As part of our Season 02 of CulturallyOurs we have guest contributors from around the world who have generously shared their entrepreneurial journey. It is so interesting to read different perspectives and experiences even beyond the guests featured on our CulturallyOurs podcast.

This week we showcase Tara Khandelwal from India.

Thank you so much for willing to contribute a few words on Global Entrepreneurshp for CulturallyOurs.

#1 Can you tell us a little bit about who you are and where are you from and what is your business all about?

I am an editor and writer. I run Bound– a skill building company for creatives. We create writers’ retreats with established authors and mentors in the Indian literary scene. We also run a writing mentorship programme where we help writers complete their projects, and we provide editorial services for writers and companies. I love living between the pages of books. Editing is my passion and I love working with authors and helping them produce the best work they are capable of.

#2 What has been your biggest win/ah-ha moment and what has been your biggest challenge?

There hasn’t been one biggest one- just a series of small wins leading up to bigger things. We are only a year old and were invited to present a panel on how to get published with the countries biggest publishers at the Times of India Literary Festival. That was a wonderful validation for the hard work we have been putting in. Another big win was putting together a wonderful team of editors and writers who work at Bound with me.

#3 As an entrepreneur we sometime are alone at the helm steering our ship without any help and support – both mentally and physically. Have you ever felt that way? And how and where do you find your support system?

I feel like that all the time. It is difficult being a solo founder and finding a good framework from which you can make decisions. I have come to terms with the fact that no decision I make is perfect, but I have become better at identifying what my priorities are and how they play into the way I make decisions. I use routines to help ground me- I make sure I do yoga everyday, I make sure I get to the office at the same time everyday and these habits help clear my mind and motivate me. I have been lucky to have had the support of a wonderful partner who has been a sounding board at the early stages of my business. He has believed in me and encouraged me to build a foundation from where I can be creative. I’m still on the journey of finding mentors and I routinely set up meetings with others in similar fields/go to events and talks where I can get inspired and attain new ways of thinking.

#4 What does the business and entrepreneurial landscape look like where you are based?

Mine is a niche business, but it is invaluable for the people who avail of Bound’s services and programs. An author-editor relationship is very intimate and it’s been wonderful working with so many wonderful writers as they create their works. We were the first in the country to offer writing retreats and since then the concept of experiential/productive vacations have really taken off. We are also the first in the country to offer writing mentorship programs- where we work intensively with authors once a week as they complete their projects. As long as we keep creating unique and innovative programs which add value to the people we serve, I am confident that this business can keep growing.

#5 Lets talk motivation / mindset / growth / business for a moment – unlike Corporate where someone else is in charge, for an entrepreneur it is all you – so how do you keep yourself motivated and excited about your future?

This maybe a cliche, but if you love what you do, then that is motivation enough- you want to keep doing it and you find ways to be creative. That being said, of course there have been many many times when the going has become very tough.

At those times, you have to remind yourself that it isn’t the result that matters as much as the effort. If the effort is made, then some amount of faith can help you push through and find solutions to your problems. If you believe in yourself and your ability to handle challenges, then you can ride through the negative emotions that inevitably come up. Once again, having a routine, doing things which ground you, putting in the time at work are all things that help. And remembering that problems don’t get solved magically, and that in life there will always be one problem or another!

Above all the community we have created at Bound is the biggest source of encouragement for me and that is what keeps me going.

#6 If you could go back in time to when you first started – would you do it all over again? Or would you change something and what would it be?