The Rotaract Club of Women’s Christian College, in collaboration with Rotaract Club of the University of Toronto, district 7070, organised an online webinar on “International Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century” on October 30, 2021. The event was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Madras Metro Rotary International District 3232. The speaker was Mr Irwin Raj, President of Indigo Group - Canada and India. Mr Raj is also an Advisor to the Federal government and Consultant to bank clients investing in India.
The event aimed to unlock the secrets of entrepreneurial success, providing insight on cultural differences and work ethics around the world, to prepare Green Rotaractors for their future endeavours, in making them empathetic and understanding towards the differences around them.
With the salutation “Vanakkam Chennai,” Mr Irwin Raj began his presentation. He said that he always aspired to be a banker because he thought people could make more money in banking. Then he went on to talk about the difference between, “theory and practice” and said, “We read a lot about finance… but it's different when we are outside.” He narrated an incident that happened in his twenties, during his two-month internship at Citibank, India. He explained how his boss threw his 200-page report into the dustbin, “What are your findings? Do you think I have time to read 200 pages of a report?” asking him to write a one-page report. He said that was when he learnt the difference between the real world outside and the one he read about in his textbooks.
Mr Raj gave pointers on nine essential qualities that entrepreneurs should have:
First, Passion. He said that passion is what gives us the strength to thrive even when it's difficult. The passion within oneself ignites the whole team. The second is Focus and Intensity. Focusing on dreams will help us stay on the right path. Third, he said “Entrepreneurs must have integrity. Nothing is more important than integrity.” They must have integrity both in their personal and professional lives. “Integrity is paramount.”
Fourth: hardwork. When he asked his son, who has a Youtube channel, “What is it you love in what you do?” he replied, “I just love waking up every morning to get to work.” Entrepreneurs are extremely hardworking people because they love what they do.
Fifth, entrepreneurs make decisions. Mr Raj pointed out that there’s only one bad decision in life and that is indecision. He urged youngsters to not stay in the middle and be indecisive.
Sixth, entrepreneurs take risks. They have to be willing to lose money, to lose their position, to face failures. Entrepreneurship is an adventure. He explained that it is also not a single-man affair. It affects everyone around them. Seventh, Persistence. “Keep pushing,” he urged. They need self-belief to take the next step. And self-belief also energises the rest of the team.
He advised the Rotaractors to keep learning from the team, young or old. He asked them to stay humble. “If you don’t know something, say you don’t know.” Last but not the least, Creativity. Entrepreneurs should be able to think out of the box.
The event involved a question and answer session towards the end. During the session, When a participant asked, “How do you define success?” He replied, “Success has to do with happiness and peace of mind. It’s more of what you have within.” Wishing us all a successful, happy and peaceful life, Mr Irwin Raj concluded his presentation.
Comments