“The Secret of getting ahead is getting started.”…Mark Twain

The story of Leena Gazmer is an inspiring one – especially for those of us who dream of being our own boss, but are hesitant to give up on the comfort and security of high paying (and stressful!) corporate jobs.

Born in the small hilly town of Darejeeling and raised in Kolkata, Leena graduated from IHM – Dadar, Mumbai and got a sales job in a reputed hotel. Soon she was recruited by an international airline and shifted base to Muscat. However, she always had a dream of being her own boss – and start of a venture where she could mould young professionals – especially women and show them how to dream big and achieve the success they desired.

But she knew that, to fulfil her dream, she needed to put aside finances and also upgrade her knowledge and skills. She periodically kept taking up courses which would help her inch closer to fulfilling her dream.

Once she was sure that she was ready to take the big leap, she quit her airline job, shifted to Mumbai and took up a training course in image management and soft skills training. She also did confidence building coaching classes.

The main challenge was that of resettling back into the country after having lived abroad for almost 19 years along with the challenge of starting a new venture as a freelance Image consultant and Corporate Trainer under her own brand IMAGEXCELLENCE-Grooming & Finishing studio. Establishing her credibility as a trainer in the corporate world was also another big challenge because while Leena had the necessary qualifications, she lacked prior experience and expertise. So she started with a couple of pro bono assignments and complimentary sessions for few corporate brands through referrals and got positive feedback.

Moreover, it was most satisfying to resettle back in India having gained a rich experience of almost two decades of working with the best managers and leaders from different parts of the world. Her experience of having tackled many corporate challenges helped her to hone her corporate training skills. The only area she feels she lagged behind early on was her knowledge and usage skills with regards to technology. Creating and managing social media handles and not having a PR team on-board to create visibility on social media – these were things which she picked up a tad late, but she catching up now – learning along the way.

We asked her what advice would she want to give aspiring women entrepreneurs and she says”

1. Don’t wait for all things to be perfect. Start early, start small but start!

2. Accept change and learn to adapt to new developments in your business environment.

3. Develop skills that will help you grow your business and focus on learning, not on setbacks.

To generate new ideas for her business she looks towards others who have walked the path she aspires to walk and learn from their success stories and strategies. She also studies people, their lifestyle trends and tries to think of creative solutions to cater to their ever changing needs and wants.

Leena is a shining example of how giving up a cushy corporate job to follow your dreams is difficult but worth it in the end. No wonder then, that she defines success as “being your own boss, seeing your dreams come true even in small steps and wins and influence and touch lives in a positive way”.