Episode 18 - Streamlining Business Operations Through Design

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Hi, I'm Sarah.
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Hello, I'm Monica.
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Hi, I'm me and Hi, I'm Audre. Hi, I'm Tracy,
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and I'm John.
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And welcome to the Design Minds podcast. Design Minds is
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a community of design builders who support, grow and build together.
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So in this podcast, we share real stories of scary decisions,
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un sexy actions, and the ups and downs of building products, services, communities, businesses.
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And more.
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I'm your host. My name is Sarah Barber. I'm a
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ux designer at Arizona State University, a founding organizer of Bisbee'sinefest,
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and a devoted community member of Design Minds. Today, we
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have a very special guest, Kushali, to unpack the topic
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of streamlining business operations through design. Kushali is a product
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designer based in Dubai with experience running SaaS and consumer
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facing digital products across multiple industries. She also runs a
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boutique design studio where she helps businesses bring ideas to
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life through thoughtful digital experiences and branding. Kushali loves exploring
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news ways of doing things, whether that's through design, AI, marketing,
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or simply rethinking how something works. She finds a lot
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of joy in the small details that make experiences, feel
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effortless and always experimenting, learning and looking for better ways
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to solve everyday problems. So, Kushali, thank you so much
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for being here today. I'm going to hand it off
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you to tell you a little bit more about your
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background and why this topic is important to you.
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Oh, thank you so much for having me today, and
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I'm really excited to be here. I think so you
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did a great introduction for me. So I think this
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topic is really important to me because this was like
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face that sort of brought me out of the little
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bubble that I had when I was studying in the US,
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when I was back in India, and all of this
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happened when I moved to the Way just a few
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months ago. And it's one of the phases that has
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actually gotten me to think that design is not just
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restricted to websites and applications, but there is so much
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more to it and we can do a lot more
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in the smaller aspects of things as well. Because if
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I do want to start, I wanted to say that
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design was never an option for me. I never wanted
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to get into design because I never imagined as a
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career for me and I always thought if I did
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end up doing design. I might it was interested in
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it eventually because it was like a really fun hobby
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for me and I didn't want to lose that part
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of me, like the artistic part of me. But someone
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told me that if you are good at it, why
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don't you Why you're trying so hard to do something
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that you were not really sure that you want to do,
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And I decided to go for an interview just for
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the fun of it. I got in so I think
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everyone was happy, and then I asked the decision to
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just get started bit design because I knew for sure
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I didn't want to do business, but that was a
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safer route. So I took design just for the fun
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of it. And I think fine is something that brings
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together so many people, and it really helps when there's
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someone who is willing to lose sin and also enjoys
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learning from you. That makes you feel like you are
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actually doing a great job at what you're doing, because
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you need to doubt yourself a lot. So it's a
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decision that was made also because people around me were
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so supportive. So that is how I got into design.
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And I'm just helping my family business with design coach
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that I have learned throughout the years.
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That's amazing. And it sounds a little like serendipitous to
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come into design this way, like loving it as a
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hobby and then it just kind of making itself your career.
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That sounds really perfect and meant to be. I'm curious.
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I'd love to learn more about your family business and
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how kind of design and your background fit into that.
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So my family business in Dubai right now, we have
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a cardental business here and it started ten years ago.
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My dad came here because back in India we had
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a bus transportation business and he wanted to do more.
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He always wanted to do more and he loved taking risks.
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So he came to the and since the past ten
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years he's been here, he's been doing everything. He set
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up the business and and he's also someone who wants
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to do big, you know, and it's for him he
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is when it comes to tech. It's a little bit
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of a challenge for him to figure out how to
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grow when you have so many advancements that are happening.
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And also because recently with the racial conflict, the tourism
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and travel businesses sort of slowed down as well, and
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that is actually when my part came in, because I
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was told to work on marketing and figuring out the
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social media aspect of things, running meta ads, Google ads.
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He was the one who convinced me that design could
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add value in the business. I was always like, I
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don't really know who in doing the business, because again
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I was always only thinking about jobs. I want to
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get a job. That is my goal. I wanted to
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get a job and get my salary so that I
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can feel like I'm an independent woman who's working and
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who's learning. But he was the one who suggested I
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get involved in the business because he thought that learning
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about business is going to help me grow as a
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designer as well. So if that if I helped him
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with marketing, we might get we might revive the business
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that we already have and how we create as well.
