1. Tell me more about yourself? What kind of person are you?
I am Nikhil Chandwani wearing different hats at once because the power of failure made me into someone who could try new careers at a go. I believe the time is an illusion and so, I love to explore everything curiously.
I am an author, a poet, a director, a producer, a professor, an entrepreneur and world’s favorite failure.
2. What was your key driving force to become an entrepreneur?
India learns false history. The communists in India have portrayed history in a very wrong way. I always wanted to change that. That’s where, I wanted a big circle of writers who could come together, research and curiously compile books. This was my dream and later, once I met a lot of writers, I saw them depressed, and confused in their lives and this made me start a center for writers and an entrepreneur under my firms Walnut Discoveries Pvt. Ltd., Nikhil Chandwani Foundation and Writers’ rescue Centre with Neelima Tirumalasetti ma’am.
3. How did you come up with the name for your company?
People knew me as someone who took steps and tried to go the unconventional way and so, I wanted this firm to be approachable and that’s why, the name as Nikhil Chandwani Foundation. Walnut looks like a brain and so, Walnut Discoveries name. The names were random, and it just connected.
4. Considering the fierce competition in Today’s business world, how would you highlight your company’s competitive advantages? What makes it stand out of the crowd?
Our concept is first in the world. Giving a second chance for writers, and to emerge from personal failures, our foundation, is enabling thousands of people to channelize their struggle into writing best-selling novels, and give them the opportunity to share their stories on fancy stages like TED (x) with others.
5. What best motivates you? How have your entrepreneurial motivations changed since you first started?
Nature. Nature is my teacher. It is my god. I take my car, drive as far as I can, and all my five senses are on fire.
I learnt this in life and this motivates me.
Depression can be fought through an age-old concept of taking a bike or a car, hitting the empty road, and driving as far as you could.
Once you drive on the empty road, with random thoughts that hurt you:
a) Your skin feels the air as it passes by.
b) Your tongue tastes the cool breeze brushing your hair
c) Your eyes watch the nature playing with natural colors.
d) Your ears hear the road of the mighty cloud ready to bless you with showers
e) You smell the raindrops as it arrives on the scene.
And yeah, then with all five senses on fire, you bring one, just one thought in your head, that naturally comes. That thought is YOUR solution to curb depression
6. What are your hidden inspiration sources? How do you generate new ideas?
I am inspired by Dr. Shakila ma’am (YOU) with your dedication, Paul Heyman (WWE Manager and his choices in life), Narendra Modi and his dreams to build Brand India and Subramanian Swamy and his curiosity.
As Paul Heyman rightly said, “You cannot achieve success without the risk of failure. And I learned a long time ago, you cannot achieve success, if you fear failure. If you’re not afraid to fail, man, you have a chance to succeed. But you’re never going to get there unless you risk it, all the way. I’ll risk failure. Sometimes, half the fun is failing. Learning from your mistakes, waking up the next morning, and saying ‘Okay. Watch out. Here I come again. A little bit smarter, licking my wounds, and really not looking forward to getting my ass kicked the way I just did yesterday.’ So now, I’m just a little more dangerous.”
Challenging Failure and ready to get your ass kicked in a different way every time you get up from your sleep is the best possible way to cope with negative thoughts in life. Anxieties, laziness, and depression can be challenging IF and only IF you’re ready to face the world with a bright smile and ambitious heart. This is possible by becoming a rebel and taking steps to follow innovative paths every time you open your eyes.
7. What is your opinion on the following topic: Are entrepreneurs, originally born as such or they are raised to be successful?
The right team building is important. On your own, it can be difficult to sustain a healthy outlook and maintain the effort required to beat entrepreneur crisis. At the same time, the very nature of depression makes it difficult to reach out for help. When you’re depressed, the tendency is to withdraw and isolate so that connecting to even close family members and friends can be tough.
You may feel too tired to talk, feeling let down, staring at your situation or depressed for carrying certain relationships. But this is just the depression talking. Staying connected to other entrepreneurs and taking part in social activities will make a world of difference in your mood and outlook. Reaching out is not a sign of weakness and it won’t mean you’re a burden to others.
Entrepreneurship is not originally born and it needs more than 24 hours to balance, but everything, in the end, is all worth it.
