In our latest Interview, we spoke to Vertica Dvivedi who is a successful women entrepreneur and a thought leader. Having built and scaled multiple businesses, she now aims to lead, educate, and empower women entrepreneurs through her various initiatives.

Some of her ventures and responsibilities are as follows:

Founder: WADe Asia (World Women Architects Artists Designers & Engineers Ecosystem)

Editor-in-Chief:  Surfaces Reporter Magazine

Co-Chairperson: Women Entrepreneurs Committee, PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Director: Bigsea Marcom (I) Pvt Ltd

Chief Enabler: India Interior Retailing (IIR)

ChangeMaker:  Change.org

Awards and recognitions she has earned so far:

• Winner of Photo Journalism AWARD 2017: A3 Foundation through Nationwide Competition, award received in Chandigarh

• Hafele ORBIS Award: Recipient of Hafele ORBIS Award for being the Hafele “Woman of Influence 2017”

Excerpts from our exclusive Interview with her:

We all have heard about all the work you are currently doing, through Magazines and Publications, so what keeps you going? Tell our audience a little about your journey please:

From wandering in the streets of Delhi to owning multiple businesses and a significant social initiative, I have come a long way.  These two quotes from two different newspapers that wrote about me sums up my life so far!

 

The Economic Times (2016):- “WADe’s creator Vertica Dvivedi believes mad unwavering passion is what makes things happen.”

Dainik Jagran (27 January 2018):- जीवन के थपेड़े अक्सर हौंसलों को कमज़ोर कर देते हैं। इन थपेड़ों में बिखर गए तो कुछ हाथ नहीं आता लेकिन अगर इन थपेड़ों में टिक कर रह गए तो जीवन भर कोइ डिगा नहीं सकता। वर्तिका द्विवेदी की जीवन संघर्ष गाथा और सफलता कुछ ऐसी ही है।

(The tough grind of life weakens the strongest of determination. Few who are able to withstand become unstoppable. Such is the story of Vertica Dvivedi’s struggles and successes.)

 

I have always believed in looking at the possibilities and to focus on the positive. ‘Bitterness of life should not break you but create a stronger you. We may not have control over the situations but we can control our reactions to them.

In early childhood when time was difficult and no body came forward to support, me and my three sisters teamed up to support each other. All were less than 10 years old that time. ‘We did not like the way people sympathized with us or looked down upon us as victims. We just wanted to live a normal life.’

We fared well so far.

 

Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job? 

First, the idea of a 9 to 5 job bores me to the core. While job profiles can be exciting too, however, my love to play with challenges and the thrill of overcoming them shaped my idea to be an entrepreneur.

Second, who would hire an utterly dreamy person with weird ideas like me? People often laughed at my plans and advised me not to dream the impossible. I feared I would not be able to keep up any job for long. So it was better to keep my dreams & strange ideas to myself, in the garb of an entrepreneur (laughs).

Last but not least, being an entrepreneur is the only career I ever thought for myself. There was no second thought.

 

How do you deal with Monday mornings?

I do not deal with Monday Mornings. I wait for them. Honestly, I do not even understand the jokes and memes about Monday mornings. On the contrary, for years, I did not know the difference between a Monday and Sunday. For me, the excitement of work, the thrill of challenges, the purpose of making each day better and to experience new things, drive my life. At the same time, I strongly feel that my work should address or fill an important requirement or gap in the market. This gives me fulfilment. Only money cannot fuel my passion, the ability to create a positive difference in someone’s life does.

Tell us about your initiative WADE ASIA?

WADE ASIA is Asia’s 1st dedicated platform for women Architects, Interior Designers, Artists and Engineers. It started with the mission to recognise and celebrate Women-led Development in Architecture, Art & Design. WADE is about documenting the progression of Women in Design. It is also about a common ground for women in creative pursuits to meet, network, learn and share. Last three editions were extremely successful and satisfactory. This year, we are doing the annual celebrations from 11-12 October 2019 at the NSIC Grounds, Okhla, New Delhi.

 

You believe, busy entrepreneurs can balance & improve their performance by adding a hobby to their life. Did pursuing a hobby help you at work?

While every human being should have a hobby, however, I believe busy entrepreneurs & professionals must have a hobby and they should learn how to use the hobby to balance work and also to enrich and enhance their lives.

I had hit upon this idea by chance during quite a depressive period of my life when work was consuming most of my time, leaving me sad, restless and angry. I didn’t find joy either at work nor in any other pursuit. One day, I decided to take charge of my situation. Experimenting with ideas on me resulted in a great outcome. Knowing the huge need for people to learn ways of coping with work & stress, I decided to share my personal story and how I used the hobby to better the quality of my life.

 

What challenges/obstacles did you face in your journey so far (Being a women entrepreneur)?
For an entrepreneur, challenges are part of life. But for me who started in the last decade, challenges were an inseparable part of every step I took.

An unfortunate strike of fate took our parents away from us and I was left with three younger sisters and a tiny brother. I did not leave them nor did I leave my dream of becoming an entrepreneur. Multiple struggles continue together which only escalated with time. We lost whatever little we had; even the house was no more ours.

I reached the big city Delhi in the hope of making our lives better. The day I reached Delhi, I had to struggle to arrange a roof over my head. My decision to come to Delhi for opportunities was one of my toughest decisions. Yet I would say, coming to Delhi was easier than surviving in Delhi. Surviving in Delhi was easier than starting the business here.
Knowing that the little money I had would suffice for just a couple of weeks and back home, I had no one to fall back to, yet I was confident to find work of my choice and to establish my own business in a city totally unknown. It gives in strong chills & shivers to think of that time. At the same time, I also feel proud of my decisions. Entrepreneurs are dreamers who create the bridge between their dream and reality with hard work and smart decisions.

Overall, I have lived an intense life so far, full of challenges, painful moments as well as success.

What comes first for you – money or emotions?
For people and relationships, I do not allow the brain to interfere ever. I drive those with my heart and emotions. For driving numbers in business, both emotions and money need to work together.

 

What advice would you give to someone starting out, particularly to women entrepreneurs?
My advice to women entrepreneurs, who are starting out, would be:

1)  Do not tear yourself apart for the sake of doing everything. Be kind to yourself.

2) Do not procrastinate. It will only add to your pain.

3) Give priority to networking. While you do so, learn to leverage from the network. The key to it is ‘give to get.’ Unless we help others, we will not find people to help us.

4) It is okay to ask for support: Make your family & friends part of your dream by connecting with them. Entrepreneurship is a lonely journey. Good people along makes it worth pursuing. Men today are learning to support & co-operate while other family members have started to understand the value of women pursuing a career. They are not Gods. You will have to trust them, involve them, support them and in turn get support.

5) Women entrepreneurs do not leave Marketing & Finance completely to others. As an entrepreneur, be the engine of your marketing plans & finance.

6) Celebrate the smallest victories at work. Do what you enjoy and love what you do.

Follow Vertica At:

Website: www.vertica.in

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verticad

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verticad/

 

You may also like ~ Interview With Iti Rawat | Emerging Women Entrepreneur

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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.