Interview with Shalu Khattar | Thailandwale
I hope this can inspire you to become a successful entrepreneur too! Why is it important to hear the story of a successful entrepreneur?
Having the vision to become an entrepreneur is great. Making it happen is another story!
In that frame, I had the pleasure to interview Shalu Khattar, Co-Founder of Thailandwale. Thailandwale is a one-stop platform for travellers looking to visit Thailand.
1. Tell us about your startup, what does it do? What were the challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?
After working as an Assistant General Manager of Sales at Just Dial Ltd, I felt I had amassed enough know-how regarding sales to start my own venture. As the co-founder of Thailandwale, I now drive the growth of the company and base many of my executive decisions on things I have learnt over the last 13 years.
Thailandwale is a one-stop platform for travellers looking to visit Thailand. We aim to capture the entire market within the country, and while I am confident that we will achieve this goal, the journey so far hasn’t been without its challenges! Many travellers had trouble accepting us as a company that only offers travel services for Thailand. To all the naysayers, I’ve always said that it’s better to be great at one thing than mediocre at 5 different things!
The travel market is quite competitive and we’re still overcoming many of the challenges. However, one of the biggest things that set us apart from others is that we remove all middlemen between travellers and their final destination. We also ensure that the packages we offer have varying prices so that everyone can enjoy a trip to Thailand.
2. Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job?
I’ve always looked at a job as something that trains you to handle life’s real experiences. While working, I realized I have great leadership skills, which is what led me to believe that I should be an entrepreneur. To me, Entrepreneurship means being independent, owning your own space, and thinking big to offer a platform not for any, but for many!
3. How do you keep yourself motivated?
I was raised to believe that problems mean opportunities and this ideology always keeps me highly motivated.
4. What comes first for you – people or emotions?
People come first! I believe in training and re-training my team, which helps in injecting perfection at work. Perfection produces performance, which is then followed by money, which ultimately takes care of emotions. Imparting knowledge to people means matching your team with your product, which results in better productivity.
5. How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
Drinking water helps keep my body and mind refreshed! I always plan things to avoid negative situations at work, which keeps my mind calm and allows me to make my decisions wisely.
6. What advice would you give to someone starting out, particularly to aspiring entrepreneurs?
I would say that first, you must be a user of your idea and if it makes your life easy, offer it to the world, irrespective of people ‘s views. You have to believe your own idea as you exist in the world to execute it!
Do you have an inspiring story? Email us to get featured.
