“Why are you quitting this job? Building a business is no joke! “You know how many people are dying to have a job like this?”
Well, people might still be dying to have a job as I had but for me, it was about living my life and my dream. These comments were from my boss, colleagues, and even some of my friends. But as the saying goes- When there’s a will there’s a way. So, I thrust back such demotivation and made my way towards my goal. “How did I make it possible?” The answer is simple- I believed in myself when no one did. Believing in yourself is powerful. If you have it, you can WIN anything, If you don’t have it you can LOSE everything you have.
I lost my father at the age of two and a half. This made me vulnerable and weak in front of those who were complete in all ways- more beautiful, intelligent, wealthy, and having the love from both their parents. Many of us concentrate on what we don’t have instead of what we have, so did I. Being an average student I felt insecure among brainy folks. People around me told me I was “ok” and not “beautiful” and I started believing that I was just “ok”. We used to have financial hiccups in the family so I thought people were judging me for who I am, and I did feel incomplete and broken without having the love of a father.
This worm of negative critical self-judgment crept in me turned into under confidence, and it continued to grow in me until one of my teachers in the last few years of my schooling prodded me to identify my qualities.
The real journey began when I joined college. I became a part of a Theatrical group and also started working as an Intern at one of India’s leading Commercial Banks. I could pay my college fee and help my mother financially too. I knew I could fight the odds and win any battle. I had started to believe in myself more than ever.
Right after college, I joined India’s biggest Media Conglomerate. Earning good money was luring. Years passed and after serving for 9 years I realized that I was earning money but losing the right attitude. My confidence was dissolving like metal in acid.
I was tearing down between the dissatisfaction in life and the existing lavish lifestyle. I was unsure whether to quit my job or not. It was hard but I challenged myself to turn my flickering confidence into a torch. I took a sabbatical and went to Georgia, the USA to get certified in Image Consulting. This was a turning point in my life. When I came back to India, I made a commitment to myself and to the society at large that I WILL be a torchbearer for all those who want to become confident. I founded The Image Launchpad in 2017 and since then I’ve trained more than 20000 people and helped clients based in India, USA, Singapore and the Middle East.
I never looked back. In Dylan Lauren’s words, “believe in yourself, listen to your gut and do what you love”
Shubha Joshi, AICI CIC (among the only 3 AICI Certified Image Consultants in India)
Image Consultant | Youtuber | Behavioral Trainer
- Founder of The Image Launchpad
- Co-founder of Lucknow chapter of Toastmasters International
- Coached more than 20k people through group training and individual makeovers
- Nominated ‘Best Mentor’ and ‘ Best Service Provider’ categories at the 9th National Small Business Awards 2020
- Featured as top Image Consultants in India by CEO Insights in March 2020
- Awarded AICI Member of the year 2019-2020
- Official Image Consultant for Forever Star Miss & Mrs India 2021
- Awarded Women Excellence Award 2021 in the field of Image Consulting and Training
- First-ever Speaker from India at the AICI Global Conference 2021
- Honoured by the ‘Rising Star Award’ for 2019-2020 at the AICI Global Conference 2021
-WS Team
