However, the growing nuclear structure of society is now compelling the senior population to opt for assisted living in specialized arrangements, rather than spending their time alone and unattended. As the seniors approach retirement and transition into a supervised living environment, this industry is witnessing a change brought by higher expectations for quality of life for seniors. 

The last few years have shown some dramatic changes within the senior living industry and even more so with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, serving tomorrow’s senior population has become inevitable. At Build Senior Living, Managing Director/CEO, Shahid Imran has been quick to respond to the changing requirements and revisit the way his company conducts development and operations. Because the aging population is expanding, he has also sensed a direct correlation with incorporating wellness enhancement products and services. “We have also seen the industry relish into a more hospitality living environment as opposed to the institutional environments of the past. We are seeing this industry integrate more leisurely activities because today’s senior is different than the senior of previous times,” says Shahid.

Visiting the Past

So how did Shahid venture into the senior living industry? Although his professional life began very early, he had no clear idea as to what he wanted out of it. But an inside voice told him it had to do with care or providing care. This feeling arose from the fact that he was the eldest of five children and ultimately, would be responsible not just looking after them, but also his parents. Instinctively he understood the “why”, but he needed to figure out the “how”.

After graduating with a degree in natural science, he spent some time in Texas trying to find his niche. Upon his return to Michigan, he became part owner of a medical supply company. He learned what he needed to, saved money, sold off his portion and became his own boss. It was during a routine stop at an assisted living facility, while working at his company that it occurred to him what he wanted to do. Shahid recalls, “The assisted living facility was nice, but I couldn’t help but think about my own parents. I wanted to see better services and amenities being offered to our seniors, after all, these are the individuals that made us the people we are today.”

Taking the idea towards fulfilment

Shahid started Build Senior Living because he wanted to enrich the lives of the senior residents and serve them with respect, dignity, integrity, and most of all compassion. He did not see a product on the market that targeted and highlighted providing superior care or amenities to the seniors in the manner he wanted for his parents. This gap laid the foundation of what differs Build Senior Living from its competitors. They not only strive to serve their residents but also ensure that they provide a support structure for their families. They make certain that they understand the unmet needs of their potential residents and reassure them of any uncertainties they may encounter for themselves and their loved ones. Families have many questions and concerns about the process of assisted living arrangement for their loved ones;  “we make certain we help them through the process, whether it is directing them to appropriate professionals to complete paperwork or providing emotional support when necessary.

“We stand apart from others because we canvas demographic areas that capture the true beauty of the occupying area; whether it be a wooded area that highlights the changing of the season, or overseeing beautiful mountain ranges, or capturing the shadows of the bodies of water we are near. We take pride in offering our residents a lifestyle that caters to their wants as well as providing excellence in quality care needs whether it is for Assisted Living or Memory Care. We also set ourselves apart because we hire and attract those professionals and individuals that have the traits that lend themselves to the nurturing and caring environment, we strive toward achieving,” says Shahid. 

A not-so-smooth journey

The first challenge for Shahid was that of the unknown. He was just beginning and there was so much he did not know how to navigate through. For starters, he was not aware of the licensing processes for building an assisted living, the trials with cities, townships, and counties, the griefs of timelines and contractors and finally the ins and outs of operating the business itself. The biggest roadblock he faced was negativity. “If things didn’t always go the way I wanted or expected it would, it caused barriers with myself. However, I learned that I had to make the distinction if failures were produced by shortcomings beyond my control, or if they were mistakes that I could fix with time and effort,” he recounts.

Beating the odds

So what attributes made him turn challenges into opportunities and build today’s business from scratch? Passion, he says is a must for what one does. “My passion for what I do is what gets me excited to get out of bed every morning and to be grateful to be alive and feeling this way about my job! It’s that spark that ignites my passion to provide the best possible home for our residents. My passion persuades others to find that passion about caring for our residents and providing a home that they never thought they could spend the rest of their days. Passion persuades people to believe in me and what I do; and most importantly passion persuades me to keep outdoing myself every day,” says Shahid.

Innovation, Shahid suggests is required to keep the passion alive for what we do. He is in a constant hunt for ways to make the senior communities the best of the best. He is always thinking of fundamental ways to bring value to the lives of the residents. When executed correctly, these innovations will create the quality in-depth relationships that his company intended for the residents and themselves. 

Staying motivated and risk-taking are the attributes that keep one hungry to innovate and push towards success. Shahid grew up with humble beginnings and knew that only he could take responsibility for his life’s outcome. He needed to motivate himself to do something that he could feel accomplished about and important, even when he is not around. As a risk-taker, he was never afraid to live outside the normal realm or boundaries. He never thought he would fail, he just figured “if I make a mistake, I’ll learn and move on”. 

Adding value to services

Staying relevant in the industry doesn’t just need marketing but also true valuable services especially because the senior of today is not the senior of yesterday. Seniors today know more, want more, expect more, and are exposed to more. As such, Shahid and the team look at the area demographics that they will be occupying. They use this information to obtain a thorough understanding of inclusivity and diversity as it relates to the residents of that demographic area to be able to provide the best services and amenities. They also research similar communities in the area and see what they are offering. “We want to appeal to the residents of the area and starting with your competition is a great way to understand what the residents appreciate. The most important and effective mode of appealing to our audience is listening to our current residents,” says Shahid.

