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. This week we invited yet another passionate and young entrepreneur Shrutika Shridhar for an exclusive interview with us. She is the Co-Founder of Your Buzzing Kitchen. Let’s read more about her incredible journey so far and advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Shrutika:
Talk us through your background and your journey as a women entrepreneur, please;
I did my schooling from Convent of Jesus Mary, New Delhi then shifted to the British School, New Delhi for Class 11th and 12th i.e., high school. Post that, I did my graduation in Psychology from James Cook University, Singapore and came back to do law from Amity University, Noida.
I practised as a lawyer in the courts of New Delhi from 2019 to early 2021. It was during the first wave of Covid in 2020 when I was trying to order a fish curry and a grilled fish at home.”
To my surprise, there was not a single place where I could get different varieties of fish from, moreover, the places that were providing fish in Delhi NCR were rather limited in their options.
This was a genuine gap in the market that was visible to me, which gave birth to the idea of India Fish Co.
Furthermore, my family has hotels in Manali so I had some exposure to the Hospitality and F&B industry. Still, it was not the easiest decision to leave a secure, paid job as a practising lawyer, but I always knew I wanted to do something of my own and this journey started very organically. I was also lucky to have my family’s support and guidance.
What attracts you towards entrepreneurship instead of a corporate career?
Entrepreneurship always fascinated me. To build something from scratch was something that appealed to me.
Entrepreneurship is not merely one thing. At any given point in time, you have to play many roles, handle many different things at once, learn to multitask, deal with people from all walks of life and juggle things. It keeps you active and on your toes.”
It teaches you something new every day. When you have an idea that you execute from scratch, when you build something of your own, there is a certain level of ownership and excitement that keeps you motivated to keep pushing forward and take your vision to the next level.
‘India Fish Co.’ 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?
‘India Fish Co.’ – the name was born out of the idea that we want to be a one-stop-shop for fish from around the country. We focus on various regional variations of fish dishes, be it A Goan fish curry to a Kerala Meen Moliee to an Assam Tenga Sour to grilled fish and much more.
Fish and Seafood has always had a perception of being luxury food item and less accessible in Delhi. Moreover, people have always been concerned with the quality and hence are very choosy when picking a place to enjoy good fish. Hence we all pay a huge price to enjoy any seafood delicacy.
India Fish Co. aims to bridge the gap in the market and be the one-stop-shop for all things fish wherein we provide you with the best fish dishes from all across the country at your doorstep at an affordable price.
Furthermore, India Fish Co. has tied up with fishermen and farmers in Andhra Pradesh which is the Fishery Hub of the Country and the next step for us is to procure and sell Raw and marinated fish across Delhi NCR, along with cooked fish which we are already doing.
During this COVID-19 crisis, what are the measures you have undertaken to continue your business without disruption?
We started operations in March 2021 and not too long after a lockdown was imposed. Kudos to our staff, who have been resilient and worked with us at every step to ensure that our operations run smoothly, no matter what.
Our systems and processes were set in place early on as this business started operations during/post-Covid only, so in essence, our SOPs encompassed safeguards related to Covid-19.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
There are a few:
1) Being mindful and being present in the present.
2) Chalking out tasks- focus on one thing at a time and give it your best before moving on to the next.
3) Pushing through the doubts and the fears. We all have self-doubts, the key is to keep going despite them.
4) Being a good listener is crucial. I believe one learns the most simply by listening with an open mind. Listen as if you know nothing about anything and you will learn so much. Unfortunately, most people simply listen in order to get their turn to talk and put their point across. For me, being a good listener has taught me so much in life and work.
5) Never take life and yourself too seriously. None of us are going to make it out of this ride alive anyway, so just go about your work giving it your best and enjoy the ride!
What are the three most important lessons you have learned building your startup?
(a) Embracing change is the most crucial lesson I have learnt in my journey so far.
(b) Knowing when and how to pivot at the right time and not being too rigid.
(c) Learning from everyone around you and giving it your best!
In your opinion, what are the keys to success?
> Knowing who you are, what you bring to the table and working around your strengths.
> Listen, listen, listen and learn.
> Be a team player and take everyone’s input into account, but be confident to stand against the crowd when required.
What advice would you give students and young professionals who want to have a successful career?
Find a career that fulfils you, that you are passionate about. Do something that you are excited to wake up every morning to. Go deep within and truly figure out who you are and what it is that brings you happiness, and once you do, chase after it, no matter what people say.
Remember, there is no right or wrong job, no right or wrong career. At the end of the day, it is what works for you, what makes you happy and makes you feel like the strongest, best version of yourself that you must pursue.”
Be bold, strong, confident and always be kind to everyone. Professional success and failure will come and go but there is no substitute for being a good human being at the end of the day.
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.
