Mehernosh Daruwalla
It all started with the decision to try in the year 2013. They say the three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates and a monthly salary. I was getting pulled into the last one. As an International Cabin Crew for one of the premier airlines of the country, everything was absolutely picture perfect with a job that pays you well to go around the world, a car that picks you up and drops you back home and good hotels to stay in. The picture was indeed perfect but it was for the onlooker and not me.
There was an opportunity to become a Human Factors Trainer with the same airline so I decided to try and explore the Trainer in me. Surprisingly I made it through and got selected in the interview. This was the beginning of a new change in my life, the change that I continue to eat, drink, sleep and live now. After a stint of a few months short of 3 years, towards the end of 2016, I took the big step and began the journey of my entrepreneurial life.
With over a decade of work experience in Hospitality, Aviation and Management, coupled with training expertise, I started exploring avenues which could steer my career in the direction I was inclined towards. The market was full of options, but I was looking for a place that offered an opportunity to grow further. Image Consulting Business Institute (ICBI) was indeed that pool of opportunities. In mid-2017 I decided to become a professional Image Consultant and Soft Skills Trainer by pursuing my course at ICBI.
A career in Image Management is, even today, a less trodden path by many. Risk is the down payment on success but I was willing to pay it. Here, the risk was whether I would be able to achieve what I had seen other very successful trainers and consultants had. ICBI instilled faith and guided the path all the way. The Business Program offered by ICBI includes the very comprehensive Business Enablement Training (BET) sessions, which are an extremely effective tool to engage and enable the Image Consultant to start taking steps in building one’s professional career.
Just like any other training, the success of these BET sessions lie in implementation and not in its attendance. The training also keeps you going, pushes you, motivates you and gives you a step-by-step guidance on the nuances of being a successful professional in the market. By sincerely following the process after attending the sessions, I can proudly claim to have reached a stage where I comfortably earned my return on the investment made within the first year of my career. This is something which usually doesn’t happen in most business scenarios.
Image Management and Skill Development are not only one of the sunrise industries today but also the need of the hour for a country with billions of people getting aware of this need. We are surely a part of the rising curve and shall rise with the curve. My heartfelt gratitude to the torch bearers of ICBI for their vision to foresee this years ago and develop a platform for individuals aspiring to make a career in this dynamic, multifaceted field.