Build Senior Living also strives to be the best employer and look after its team. Shahid understands that employees are the cornerstone of the company’s success. The company constantly reinvents itself within its communities to keep in the now to maintain the best for its residents. “It always seems impossible until it’s done. I hope to ride this wave of development and as a future goal my plan is to have the largest privately-owned assisted living company in the country,” concludes Shahid.

Inception

He is an engineer at heart – a problem solver who loves to fix things and resolve technical challenges. He graduated from École Polytechnique, France, with a degree in computer science and statistics. His career began in the public sector holding various Ministry positions that led to supporting the Ministry of Secretary of State in digital, foresight, and public policy. His passion for technology and data analytics is the foundation of his career. He finds that his skill to apply data analytics to address quality and performance challenges offers the greatest impact to the companies he serves. He brought these skills to General Electric (GE) in his role leading GE Digital Services Europe, and now in his role as Chief Digital Officer and member of the Executive Committee of Framatome.

Early in his career, he observed great lean manufacturing experts as they sought to minimize waste, maximize productivity, and improve quality. They adopted a “paper-and-pencil” approach, preferring non-technological solutions to adapt their manufacturing and operational processes. They thought that traditional digital technologies were too complex and rigid and that they were implemented in a way that limited the teams’ flexibility to be more efficient.

Today’s technologies are much more agile and user-centric. There are many opportunities where digital technologies can be leveraged to improve performance and make “digital lean” possible. This requires implementing digital solutions with a lean mindset and keeping all this in mind, they aim to continue to grow and reach greater heights.

Struggles and source of motivation

The nuclear energy industry has incredibly high quality and technical standards, and it takes great pride in the safety and security of its people and operations. As a highly regulated industry, technological advancements and modernizations require rigour with no room for error. So when it comes to digital transformation, there are opportunities for continuous improvements, but vigilance in execution and reliability is absolutely critical.
From his perspective, if you want to do big things with technology you need to make it as simple as you can for your customers – even if the technology itself requires a lot of expertise. They believe their work should be executed flawlessly and subsequently ensure added value for their customers and unparalleled quality in everything they do.
His motivation stems from his desire to build an organization that makes a difference. Transforming operational processes and integrating digital solutions requires personal drive, and more importantly, a strong and dedicated team to make the transformation a reality.

Future goals and advice to the youth

At Framatome, they maintain a long-term outlook for every aspect of their business, weighing the risks and benefits of every decision. They place safety and customer relationships first, knowing that their success depends on their ability to help their customers succeed – both today and in the future. They prepare for the future each day by developing the innovations of tomorrow and encouraging their colleagues to grow and prosper.
Addressing the demand for digital solutions is one of their key priorities. Digital solutions are critical components in their goal to provide high-performing technologies that support the safe and competitive operation of nuclear power plants worldwide.

When asked for his advice, and insight for the budding entrepreneurs, he said “The word entrepreneur is a French word derived from “entre” and “prendre,” which mean “between” and “catching.” This is what entrepreneurship is all about. First, seeing opportunities that are hidden “between” the lines, and then “catching” those opportunities for continued growth and development. For me, being an entrepreneur requires a clear vision and the drive to reach that vision. The journey isn’t easy – it takes will, determination and a strong team. If you believe in yourself and your team, you will succeed.”

Sandeep Kochhar, Destiny’s favourite child was a young bright student, caught in the compliance of life, decided to take up Science, then pursued Engineering & joined a Software Company. He kept running this logic Vs heart racket for over 15 years till one day something changed within him. It was like an Aha moment of his inner compass changing itself. He realized he had had enough, he understood he had become a sheer money-making machine & was not enjoying what he was doing. One sunshine fine day, this heartless running came to a heartening end & he hung his boots.

A passionate Rumi (a famous philosopher & poet) fan, Sandeep believes in this Rumi saying that ‘as you start to walk out on the way, the way appears’. This adage opened his eyes to a new perspective which lead him to his current amazing precious life & he continues to learn, evolve & discover himself. For the first time in his life, he decided to follow his heart & move away from thinking to doing. His initial years of self-discovery once he hung his boots & bid his byes to the Corporate world, were very hard, he was yet to find his Mojo & his hardships continued to plague him. It was as though the universe was urging him to look within & continue chipping away. He tried his hand at a couple of start-ups, which failed miserably; in the bargain he lost tender 1.5 years & some money. Yet another deep thinking day, while he was sitting in the Drawing room of his home, reflecting on the recent events, a beautiful positive story of his life began to take shape in his heart. He learnt the art of manifestation & willing his dreams.

He says ‘As a kid, I always dreamt of being a Story Teller. Stories fascinated me, enticed me, drew me to a beautiful world of my own; they took me to another dimension where everything seemed possible’. He adds ‘I was at that stage then, when for once in my life I was simply trying to be myself, not trying to be anyone else. I think this realization birthed a new me, a real me. I refused to be in the rat race anymore’. He followed DOTS – DO ONE THING SURELY.