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So I think, while talking to him, also what is happening,
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how does the business work, How are the bs coming
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in coming in, who is handling it, how our customers communicating?
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All of this really got me interested again because user
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research as a part of designs. So then I'm like, Okay,
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it's not that bad, Like it's exactly what I'm doing
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when I'm working on a product or a service design,
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and essentially you have to understand how the customer, how
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the current experience is. And once I understood how all
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of that sort of fit together, I started spotting opportunities.
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I started talking to him about it, and that is
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essentially how I just got into the business. And I'm
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currently working on social media. I'm running meta ads, I'm
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looking after the website redesign as well. A lot of
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analysis and research about the WhatsApp is one of the
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main modes of communication. So one of the most important
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things that I found as an opportunity is to sort
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of understand what information the clients want from us and
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why a client is turning into a potential client or
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not getting converted as a client. So all of that
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so got me thinking. And I love thinking as well.
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So I think it is like a win win situation
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in that sense because and since it's a family business,
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you have so much freedom to experiment, to have assumptions
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and just experiment with that however you want to. And
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I think that was like really benefiting because I learned
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so much while just doing that. And yeah, so I'm
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not I was not just designing websites, but I was
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designing conversations, I was designing processes, workflows and the internal
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system all of that. And that got me a little
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bit interested because I realized that businesses have used experience
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as well, and it wouldn't really bad if I involved
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in it.
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That's amazing, and it sounds so helpful for you as
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a designer and for your family for their business. It
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sounds like a win win for everyone involved. And I'm
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echoing mar Linda's sentiment in the chat that understanding the
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business model helps so much in terms of like elevating
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the business, making sure the design fits into the business model,
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and vice versa. So that sounds like such a fun
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way to really enhance your skills, especially, like you said,
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since it's your family business, you have more of like
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the freedom and to really like get into the nitty
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gritty of it and like explore and learn and do
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the research and make it happen. I love what you
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said too, that it was more than just the website.
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How how can design thinking solve operational challenges beyond digital products?
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Like you were saying, you were doing chats and procedures.
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How does design fit into all of that?
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Yeah, So, like I was saying that the first thing
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in anything, before anything is to understand people, to understand
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what the other person actually meets. That is how I
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really started to understand that. And so coming back to
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the conversation WhatsApp example that I was talking about, because
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it's one of a case that people get in a lot
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of inquiries and bookings. So I one of the things
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that I was looking at was I understood that the
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website needed redesign, but at the same time, I was
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also looking at the conversations that the employee having with
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the clients, and I saw that the that the entire
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conversation had a dead like it was dead after a
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few shots. And that made me think if there was
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a way to sort of create a template that would
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help employees just write in whenever that particular question, whenever
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the client had a particular question. So there was one
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experiment which I did was I took over the replying
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part of it, and I thought we'd improve the experience
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by asking customers to questions upfront about things like how
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many people were traveling with them, if they were coming
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here for a business trip or was it for tourism purpose,
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or what their budget was. So I wanted to ask
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them these questions in order to give them a tailored
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response and also suggest cars which work for them and
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for me, it sounded like a good way to recommend
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the right car. But after a week or so of
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experimenting this, I went back, I reviewed all the conversations,
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and I realized that the customer was warrantily engaging with
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it because this required a lot of effort there and too,
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like they had to answer so many questions as well.
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And it also was the fact that they came with
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an of mind, so they had a particular car that
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they wanted, they just wanted to know if it was available.
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They just wanted to know how much it would cost.
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And that was sort of a good reminder that sometimes
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what you think a good experience isn't always what the
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customer feels is a good experience as well. So then
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I changed the strategy and I redesigned the conversation to
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answer questions that the clients already had, and that was
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a kind of analysis of their previous conversations that I
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saw questions they were asking. So the next time they
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there was a client who came in and asked for
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an inquire about a car I just came warmly, I
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confirmed the availability, and I asked them about the dates.
