My Father’s Advice On Becoming an Entrepreneur

"I staunchly believe that there is no elevator to success. One must take the staircase," says Sakshi Talwar as she shares with us her entrepreneurial journey and how her father has been her inspiration and pillar of support.

I still recall my MBA Graduation in the US, when I asked my dad, “What next after an MBA?”, he earnestly replied, “How about a PhD?” While that hasn’t happened yet, but it shows how dad has always been the inspiration for me in achieving my goals and succeeding in life. My father has instilled an indomitable spirit in me with a never give up attitude.

“A daughter might outgrow a father’s lap, but she will never outgrow a father’s heart.” This adage holds true for me to the very last word.

My father is the biggest motivating factor in my life who has constantly encouraged me to move forward and soar high into the sky.

Taking the Entrepreneurial Plunge

Entrepreneurship is something that had been in my mind from a very young age. I still recall the times when my father would be traveling overseas for work, he would just assign small responsibilities to me at work, even though I was still in the high school. Moreover, I have no brothers, my father always considered me as a son and entrusted me with responsibilities from early on even if it meant attending meetings with overseas buyers for his business.

This propelled me to understand the work culture and have that burning desire to become an entrepreneur myself. After my studies, I launched Rugs and Beyond an E-commerce platform for selling handmade Rugs to customers worldwide, while empowering local weavers and craftsmen in Rural India.

Dad has always taught me:

• To be humble no matter what you have achieved.
• One must treat everyone equally. It doesn’t matter if one is a janitor or a multi-millionaire.
• Everyone must be treated with equal respect.
• How one treats another person is a reflection of their character.

Venturing into a Male-dominated industry

Venturing into a Male-dominated industry raised a lot of eyebrows. There were a lot of Nay-sayers and I was all ready to quit and move back to the US. It was my father who helped me push my limits and advised me to ignore all the background noise while moving forward.

Sakshi Talwar, Co-Founder Rugs and Beyond

It’s not a walk in the park to be an entrepreneur.

When one is running his/her own venture, the responsibilities are ample. It’s not a walk in the park to be an entrepreneur. Having grown up seeing my father’s entrepreneurial pursuits, I was always fascinated by becoming a businesswoman. In my formative years, I learned quite a lot from my father who started his business from ground zero and built it from there.

One will always face a lot of obstacles and challenges, but the key is to never give up. Nothing comes easy. I staunchly believe that there is no elevator to success. One must take the staircase.

To conclude, it is rightly said, that fathers are a son’s first hero and daughter’s first love. My father’s advice on becoming an entrepreneur, being humble and never giving up attitude are just some of the things that are indelibly etched in my mind. There are miles to go before one sleeps. I don’t think I would have become an entrepreneur without my father’s constant motivation, love and affection.

Also Read: How Entrepreneurship Changed My Life by Sakshi Talwar, Rugs and Beyond

Sakshi Talwar is the Co-founder of Rugs and Beyond. The views expressed are the author's own.