Here are 5 simple steps he ardently followed:

1. Do One Thing for an Hour
2. Do One Thing for a Day
3. Do One Thing for a Week
4. Do One Thing for a Month
5. Do One Thing for a Year

He then focused on writing for the next 2.5 years with all his heart, passion, authenticity & complete openness. He started with writing stories on his experiences, banishing all his fears, his needs for validation & acceptance from the world. He just wrote for the life of it. He just wrote his heart out. After writing around 100 stories, he never looked back. He succeeded immensely as he simply continued to do what he enjoyed most, writing. He has now crossed 150Million views & is recognised by LinkedIn as Top Voices 2019: India. He has over 387,000 followers for more than 1500 stories that he has accomplished now. He is moving on to writing his very own book now. His dream come true is BlewMinds Consulting (www.blewminds.com), which he is living right now.

Sandeep often remembers that magical decisive moment where, after 15 years of the corporate rat race, he walked out of a certain abusive meeting deciding that this is it, he is resigning. Years after that, he continued to hustle. He just kept going like the deaf frog trying to climb the tree with everyone yelling; ‘You will fail, you will fall, don’t do this’. Through his adversities, breaking myths, learning not to rest on his past laurels, he learnt the beautiful belief ‘Think Big but Act Small’. His dream came true when he started BlewMinds Consulting along with his CoFounder, Vishwapriya Kochhar. BlewMinds was simply born out of a compelling revolutionary need to enable Organizations & Individuals towards sustainable growth & progress, by creating content, weaving heartfelt passionate stories. His own career struggles, being written off as a loser, wanting to aid people to break out of their baggage, were the main premise on which BlewMinds’ powerful framework of aiding individuals & organizations towards transformation, was rested.

BlewMinds is a full services unique StoryTelling organization that constantly aims to focus on learning & experimenting. While this meant growth, it also meant hardships as they faced a lot of challenges across the life cycle. Luckily, they have a great culture, philosophy, learning agility & a wonderful bunch of people in their team, all wanting to move towards transformation, positivity at work & passion to make it better than the best. They have never run away from any roadblocks, difficulties or struggles. They have surged together every single moment & waded through trying situations.

He says, ‘As a team of multidisciplinary, intelligent, passionate & good human beings working together, we aspire to fulfill our purpose towards transforming people & businesses, helping others, enabling their progress & creating equal opportunities. We wish to change the paradigm that – nice guys finish last’. He adds, ‘I strongly believe businesses can be profitable the right way, the humane way & the fairway too.’ The average age for his organization is around 24 years today & is more than 50% women. From hiring in the Diversity space enabling LGBTQ+ communities, Sensitivity Training in areas of unconscious bias, to Coaching & enabling ‘diverse Individuals’, Human Resources & Business Consulting, Sandeep’s enthusiastic Squad breathes it all.

BlewMinds works with their Global & Domestic clients in creating endless possibilities of growth by overcoming setbacks & using adversities as stepping up challenges to rise like the proverbial phoenix. They strongly believe in the theme of ‘Believe, Be & Beyond’. Started in the year 2016, today BlewMinds is engaging with over 150 clients, across industries & geographies, with a spread of intelligent much-required services at different levels & domains. StoryTelling is being used as a means rather than an end, to provide solutions to business & individual problems. For BlewMinds, StoryTelling is a powerful tool for change, growth & evolution.

Their services include Corporate StoryTelling, Executive & Diversity Hiring, Business Coaching, Human Resource Consulting, Influencer Marketing, Brand Communications, Leadership Consulting, Management Consulting, Public Relations & Thought Leadership. Their clients range from established global conglomerates to Startups all over the world. They work in the B2B, B2C & also the B2E space with close to 100 colleges & universities across India to transform more than Million lives. Their B2C segment facilitates individuals towards becoming their next best versions. They have won several contracts where leading Consulting companies were competing.  They strongly give back to the community & indulge in giving freely to all needy individuals. Like they say ‘We do not grow, when things are easy’, BlewMinds grew when they looked at their fears in the face & embraced approaching challenges with all gusto. Sandeep Kochhar is also the recipient of World’s Best Story Teller Award & has also been a TEDx speaker. He humbly says ‘The highest achievement in my life has been my spiritual transformational journey; awakening from a Techie, numeric/logic-centered bore to a more Emotionally Intelligent, spiritually connected Coach, Mentor & avid Learner; this has helped me in Touching & Transforming over 1Million lives directly & over 50Million lives indirectly & I hope to continue counting. BlewMinds is like a butterfly which has grown out of its cocoon & has started its journey 3.5 years ago. We birth a new self every single day & die a bit every single day. This ability to flow, adapt & be easy about ourselves while being serious about our work, keeps us going’.

