“The key to success is to focus on goals and not on obstacles.”

Today we bring you the story of a person who focused on her goals despite all the obstacles. From discovering her goal to fighting the surroundings to pursue her goal, she never stopped and she always found a way to the light. We are talking about Ms. Vanshika Mehta, an entrepreneur, designer, and as she calls herself, ‘a student.’ Let’s hear from her.

How did you start and what was your experience?

Well, I have always found myself inclined towards design. Though I realized it later in my life but now if I look back, I feel myself always fantasizing about art and designs around me, as a child. I hail from Chandigarh and I have completed my elementary education there only.

I used to be a very curious and creative child. When I discovered my interest in design, I discussed it with my family. I am glad they supported me but initially, it was tough to make them understand my perspective. Being from a family where almost everyone is either an engineer or in government service, it was not easy for me to take the decision of pursuing something out of blue and go for it overnight. I am the first person in my family to go for something unconventional.

Taking all these things into the note, the beginning was not very smooth. But, I was confident about my goal and that is why I was able to convince my parents. People from the society and community who don’t understand my work still say a lot about me and my occupation but I have stopped caring about them. For me, I love my occupation and it makes me happy.

Tell us more about your journey.

As I told you, I discovered my interest early and I always knew my goal. I believe in building my own design philosophy and I want to make people feel the value of design.  The only thing I needed to do was work for it and pursue it which remained a struggle in the beginning. I decided to opt for humanities for my higher secondary education and then pursue a bachelor’s in design. So, I convinced my parents and applied for it. Needless to mention that the fees were very high there which raised more questions like whether or not I would be able to earn as much as I was investing in my education. Like it is said, “when you have got clarity in your head you become limitless,” my journey was similar. I was very clear about my goal of creating my own design and promoting awareness for the same. So, I kept moving forward, doing what I needed to do; practicing design; applying for many internship programs to gain experience; building the network and so on and, everything happened. I won’t say it was easy. There were a lot of ups and downs and many struggles that I had to face but I enjoyed the journey and it was all worth it.

I have always believed in learning so I never stopped learning. To date, I would say I am a student, always keen to learn new things and improve every day.

What keeps you motivated?

For me I believe, the people for whom I make designs motivate me. Every time I create a design for someone, I see a spark in them. When the clients get satisfied with the design and it works for them the way they had assumed, they come to me and share their good reviews. It feels amazing to know that my talent is benefitting someone. This very thought keeps me motivated and pushes me to move forward and keep designing. Especially when I see myself getting closer to my goal of making people more and more aware of different design forms and value the design and the designers, I feel motivated.

What were your struggles?

You see, struggles are a part of life. No matter, where you are you will always face some or other kind of problems. The good part is that they help us grow. If I talk about myself, the biggest struggle was convincing my family and making them understand the pros and cons of what I wanted to pursue. Another struggle for me was moving to Delhi, away from my hometown. It was the first time I stepped out of my hometown. Initially, it was difficult to be away from my family. I have always been the most pampered one in my family. But, as it said, “To gain something one must lose something,” I accepted it all and dedicated myself to my goal.

Are you happy with your present and what are your plans for the future?

To be honest, I am very happy. I love my work. Designing is like therapy to me. Every time I create something I feel a different level of satisfaction and joy. I still remember those days, when I used to apply for internships like crazy to learn all the skills and grow. Today, I have come so far. Right after completing my graduation, I started my startup. Today I have a team of more than 20 people, who are very dedicated and I believe them as my backbone.

I was able to buy my car with my own money, this year. I am still growing and I am still learning.

If I talk about my plans, I want to build my company and take it to a level where we would be able to provide all kinds of design services and create value of design across every Industry.

Any advice for your readers?

To everyone out there, never give up on your goals. It may seem hard in the beginning. It may seem impossible but keep moving, one step at a time, one foot after another, and you will see that in no time you are closer to your goals.