"I firmly believe there is always something to be grateful for!"
Nitasha Kumar
Nitasha Kumar is the Founder and communication director at WeeTalk – a global online public speaking program for children. She is also the founder Vice President of Smedley Speakers society, and Rural Toastmasters club, affiliates of the public speaking and leadership organization Toastmasters International. She has designed and delivered public speaking workshops for young teens at public schools in New York, USA.
Nitasha is a graduate of the Faculty of Design, CEPT University, Ahmedabad India. Her career, spanning over 18 years involves design and management expertise of over 50 Raymond retail stores, all over India and some large corporate projects including a 200,000sft production plant for GlaxoSmithKline.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Nitasha Kumar: WeeTalk is a global online public speaking program for children ages 6 years to 16 years and this is how it all began. Abhiveer is a young public speaking mentor at the age of 9! Assertive and adventurous is what we call him today but that’s not what he was two years ago. Flashback to August 2018, we were returning home after a decade in New York. Home to India, home to everything familiar, home to everything we loved. We had done our checks of a good home, good schools, top-notch sports facilities, etc. Everything that we believed would help the children integrate well into India. We were all set!
But imagine my pain and anguish when Abhiveer, my then 7 year old cried inconsolably and refused to go to school after the first three days into the new school year. My immediate reaction as a mom was, everything is so new, give him a week or two and he will start loving it. But no I was wrong…This otherwise fun-loving, confident US returned kid just refused. Week 1 turned to 2 then 3 then 4. Four weeks of non-stop crying. No amount of coaxing, shouting, bribing was working. Until one night, during our pillow talks he confessed, he was scared and intimidated. My heart broke into a million pieces. I have been a toastmaster for the longest part of my life, and here I was, the heartbroken mother of a 7-year-old who could not speak up among his classmates. And that’s when I decided to take things into my own hands. I worked with him, bit by bit, day by day, helped him find his voice and regain his confidence and his energy.
With this decision of using my passion to overcome a personal challenge was born my third child WeeTalk, a public speaking program for children ages 6 years to 14 years. Two years later, with constant personal development, Abhiveer has found his voice and is able to speak freely and confidently in front of any audience. I founded WeeTalk so that I can reach out to so many other little children like him that are either shy or bullied or intimidated, not picked for that coveted speech competition at school, or those who just want to build more confidence and fluency. I urge you to join me in my journey today to nourish and empower the leaders of tomorrow.
Was there somebody in your life that inspired you to take that specific journey with your business?
Nitasha Kumar: Like most children, the first life lessons you learn at home. Both my parents have been my biggest inspiration.
For as long as I remember, I have been on stage. Whether it was for a poetry recitation competition in school, a singing competition at the community Diwali celebration, or even a fancy dress competition in our neighborhood. Just being able to stand in front of an unknown audience, did wonders for my self-confidence, but that was also partially because of the efforts my parents put in to help me prepare.
The encouragement and support I got in my growing years, gave me the courage to follow my dreams. My father lived his life guided by and guiding the 3Cs – clarity leads to conviction which helps build confidence.
Often leaders are asked to share the best advice they received. But let’s reverse the question. What’s the worst advice you received?
Nitasha Kumar: Every entrepreneurial journey has its ups and downs, and it is during the downs that you are often flooded with lots of advisors, some mean well but it’s up to you to figure out what to take and what to ignore. One such piece of advice that I thankfully chose to ignore was, DROP YOUR PRICE!
I did not start my business on a whim. I did my due diligence, I did my market survey, I knew my target audience. I also got into this business knowing that there would be some “not great moments” So during one such low moment when someone told me “drop your price and see how your business grows” I looked the other way. And I am so glad I did not dilute my value and get swayed into going the way of the masses.
In my opinion, if you are fully aware of what you are getting into, then go confidently in the direction you set out in….the rest will follow. Know your worth!!!
Has the pandemic and transitioning into mostly online shopping affected your company positively or negatively?
Nitasha Kumar: I firmly believe there is always something to be grateful for! Yes, the pandemic did affect a lot of us, our family and friends, It brought a lot of emotional pain too. But like a wise man said, FEAR means Face Everything and Rise, so did I.
The pandemic opened up a world of probabilities and possibilities for me. My business is ONLINE only and I am grateful that through this online forum, I have been able to reach out to children across the globe and empower them in my own small way
In your opinion, what makes your company stand out from the competition?
Nitasha Kumar: Do what you love, Love what you do!
This is my mantra for my personal and professional life. Following this simple rule of life, gives me the inspiration to innovate and motivate myself every time I find myself at crossroads.
The ability to maneuver my curriculum within the broader structure, improvise my style of teaching, go candid in my interactions with my students gives me the edge over most of the other “teacher-oriented” programs that are on the market. At WeeTalk we pride ourselves in being “a highly personalized program” and we live it every day.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success?
Nitasha Kumar: Self-aware, Self-confident, and self-disciplined.
- Self-Aware – The understanding and knowledge of who you are, including your skills, your values, your interests help you go a long way.
- Self-Confident – The firm belief in your abilities and willingness to work on your constant self-development. That will be totally worth it.
- Self-Discipline – The ability to control and restrain impulses. It’s easy to get swayed by the market trends and get pushed. But rather focus your energy and channel it towards your ambitions.
How important do you think it is for a leader to be mindful of his own brand?
Nitasha Kumar: I believe that your personal brand is the unique combination of skills and experiences that make you who you are. It is how you present yourself to the world. Effective personal branding will differentiate you from the competition and will allow you to build trust with your clients and even your employees.
A very powerful message I read recently said “You never get a second chance to make a first impression” —so make it one that will set you apart, build trust and reflect who you are.
How would you define “leadership”?
Nitasha Kumar: Honestly, I think the definition of leadership comes from your own perception.
My own perspective of a good leader is someone who is strong, supportive, and also compassionate. It is someone who puts himself/herself in the help of others to be a guide along the way. My definition of leadership can be much different than my friend’s or my sister’s, but to me, a leader is someone who possesses unique qualities that motivates us to make a positive change in our lives.
What advice would you give to our younger readers that want to become entrepreneurs?
Nitasha Kumar: Never say NO to an opportunity…because every opportunity is a doorway to learn something new, to try something you may have never done before, to touch a life in a way you never imagined. Where you are right now is a reflection of the choices you made and the opportunities you seized.
So open every door of opportunity with faith and confidence and see the paths of success open up for you.
What’s your favorite “life lesson” quote and how has it affected your life?
Nitasha Kumar: My favorite life lesson quote that I share with all my students and even with my children is “It’s okay to try and fail, but it’s not okay to fail to try”
Like I mentioned in the previous question, every door of opportunity that you open teaches you something new and that is the ONLY way to success.
This interview was originally published on ValiantCEO.