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That was it. That was all that I asked. But
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when I was giving them the rates a message, what
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was included, what wasn't included, if there were any optional
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add ons that they could get, And because one of
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the things that is important to our transparency and we
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don't want to ask five seven different questions. We just
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wanted to like get everything set and done in so
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that there was clarity, and I think that helped with
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them gaining trust as well. So yeah, I think, oh,
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it's just the willingness to best assumptions from the behavior
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of users and keep improving. And yeah, that's how that's
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one of the ways that designing sort of helped me
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to help help me solve operational challenges for one of
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the cases. There were many of them.
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I'm sure there were so many. And that's such a
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prime example too of like how one like user testing
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is so important and it's such a great way that
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you were able to see like, oh, this isn't working,
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let's reiterate, let's pivot, like make it actually fit the user.
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And then also that like the user experience design of
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it comes like, it's not just a website. It can
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be the full range of how your user interfaces with
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every step of your business. So I think that that
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is such a prime example of being able to say, like, oh,
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this conversation isn't yielding the results we want, let's redesign
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it to make it actually do what it needs to
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do for us. And un she left a great comment
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in the chat. You talked about the freedom from working
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on family business, but it also could have been scary
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because it's your family business. So I'd love to hear
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more about that, like how how was it, How were
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the stakes different maybe from like working in family business
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to maybe working outside of that.
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So it was definitely different in the sense that I
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did have the freedom, but at the same time, it
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came with a lot more expectation because I because they
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think I'm someone, and also because I was one person,
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was the only in the entire company and we have
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around like sixty seven employees. Most of them are into
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finance and sales and servicing and all of those, but
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as a designer, I was the only one. So my
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opinion was the opinion that was going to be essentially
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the right opinion. So I had to sort of be
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very particular and clear about what I was thinking, and
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I had to explain it to them in a way
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that would help them as well. And it shouldn't really
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feel like I'm saying things because I think it's for
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the designer, but at the same time, I'm also thinking
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about it from the sense that it's going to help
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the business. And I'm saying that because coming up with
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ideas wasn't a problem, but like implementing those ideas was
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becoming difficult because everybody already responsibilities and now if I'm
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going to add something new to them, like you to
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that idea, or like adding a new process or introducing
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something new like a stim whatever, it's no there is
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no guarantee that that's going to happen in the next
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one or two days or like five days. And one
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of my roles was to constantly nudge them or follow
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up and remind people that this had to get implemented
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so that I could get enough data to analyze what
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was really happening. And while doing this, it was also
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very important to make people feel comfortable while they were
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adopting these ideas and like implementing all of this, because
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I couldn't just tell them this and just like leave it.
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I couldn't do that. And also because they were people
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I have known as my dad's daughter stepping into their role,
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and I'm also sort of in the leadership position and
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I was the one who was told to make the decisions.
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So telling them to do something was something that was
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scary because I, like, it's just I don't have never
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leaved on that, So that was something that was really scary.
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But I think with dying and also understanding that and
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talking to them to make it clear that I am
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just giving them my opinions, and I think it would
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work really well for the business. Talking to them in
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that sense sort of let me get into a relationship
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that was not all it was scary, It was mutually
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bending to both of us.
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I love that, And it sounds like it really helped you,
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like hone some like skills in terms of that, like
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like gave you the chance to build up that repertoire
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and confidence to be able, like no matter who you are,
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we can have a working relationship and get what we
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need to get done. So I love that. Moy. I
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just asked in the chat any strategies or tips in
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how you carried those conversations to get buy in from
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others who may not have been familiar with the value
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of designer research.
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Yeah so, I so my initial role was social media, right,
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so I was in charge of getting content on Instagram.
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And I think the easiest way that I thought to
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sort of jell in well with the other people in
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the office was to create content with them in it,
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involving them into uh like, letting them know that they're
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going to be on social media, involving them, making them
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a part of it. And they also started having fun.
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So gave me like a way to sort of start
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talking to them because this conversation, this is the day
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that you're supposed to talk about this, and I'll be
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shooting it in this way, so please be ready when
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you do that. And there was some C three s.
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There were some funny tales, and that is how things
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got lightened up, and we had like fun banters stuff
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like that. And once that once it was that made
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it easier to talk to them, and after that, whenever
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I said something was taken seriously because then it didn't
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feel like I was just saying something because I'm my
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dad's daughter, but I'm actually doing things in action, and
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they could see that on Instagram. They could see whatever
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I was doing, it was helping me increase followers, it
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was helping me do this and that, and then they
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were like, Okay, yeah, I can do this, I can
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do that, I can do this, I can do that.
