“Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.”

I was born into a family of modest means, and my father, who initially served in the Ministry of Home Affairs and later the Birla Group, worked hard to provide for his family. My parents understood the importance of education and encouraged me to study for a brighter future.

I believe that God Himself has touched my life. He has blessed me with many miracles that have increased my faith in Him. As I grew older, I realised the value of discipline, honesty, and punctuality. I was fired with a passion for doing something different, and I knew that it was God’s will for me to pursue my dreams.

I am known in the advertising circles as the co-founder and director of Portrait Advertising and Marketing Private Limited. I am a trained photographer, motorsport enthusiast, guest lecturer, and avid networker.

Photographs fascinated me from a very young age. I accidentally came across a photography course during my school days and joined it. I found it so interesting that later I entered and completed a professional photography course and started using my skills at work. Even while I was still studying, I started working at the age of 19 years and found it to be an enriching experience.

As a young marketer, I was always curious about what made the difference between a winning brand and others. I often watched and read advertisements, trying to decipher what made certain products more successful than others.

It was in the year 2000 that I faced a grave personal crisis, and the divine Universe made me experience my first miracle. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in the last stage. The doctors said that she had only three months to live. I could not concentrate on work, and my blossoming career nosedived. The sheer grace of God answered my prayers for a miracle in the form of Dr (Mrs) Ramesh Sarin. What an excellent doctor she is. Thanks to her able treatment, selfless care, and sheer determination, my mother recovered entirely within two years. This miraculous event saved my mother’s life and gave me the strength to face any challenges my way.

In 2001, I experienced my second miracle when my dear friend and well-wisher, Vinod Rajoria, offered to start an advertising agency together. When we founded Portrait Advertising and Marketing Private Limited in June 2001, we knew that hard work had been cut out for us. We had only one month to complete all preparations, but by God’s divine Grace and Blessings, we managed to pull it off. And so, Portratt Advertisiing was born.

In 2004, we ventured into event management and started organising countless successful events. Being highly skilled in event planning and execution, our impeccable attention to detail held me in good stead. Our clients consistently praised me for my professionalism, creativity, and organisational skills and kept me busy with events ranging from car rallies to soulful musical evenings with musical maestros.

We continued to grow by 300-400% every year till 2012. The business had grown from nothing to Rs 98 crores, and our team expanded to 110 people. We were the go-to agency for advertising accounts of leading Indian brands.

The company was thriving and growing until it lost one of its biggest clients, which caused us to fall into despair, and delayed payments from others added fuel to the fire. We decided to change our focus from media buying and to plan to brand communication, with a specialisation in creative design and content writing. However, our fortunes didn’t improve, which led to the closure of their media services division in 2017. This meant letting go of many of their long-standing employees, who had been with them since the beginning of Portratt Advertisiing. It was like losing a limb, and the pain of which is something that shall never go away.

About this time, I met my mentors, guides, teachers, and best friends- Rohini Chopra and Tathagat Roy. Their soulful guidance helped me to keep going despite all the odds, thick and thins. They taught me to BE. They said all that is happening outside is not you. And I am ever so grateful to Rohini aunty for introducing me to the living Master Mooji Baba.

Mooji says, Just Be You and Remain Grateful to the Divine Universe for everything. His never-ending Grace and blessings helped me to accept life as is.

The company and I were almost bankrupt, with no funds left. It also meant that I had to start from scratch and rebuild the company and business or let go. But I did not give up. I was ready to roll up my sleeves, tighten the belt, and burn the midnight oil again. Portratt Advertisiing was my baby, and I wasn’t prepared to give up or let go just yet. I continued with great financial difficulty and a lack of resources, fighting tooth and nail to keep my business alive.

The Crossroads

And then COVID happened. Suddenly, everything came to a standstill. Work stopped, schools closed, and people were confined to their homes. Life as we knew it came to a screeching halt. The ray of light came from Paritosh Pathak’s workshop, New Rules of Professional Networking.

The words “don’t expect anything in return, be genuine, give generously, and add value in everyone’s life” will forever imprint on my heart and mind. Even though I didn’t have funds, I decided to join the one-year course- Master Network Program (MNP) to continue my metamorphosis. I knew I wanted to be a part of something that would help me grow and add value to other people’s lives. The MNP program is just that; it is a year-long program that helps people grow and connect with others. I am excited to be a part of this program and can’t wait to see what the future holds. I extend heartfelt gratitude to my coach Paritosh Pathak for helping me in all aspects of life.

At this stage in my life and career, I want to give back as much as possible. I am driven to help others and want to make a difference in the world. Committed to making a positive impact in the lives of others, I am doing everything I can to make that happen. Deriving strength out of my pain from personal tragedies, I deeply care about building awareness around breast cancer/ cancer prevention and early detection.

Grateful for everything in life, I am determined to use my success to help others. Excited about the future, I always look forward to making a difference. Upwards and Onwards…

My valuable learnings from my life:

My life so far has taught me always to be positive with an attitude of gratitude, and I live life to the fullest on the following principles: