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 promising entrepreneur – Sukesh Pillai for an exclusive interview with us. He is the Founder & CEO of Love All Sports. Let’s learn more about his inspiring journey, his background and his advice for our growing community:
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with him:
We are aware of your contribution to the ecosystem, talk us through your background and your journey as an entrepreneur, please;
Basically, I am an Electronics & Communications Engineer and holds a Master’s in Business Administration. I was working in the telecom domain for almost 18 years and had associated with major multi-national companies like Reliance, Motorola, Ericsson, Wipro, etc across various geographies in and out of India. The thought of establishing a Sports Academy, incorporating multiple sports activities was always in my dream – A Sports Hub where people of all age groups can associate utilizing the multi-sports facilities there.
I was so passionate about Sports from my younger age itself and used to be an above-average player in many games. But due to the lack of opportunity and un-availability of sports facility centres, I couldn’t aspire to the next level.
During my college days here in Trivandrum city, we used to go all the way to the Shanghumukham beach area with my friends to play badminton on the court behind the present old Indian Coffee House. Had there been more courts and better facilities back then, a number of people from my generation including me who wished to become professional players could have fulfilled our dream.
It was that thought and my undying passion for sports made me establish Love All Sports. The concept was to establish a Centre Of Excellence for popular games. In the year 2016, October 20th, that dream became a reality.
What attracts you towards entrepreneurship instead of a corporate career?
I chose entrepreneurship because I always wanted to make an impact. You see – It’s fascinating how you build something from the scratch to build an empire around it and not everyone can do it. It takes a lot of courage, planning, perseverance, hard work, teamwork, combined with good strategy & execution skills. Thanks to my wife Seena Pillai (Ex-Employee of Reliance & Wipro) who gave me valuable inputs to make the journey a lot easier for me.
I have spent almost 18 years in my job career and retired from my corporate life on a high. Entrepreneurship gives me the freedom to design my life the way I want.
I am able to provide jobs to multiple people as well. After a hectic day, during the evenings I am able to sit on the long verandah of my own establishment, watching people playing, laughing and it gives me immense satisfaction and pleasure enjoying it.
‘Love All Sports’ 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 with the help of your startup?
A lot of people asks me about this unique name “ Love All Sports”. The concept is simple. All games start with Zero-Zero. For all racquet games, it’s “Love All “ ☺ initially. Similarly, everyone is born as equals. How they utilise the opportunity that makes the difference. Even if it’s a game, even if it’s a real-life opportunity, presence of mind, luck and hard work creates the magic!
During this COVID-19 crisis, what are the measures you have undertaken to continue your business without disruption?
Wow, tough time indeed. It was almost like a house arrest for the majority of the people around. Initial time was OK as we were able to spend a lot of time with family, that too inside the home. Got to see a lot of movies as well. But with time, it got to a state where no more movies to watch, limited to see only the same faces again and again, nothing new, nothing interesting too.
I got a lot of enquiries regarding the opening of the sports facility but unfortunately, I couldn’t help them much as we were obliged to take care of the safety of our elite customers. But what We could provide them during the lockdown period was the online coaching classes.
The interesting fact was, attendance for this was cent percentage as everyone has got plenty of free time. We made all of them attend the classes along with serious home works for the next day. This was a real game-changer as many of them joined with other members of the family and together we could establish a wonderful online platform for coaching.
The skill development for us is not restricted to sports alone but in the overall development of the individual like their posture correction, eliminating stage fear, language correction, public addressing, etc that we could accomplish during the pandemic time.
What are the business mantras you have embraced as you sought to establish your success story?
Getting the right opportunity and performing to the best of your capability when you get that opportunity.
To get that opportunity, I present myself as a brand. I prepare myself to give in my best shot at each and every opportunity that comes my way.
How do you manage yourself and keep on going despite the challenges? What drives you?
I don’t take anything seriously on my head. Take it the way it comes. I believe every single problem in this world has got a solution.
I always try to make sure that I empower the right people for the right work. This way I do not feel overburdened with work that leads to stress. In my free time, I try to travel, spend time with my family, and try to maintain my work-life balance as much as possible.
Travelling helps me clear my mind and focus on issues that need my attention. Apart from that I read, write blogs, and listens to music.
Given the rapid pace at which the world is changing, what are the leadership traits that are necessary for success?
The ability to effectively lead is a crucial factor in the success, or lack thereof, in entrepreneurial ventures. By understanding and embodying what it takes to lead effectively, entrepreneurs can maximize their chances of success.
In your opinion – what is more necessary: Idea or a good team for a successful startup?
In my opinion, it should be a combination of both. You just cannot go ahead with an idea jotted down on a piece of paper without like-minded people working on it.
I have seen companies with very innovative ideas with niche market segment fail just because they lacked proper team spirit in them.”
To be successful, you should team up with co-founders who share your vision behind the idea and you also need to hire the right people for the right position so that it gets implemented in a proper way.
The key is Vision, planning, and confidence. Be humble and grounded always. If you are observing these basics, success will follow you.
Please share with us – what has worked well for you so far?
One thing I would say that helped me and my company grow is the ability to listen to our customers.
The more we listen to them, the problems they face in their business, the more efficiently and effectively we can resolve them. We believe that we are capable to do that and it is the only reason for our growth.
My father used to say. Be very clinical while telling Yes and No. Don’t over-commit and don’t underestimate anyone. All are equal. The only difference is their circumstance, luck, and opportunity.
You are always positive and motivated, what keeps you going?
I love my work. Anything you do in life you have to have a passion for and should not feel like work.
Being a telecom professional, it’s not hard for me to work 24 x 7. But life is systematic now. Regular exercise is the key. For me, it’s just like listening to music. I choose the shuffle button. Three days badminton, 2 days cricket, a day of Football, a day for TT and will declare Sunday a Family day.
We would love to know your advice for all those starting out as an aspiring entrepreneur?
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and see them as an opportunity to learn.
Be crystal clear on your project. Make your vision steady, plan it properly, and implement it. Always try to create a second line. Be humble and grounded. Try to help others. Attend the complaints on time and correct it. Don’t repeat the same mistakes again and again. That’s it!
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.
