International Women's Day | In Conversation with Vishakha Vartak

We asked some questions to coach Vishakha, she has some interesting thoughts and advice for larger group of people. She is a Chartered Accountant by Profession, a Marketer by Passion, currently working at Tata Administrative Services. She has an experience of 11+ years in the industry. She has special interest in New Businesses, Rural Markets and a Design Thinking approach. Her diverse experiences reinforce her zeal and push to strive towards excellence.

Read the conservation with coach Vishakha around how to live a balanced life, what keeps her going and her advice.

BI: Things you love the most about your job?
VV: No two days are alike, really. And also, no one stops me from taking up any initiatives I feel will add value to me, my team and my company. I have a pretty awesome set of colleagues and a boss who is invested in my growth as well!

BI: Your favorite books/films/documentaries
VV: I've taken to biographies lately... Open is a great book even if you're not much of a reader. Apart from that I'm reading a great book called Thinking, Fast and Slow on how people think and make judgments

BI: Who is your mentor and the best piece of advice given by her/him?
VV: I've been fortunate to have a number of seniors who have mentored me but one mentor I keep going back to is Harshavardhan S - the best advice he's given me yet is don't let anyone get you to believe you can't have it all when you believe you can. And set your goal for what you want to do by 35, and go do that.

BI: What dreams and goals inspired you to succeed?
VV: My dreams and goals keep changing but personal growth in a horizontal rather than a conventional vertical manner excites me. I like to try things that I've never done before - keep pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I guess that's what keeps me going.

BI: How does it feels to be a working women in the business world?
VV: Feels fantastic - it's like there's always something different to look forward to - no monotony! If you get bored of the routine at home, you're going to have work and if you have a day when you're probably too stressed at work then routine at home is refreshingly stable to keep you rooted.

BI: How do you relieve stress?
VV: Recently I have started playing Board Games very regularly.. that's an amazing way to catch up with friends and family and relieve stress (or counter it with intense rounds of negotiation in games of Catan!)

BI: What do you do to live a balanced life?
VV: I try to stick to working hours (at times they are long hours but if they're in office, that's still better than bringing work back home)

BI: How would you describe your personal style?
VV: Passionate and energetic.. I'm pretty passionate about the things I do or I don't like to do them at all.. and somehow I guess that's also the source of my vast reserves of energy that everyone seems to notice!

BI: What advice you would give to larger group of people?
VV: I've always believed I can have it all - sometimes you have to take risks or just a leap of faith but at the end, or even somewhere in the middle you start getting a feeling that it's worth it. It's very important to work with your set of convictions and keep your attitude to work and life in-tact, because they are what you've been hired for more than anything else. Also, don't just go after money in the first few years of your career - go for exceptional quality of work because that's going to work like an investment.

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