When asked what his advice would be to emerging entrepreneurs, Sandeep narrated his ’PICK & STICK’ Story. In his own words: PICK: I was confused what to PICK in life, choices & confusions. There was no clarity. My mind wanted me to pick all, there was greed. There was also fear, as to which one to pick. What if I fail? What if I lose? I wanted to pick the best of all given choices. It was only later, that I learnt there is no best choice. It is all meant to be, it is all contextual. STICK: Once I picked something, I was unable to STICK to it, I would give up soon. There was also FOMO: Fear of Missing Out. Greed played out. Sticking to one thing was boring for an indisciplined me. Progress was slow, I wanted instant results. A common reason, why most entrepreneurs give up after failing once. In the last 4.5 years, he says he learnt his lessons the hard way.

He advocates:

1. PICK what interests you. PICK where your Strength lies. Start from anywhere & move forward. We all need a starting point. Drop your baggage, move an inch every single day, keep moving, keep going.

2. But then STICK to it even if you fail. DOTS (Do One Thing Surely), keep learning from every failure, build your growth path, persevere, what others think of you does not matter, trust, keep working on yourself, small baby steps. Sometimes success may come in disguises you cannot imagine. Also, the so-called wrong choices, may at times, lead us to our right choices. It is all about persistence, our desire & willingness to adapt to the changes around us.

His mantra, Keep at it, let the world say what it wants to. Keep at it, let your failures not determine your course. Keep at it, let yourself experiment, falter & rise again. Keep at it. Let sunshine arrive after sunset. Keep at it. Let yourself flow, meander, lose & find your path again. Keep at it.

Inception

He is an engineer at heart – a problem solver who loves to fix things and resolve technical challenges. He graduated from École Polytechnique, France, with a degree in computer science and statistics. His career began in the public sector holding various Ministry positions that led to supporting the Ministry of Secretary of State in digital, foresight and public policy. His passion for technology and data analytics is the foundation of his career. He finds that his skill to apply data analytics to address quality and performance challenges offers the greatest impact to the companies he serves. He brought these skills to General Electric (GE) in his role leading GE Digital Services Europe, and now in his role as Chief Digital Officer and member of the Executive Committee of Framatome.

Early in his career, he observed great lean manufacturing experts as they sought to minimize waste, maximize productivity, and improve quality. They adopted a “paper-and-pencil” approach, preferring non-technological solutions to adapt their manufacturing and operational processes. They thought that traditional digital technologies were too complex and rigid and that they were implemented in a way that limited the teams’ flexibility to be more efficient.  Today’s technologies are much more agile and user-centric. There are many opportunities where digital technologies can be leveraged to improve performance and make “digital lean” possible. This requires implementing digital solutions with a lean mindset and keeping all this in mind, they aim to continue to grow and reach greater heights.

Struggles and source of motivation

The nuclear energy industry has incredibly high quality and technical standards, and it takes great pride in the safety and security of its people and operations. As a highly regulated industry, technological advancements and modernizations require rigour with no room for error. So when it comes to digital transformation, there are opportunities for continuous improvements, but vigilance in execution and reliability is absolutely critical. From his perspective, if you want to do big things with technology you need to make it as simple as you can for your customers – even if the technology itself requires a lot of expertise. They believe their work should be executed flawlessly and subsequently ensure added value for their customers and unparalleled quality in everything they do.

His motivation stems from his desire to build an organization that makes a difference. Transforming operational processes and integrating digital solutions requires personal drive, and more importantly, a strong and dedicated team to make the transformation a reality.

Future goals and advice to the youth

At Framatome, they maintain a long-term outlook for every aspect of their business, weighing the risks and benefits of every decision. They place safety and customer relationships first, knowing that their success depends on their ability to help their customers succeed – both today and in the future. They prepare for the future each day by developing the innovations of tomorrow and encouraging their colleagues to grow and prosper. Addressing the demand for digital solutions is one of their key priorities. Digital solutions are critical components in their goal to provide high-performing technologies that support the safe and competitive operation of nuclear power plants worldwide.

When The Tycoon magazine contacted and asked for his advice, and insight for the budding entrepreneurs, he said “The word entrepreneur is a French word derived from “entre” and “prendre,” which mean “between” and “catching.” This is what entrepreneurship is all about. First, seeing opportunities that are hidden “between” the lines, and then “catching” those opportunities for continued growth and development. For me, being an entrepreneur requires a clear vision and the drive to reach that vision. The journey isn’t easy – it takes will, determination and a strong team. If you believe in yourself and your team, you will succeed.”

About Sizigi

Sizigi is a FREE ePortfolio platform innovating the hiring process. Professionals and students are creating digital content, configuring and streaming custom ePortfolios, and receiving intelligence on user engagement. 
Sizing is offering Companies a richer interview experience, making smarter hiring decisions, and executing on their diversity and inclusion strategies.

Sizigi’s Journey

“It has always been the task of the next generation to provoke change” – Ludwig Von Mises

Sizigi was founded at the end of 2019 and has already accomplished so much While the demand for digital transformation is ever-increasing, changing consumer behavior takes time.  For example, listening to music (cassettes >iTunes), watching movies (VHS>Netflix) and sharing pictures (film>Instagram). The good news is that the resume is a pain point for many.  Though Millennials brought changes to the work environment and marketplace, Gen Z brings an era of disruption! Since they are anything but strangers to technology, Gen Z views it as a necessity for their career. And Sizigi is quickly becoming their number one tool in the job application process.

