“I grew up in a tier 3 city, part of a normal family where education was a high priority. My parents, who never studied beyond 10th grade, worked hard to give me a decent life. My father ran a small grocery store, and I was an introverted, average, and low-confident kid. Life seemed simple and straightforward, but everything changed when I discovered my inner challenges during my late teens. This realization sparked a transformation in me.

Determined to overcome my shyness and boost my confidence, I began to work on myself diligently. By the time I finished high school, I had scored well enough to join an engineering college. For the first time, I felt a bit motivated and saw a glimmer of hope for my future.

I was determined to secure an IT job after college, but destiny had other plans for me. As a slow starter, it took me a while to get the hang of things, but once I did, I surprised everyone with my progress. Despite being poor at communication, an angel in my life, Mr. Manikandan, taught me that effective communication isn’t just about speaking English well; it’s about making sure people understand what you say. His guidance helped me immensely, and I gradually became a jack of all trades during my college years, eventually landing dual placements.

Moving to Chennai was a cultural shock. Adapting to the bustling city life was tough, and my father’s growing business back home slowly shifted my mindset. I began to question why I was working so hard for a modest salary when I could possibly do more or sit in my family business. My first job was monotonous, and I resigned within 90 days without discussing it with anyone. I always made my own decisions.

Though I initially dismissed the idea of going into business, thinking it was too tiring and challenging, I found myself drawn to business magazines and the entrepreneurial world. I realized I wanted to find my purpose and that being comfortable with a steady paycheck wasn’t enough. I quit my job and joined my family venture, but soon started my own training company in Chennai. My family was against it, pointing to unfavorable astrological predictions, but I persevered.

My first few business attempts were disastrous. Away from home for four years, I faced numerous family issues and lost a significant amount of money. In just six months, I accumulated an 18 lakh debt. My business model was flawed, and when I tried starting an F&B business, I lost another 25 lakhs.

Pitching my story to potential investors, I finally secured funds and scaled up to two or three stores. We then expanded through franchising, reaching 16 outlets in two years. During the pandemic, I began taking webinars on scaling a tea business, attracting 30,000 participants and training them to start their own brands. We grew to 300 outlets nationally, offering an open-source, white-label solution that no one else in India was providing.

My focus is on impact rather than business-business. I always say this to my people, “You don’t fail, but your efforts do!” I realized that failure is just an indication that your efforts need redirection, not that you are a failure. Through my journey, I learned that overcoming business challenges is easier than dealing with emotional ones. The mantra “fail fast, learn fast” became my guiding principle.

I now share my experiences through videos, aiming to prepare others for their own failures by learning from mine. My journey taught me that nothing should be taken emotionally, and that every failure is an opportunity to learn and grow.

Today, as a entrepreneur and coach, I have helped people to scale a tea business and make an impact. My passion for tea goes beyond the beverage itself; it’s about building something meaningful and sustainable. My focus isn’t just on profit, but on creating a ripple effect, an entire ecosystem of tea-loving entrepreneurs.

I’m a Teapreneur! Have you heard about this term?”