At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring meaningful and powerful stories from India and around the world to empower and motivate our growing community. As part of this endeavour, we invited Ruchi Lahoti for an exclusive interview with us. Ruchi is a Leader, Entrepreneur, Coach, Mentor and Change Enabler. She is the Founder and CEO of Indian School of Excellence – A Luxury Finishing School. Let’s learn more about her incredible journey, her background, and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Ruchi:
Could you please talk us through your background and your journey?
I am hospitality professional with over 18+ years of experience in Operations, Business Development, and People Management with global luxury brands such as Marriott International, Accor S.A, Hyatt Worldwide, The Oberoi Group, The Imperial New Delhi and Booking. com B.V.
An academic topper, I am double graduate with a Bachelor of Science from the Institute of Hotel Management – Mumbai and a Bachelor of Art from Indira Gandhi National Open University – Delhi. I also hold triple Master’s degree – Marketing & Consumer Behaviour from Symbiosis – Pune, Master’s in Business Administration in Hospitality & Marketing from La Roches, Switzerland and a Master’s of Advanced Study in Hospitality Management from Les Roches Gruyere University, Switzerland.
I am also accredited by world renounced British School of Excellence as an Etiquette Consultant and CPD UK as a Soft Skills Coach.
How did you discover your passion?
My widespread experience in the hospitality industry, exposure through travel across the world and studies in renounced international institutes led me to a realization that India was lacking in areas of social grace, personal grooming abilities and professional etiquette; which led me to establish my Luxury Finishing School – Indian School of Excellence.
At ISE, we specialize in enhancing an individual’s self-presentation and interpersonal skills, fostering them with confidence and sophistication. I strongly believe that every individual possesses transformative capabilities, regardless of their age, profession, or educational background.”
Central to ISE’s philosophy is a dedication to providing outstanding training and guidance to unlock each individual’s inherent talent through meticulously created courses, encompassing them with Etiquette, Manners, and Personal Development.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
My two beautiful children are a constant source of motivation for me. I get to learn something new from them every single day.
They show me how to live in the moment, always accept life’s challenges with a smile, dust yourself and move forward even if one fall several times in a day. My children inspire me to become a better version of myself.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
Excellence and aiming higher than you normally do is a standard that I choose to practice. I have been following this mantra for a long time now. It has produced excellent results for me. I am a detail-oriented person who loves to see beyond the ordinary.
Growing up, I was captivated by the glamour and panache of the finer things in life, which led me to take up hospitality as an obvious career choice. I strongly feel aligned with what I am doing and that’s what sets the tone for all the work that comes my way.
Some of the ideologies which have really helped me grow are:
1. Perseverance
2. Being agile
3. Having a sharp eye for detail
4. A passion to develop people beyond their professional skills
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
The most important key to success is having to believe in yourself; that you are capable and that you can do it.”
I often tell people if they want a promotion; start acting like you already have it, if you want to become a manager; start dressing up like one. It is all in our mind and what we believe in. To be successful, you first need validation from your own self, start valuing yourself only then people will value you.
What advice would you give to our readers?
In today’s competitive world, soft skills become an integral part of a person’s personality. Research has stated that 96% of companies would hire somebody based on their knowledge of soft skills rather than their qualification. With AI; a lot of the hard skills will soon be replaced by robots. But things which could never get replaced by technology are Emotional Intelligence, Kindness and Compassion.
Etiquette is all about how a person feels in your company. It’s not just about saying please, sorry or thank you and knowing how to hold that fork and knife.
As an Etiquette Coach, I want to train aspiring individuals with an understanding of sophistication, good manners and finesse to help them transition from being ordinary to extraordinary.
I would strongly advise them to learn social grace, polished communications, positive first impressions and become aware of cultural diversities which will help them foster meaningful bonds in their personal and professional life.
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.