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So I think that really helped me sort of starting
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to talk to them and get things done. I mean,
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still I'm also figuring out how to manage all of
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this because I'm wearing multiple hats, I have to get
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so many different things at the same time. But yeah,
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I Google's calendar is my best friend at this point.
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I just dump everything on that and figure it out.
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I also love my Google calendar, and it sounds really
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beneficial for everyone, like you being able to kind of
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like engage with these people that eventually like built that
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trust and you were able to like show the results
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that what you've been working on is working like it
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sounds like you really try to foster those relationships and
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it ultimately made like much better workflows in like business operations.
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So I love how like, no matter the challenge, like
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you can make it happen. I'd love I'd love to
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know maybe what are what's your approach when you're working
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on designing business operations, like how do you kind of
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assess or scope and what are maybe like the outlooks
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that you go into when you're assessing.
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So I don't really have a fixed framework for this,
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but I'll start by again trying to understand how things
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are working right now. And once I understand where the
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problem is, the solution becomes much clearer because the solution
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can be adding a new software, improving a software. It
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can be changing a sentence on WhatsApp, it can be
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creating a checklist, it can be anything. And I just
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feel like this business has been working. I mean it
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has been working well for the past ten years, which
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means that the system works. It's just that the system
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needs a bit of an update, and that is where
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I really come in. So this also made me think
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a lot about how building something new isn't always the
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answer to fixing something. But systems, if they work, that
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means that there is something that is going well in it.
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But what's important is to sort of make it simpler
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and easier for everyone. So that is where the entire
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streamlining comes in, and that is also looking at creating
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internal operating systems for the company as well, because that's
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going to really help. Everybody has so many tasks that
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they're supposed to do, and they forget about one or
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two things, which is why I was also hesitant to
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add one more task and tell them that you're supposed
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to do this as well, like be it asking them
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for reviews or getting a video of the customer, stuff
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like that. So yeah, I think my approach really depends
355
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on what the solution ends up being, but it always
356
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starts with understanding where the problem is and then working
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from it from there. And until now I've not really
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built anything. I've built on what is already there because
359
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I want to invest in creating something, but at the
360
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same time that investment should pot the theater, and which
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right now, with how the market is here in Lubai,
362
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after everything that has happened, it does not seem like
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the right to do something like that. But yeah, that
364
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is something that we plan to do.
365
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Absolutely. It sounds like designing for a business can be
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quite multifaceted with all of the different components that go
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into it. What are some challenges that you've come across.
368
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I think one of the major challenges was implementation, like
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I might mention one of the challenges is also that
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sometimes I sort of don't make my work seriously because
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it is a family business, and since I also run
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my own studio, prioritize that work for this sometimes because
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I enjoy designing interfaces and I've always known designing interfaces,
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like I've always known how to do that, and this
375
00:24:12.039 --> 00:24:14.720
in this family business, it requires me to think and
376
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strategize a lot, which is something that I'm learning. But
377
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sometimes my brain gets so exhausted that I have to
378
00:24:21.960 --> 00:24:25.920
take a break. I think sometimes my challenge comes into
379
00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:32.000
motivating myself, especially when it's the weekend, so like Fridays,
380
00:24:32.599 --> 00:24:34.720
and especially when it's a Monday, I have to like
381
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really motivate myself started with my work. I will do
382
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my work, but will be slow because I prioritize other
383
00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:45.160
things over this. But the more I work on this,
384
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the more I actually understand the business and the more
385
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I know of what opportunities I need to tackle next.
386
00:24:52.319 --> 00:24:55.640
And all of these ideas are there in my head
387
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and now I just need to like work on implementing
388
00:24:58.759 --> 00:25:01.519
them because everything that is right now is a little slow.
