As a girl from a middle-class family, I have always made sure to curb my expenses. I have learned the value of money from a very young age. I always relied on my mother's choices when it came to clothes and never really had any brand fascination. As I grew up, I had a predominant influence of my mother's style that reflected in me. For me, shopping always meant to visit the Gariahat (Kolkata) outlet of Pantaloons. It was much later that I came to know the role of Aditya Birla group in my life but unknowingly it had been associated with my life since my childhood. As a Bengali, our most celebrated festival is Durga Puja. Needless to say, this is the one festival which is awaited year long to shop for new clothes and buy gifts for dear ones. Ever since I was a child, my mother would take me to the nearest outlet of Pantaloons to buy me new clothes for the 5 days festivity. Pantaloons is a household name now, and synonymous to trendy fashion within a budget. As Kolkata (then Calcutta) decked up to welcome Goddess Durga, I used to cherish having new clothes and shoes to usher the divineness. Even as a grown-up it feels special to shop at Pantaloons today. As the tables have turned and I take my parents out shopping, I relive the nostalgia. I still remember when I started my first paid job, I bought my parents and relatives a bunch of gifts from Pantaloons with my first paycheque. My father still holds the watch I got him close to his heart.
When I decided to pursue a master's, I was apprehensive about the entire process. I once heard it's not just important to do the job, it's as important to look the part. When I was gearing for my first B school interview, I was perplexed and felt the pressure of power dressing. I had no idea where to purchase my first business formals from. I turned to my mom and she accompanied me to the Allen Solly section of our trusted Pantaloons.
As I put on the first suit for trial, I could immediately feel a change in confidence as I looked at myself in the mirror. I was under the impression Allen Solly is an international brand, until recently when I found out it's a subsidiary of the Aditya Birla group. It is, in fact, the first brand to retail women's formal wear in India. I appeared to all my interviews in the suit from Allen Solly, and here I am today at one of the most reputed names among B schools in India, XIMB.
Everyone faces challenges in their lives, it's how you overcome or succumb to it is what shapes your life.
The biggest challenge I faced was flickering confidence. When I first decided to pursue an MBA, I already had a moderately good paying job, a stable career but what lacked was certain satiation. It was in my second year of job that I decided to give CAT a try. What started as a casual preparation, soon became a drive to succeed. However, with a job and the rotational shifts, it became more and more difficult to focus. I could often find myself losing out on zeal and energy to strive. I had self-doubt and I could feel my confidence shatter when I couldn't achieve the desired result in my first attempt. My confidence was at an all-time low. What seemed like a cakewalk initially showed me my actual stance. It was then when my father sat me down and shared his pearls of wisdom. He advised me to give it another shot and not anticipate the results. He taught me the value of time and to prioritize things. I made a fresh start and put twice the effort. I forced myself to take up lessons that I was earlier scared to study. I utilized time in conveyance and studied in my travel hours. I could feel myself getting better at concepts and could once again feel the confidence to achieve my target. I just went to take the exam with an open mind without the thoughts of results taking over the better of me. This time I gave my best shot and the rest is, as they say, history. I landed up at one of the most reputed B schools of the country. Hence, I learned what self-doubt can do to one's confidence. So, it is of utmost importance to be self-driven and motivated without the fear of failure to get to one's way.
#ABGP #ABGWOOME #XIMB