• Sizigi is helping thousands of people create ePortfolios to stand out from the crowd so they can get hired

• It was recognized as one of the Best Companies to Watch in San Diego. Named alongside so many notable companies including Sendlane, Measurabl and Cardea.

• Sizigi platform had great success in the college circuit including with the University of California, San Diego. This partnership has led to the development of Project Emerge, a program powered by Sizigi, the UCSD Career Center, and local businesses. This framework is being replicated with other universities and businesses across the U.S.

• Sizigi has also partnered with many businesses in which their feedback has been tremendous.

Future Goals

When The Tycoon Magazine contacted Tony Malz and asked him about the Current industry scenario, his future goals, and aspirations. He said “We have much bigger aspirations than just replacing the antiquated resume. My daughter recently expressed a lot of curiosity about my college and professional experiences.  Unfortunately, I could only show her my resume and LinkedIn profile. The wonderful thing is that Sizigi provides a platform for everyone to capture, share, and reflect on their educational and professional moments.  Ultimately, a place where one can reflect and be proud of how much they have accomplished over their lifetime” 2020 has been transformative; COVID-19, social injustices, record unemployment, and millions of internships canceled. These hardships have driven students, professionals, universities, and companies to seek change in the traditional paper resume. As a result, we are seeing tremendous traction in our platform as it empowers people and promotes diversity.

His Advice to Budding Entrepreneurs.

I have learned more over the last year as an entrepreneur compared to my two decades as an employee.

1. Listen to your customer’s pain points, it is fine to pivot.

2. Determine a repeatable sales motion that can quickly scale.

3. Surround yourself with the best and most passionate team.  And empower them.

4. It is extremely valuable to have a wonderful support system of family and friends.

5. Enjoy the journey.

With these five things, unprecedented greatness can be achieved.

Struggles and successes

Their journey to excellence was not immediate; Robert’s first big challenge was finding clients when he started out with his current business. He had been hearing for years that peers wished he worked for his own company (so they could hire him!). So, when he opened his own shop, he thought leads would just roll in, but he forgot that it takes time to build a business case internally, get on the roadmap and find budget— his fault he says for not building a pipeline ahead of time. Yet every year since launch, Assist You Today has dramatically grown their business, “which means we can help more people,” Robert says “and that’s the biggest achievement I feel I can achieve in business — helping as many people as possible.”

Future goals

“The world is going to change so much in the next 10 years.” Robert states. He believes most of the US, for example, will spend 90% of their day at home — working remotely, online learning, and with delivery of everything. Per Robert, the key to be successful in this future world is to keep an open mind, constantly be learning and stay on top of the latest innovations, and test, learn and optimize to grow both as a person and as a business. His future goal is to simply be happy (“I know it sounds corny, but it’s true!” he says), and what makes him happy is doing what he loves: helping people and spending time with his family (And the occasional beer while watching a soccer game on TV). He is doing all of that now, so you could say he has already accomplished his career goals! Long-term, he wants to get more involved with philanthropy. He has worked with many nonprofits over the years, wants to work with more, and be an executive director of a large charity at some point.

Advice to the budding entrepreneurs

His words of wisdom for the emerging entrepreneurs are, “Before you start your business, establish a large network. This network is the foundation that you will utilize to get most of your business, especially early on. Also, building a strong personal brand is so important to success today. A big part of that is social media, and your profile looks like on channels like LinkedIn (as looking you up there or on Google is one of the first things prospects will do when you reach out). Thus, you need to write your LinkedIn profile from the perspective of your target audience –what would they want to see that would make them accept your invitation to connect or meeting invite – include THAT. Also, well in advance of starting your company, distribute value-adding content to both build a following and be known as an expert in your industry. As you get close to launching your new company, talk to people in your industry that you trust about your business model, products/services, and pricing. When I launched, I reached out to someone who did what I did and two senior marketing leaders in roles that I would be targeting. I walked them through front-to-back what I was offering, how it worked, the deliverables, and how much it would cost. All three offered great advice on all fronts and really set me up for success (and two even ended up being clients!) So, take the time to reach out to your trusted network and target audience ahead of time!”

Since 2002 The Next Idea Group has grown into a well-known consulting and design brand with multiple service companies covering design, consulting, and business services. It is essentially a consulting agency specializing in high energy, innovative international restaurant concept development, interior design and architecture, re-positioning, food trend research forecasting, marketing, and restaurant franchising.

Leadership

Robert’s leadership has done a commendable job, he believes in the strength of creativity and always learning. When asked about his source of motivation, he said “I think it’s just about the enjoyment in seeing a customer enjoy something I had a hand in creating – there is really nothing more gratifying”. Robert has faced many challenges throughout his journey. He believes that Creative services are a business that is open to interpretation and subjected to multiple opinions, therefore by presenting projects that are often subjective in nature, provides the unenviable challenge of engaging most, if not all, at the same time.