389
00:25:01.599 --> 00:25:06.559
The developer is still working on the website, the SEO
390
00:25:06.640 --> 00:25:09.319
people are working on the back links, which we've told
391
00:25:09.319 --> 00:25:12.519
them to update, but that something needs to be done,
392
00:25:13.279 --> 00:25:16.960
and so yeah, and I'm supposed to be the one
393
00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:19.000
who's supposed to tell everyone. I'm supposed to be the
394
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one who's supposed to fall and tell everyone to get
395
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things done. So I think so getting motivated to sort
396
00:25:28.440 --> 00:25:33.160
of get interested in a business that requires so much
397
00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:36.960
of you can be exciting, but at the same time
398
00:25:37.039 --> 00:25:39.599
can be a challenge. Is help when you are doing
399
00:25:39.680 --> 00:25:41.400
multiple things at the same time.
400
00:25:43.599 --> 00:25:48.160
Absolutely, it's very multifaceted. It sounds like there's so many
401
00:25:48.200 --> 00:25:51.279
hats you have to wear, so many stakeholders, including your
402
00:25:51.279 --> 00:25:53.519
own family members, that you have to make sure like
403
00:25:53.640 --> 00:25:57.559
checking the boxes. So it sounds like a really exciting challenge.
404
00:25:58.720 --> 00:26:02.519
In the chat, is cuious about your experience with tech
405
00:26:02.559 --> 00:26:06.160
and design versus in the US versus Dubai if you
406
00:26:06.240 --> 00:26:09.480
have any any insights you'd like to share on the
407
00:26:09.480 --> 00:26:10.400
differences there.
408
00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:24.920
So I can't really say much about because in US
409
00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:30.279
I worked on products such as a messaging app and
410
00:26:32.319 --> 00:26:38.200
as product and I didn't really use AI as much
411
00:26:38.799 --> 00:26:43.359
in that sense, And here I think it depends from
412
00:26:43.400 --> 00:26:45.519
business to business. But again, there are a lot of
413
00:26:45.559 --> 00:26:48.759
air communities here in y so I get to learn
414
00:26:48.960 --> 00:26:52.039
so much. I have to post for workshop and I've
415
00:26:52.079 --> 00:26:55.319
gotten like and using that. I mean, I went to
416
00:26:55.359 --> 00:26:59.119
that workshop and it created an entire internal or interne
417
00:26:59.480 --> 00:27:04.839
operating system just using cursor credits and it's functional right now.
418
00:27:05.119 --> 00:27:07.480
The only thing is that the developer needs to add
419
00:27:08.000 --> 00:27:11.319
from the back end. But I think there's a lot
420
00:27:11.400 --> 00:27:16.359
more opportunity when it comes to tech sure in Dubai.
421
00:27:16.440 --> 00:27:19.960
People don't really and I used to think that as well,
422
00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:24.880
that Dubai is really not tech cost or tech forward
423
00:27:25.359 --> 00:27:30.200
because it's adopting tech and it's not as tech savvy
424
00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:33.799
as any other country. Because in India we have Google pay,
425
00:27:33.839 --> 00:27:38.079
we have upi, we can make payments using our phone.
426
00:27:38.359 --> 00:27:40.759
We don't really need to have a credit card and
427
00:27:40.799 --> 00:27:44.319
stuff like that, and the US we have zel sure.
428
00:27:44.440 --> 00:27:46.119
We have anything like that, it needs to be a
429
00:27:46.160 --> 00:27:49.319
bank transfer or cash payments. So there are a few
430
00:27:49.359 --> 00:27:54.599
things wherein Dubai is still growing and because they really
431
00:27:54.640 --> 00:28:02.880
really look at privacy and security, and there's like double
432
00:28:02.960 --> 00:28:08.400
author two factor authentication, three factor authentication even for bank applications,
433
00:28:08.440 --> 00:28:11.160
which is not really there in like my chase or
434
00:28:11.559 --> 00:28:15.920
Wan stuff like that. But I think there are so
435
00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:17.759
many things that we want to work on here in
436
00:28:17.799 --> 00:28:19.880
the way. But at the same time, there is so
437
00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:23.400
much growth potential here, which I think is a little
438
00:28:23.440 --> 00:28:26.319
saturated in the US, and that is because it's already
439
00:28:26.640 --> 00:28:32.359
very tech savvy and learning anything there. I almost feel
440
00:28:32.400 --> 00:28:36.000
like everything is already done and whatever I'm thinking about
441
00:28:36.240 --> 00:28:41.000
is like I'm like two years I'm thinking two years before,
442
00:28:41.599 --> 00:28:44.160
so not like thinking two years ahead. But here I
443
00:28:44.160 --> 00:28:49.759
feel like there's a portunity to advance in tech because
444
00:28:49.920 --> 00:28:53.920
everything is growing and there is a lot more potential
445
00:28:54.160 --> 00:28:58.799
in me and to that advancement as well.
