Why we need to fail and why we should talk about it!

2. We always share our successes – how we were, are or have been the best of the best of the best. Hardly do we
speak about our failures. I am here today to do just that. Share my failures to save you the trouble, share my
failures because it makes me stronger!

3. So originally, I am from Delhi, India. 21 million people, 1 city. That meant I had to win all the time and win BIG. I
started working when I was 20. By 21, I was a marketing & communications consultant dolling out advice to CEOs at
Microsoft, Philips, Sandisk, adidas among others. I had my burnout when I was 22. By 24, I decided I wanted to see
more of the world, meet and talk to people and maybe just chill out for a bit! So I came to Maastricht.

4. I had seen a lot of positives in my life. I was always at the top of my game. Maastricht turned all of that around for
me. At the end of my Masters, I could not find a job. I sent out close to 100 applications and I was turned down
every one of those times. I had spent 25,000 euros and most of my savings to come here, study and start afresh.
Things however were not going as I planned. So I kinda felt like this man – standing with my fire burning bright but
with nothing to do! Now I could have packed up my bags and left! But I stayed. I persevered.

5. I started talking to people. Started telling them my story. Started sharing all my experiences – good & bad. What
this did was let people know about me. Failure was not my identity as I had started believing it was. I got invited to
conferences and events. I would network with people and bullshit – a lot, hustle – a lot. In doing this, I started to find
myself. I went beyond my successes and failures and just started enjoying who I was.

6. I started following my passions. I love to cook. I threw close to 70 dinners in about 8 months in my living room and
invited all kinds of people. I love to learn. I started working for free. And as I started living my life the way I
wanted to, things started to change. As I started doing things I love, I started to make a change in not only my life,
but also in the life of others. And I learnt a valuable lesson…

7. Acknowledge your failures. Don’t fear them.
Follow your heart. Don’t lie to it.
Fail over and over again. Don’t succeed all the time.
Sometimes to know what is right, you need to know what is wrong.

8. This is me today.

9. Say this to yourself.