What are the three most important lessons you have learned building your startup?
1 – It’s not about doing something extraordinary. Sometimes, it’s about how you can be extraordinary by doing something ordinary.
2 – Failures and setbacks are nothing but stepping stones. We get one step closer to what we want in life. Everything happens for a reason. If it wasn’t my decision to take up a career decision out of fear, I would’ve never accepted my love for art, design and entrepreneurship. We cannot have everything figured out. We can change/start our life whenever we want to.
3 – Most often, we forget to tap into our inner soul and listen to what that voice in us is saying. Sometimes, you should listen to that inner voice, because chances are, that’s what you really want.
Given the rapid pace at which the world is changing, what are the leadership traits that are necessary for success?
You can’t be successful if all you want is to get the highest pay, biggest mansion, coolest car, success all for yourself, just for yourself. We shouldn’t run after or chase success. I believe we grow by helping others grow. The moment we realize that we live in an ecosystem where we are all connected, it’s only then when we can help each other as one and grow together and get success together.
How do you manage yourself and keep on going despite the challenges? What drives you?
No dark cloud can forever prevent the sun from shining. If D RefleQtion is my vehicle, and I’m the driver; self-belief, determination, support, and meditation are the wheels.
No matter how stressful or a bad day I have, I make it a point to tune into my inner self at least for 20 mins every day. A little happy dance before bed really has the power to change your whole mood!
In your opinion, what is more necessary: An idea or a good team for a successful startup?
For me, an idea and a good team are the two sides of the same coin. Both are equally important for a successful startup. If you feel you’re the smartest one in the room, you’re doing it wrong. People who have the same values, drive and beliefs as you, paves the way for ideas and innovation.
You are always positive and motivated, what keeps you going?
I’d be lying if I say I’m always motivated and positive. It’s human to feel demotivated at times. I think it’s very important for us to feel a little demotivated so that we can remind ourselves of our purpose and why we want to do what we want to do.
We always look at failures and setbacks as negative thing. But for me, negative motivators have always pushed me positively, more than positive motivators.
We would love to know your advice for all those starting out as an aspiring entrepreneur?
Your first priority which pushes you to start should be to create an impact and provide value to the people around you by solving their problems.
If you’re focused on the end goal only, you would want to give up while you’ve just taken the first few steps on your ladder, the moment you see a challenge.
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.