446
00:29:01.119 --> 00:29:07.400
That's amazing the question. I think it definitely did. And
447
00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:10.720
it's so fascinating too to have the experience from the US,
448
00:29:10.759 --> 00:29:13.400
from Dubai and your experience in India to see like
449
00:29:13.519 --> 00:29:17.359
how it all kind of fits together. It's really exciting
450
00:29:17.400 --> 00:29:20.359
the opportunities that you're seeing in Dubai for what you
451
00:29:20.359 --> 00:29:24.240
can bring into the space and what's coming next. I
452
00:29:24.279 --> 00:29:27.359
think we've we've talked about so many amazing things about
453
00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:31.920
your family business, about you know, designing for business. I'm
454
00:29:32.000 --> 00:29:36.240
curious if you have like how how can designers create
455
00:29:36.359 --> 00:29:40.319
real business impact. Do you have any like specific examples
456
00:29:40.359 --> 00:29:44.000
of waves you've seen the business improve, or any other
457
00:29:44.039 --> 00:29:48.000
insights around like how how to impact business as a designer.
458
00:29:51.519 --> 00:29:56.079
So, like I mentioned before, I actually so under estimate
459
00:29:56.680 --> 00:30:00.279
how valuable are design skills actually are. So when I
460
00:30:00.319 --> 00:30:02.960
started working on this business as well, I thought that
461
00:30:03.559 --> 00:30:07.480
I called myself a website designer for this business because
462
00:30:07.519 --> 00:30:13.640
that's all I was going to be. And but over
463
00:30:13.759 --> 00:30:18.799
time doing all of this, I realized that the skills
464
00:30:18.839 --> 00:30:23.440
we have develop as designers, like how we understand people,
465
00:30:23.599 --> 00:30:29.400
how we simplify complexity, how have ability to sport insights
466
00:30:29.440 --> 00:30:33.440
of friction and figure out opportunities. They are not just
467
00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:39.920
limited to apps and websites, because businesses also have journeys, operations,
468
00:30:39.960 --> 00:30:45.559
and the systems also have issues that bed opportunities, and
469
00:30:45.599 --> 00:30:49.799
there are gaps in that as well. So that made
470
00:30:49.880 --> 00:30:52.920
me completely change the way I saw my role. And
471
00:30:53.000 --> 00:30:57.640
also my dad never really thought of design as just
472
00:30:58.039 --> 00:31:01.200
website design. He was like, okay, design, So what exactly
473
00:31:01.319 --> 00:31:03.799
are your skills as a designer? That was the question
474
00:31:03.799 --> 00:31:07.039
you used to ask me, and I so always say whatever,
475
00:31:07.079 --> 00:31:11.359
I knew what designed it was, but it was like
476
00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:15.240
beyond that This can't just be you. You can't just
477
00:31:15.319 --> 00:31:17.000
be relying on And that was the time I was
478
00:31:17.039 --> 00:31:20.480
not even like I was struggling with jobs in the US.
479
00:31:20.680 --> 00:31:22.559
So he's like, you can't just think of yourself as
480
00:31:22.559 --> 00:31:25.680
a website designer and stop there, Like, there is more
481
00:31:25.759 --> 00:31:28.920
to you, and you have learned so much. You've done
482
00:31:29.000 --> 00:31:31.680
undergrad and masters, You've probably done more than that, and
483
00:31:31.720 --> 00:31:34.119
you can use that to do so many other things.
484
00:31:34.160 --> 00:31:36.880
This is not like the end of it. And that
485
00:31:37.000 --> 00:31:43.079
is when he gave me the role of business growth designer.
