“Your comfort zone is your danger zone,” said Greg Pitt once and Rajan Patel, the Founder of Greenobazaar held that quote like gospel!
Adventurous and risk-seeking since the young age of 15, Rajan Patel never shied away from starting off on his own. He started his first business in 2008 which consisted of him and his friends running their own juice bar-cum-food outlet.
They were successful enough to have two different outlets but due to a lack of communication amongst themselves, they had to shut it down and split up. For a while, Rajan had to return to a normal job due to the financial stress that he and his family were facing as he was the sole breadwinner of his family. But, this was the time being. It did not stop him for long. Very soon he found his new inspiration in the form of an interesting book called "Hot, Flat and Crowded" by Thomas Friedman.
The book was not only interesting enough to grab his attention with its words but it also pushed him towards the realization of how the world is changing and how we humans need to change with it too. It pushed Rajan to understand that sustainable development was what mattered and that if our country needed to move forward then the primary focus had to be on our health and environment. That is exactly what Rajan chose to do when he founded Greenobazaar.
The unique ideology that Greenobazaar rests upon is providing sustainable and organic products. It provides its buyers with eco-friendly and organic items and alternatives that allow them to lead their lives in a much healthier way. The best part is that Greenobazaar manages to deliver all over India and also has a physical store set up in Ahmedabad.
The start of this journey wasn’t an easy one, in fact, it was filled with struggles and various ups and downs. During the period of opening his start-up, Rajan battled with various hardships and depression, it was a difficult process. The process pushed him to his limit but helped him to stay active and keep going. It gave him a goal to focus on, the venture provided him with something to keep fighting for.
Faced with many sacrifices, Rajan kept pushing forward and did not give up. Rajan knew the process wouldn’t be an easy one but he persevered. This is why he now spends his time coaching upcoming startups and helping young, budding entrepreneurs since he can empathize with them and their difficulties. Having gone through the struggle himself he helps guide young individuals through their difficulties in having a start-up of their own.
Being a sole founder hasn’t made things simple for Rajan, in fact, there are days when he must struggle on his own and he cannot share his thoughts and concerns with others since it’s difficult to explain his situation and worries to them.
His greatest strength lies in being a deep thinker and working out through his complexities on his own. His unrelenting determination allows him to keep pushing through his harder days and not give up. He relies on his ability to communicate well with his clients which allows him to complete his sales and negotiations on a positive note. Mental breakdowns are easy to have, especially in such a stressful environment, but Rajans' persistence helped keep him on track. He doesn’t have a co-founder so a large chunk of work and responsibilities falls upon his shoulders multitasking isn’t always possible but he makes up for this by being persistent and having the mental tenacity to keep going and not giving up even when things seem difficult and hard to achieve.
The great part about Rajan’s work is that the venture he is pursuing aligns with his passion and beliefs. His love for the environment and belief in sustainability allows him to be persistent and gives him the strength to keep pushing ahead.
His family has always stood by his side, and though he has weathered the loss of his father well, he does miss his encouragement and support by his side. His mother has always been a source of strength to him.
Rajan’s belief and success rely upon the fact that though we may be optimistic, we must also be realistic since it’s also important to understand the losses that may be incurred when we try to execute a particular idea. We must also not only depend upon the point of view of our peers but also keenly observe ourselves as to what is happening and what all possibilities may exist while launching our business venture.
It is important to take risks but it is also important to stay balanced and open to change. Believe in yourself but also be open to the changes that come your way.
Rajan Patel,
Founder, Greenobazar
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