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Richa Kalia
Co-founder and Managing partner
It was some time in mid 2012 when Richa Kalia was scouting the job market. This was the same time when her friend-cum-colleague(who is now the co-founder and business partner)began talking about starting a venture to make a difference to other people’s life by engaging them in meaningful employment. Going down that road to script her success story in the new age world, Richa ventured to charter unknown territories unabashedly and fearlessly.
Richa had full support from her immediate family; in fact they are the ones who encouraged her to pursue her dreams. “Starting my own venture was no different and I had their blessing and complete support. At times when I would have doubts or was not confident of taking up projects and assignments, my family, especially my mother would infuse me with a renewed self-confidence and determination to overcome challenges. My brother has always been pushing me to dream bigger and aim for higher goals and over the years has imbibed in me his never give-up attitude,” Richa speaks.
She co-founded the venture named Recherché India Advisors LLP with her friend-cum-colleague-cum-guide. All of her friends and former colleagues showed warm support in their own little ways. “We have had a lot of brain storming sessions pre and post incorporation of Recherché and our friends have always been there to discuss ideas and provide encouragement for all our endeavours and at all times. There has been a sense of belongingness and ownership even though they may not be a part of Recherché in a formal way. Many of our friends wish us to expand, venture into newer areas and grow bigger so that they could join the bandwagon and become our co-traveller in our entrepreneurial journey,” she mentions.
The Journey of Success and Failures
Many view failure as an opportunity to learn. Very few people have ever made it big without experiencing massive failures. Richa too had her share of failures and missed-just-by-the-nick moments in her journey so far. There have been times when Richa and her team have experienced anxiety and nerve wrecking moments of running tight delivery schedules, sudden and unreasonable expectations of clients. “I believe that one has to get a buy-in from all stakeholders, be it personal or professional and this poses one of the biggest challenges for almost every woman who decides to embark on the entrepreneurial journey. The early stages of any new ventures require maximum time, energy and focus and these early years were the ones wherein I faced added pressures. I think the women are faced with far more challenges in their entrepreneurial quest compared to men, as they are subjected to greater scrutiny–both on personal as well as professional front.”
At Recherche, workload of individual team member is planned to allow quality time with family and friends. Late stay in office is a rare and generally an unacceptable phenomenon. Office work environment is familial, informal and open to ensure that there is no stress for the team. On her part, Richa leaves no stone unturned to create a diverse,
cordial and pleasant workspace, guide women team members on their career growth path and provide them opportunities and support their growth in different ways. “The one thing that amazes you about Richa is her ability to deal with challenging situations with ample ease and takes a balanced view and deciding on merits. One can truly admire the way Richa has grown in capabilities to be running a successful research firm – Recherché India today. Her extensive domain knowledge and wide focus on market diversification has helped Recherché acquire domestic as well as overseas clients. Her proactive approach and good management skills with vendors and customers have helped capitalise, turning business more successful,” mentions one of the employees of Recherché India.
The Journey of Entrepreneurship
“Win some, Lose some, Learn a lot – is how Richa describes her journey of entrepreneurship. With a slow but steady pace, Richa and her team at Recherché India have strengthened their systems and capabilities that are the requisite ingredient for long-term success. She says, “Dedication, Determination and Discipline have been the three guiding factors for me in my journey so far. We have been hands-on entrepreneurs and are equally involved in project execution and day-to-day operations, as we are in business origination and strategizing.”
" Don't strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt"
All along, while making business decisions, Richa has always weighed in her mind the consequences the decision would have on people, time, effort and money. Her approach towards scaling has been a cautious one and that has ensured that their expenses grow in line with their earnings and revenues. “The most important factor for our success so far is the backing of a strong, supportive and dedicated team that has shouldered the burden alongside and has helped us to make all this happen,” she ends with a smile.
Panel 1:
Education:
-(FCS)Fellow Member of Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI)
- Bachelor of Law (LLB), University of Delhi
- Post Graduate Diploma in Cyber Law, Amity Law School, NOIDA
- Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration(PGDBA), Symbiosis Centre of Distance Learning, Pune
- Bachelor of Commerce(Hons.), University of Delhi
Role Model- My Mother
Message for aspiring women entrepreneurs- If you push through that feeling of being scared, that feeling of taking risk, really amazing things can happen. So go ahead and define success in your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live
Panel 2:
Employee Quote
As a guide, Richa is supportive and always open to understanding difficulties faced by her team members – be it professional or personal, and finding an enabling solution for the same. A patient teacher and trainer, she guides the team in firm yet fair way. Although a true professional and a hard taskmaster when it comes to work, she is always open to new ideas and suggestions from her team members irrespective of whether the employee is a fresher who has just joined or someone without the relevant experience. Besides being a joy to work with, she has been a take-charge person - able to present creative ideas and equally inspiring and motivating her fellow colleagues as well. “Business With Humane Touch, Always” is her motto when it comes to handling her team and her business
The Journey of Entrepreneurship
“Win some, Lose some, Learn a lot – is how Richa describes her journey of entrepreneurship. With a slow but steady pace, Richa and her team at Recherché India have strengthened their systems and capabilities that are the requisite ingredient for long-term success. She says, “Dedication, Determination and Discipline have been the three guiding factors for me in my journey so far. We have been hands-on entrepreneurs and are equally involved in project execution and day-to-day operations, as we are in business origination and strategizing.”
" Don't strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt"
All along, while making business decisions, Richa has always weighed in her mind the consequences the decision would have on people, time, effort and money. Her approach towards scaling has been a cautious one and that has ensured that their expenses grow in line with their earnings and revenues. “The most important factor for our success so far is the backing of a strong, supportive and dedicated team that has shouldered the burden alongside and has helped us to make all this happen,” she ends with a smile.
Panel 1:
Education:
-(FCS)Fellow Member of Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI)
- Bachelor of Law (LLB), University of Delhi
- Post Graduate Diploma in Cyber Law, Amity Law School, NOIDA
- Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration(PGDBA), Symbiosis Centre of Distance Learning, Pune
- Bachelor of Commerce(Hons.), University of Delhi
Role Model- My Mother
Message for aspiring women entrepreneurs- If you push through that feeling of being scared, that feeling of taking risk, really amazing things can happen. So go ahead and define success in your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you’re proud to live
Panel 2:
Employee Quote
As a guide, Richa is supportive and always open to understanding difficulties faced by her team members – be it professional or personal, and finding an enabling solution for the same. A patient teacher and trainer, she guides the team in firm yet fair way. Although a true professional and a hard taskmaster when it comes to work, she is always open to new ideas and suggestions from her team members irrespective of whether the employee is a fresher who has just joined or someone without the relevant experience. Besides being a joy to work with, she has been a take-charge person - able to present creative ideas and equally inspiring and motivating her fellow colleagues as well. “Business With Humane Touch, Always” is her motto when it comes to handling her team and her business