At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring some of the meaningful and powerful stories from around the world to empower and motivate our growing community. This week, we invited seasoned entrepreneur Sandeep Sagar to know more about her interesting entrepreneurial journey and the way forward. She is a Mentor, Thought Leader, Community Builder, Keynote Speaker and the Founder of EVOLVERS. Let’s learn more about how she is adding value to the startup ecosystem!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with her;
Talk us through your background and your journey as an entrepreneur, please;
So I have done my MBA (Corporate Finance), PGDCA, and B. Sc. I have 25+ years of experience across the industries at various levels in the areas of HR & Admin and Commercial Operations. Held various leadership positions in the organisation at the National level, i.e. Sales Operations Controller, Head HR & Administration, Head Revenue Assurances. During my tenure, I looked after the Receivable & Payables Management, Collections, Client Relationship, Team Management, and Business Planning & Analysis. Was instrumental in recommending and implementation of CRM (SalesForce) and SAP with proven ability to achieve financial discipline & contributed to enhancing the overall efficiency of the organization.
Please tell us more about EVOLVERS and how does it make lives easier for the ecosystem?
EVOLVERS is a business platform to fulfil the journey of entrepreneurs by connecting entrepreneurs, investors, technical partners, business partners, mentors and domain experts.
We help them to meet their business goals by enabling them to create a trust and bonding among themselves so that they can form a long term professional business relationship and contribute in the growth of the business of each other by entering into mutually beneficial engagements. We have divided the members in following communities: –
• Challengers (Promoters/Founders), • Partners (Investors, JV Partners, Business partners, Technology Partners), • Mentors (Guide to Challengers) and • Domain Experts.
Our goal is to facilitate entrepreneurs to meet their business goals by enabling them to create a trust and bonding among themselves so that they can form a long term professional business relationship and contribute in the growth of the business of each other by entering into mutually beneficial engagements.
Evolvers facilitate the following to its members: – • Networking with Entrepreneurs; • Find the Right Business Partner; • Find or be an Advisor; • Get or Become a Mentor; • Impart Knowledge; • Fund Raising Assistance; • Screened Venture for Investors and Partners; • Post investment monitoring; • Vendor Network
Our vision is “To create a community of Successful Business Entrepreneurs.”
Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job?
It just happened. I didn’t choose to become an entrepreneur, entrepreneurship chose me!
What gets you out of bed in the morning i.e. what’s your source of motivation?
Interesting question. I am a believer in the concept that we are either growing or dying. Keeping that in mind there are two things which motivate me :
1 – Connection: My relationship with the community, clients, friends, and family. I want to have some impact on their lives by being a contributor.
2 – Curiosity: I think it is both an intellectual and emotional experience. And when I indulge my natural curiosity, I become more informed and emotionally inspired. Urge to know and discover opens new possibilities for growth and growth is life.
What challenges/obstacles did you face in your journey so far?
Every entrepreneur faces numerous challenges/obstacles on the road to success. The process of starting a business and getting it to the point of success is an exciting one. However, there are also many ways in which it is difficult, or challenging.
The biggest challenge was creating traction for my business networking platform and assembling a good business team. Sometimes taking out time is particularly challenging.
No matter what the nature of the business is, you are going to face many challenges at some point. It is always better to look at these as challenges rather than problems.
What comes first for you – money or emotions?
It is a fact that no matter how rational we think, how evolved we are, finally the driving force inside us are emotions and it is the fuel of life. Keeping your emotions in check while money is (or isn’t) in your bank account is a challenging process.
How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
I focus on what is to be done rather than how I am feeling. Stress just motivates me to work harder. 😊
What is one strategy that you believe has helped you grow as a person/startup?
Invest time to build your networks – it’s not what you know but who you know.
Networking allows you to build relationships with other people and encourage them to refer customers to you through word of mouth.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
Success and failure are often all down to one’s mentality. The key elements that define the mindset of thriving business persons are:
1 – Knowledge hungry
2 – Persistence
3 – Self-reliant
4 – Change ready
5 – Self-care
6 – Risk Tolerance
What advice would you give to someone starting out as an aspiring women entrepreneur?
There’s a saying: “It’s not gods who fired the clay pots.” It means don’t think that great things were made only by extraordinary people. So many times, women make this wrong assumption. Don’t be afraid and just go for it.
Most important – Do build a strong network and reach out to as many people as you can.
Also, don’t stop learning, keep upgrading your skills.
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.
