At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring to our community some of the finest stories from the entrepreneurship world. As part of this endeavour, we invited a passionate entrepreneur – Shabih Masood for an exclusive interview with us. He is an Entrepreneur, Business Leader, and Co-Founder & CEO of Pack & Go Vacations Pvt Ltd. Let’s learn more about his inspiring journey, his background and his advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Shabih:
We are aware of your contribution to the ecosystem, talk us through your background and your journey as an entrepreneur, please;
I have done my schooling from Mary Lucas School, Allahabad and further pursued Bachelor (Honors) in Travel & Tourism Management from the Indian Institute of Travel & Tourism Management, Bhubaneswar.
Having studied Travel & Tourism, I always dreamt of starting & building a brand of my own in the field of Tourism and do something which was different or was not on a bigger platform.”
So after working for good 15 years and jumping up the ladder of being Operation Head for esteemed organizations, the Idea of “Pack & Go Vacations” came. And here we are building “Pack & GO Vacations”.
We want to make our customers’ travel life so simple and worriless that they can go for their vacations to enjoy and let us handle all of their worries such as Visa, attractions, selection of hotels etc.”
During this journey of mine, there were several mentors and pillars who supported/guided me.
During my corporate journey, it was Mr Binayak Singh (Head Travel-HCL Technologies) who mentored me and guided me throughout my Corporate Journey. And since the starting of my Entrepreneurship journey, it was Mr Abani Kant Jha (Ex-CFO, Easemytrip). They are a major force.
What attracts you towards entrepreneurship instead of a corporate career?
I went towards entrepreneurship as I always wanted to work on my terms. I as a person don’t want to regret at a later stage of life that I could have done things but I did not do.
Yes, we had an idea and we wanted to implement it hence here we are in our journey of being an Entrepreneurship.
‘Pack & Go Vacations Pvt. Ltd’ 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.
Under ‘Pack & Go Vacations Pvt. Ltd’ umbrella we have two brands Nayamat & Conquer Travel.
Both Brands have different audiences & different products. The idea behind the name Pack & Go Vacations Pvt. Ltd is that whichever type of tourism you select you to have to pack your bags and go somewhere, some destination. Hence “Pack & Go”
During this COVID-19 crisis, what are the measures you have undertaken to continue your business without disruption?
As the business is born during COVID, each measure is taken to ensure that the model aligns with the challenges of the pandemic.
~ Our business model consists of a lean team which is not at all resource-heavy and has minimal overheads.
~ Every aspect of the business is online and tech-enabled to ensure automation as much as possible.
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
The will to create a brand and along with it, we create jobs, resources etc.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
1- Being patient.
2- Networking
3- Being bold in your decisions
4- Taking the step forward if you believe in anything.
You are always positive and motivated, what keeps you going?
I am an adventurous person and Motorbiking gives me a kick. These two things rejuvenate me. And of course spending quality time with family which I feel is very important in any individual’s life.”
I also like going out with my friends and discuss about life, they give good advice sometimes ☺
In your opinion, what are the keys to success?
I will say it straight that there are many factors but if you really have to have the key elements then to me these are the ones:
(i) Focus on what you want to be
(ii) Strategy
(iii) Being yourself
(iv) Being positive
What advice would you give students and young professionals who want to have a successful career?
Just believe in yourself. You should be happy with what you are doing.
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.