Business Model

The Next Idea Group [TNI] is based in Los Angeles and works across the world, specializing in concept creation, development, and management everything from research, strategy, brand and product development, franchising, design, systems, operations, and communication. TNI has developed restaurant concepts in: USA, Dubai & Abu Dhabi (UAE), Kuwait, Australia, Philippines, Pakistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Taiwan, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Mexico, China, Qatar, Oman, UK, Bangladesh, and India.TNI believes in distinguishing themselves from their competitors by always beginning with the end-user. The Customer Experience, The Employee Training Experience, and the Brand Experience are given the utmost priority when they approach the project. This has also led them to open over 750 restaurants across the US, Middle East, Asia, and Europe, and develop 84 concepts.

The TNI team has consulted with some of the world’s most eminent Chefs, and upscale restaurant groups, in addition to working with clients in entertainment, casual dining, fast-casual dining, hotels, resorts, family entertainment, and travel. In each project, they have been involved in all areas of the business, and have delivered programs and plans that have targeted the elevation of concept positioning, product and menu, operating standards, infrastructure, and overall quality.

Impact of Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic of course represented an expansive impediment for most of us, and has produced extraordinary challenges for many businesses around the world. Robert wasn’t holding back about the challenging impact on The Next Idea Group which forms one of the concentric circles around the Hospitality and Restaurant Industry. Robert states: “The US restaurant industry reacted extremely supportively to the government’s requested /mandated closures. This is because the industry is inherently an industry of servants who believe in the collective effort to serve the community at any cost. Unsurprisingly, the restaurant and foodservice industry has been one of the hardest hit from the shutdown with layoffs and furloughs expected to reach 5-7 million, a little shy of half the industry workforce. Even when the shelter-in-place period concludes, there can be no expectation that there will be a miraculous comeback. “The virus is here to stay, consequently the hospitality industry will struggle and face adversarial conditions in the short term. However this is an industry of innovation and persistence, therefore in time, as it realigns itself to the new markets, it will again thrive. Robert has also written a book ‘Post COVID 19 Reboot’ https://www.postcovid19reboot.com/ to assist business and the industry in the new precautionary measures required to keep employees and customers safe, as well as to adapt to the new consumer mindset formed by the unique events of 202 cauldron0.

Words of Wisdom

When we asked for his advice for entrepreneurs, his words of wisdom were different than most, he replied “I am regularly asked this question and I always struggle to answer given every entrepreneur has their own story and set of values. I think, from my perspective, I would advise to listen to Charles Darwin who said; ‘It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change’“From my own experience I have learned from my mistakes and adapted to new environments and conditions. I think we are always learning, therefore my advice is to always be open-minded, and it really is OK to be wrong!”

He is a pioneer in the e-Commerce industry began his journey at the age of mere 19 years when he Co-founded his first company which at its peak came to be listed on the Italian Stock Exchange. Additionally, in 1999 he introduced the world’s first mobile auction platform for feature phones and his e-commerce technology was successfully implemented by such clients as A.C. Milan and the Vatican. He was invited to Mexico in 2012 to develop a fraud prevention system for banks using ML for prediction models. In 2013 he was a co-founder of social entrepreneurship whose mission was to provide key potential solutions for millions of Mexicans who commute to and from work daily, this platform was the first worldwide in geolocates the supply and demand of employment opportunities throughout Mexico. After few years of working in the corporate environment, he decided to join the minu venture with the vision of becoming a key component in the solution of a new challenge of great social impact that ultimately will improve the financial health of millions of Mexicans.

About Minu

minu is an employee financial wellness company. It solves employee’s lack of liquidity between paychecks and reduces the level of indebtedness by offering them instant and 24/7 access to their earned wages when the employees need them, without having to wait for payday. As a business model, they apply a fixed commission of 39 pesos per withdrawal (it is neither credit nor loan), providing employees the peace of mind that the money will be available 24/7 and instantly deposited to their payroll account or card. minu was born as in Mexico the 75 percent of workers live from paycheck to paycheck and have no savings, and 71 percent are stressed about their financial climate waiting anxiously for their payday. 33 percent regularly get a loan to cover their recurring expenses, 73 percent have requested a loan from banks or relatives, which involves uncertainty in response time and deficiencies, creating a vicious circle due to an eternal debt with high bank rates.

Challenges

Paolo states that nowadays the software created for all the devices that surround us impact radically our lives, the huge amount of data generated and exchanged on a daily basis, has allowed entrepreneurs to create extraordinary companies that in conjunction with the Internet generates interesting challenges,
He mentioned three of them.

Data security

According to Paolo as a company minu need to take care and protect the data of their users, which contains personal and transactional information, making all this very attractive for cyber attackers. Maintaining the highest standards in terms of cybersecurity is a great challenge for all technology companies, especially when like minu, the services you offer are Fintech related.

Scalability

With the Internet, the possibility of being able to reach millions of users brings with it the great challenge of being able to scale the computing and storage power of their systems. From the early days of minu, this problem was very clear to him, it allowed today to have a very elegant solution, which is evolving continuously, where the exponential growth of users does not represent a major concern for their tech architecture.