486
00:31:43.440 --> 00:31:47.000
That's he renamed it to business growth No brand growth
487
00:31:47.000 --> 00:31:50.599
designer some that, but it was just growth designer. So like,
488
00:31:50.680 --> 00:31:53.519
I am a designer, but I am using my design
489
00:31:53.599 --> 00:31:58.359
skills help grow business. And I never thought that made
490
00:31:58.440 --> 00:32:01.960
sense because I don't have CEOs experience, I don't have
491
00:32:02.079 --> 00:32:05.559
marketing experience. I don't know how my dads work, I
492
00:32:05.799 --> 00:32:08.039
know any of that. I learned all of that while
493
00:32:08.079 --> 00:32:10.839
doing this, and also because I was given a task
494
00:32:10.920 --> 00:32:13.880
that I needed to increase these many followers, I needed,
495
00:32:14.519 --> 00:32:16.599
these many needs. I needed to do this, I need
496
00:32:16.599 --> 00:32:19.200
to do that, And by doing all of that, I
497
00:32:19.279 --> 00:32:23.920
started to realize that there is so much more and
498
00:32:23.960 --> 00:32:27.720
I can create value for the business without just being
499
00:32:27.720 --> 00:32:31.200
a website designer. There is so much more to it,
500
00:32:31.319 --> 00:32:36.319
and now I just feel like if I would have
501
00:32:36.359 --> 00:32:39.720
started this a year ago or two years ago, I
502
00:32:39.720 --> 00:32:42.720
would have learned so much more. I wouldn't be stuck
503
00:32:42.759 --> 00:32:44.960
on just finding roles for website designs then, and I
504
00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:49.720
would have just like opened up my search to a
505
00:32:49.759 --> 00:32:51.960
lot of things.
506
00:32:54.000 --> 00:32:59.200
That's amazing. I love it sounds like you've had such
507
00:32:59.319 --> 00:33:02.160
such a big packed on this company, and like it's
508
00:33:02.200 --> 00:33:04.559
so special too that it's your family business. I feel
509
00:33:04.599 --> 00:33:10.240
like it makes it even more like celebratory. I wanted
510
00:33:10.240 --> 00:33:13.160
to open it up to everyone in the audience here
511
00:33:13.240 --> 00:33:16.559
if anyone has any questions they haven't gotten to share
512
00:33:17.079 --> 00:33:20.359
any insights in response, or if maybe you've designed your
513
00:33:20.359 --> 00:33:23.759
own family business, I'd love to open it up to
514
00:33:23.839 --> 00:33:26.880
the group. If you'd like to raise your hand or
515
00:33:27.000 --> 00:33:31.240
write in the chat. This is a great time, since
516
00:33:31.240 --> 00:33:35.480
we're nearing the end of our time together, but I
517
00:33:35.519 --> 00:33:38.359
know we've already had some great questions from our audience today,
518
00:33:38.440 --> 00:33:43.200
So thank you all so much. All Right, I know
519
00:33:43.279 --> 00:33:46.839
you mentioned earlier that you work on a design studio.
520
00:33:47.119 --> 00:33:50.319
I'm curious more about that and maybe how that fits
521
00:33:50.359 --> 00:33:54.079
into this family business design project.
522
00:33:55.880 --> 00:34:02.079
So when I moved to the buy, I was again
523
00:34:02.160 --> 00:34:07.559
trying for jobs because in the in the way you
524
00:34:07.640 --> 00:34:10.480
need to have GCC experience or you need to know
525
00:34:10.559 --> 00:34:15.679
Arabic first positions. And I came during the time when
526
00:34:16.519 --> 00:34:19.719
the hiring season was sort of not at it speak,
527
00:34:19.800 --> 00:34:25.440
it was dying down a bit. So the best thing
528
00:34:25.480 --> 00:34:27.920
that I could do that time was take up projects
529
00:34:27.920 --> 00:34:32.440
like freelance projects. And to do that legally, you need
530
00:34:32.480 --> 00:34:38.480
to have trading license, yeah, a trading license here, a
531
00:34:38.519 --> 00:34:42.360
freelance license, a freelance visa here in the hye. And
532
00:34:43.280 --> 00:34:45.639
I did that, and when I did that, I started
533
00:34:45.679 --> 00:34:49.400
also posting about it on my Instagram and a lot
534
00:34:49.440 --> 00:34:53.079
of people saw and a few of my friends reached
535
