Aparna Mishra Founder
CafeBiz and Womeshine
“Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.”― Thomas Jefferson
It’s said that life begins at 40. It’s kind of second innings, but you never know—you might win the game. Aparna is a happy, vibrant Leo by zodiac sign who is eager to reach new heights. At forty, she launched her own business and is now making money at her speed in addition to learning. She graduated with a degree in science and management and worked for several prestigious companies, but her true calling was becoming an entrepreneur.Indian women, and probably women everywhere, have innate tendencies that are difficult to change. Who will give birth to the child and look after the in-laws and family? It is us who are compelled to give up on our dreams due to children, sick parents, and other circumstances. Due to the harsh realities of a patriarchal society, Aparna desired flexible work schedules to balance her personal and professional lives. However, you really can’t get your way when dealing with industry titans like Reliance Communications, Modi Revlon, and the Times of India.On September 30, 2008, Aparna, who had worked in the sales, marketing, and customer service fields for 18 years, announced her resignation. It was no easy task, especially without any family history in business.
She struggled to persuade her parents at first, but in the end, she succeeded and entered the field of education. She decided to start the business by purchasing a franchise from a well-known education brand, but there were better courses of action than this. She had to pay franchise fees in thousands. Her initial attempt at entrepreneurship failed miserably, and she was forced to close the business by October 2009, mostly as a result of internal management problems. However, this one year offered her rational insights into several other fields in which she could explore and broaden her horizons.
At first, life was difficult, but each day went by with the hope that things would get better. Being a quick learner and doer, she was constantly motivated and inspired by startups. When she founded Radiance Corporate Solutions Private Limited, it offered government agencies, multinational corporations, and Indian blue-chip companies learning and development services. It began with the goal of offering corporate and professional learning solutions, and it has expanded with a committed team of experts and established a 100-seat outbound call centre for Mahindra Vacations.
She ran it effectively for six years, but as they say, “Every Rise Has a Fall,” and that is what happened to her as well. God forbid, no lives were lost in the significant fire that broke out in her BPO, but the entire facility was destroyed by flames. This was the catastrophe that broke her both emotionally and financially. It then served as a BPO for Mahindra Holidays with a strength of 60 seats. It also served as Idea Cellular’s postpaid sales TELE DSA in 2012–13 and Tata Sky Connections’ Tele DSA in 2012–2015. In a sense, it was a headhunter company that ran training programs for various public and private companies from 2010 to 2015.
In addition to management development programs covering crucial subjects like effective communication techniques, stress management, self-management, the seven habits of highly effective people, etc., seminars on behaviour skills and leadership training programs were also held. As a director, Aparna played a crucial role in developing corporate strategies, business planning, and analysis for determining potential revenue.
She was instrumental in finding potential customers and establishing connections with current clients to increase sales growth and get business from both new and existing accounts.Aparna then finished a course on women entrepreneurs offered by Goldman Sachs and ISB, Hyderabad, in the interim. She was able to efficiently and effectively manage and organise her work thanks to this program. Her company is currently doing fairly well, and she recently started a new venture called CafeBiz, an online networking site for business owners all over the world. One can display their goods and services on this platform.
Aparna looks to those around her for inspiration. She finds success fascinating and enjoys reading about aspiring business owners. She watches all shows on TV that highlight talent and skills related to entrepreneurship and provide insight into the lives of enterprising individuals. She has also worked closely with the PhD Chamber of Commerce, NHRD, TIE, Inner Wheel, Lions Club International, COWE, FICCI FLO and other social and networking organisations. She is currently a consultant for startups. She is involved with multiple incubators and enjoys mentoring startups. She started a global digital magazine called “Women Shine” during the pandemic, with the three ‘I’ being Inspiring, Interesting, and Innovating.
The past fifteen years of being an entrepreneur have been an incredibly inspiring and exhilarating roller coaster ride, filled with no regrets. Aparna acknowledges that life has its ups and downs, but says she can’t complain because she chose it. Instead, she views it as a natural part of life.
She declares with joy in her voice that deciding to try something different and quitting her job was the right move. She used to detest the eight-hour workday, but now that she has the choice, she works around the clock. When you are growing your fledgling business, that is the reason you work with passion. She claims that people who are passionate about their work are the ones who achieve success because they put their all into everything she does. Her advice to the younger generation is to work extremely hard, be sincere, and modest, and have a positive outlook. It’s imperative to have self-assurance and a never-say-die mindset. With each project coming after the other, Aparna is prepared to reach new heights.Dream, Dare, and Passion are three powerful words that sum up who she is and what she truly believes in.