Talent

Paolo always likes to say that companies are made of people, as last but not least, another very important challenge is to find the best talent in order to plan, execute and bring to life a product with excellent quality and prove its market fit. In general, it has been very difficult to find very talented team members, the search and selection process can take weeks of work and dedication that does not ensure the expected result, developing an attractive compensation package is complex and expensive, but today after a year and half of activities minu is team of 40+ people, very talented, who have managed to create a unique product in its market niche in Mexico. They keep looking for the best talent and this will probably always be one of their biggest challenges.

Major achievements

“Being able to do what I really love and I`m passionate about, is one of my major achievements, I had the opportunity of creating startups over 7 different countries and today being with minu contributing improving the financial health of millions of Mexicans it’s simply amazing!” Said Paolo In minu his experience helped in building one of the best tech teams in a matter of weeks, having a beautiful and scalable product in less than a month and half, which allowed them to prove their market fit and still maintain the flag of first movers in offer this service of salary on demand.

Future Perspective

Paolo loves sharing experience with others through mentorships, he try to help young entrepreneurs in understanding how to shape their ideas in order to go to market. One of his goals is being able to focus his career in helping companies and individuals succeed.  As a company, he sees minu as one of the first movements that made it possible to see what today is known as salary day, everyday! (Salary on demand)

Comments on current industry scenario.

When The Tycoon Magazine contacted and asked him about his opinion on current industy scenario Paolo States that. “Fintechs and all the startup world in México in those last 5 years has been growing a lot, if we only think that just 15 years ago in Mexico the entrepreneurial ecosystem had no much visibility from foreigner VC’s, Angel Investors, Incubators, etc. which made it very hard to raise moneys! Today things changed a lot. minu achieved to close in its first Q of activities a seed round of 6M USD from VC’s and Angels, many of our close friends of the industry have been closing serie A, B and C of bigger amounts that catalyzed an immediate interest from VC’s on a global scale which thanks to human talent, financing, performance and market reach converted CDMX in an ideal place to host startup ecosystems with high potential. During 2019 the Fintech sector has already overcome the barrier of 400 startups, Mexicans are great early adopters of those innovative platforms as fintechs are seen as an opportunity to reduce operating costs and maximize efficiency over traditional banking. The Interbank Electronic Payment System (SPEI), which is the payment infrastructure of Banco de México has been incredibly helpful as bank transfers are performed within 30 seconds after the operation is confirmed. Due to the Covid-19 the first semester of 2020 has slowed down most of the economy, we know that the impact of the pandemic will vary from country to country and it will most likely increase poverty and inequalities at a global scale, with minu we have the mission of improving the financial health of millions of Mexicans with the hope that employees can benefit of our services in those difficult moments.”

Advice to Budding Entrepreneurs

Paolo Said that Being an entrepreneur and having the opportunity to be actively involved in the startups ecosystem, sharing stories, meeting incredible people with bizarre ideas that will probably turn into great ventures, represents a journey full of learning, sacrifices, failures, and great joys, it is a journey where there will always be something to do! finding the correct balance is the greatest recommendation I can give, we must learn to live the journey and not only think about the final destination, learn to listen to people, motivate them and cultivate your passions.

As the only independent not-for-profit institution dedicated to strengthening the U.S.-India partnership in Washington, D.C. and in New Delhi, USISPF is the trusted partner for businesses, non-profit organizations, the diaspora, and the government of India and the United States. USISPF builds, enables, advocates, facilitates, and guides partnerships between the two countries by providing a platform for all stakeholders to come together in new ways that will create meaningful opportunities with the power to change the lives of citizens in both countries.
USISPF has six areas of work:

Business Policy Advocacy

USISPF assists its member companies in engaging with federal and state governments on policy advocacy to strengthen the economic and commercial partnership between the two countries. Connecting businesses and governments USISPF provides its member companies a platform to work together and to track opportunities at the state and federal level. USISPF also drives deeper collaboration by facilitating introductions between government entities and businesses.

Strategic Engagement

USISPF helps business, government, and other stakeholders engage in public-private partnerships that strengthen the U.S.-India strategic partnership such as that in the all-important Indo-Pacific region. It works to deepen the role of both nations in tackling global and regional challenges through theme-based research and knowledge sharing.

Legislative Affairs

USISPF facilitates engagement between its member companies and the legislative branches in both countries through frequent structured dialogues with U.S. Members of Congress and with Members of Parliament in India.

Inclusive Development

USISPF helps all stakeholders work collaboratively towards inclusive development. It helps companies identify opportunities to aggregate their CSR investment with government, non-profit, and private sector partners, to bridge the gap between corporate initiatives and government priorities. Education, Innovation & Entrepreneurship USISPF believes education, innovation, and entrepreneurship are key to fuelling job creation in both India and the US With this in mind, USISPF works with its members and partners to create an environment with a robust IP framework, to support cutting-edge innovation. Additionally, its Startup Connect Program provides an institutional support system for Indian entrepreneurs who are exploring opportunities in the US market.

