Hi, my story is yet to reach the benchmark of being called a success story. But I thought it would be nice to share a snapshot of my life’s journey so far with everyone. I bring this to you on the 6th of April, 2015.
I was brought up in a family that values integrity and human relationships above all. That explains why these values are so deeply rooted in me. I am a Hotel Management graduate and was selected through the campus recruitment to work in Goa. I worked in two different renowned hotels here – Goa Marriott Resort and Taj Exotica. I met some really incredible people during my stint and their contribution during the developmental stages of my career is immeasurable. I made some great friends and had some lovely mentors whose lives continue to influence me. Thanks to Mr. Saurabh Ratan who trusted me with an important position and kept me motivated during trying times with his words of encouragement. Amongst the others that I often think of, Bernadette and Soja, you are missed the most.
With a bag full of experience and a heavy heart, I decided to switch my path and undertook a new journey in the BPO industry in Bangalore. This again was a lot of learning, in terms of dealing with people and fighting situations when you are just on your own. Bangalore blessed me with my bestie Gloria Pradhan and a lot of amazing friends who continue to be a part of my life.
For future prospects and better career opportunities, I shifted to Mumbai after a couple of years and worked very hard to rise up the ladder. I have been extremely lucky to be under the able guidance of some experienced individuals, throughout my professional trek of a little over 10 years. Mr. Vivek Gupta has been the biggest influence during this time and has taught me all that I know about perseverance and effective management. I wouldn’t have been able to maintain my sanity during the most insane moments at work if it was not for him. When I switched organizations, I found some more gems in the form of my team mates and bosses. Joyce Castanha, special thanks to you for being the most friendly and understanding boss ever. I cannot thank Mumbai enough for my other bestie Melissande Rebello who I wouldn’t hesitate calling “my soul mate”.
Moving back to Goa with my hubby was like coming back home, which indeed was home, since my husband is from Goa with his family and ancestors having lived in Vasco for almost a century. Then came the most beautiful moment of my life and that was when I delivered a baby. From then onwards my life revolved only around this little boy until he was three years old. That’s when I got the calling to discover my forte and utilize my niche. I started blogging and soon I realized that I had the ability to pen down my thoughts. I enjoyed doing that and kept working on my linguistic skills to express my feelings in a better way. I did educational/academic writing for a virtual company for some time where I met Alamelu and Sonia who equipped me with the art of writing reports and journals. Thanks, sweet ladies, for believing in me.
Life was going on fine, but the desire to do something that was close to my heart was still not fulfilled. I have been a voracious online shopper from the time I moved to Goa and besides groceries, everything that I used was bought online. That’s when I realized that there was a need for a niche in the segment of traditional and handcrafted items. Although these were available in different online shops, a collection of these items on a single platform where customers can choose from an array of categories, was missing. Thus, Cheerkart was born. I launched my e-commerce portal www.cheerkart.com on the 28th of November, 2014 along with my Dad who’s my co-partner in the firm, with relentless support from my brother, Kausik Ganguly.
Through this platform, we intend to cater to all kinds of gifting needs of individuals by providing a B2C and a B2B marketplace. We also endeavor to add value to the apparel and the home décor segments. However, we stand for handmade and traditional items. To name a few – handmade paintings on canvas, terracotta jewellery, Tanjore paintings, articles made of wood/clay & fabric, Dhokara Art, Crochet apparel and accessories/dolls, etc. In the traditional segment, we have idols of Gods, Jharokas, Hukkas, Art Jewellery, Thewa art jewellery, Jaipuri and Pattachitra print stationary and accessories, etc.
I want to thank all those who stood by me in pursuing my dream and continue to be part of my support system in this venture. To start with – Mayur Arolker, Vineet Dhareshwar, Kiran Dhareshwar, Veena Suraj, Anand Banerjee, Nivedita Ganguly, Ankeeta Arolker, Preeti Bagrecha, Savio Fernandez, Reilly Rebello, Adarsh Kadam, Aparna Patil, Rati Bandekar and all my friends & family. I draw a lot of inspiration from my very old friend Smita Sharma and a new friend who I share my roots with, Oindrilla Dasgupta. There are so many other people I have very high regards for and I shall talk about them in my next write-up to follow soon.
The Biggest learning of my life : Listen to your heart as it never lies. It applauds you on your achievements and nudges you when you go wrong. It gives you the ability to accept the fact “to err is human”. Back up your pursuit with a hawk’s dedication and then there is no looking back.
I hope you continue to support CheerKart (https://www.facebook.com/cheerkart ) through its journey, that has just begun. Your spreading a word about it and sharing the page on your profiles would help in giving it the visibility and recognition that it truly deserves. Thank you, and wish you a happy life !!!
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A colorful ride 