Shobhit Shukla, Partner, Talk Instead

 Every event is dedicated to diverse themes like ‘Live Your Calling’, ‘The Art of Parenting’, ‘Learning from Music’, so on and so forth. At the core of their vision lies their effort to spread awe-inspiring stories and ideas across the world, which is why, the content of all their events is available on the net to anyone for free viewing.

Inspiration is everywhere! People have amazing experiences which often go unheard, but Shukla provides people with an opportunity to let their hearts out on the show and Talk Instead; he gives them a choice of theme and a dais to reach out to the people directly.

Established recently by Shukla and Sweta Mogra, the firm is set up in Bangalore and plan to start operations in other cities in the next few months. They believe that this concept is required as much in other cities as in Bangalore. Next on the card are their plans to grow themselves into a nationally-recognised brand of knowledge-based events, while simultaneously spreading inspiring stories and thoughts across the globe. Talk Instead’s uniqueness lies in its way of operation. It offers speakers the opportunity to share their ideas with the audience, who are privy to few hours of real-life stories and ideas from real-life individuals — people they would, perhaps, bump into at a local store or a restaurant.

Shukla has been awarded a few national and international scholarships like NTSE and Singapore International Scholarship, but the achievement that has never failed to appeal Shukla is when he was among the top 20 students to have been short listed for IIM, Bangalore.

When asked why Shukla chose to be an entrepreneur to opting for a comfortable 9-5 job, he said “After completing my engineering, I worked with a leading multinational and then with an investment bank overseas, however, I realised that a conventional job was not what I was looking for. With no liabilities, monetary or otherwise, I knew this was the best time to focus on starting something of my own.”

Initially, challenges had been in the form of risk involved in moving ahead with the venture independently. Of course, Shukla had the added advantage of having graduated from IIM, but that also added to the risk. However, considering the knowledge and experience that comes along the entrepreneurial journey, the risk is highly overrated. Shukla is now working with a few consulting projects to build a brand image for Talk Instead; this he sees as his next challenge.

“The journey with Talk Instead has not been hurdle-free, but every mistake has been a lesson. It gets frustrating at times to find things going haywire; it feels as if the whole world is conspiring against me,” admitted Shukla. It was his sheer determination and desire to do something all by himself that helped him override all obstacles. “I truly believe that the only way to stay happy is to do what you like doing. Life has its own meaning, just like poetry, both require a deeper understanding and the right perspective.” 

Tips for aspiring entrepreneurs – It’s important to pursue what you love, and you have to keep looking for it until you find it.