I did my internship during MBA at a startup firm in Pune. Although I could easily get an internship in a reputed MNC but I knew working in a startup would give me the exposure and experience I was looking for. I was curious to know what goes inside an organization at the ground level and upper level.
How do entrepreneurs run their company, handle employees, and manage budgets? I was hired as a marketing intern and got a chance to learn some good marketing strategies.
“Want to become a leader who gets things done? If yes, then stop using email to manage work and switch to ProofHub.”
Sadly, the company wasn’t in much good condition and they were struggling to fetch projects from the market. They had already done a number of experiments to build a powerful social profile which miserably failed. All they had was a team of talented individuals who they found it difficult to pay back.
During the first month, I really regretted my decision of joining this firm. One day out of frustration, I gathered the courage to have a word with the director of the company. I told him that I am really unhappy at my decision of joining your firm and I would like to discontinue working here. You don’t have good projects, social media profile, and almost no clients.
A man in his early 40s, he listened patiently without a frown on his face till I stopped.
I was expecting that he would simply fire me off straightaway but this is what he said-
It is easy to blame others when something goes wrong or isn’t working. If you made a choice that happened to be wrong then you have a choice to make it right too. Would you have reacted in the same way if it had been your own company? Or, if your family ends up in trouble, would you run away?
He continued-
Your resume said that you are enthusiastic to learn about a company inside out and also willing to take big risks to take it to a new height. That’s why I hired you as an intern. I already know the situation of my company. You needn’t tell me.
In fact, I must question this to you-What difference did you create to my organization? Why were you not able to come up with a marketing strategy that can help us reach millions of people in the market?
It’s not important that you work for a company that’s about to shut down or a company touching new heights every day. The important part is your contribution, efforts, and conviction towards your work in a way that it can improve the present situation.
These words simply sent a shiver down my spine. He was right. I dreamt of setting up a business-my very own company and this is how I was going to do it?
He gave me a pen and paper and asked me to write five ways in which I can improve things in his company. I took a day’s off, sat with myself, researched about how other companies in the world survive during low times, and what I can do.
Well, I could build some good strategies and worked on them along with marketing team. It took 3 more months and the company was back to a good position. What we did in the last three months of my internship is all history.
But I cannot forget those 6 months of learning and experimenting in my life. I am still in touch with the director who now heads a successful company which started from scratch and now has a team of 500+ people.
Those six months of my life taught me to be mentally strong and take responsibility of my own decisions. It’s always easy to sit, brood over the past, and blame others or yourself. Unfortunately, nothing among them really helps.
Today, I am the marketing head at ProofHub working with a team of young and enthusiastic professionals. There have been times when I have been frustrated due to poor conversion rates and a weak social profile.
But I always took time to think deep and introspect to find where I had been wrong. I change strategies, build new ones, experiment and see what it turns out to be.
As a result of it, today, I have more than 60k followers on Linkedin and was among the Linkedin’s top voices for 2016.
Years of Learning
But as they say Rome wasn’t built in a day. It took years of learning and patience to reach upto this level. Problems and challenges are still part of my life. The only difference is that I am quite strong mentally and emotionally to handle them all.
You need to be strong at the level of your mind in order to overcome the tough battles of your life. This is where most of us lack behind.
Everything begins and ends in your own mind. Thus, it is important to handle your own mind and channelize it in the right direction.
I am sure you must have read articles about ways to handle your mind. So, here I chose to write about things that mentally strong people must avoid at the level of their mind.
Wasting Time Feeling Sorry
There’s simply no point in doing so. If you sit and grumble over what happened and feel sorry for yourselves then you are probably wasting precious moments of your life. Instead, take responsibility of everything and get going.
Having Fear of Change
Mentally strong people welcome challenges and changes on their way. They know that change is a powerful phenomenon which will lead them to a higher level. Their only fear is of being stagnant and complacent.
People Pleasers
No, mentally strong people aren’t people pleasers at all. A mentally strong person is unbiased, kind, and likes to speak up when needed. Whenever I feel my team is heading towards the wrong direction, I dare to speak up without thinking whether they would like it or not.
Fearing Risks and Failures
A mentally strong individual is capable to weigh the risks and benefits. Once he has assessed the situation clearly, he is ready to go ahead and take risks. Also, no failure can actually stop them. They have the endurance to keep holding to their dreams.
Hate Being Alone
Mentally strong people love their company and time they spend with themselves. In fact, they consider it as an opportunity to reflect, plan and improve their productivity levels.
Being Jealous of Other’s Success
Mentally strong people have this ability to feel genuinely happy at other people’s success. Unlike weak people, they don’t get jealous seeing others succeed. They are prepared to head on their path without taking shortcuts.
Mentally strong people know that it actually takes patience and time to get things done. They trust their abilities and strength to take control of things around. So, remember if you want to achieve high and move beyond the traditional beliefs then take charge of your life today! Be mentally strong!
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About Author
Vartika Kashyap is the Marketing Manager at ProofHub (https://www.proofhub.com/) — a project management software for your growing business needs. She is a seasoned marketing professional who is an expert in digital marketing and entrepreneurship. She’s been featured among LinkedIn’s Top Voices for the year 2016, and is also a contributor for The Next Web, Huffington Post & Your Story. She is also a top writer in Leadership & Productivity on Medium. Connect with Vartika on LinkedIn, Medium and Twitter.
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