At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring some of the meaningful and powerful stories from India and around the world to empower and motivate our growing community. As part of that endeavour, we invited yet another passionate entrepreneur and leader Vikram Dhar this week to know more about his inspiring journey. He is a certified Coach, Speaker, Mentor, Leader and Founder of NLP Coaching Academy. Let’s learn more about his journey, way forward and his advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Vikram:
We are aware of your contribution to the ecosystem, talk us through your background and your journey as an entrepreneur/coach, please;
I must be the first entrepreneur in my family and extended family. Coming from a family of professors, doctors, engineers (even though I studied engineering), bank officers, I decided to do something different, and that different was becoming a Leadership and Executive Coach.
After my B.Tech degree I did my masters in Computer Science from the United States and worked in the IT industry for 14 years in Information Security. I was fortunate to work in Ernst and Young (E&Y), and then later on in IBM before I took to entrepreneurship. My entrepreneurship journey was more of a passion which I converted into a business.
A decade ago, I was wondering how I could improve my performance at the workplace. Even though I was the best performer and highest rated in my team, still this urge to get better, and take my competence to next level made me curious about self-help topics. I stumbled across Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and attended a course, and got so influenced by it that it became an integral part of my life.”
I eventually became an NLP Trainer and Coach, and while I was working in IBM, I pursued this passion of Coaching and Training on weekends, and eventually, after doing both (day job at IBM & Coaching during weekends/nights on weekdays) for 7 years, I left IBM to do this full time.
You are always positive and motivated, what keeps you going?
The desire to get better and to make sure that I am the better version of what I was yesterday makes me motivated towards my passion for learning more on a daily basis and to stay positive.
What attracts you towards entrepreneurship instead of a corporate career?
The value of freedom, and to live the life on my own terms attracts me towards entrepreneurship.
Well, I did have a corporate career for 14 years, and that is also an important part of my success as an entrepreneur, as that enabled me to test my ideas while I was developing them, and have a steady source of income.”
So, while entrepreneurship can appear flashy and attractive from the outside, the word of caution is to have a plan for it.
You are the Founder of ‘NLP Coaching Academy’ such a unique name. Our audience wants to know what kind of problem are you solving with the help of your startup?
Well, I am an NLP Trainer and an NLP Coach, so the best name for a brand is to have the name of the service in the brand, hence, no rocket science it has both ‘NLP’ and ‘Coaching’ in it.
I am a coach trainer and I train people on NLP skills, so NLP Coaching Academy is very relevant and resonates with the people who are looking for NLP Institutes to get trained in. Also, it was matched with the domain name as well of NLP Coaching Academy – nlpcoach.in – easy to remember, and having the elements of our brand, service, and what we offer.
I help people to learn NLP and become an NLP coach, so I am helping people achieve their dream of becoming a Life Coach, Wellness Coach, Leadership Coach etc.
What are the key ingredients of your startup?
Well, ours is not a startup, a better question could be what are the key ingredients that made your startup thrive? Well, to have a thriving enterprise you need to be the best in the business, whether it is a physical product or a service.
Ensure that when people talk about your product or service, they speak as a true brand ambassador speaks. And to do that the important part is constant innovation, and relevancy of the product/service.
During this COVID-19 crisis, what are the measures you have undertaken to continue your business without disruption?
Well as a coach it was easy to adapt without disruption. Focus on what can be done, rather what cannot be done.
How do you manage yourself and keep on going despite the challenges? What drives you?
Passion to stay relevant, to be the best in business, and always remember why the business was started.
Please share with us – what has worked well for you so far?
What has worked is the desire to be the best, and to ensure that all necessary steps are taken to constantly innovate, learn more, stay relevant, quickly adapt with times.
In your opinion what is more necessary: Idea or a good team for a successful startup?
Both complement one another. Well, if the team is good and the idea is bad, then there is no point in having a good team to work on a bad idea.
If the idea is good and there is no team to deliver it, then it won’t get implemented.
We would love to know your advice for all those starting out as an aspiring entrepreneur?
If you are an aspiring entrepreneur get into something that you want to do for the rest of your life. If you can see that, envision that, feel that then you can bring it to life, and live the idea on a daily basis.
Then nothing will stop you from being the best, make your product/service successful, and stay relevant and be persistent. Work will sound like living your dream on a daily basis, and that makes it so easy to do what you want to do, day after day, every 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.