Struggles and successes

USISPF is a niche organization, backed by a powerful board comprising of CEOs of Fortune 500 companies that works with a laser focus on deepening partnership between the United States and India. USISPF explores market opportunities for its member companies in India to highlight the immense potential that India has for investors as well as for Indian companies that are eyeing the US market.  USISPF covers every aspect of the US-India relationship on a daily basis— from energy, defense, Pharma, and digital economy. They have connections at the highest levels of governments in India and the United States— their annual thought leadership summits have brought together Democrats and Republicans – Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Jared Kushner, Wilbur Ross, India Caucus members to name a few.

Future goals and advice to emerging entrepreneurs

USISPF forges solid partnerships with non-profits, start-ups, and education institutions. USISPF estimates that U.S.-India bilateral trade is likely to grow from $143 billion to $238 billion by 2025. This growth will occur if trade grows by 7.5% each year, as has been the trend for the last 7 years. The estimate also projects that, by 2025, bilateral trade could range between $283 billion to $327 billion, at an annual average growth rate of 10%-12.5% (as witnessed in 2017 and 2018). The assessment underscores pathways for growth and economic opportunity in our bilateral ties by highlighting current trends. Sectors such as defense trade, commercial aircraft, oil and LNG, coal, machinery, and electronics are areas of potential growth in U.S. investments and commerce into India. Similarly, Indian industry has an opportunity to promote the automotive, pharmaceuticals, seafood, IT, and travel services to the U.S. market.Dr. Aghi’s advice for emerging entrepreneurs is pretty straightforward, “Stay focused and be nimble.”

His focused approach towards creating problem-solving strategies centered around behavior and thought, along with the power of communication and coping mechanisms has paved the way for many substances abused, ill-health, or just regular individuals with mental health issues become better-living men.

Since time immemorial mental health has always been overlooked, considered as a mere mood swing, but with time, it has been paid attention and because of consistent effort by people like Myers, a drastic change is conspicuous and as he says “the industry has seen tremendous changes over the years. Therapy is more goal-directed now. Empirical data, science, and utilization of medical interventions are more widely accepted and used currently. I see the health industry understanding the importance of collaboration of services. Society is more accepting of individuals seeking out professional help.”

The Myers Counseling group combines varied backgrounds, giving you access to an unparalleled depth of knowledge about healthcare and therapy, a perspective that you won’t find in other groups, comprised of a best-in-class team of experts in search and consulting, as well as those that have built and led healthcare organizations, providing healthcare at the patient level, working in global health, have experience in multiple functions in other industries, and devote their free time to not-for-profit healthcare initiatives.

The Inception

Myers Counseling Group started in August 1999. The shifting of office to Crystal Lake, which was closer to their home allowed the team, greater flexibility, and time commitment to their work. Their staunch philosophy has not changed since they started helping the humans around and they manage to work remotely, provide them emotional, moral, and all the resources in their capacity, and as he said “We support them through their journey in recovery.” Individuals from all geographical areas seek out services at Myers Counseling Group, the telehealth services are one of their most used, for the clients in the state of Illinois, they take immense pride in being community-based and simultaneously maintaining family values too. He strongly puts faith in maintaining these standards while sustaining the individual focus of the client. He believes in “investing time, energy, and commitment to improving the quality of life.” Mark brings his commitment to serving clients not only from his community but other communities as well which talks a lot about his character as a counselor.

The Journey and Major Achievements

The journey of Myers counseling group to one of the leading counseling groups wasn’t a regular one, Myers like most of young adults ended up in field, doing a job which wasn’t exactly satisfying but his zeal for social work led him to Private practice with the help of unconditional support from his wife, Janet Myers, who also co-authored with him in his latest publication: Falling Trees, Color Blind Scientists, and Addiction: A Complete Guide to Addiction for Substance Abusers and Their Families, a book meant to delve deeper into the how’s, why’s, and what’s of addiction, the devastation it brings to the families of the abused, and how to deal with it in a sustained manner. Myers believes this initiative helped him contribute in the greater good of the society and he also considers it an achievement to cherish. Moreover, he also wishes to write further books and is also hoping to expand podcasts and videos to offer additional support and guidance to those who could benefit from it.

Obstacles Faced

Quite unusual is his source of motivation, which isn’t a person or a thing, or an experience from the repressed childhood, but his value system which enables him to take informed decisions, endure through this difficult, ever-changing business. He told The Tycoon Magazine That most of his revenue comes from insurance, and the insurance industry is dynamic, which prevents him from creating long term therapeutic marks in the counseling industry.

Advice to the budding Entrepreneurs

When asked for his advice, and insight for the budding entrepreneurs, he said “It is not easy being in your own business. Not everyone will have the temperament and patience to have your own business. It is essential to have a sound support system. My family’s support (which was huge) has been helpful. I have also received advice from many different professionals, both in and outside of my profession. This advice has been tremendously useful to me. Do not be afraid of reaching out for help and direction.” Hence it is imperative to reach out for help and direction, whether it is an issue pertaining to your life, career or your mental health.