I have observed over the course of my adult life that good connections to people are especially important for my mental well being. I have been blessed with the ability to forge good relations with almost everyone I interact more than 5 times for a period of more than 15 minutes! This formula works for me. For others it is a difficult process and can be very frustrating. I take relationships on their face value and am not perturbed by others perception of myself, as that can cause doubt and angst in present and future interactions. People have told that I am an “open book” and in the library of life I am an easy read. This is not a taint of weakness, but the innate strength built by the example my parents have set in their lives. Some people think it is weak to be kind, but I can tell you it is very much the opposite.
I was an introvert in my childhood till high school, happy with my company and vivid imagination thanks to the magic of movies and one movie specifically- Star Wars! I had a handful of friends and a whole lot of cousins, but I am the person who would alone in a crowd, observing their interactions and enjoying myself through them, nary uttering a word. For me, the connect took full flight when I left home for college in Coimbatore. On my own and left to fend for myself I was fortunate to have a group of guys who looked out for me and each other – my classmates. I metamorphosized from an introvert to a person comfortable in his skin, a bit chattier and interacting more. This metamorphosis happened over the 5 years I was in college and the connect I have with this group helped me be a bit more confident. I still have difficulty to start conversations with strangers, but I occasionally take a stab at it.
Establishing this connect has helped me to start my own business after a 22-year career in factory management and consulting. It was daunting at first but there were “connects” who believed in me even when I did not. They knew my talents and capabilities and encouraged, nurtured, and propelled my foray into graphic designing. The first steps were harsh and like any popular movie a 3-part sequel.
Step 1: I had resigned from a 17-year career (let go to be accurate) in electronics manufacturing for an MNC and I had no clue where I was heading as this change had taken me by surprise. I was in shell for these 17 years with a lot of connect with my colleagues but truly little outside this eco-system. I decided to pursue my passion on 2 fronts – art & technology. So, I enrolled myself in 2 courses – Photoshop and Swift Coding. I excelled in one and found out I will not be getting a job in Apple! The turning point was these two assignments I did (from scratch) –
I proved to myself that one is never too old to learn old tricks and with the proliferation of YouTube I now learn new techniques almost every day for various tools.
Step 2: Old habits die hard and I reverted to a consulting job which took me to Gurgaon (now Gurugram) which was most definitely interesting and challenging. But being away from family was a bit hard and after a year returned to Chennai to work with a friend in an existing manufacturing operation but my role was business development and I dabbled in many new activities. During this tenure I learnt the power of PowerPoint (which I thought I was the master of). I learnt so much new stuff which led me to design my first website and it came out so well. That surge of confidence was all that I needed.
Step 3: I moved on to start graphic design from home and my first client was my father! We run a rural school just outside Trichy and I took charge of the website creation and social media content. But the big break came when my college connect and hostel room mate who runs an exclusive diamond jewelry business gave me my first assignment. It started there and I have done scores of print designs, social media posts and websites. I am always grateful for the opportunity that he gave me. The key contribution made by him was boosting my confidence and making believe it is possible!
J3P3 Creations is a media house dealing in video ads, social media management, website design and media education. We strive in creating compelling content in videos, print and online presence. We have our creative workspace in Besant Nagar and have a team of industry experts to push the boundaries of creativity and ensure maximum customer satisfaction. Looking forward to providing the best video production and graphic design creations for our customers!
Awesome Iggy ! that’s a 5 minute lifestory 🙂 You are one of the sweetest guys I know…Best wishes dear friend !!
Thanks Arun!! You are too kind!
Wonderful read Iggy. And so inspirational for youngsters like my son’s and yours ??
Keep telling us more??
Thanks!! Will do!!
Awesome igsy!!
Thanks Sudheer! See you soon!
Thank you for writing this blog Iggy. I didn’t know you had forayed into web design and other digital content! Wishing you the best always. The world needs more gentle, talented, generous and absolutely wonderful people like you!
Thanks Sangeetha!Thanks for your kind words. Take care!!
A pleasant flow of narration ,simply connecting the reader with “you”.
Thanks Pani maama! Trying new things!!
Great and awesome article ?. Keep it coming and empower your dreams
Thanks Jack. Trying new things!!
Feeling so happy, while reading this article Iggy. Nice to read the life story, written briefly.
Above all, I feel that I am more blessed to work with you much closer, for a longer duration in my career.
I got admired about your passion on new technology, executing them immediately, which drives me a lot, even today. Thanks a lot Iggy.
Richie Rich! Thanks for your earnest response. Missing the old days!!
Great to read the write up. what i admire about you is that you are a patient silent listener and open to others voices with a honest smile.wishing you all the best and god”s blessing.
Thanks uncle!
Missed this one till today.
The transition is nicely captured.
Entrepreneurship and creativity is the way forward in the highly nonlinear future market place.
I think, it was Alvin Toffler, in his book “The third wave” predicts that the future will belong to those who cater to the leisure industry. The 21st century generation is tuned to resonate with the visual content of information.
Great going. All the best.
Thanks dad!!