Jainee Gandhi is an image consultant who has recently moved to Singapore. She is now re-establishing her business, Image Redefine that works on lifestyle evaluation and cultivating a person’s desired image. While many would give up in the face of cultural and ideological changes that comes naturally with an international move, Jainee perseveres; “It has made me realise what my strengths are, what I need to work upon,” she says.
On asking how she prepared for such a change, she says, “Although I knew it had to be from scratch, I could not comprehend how difficult it would get for me personally. After the initial struggle, India got easy in terms of work, I had a reputation in the market, knew various entrepreneurs and the tie-ups for work were in place.”
“Singapore has a list of things that one needs to abide by. I love the challenge… after being here for 8 months now and having networked quite a lot, I have started getting enquires for my services and that gives me the mental strength to move forward.”
“Having your own consulting service or business is a great thing, but just remember that you will be your own secretary, your own HR, your own boss. It’s a big responsibility when you stick to your values and your business is about creating change for the future,” she cautions.
Passion is the driving force behind her success, she adds, “As vain as this may sound I love that I am breaking style/fashion/brand/image myths for people and creating a positive change in their mindset, helping them understand their authentic self, all with the help of clothes.”
Nothing is possible without balance and Jainee strives to strike a work-life balance in Singapore. “Thankfully, my parents have instilled fantastic multitasking and organisational skills in us right from childhood. I can foresee roadblocks and plan ahead well, plus I delegate. The first Sheroes summit I attended in Mumbai some 4 years back, I remember one of the panellists suggesting that women burn out because they don’t delegate and it struck a chord with me. My house help in Singapore has a weekly schedule of things to do, my kids have a rhythm and a routine, and we plan our meals and menus in advance.”
“Be patient and work with passion” are her mantras to succeed.
Written by Inderpreet Kaur Uppal