I believe I would like to be a “learner for life” and that is what inspires me in all the roles that I play. Like most women, I also enjoy juggling my various roles – as an entrepreneur, mother, daughter, wife, sister, daughter-in-law, friend and colleague. Each of these relationships have helped me learn and be a better person.
With an MBA and around 15 years of experience, I have been an employee, consultant and an entrepreneur. I have worked in various sectors including Manufacturing, IT, Professional Services and Media and Entertainment (animation). In all these experiences, I have loved meeting and interacting with people and understanding behaviours. I am a fitness freak, spiritual seeker and a fun-loving person.
Consciously, I took a break from work and decided to focus on enjoying time with my son, Adi – which, I think, was one of the best decisions of my life.
Tell us about KaN Talent Associates and KANVAS
My first venture KaN Talent Associates (www.kanassociates.com), started in mid-2012 focuses on Organisation and Talent Consulting. We provide advisory and implementation services to our clients in areas of Talent Management, Organisation Design, HR Strategy and Managing Change. We have been fortunate to work with a number of clients and help them with Human Capital services and solutions. Our team has worked with the best of consulting firms abroad and in India.
I am also the co-founder of KANVAS (www.kanvasimpact.com), a recent venture. KANVAS is the first of its kind – an HR Digital Studio – wherein we make employee communication and engagement more impactful through animated videos. The big idea is that in today’s era there is so much information overload and organisations are struggling to get the attention of their employees, especially while driving policies and programs. We help drive better engagement through fun, engaging animation videos.
Our team is constituted of ‘big four’ consultants, HR domain experts, organisation communication specialists, creative directors and animators.
What drove you to become an Entrepreneur?
After a substantial stint in the corporate world.
My trigger for embarking on a journey as an entrepreneur was two-fold: personal and professional. I moved on to the most important role of “motherhood”. Consciously, I took a break from work and decided to focus on enjoying time with my son, Adi – which, I think, was one of the best decisions of my life. Though I was not “working” in a company, I spent this time to further build my skills, my network and meet people beyond my line of work. As your kids grow, they tend to have their own schedules and as parents, we try to fit into theirs – which is also good for them. With more ideas and time, I probably thought this was best time to make the break.
Professionally, I also believed that we all have the right skills that are helpful for others – whether companies or individuals. Given my field of HR which has undergone very interesting changes in the last few years – I felt there were a lot of companies still struggling to make that shift. Companies who want to change but don’t see value in hiring big players – that was the market for our consulting services.
What has been your biggest challenge in achieving your success?
Challenges are a way of life for all of us. It also makes life interesting and helps us learn. I have believed it that way. “Achieving success” is a very relative term. Yes, I have ‘experienced success’ as much as experiencing failures as an entrepreneur.
Like most entrepreneurs, I did encounter typical ‘start-up’ challenges – getting a team in place, managing many assignments at a given point of time. But yes, those were good challenges to have. As an entrepreneur it is always better to be over worked than under worked!
As an entrepreneur, it is also important to set expectations with your clients on what can be done and what cannot in a given point of time. I have realised clients appreciate transparent communication.
What has been your greatest achievement so far?
Personally, I am happy to be playing various roles of a women.
As an entrepreneur, nothing is more exciting than seeing great client results of because of your work. That has been the core value of my enterprise.
Who has been your biggest inspiration?
I have been fortunate to have various life experiences and people who have played a key role in shaping my perspectives.
My family. Like most daughters, I am awed by my father who has instilled a strong sense of values in me. I am also inspired by my mother from whom I have learnt that we must give the best to every relationship. My son and husband are continuous sources of motivation for me to be self-reliant.
How do you balance your work life and home life?
Good or bad, in today’s world the line between work and life is blurring. There are choices we make to what we give priority at any given point of time.
I am able to balance work and life with a good support system in my family. When my son is at school during this time I am completely engrossed at work to ensure I am able to spend time with him and attend to his needs and other activities when he comes home.
As an entrepreneur, it is also important to set expectations with your clients on what can be done and what cannot in a given point of time. I have realised clients appreciate transparent communication.
What advice do you have for women starting out on their own?
Simple answer – go for it!!
I would say three things –
- Identify and leverage your strengths and be passionate about what you do
- Be resilient and patient with success or failure. Every day cannot be the best or the worst – take one day at a time but have a bigger picture. Be confident and don’t get hassled if things don’t fall in place and don’t give up.
- Focus on learning continuously. Network with people not just within your professional community but also outside. You never know where your next idea will come from.
Can you recommend any organisations or networking groups that have particularly helped you on your journey?
Your own Alumni networks are a great first start. They are people who know you and what you are capable of. Actively participate in industry forums, start-up conferences etc. Be active on social media networking including Twitter chats, LinkedIn discussions etc. It is important to remember to network with people not just as a recipient always but primarily as a giver.
If you could ask for one thing to help propel your business what would it be?
I believe we live a in a collaborative world and identifying the right partners and customers is key. I would really ask for various organisations to start working with start-ups more. Their energy, accountability and passion for clients knows no bounds.
Challenges are a way of life for all of us. It also makes life interesting and helps us learn.
What does the future hold for you?
I am optimistic. As a person, I must be a continuous learner to be aligned to the changing world. As an entrepreneur, it is very encouraging to see newer companies disrupting traditional ways and creating new markets. The magnitude of these disruptions will only keep increasing in the future.
About Neelima Kaushik
Neelima is the Director of KaN Talent Associates Pvt Ltd and Co-founder of KANVAS, a first of its kind HR Digital Studio. With over 15 years experience in companies like Deloitte, Intelligroup and DQ Entertainment she has the right blend of entrepreneur spirit combined with a strong people focus. She is passionate about linking people potential to business results.
Her other interests include reading, travelling and meeting people. Neelima is a fitness enthusiast and also likes Zumba.
Twitter : @kaushik_neelima
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +91 9703655535
FB : kanvasimpact
Twitter : @kanvasimpact
Linkedin : kanvasimpact
FB : KaNTalentAssociates
Twitter : @kan_associates