00:34:53.119 --> 00:34:56.239
out to me saying asking me if I can do
536
00:34:56.679 --> 00:34:59.800
they wanted me to do, and I said yes, and
537
00:34:59.840 --> 00:35:02.440
that that is how I got my first project. And
538
00:35:02.480 --> 00:35:06.400
then someone else who i'd worked with before again start
539
00:35:06.440 --> 00:35:08.840
to me asking if I could work on one of
540
00:35:08.880 --> 00:35:11.679
their extended projects, and I'm like, yeah, I can take
541
00:35:11.719 --> 00:35:14.039
that up. I don't really mind. But the thing was,
542
00:35:14.079 --> 00:35:17.440
I used to have that free of cost almost when
543
00:35:17.440 --> 00:35:19.440
I was in the US because I took that as
544
00:35:19.679 --> 00:35:23.559
an opportunity, but this time, because I officially start my
545
00:35:23.599 --> 00:35:28.280
own studio. I told people that I will be charging
546
00:35:28.280 --> 00:35:31.679
a bit because now I am officially having my own
547
00:35:31.719 --> 00:35:36.840
studio and I'm running that and for the quality of
548
00:35:36.920 --> 00:35:41.119
work and everything and taking up clients and also that
549
00:35:41.239 --> 00:35:44.920
is how the compliance and right now I'm working with
550
00:35:45.320 --> 00:35:49.119
three of them. But honestly speaking, I feel like I
551
00:35:49.320 --> 00:35:51.800
did take them up, but I like there are too
552
00:35:51.840 --> 00:35:54.519
many at the same time because the projects are too
553
00:35:54.599 --> 00:35:58.519
huge and I have to learn how to That taught
554
00:35:58.559 --> 00:36:04.760
me how to paraitize projects well, because three projects, three
555
00:36:04.840 --> 00:36:09.800
different kinds of projects. One was an architecture studio web design,
556
00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:12.159
the other one was a SaaS product which is so
557
00:36:12.400 --> 00:36:15.920
huge that I'm still working on it. And the other
558
00:36:16.000 --> 00:36:19.239
one was one of them a car rental project that
559
00:36:19.280 --> 00:36:23.119
I had website redesign and the content strategy and everything
560
00:36:23.119 --> 00:36:26.559
that just keeps going on. Another one is a personal website,
561
00:36:26.840 --> 00:36:29.840
so there are things going on. I'm still learning how
562
00:36:29.920 --> 00:36:35.159
to prioritize all of that, but it is fun and
563
00:36:35.239 --> 00:36:37.960
I don't like I'm wiling my time away doing nothing.
564
00:36:38.239 --> 00:36:43.119
So even though I don't really so sometimes you feel
565
00:36:43.119 --> 00:36:45.519
like you invested so much time to the US and
566
00:36:45.679 --> 00:36:47.760
didn't get much out of it. But now that I've
567
00:36:47.760 --> 00:36:50.000
come here to Dubai, I feel like I'm doing so
568
00:36:50.159 --> 00:36:54.159
much more. So my two years didn't go in at
569
00:36:54.239 --> 00:36:57.159
a lot of things there, and then I'm just using
570
00:36:57.199 --> 00:36:59.920
that here and it's working very well in that sense.
571
00:37:00.280 --> 00:37:04.719
So yeah, it's fun. I wouldn't really say it's exhausting
572
00:37:04.760 --> 00:37:09.679
because I love doing what I do. So there's so
573
00:37:09.840 --> 00:37:13.280
many design communities, AI communities, tech communities here in the
574
00:37:13.280 --> 00:37:16.159
Why end up meeting a lot of great people here
575
00:37:16.239 --> 00:37:21.079
and I learned a lot from So all of that
576
00:37:21.280 --> 00:37:25.039
also helps me with my business. Someone wanted a WordPress
577
00:37:25.079 --> 00:37:28.599
website and I met someone who knew how to fast
578
00:37:28.599 --> 00:37:35.039
forward the WordPress designing and I use that and it
579
00:37:35.119 --> 00:37:38.360
worked me Like I spent real lesser time sort of
580
00:37:38.440 --> 00:37:40.360
working on that project than I would have.
581
00:37:41.480 --> 00:37:45.119
I totally second my eyes comment in the chat. We
582
00:37:45.199 --> 00:37:48.840
love your willingness to try to expand your skill set
583
00:37:48.880 --> 00:37:51.760
and make an impact. It is so clear that like
584
00:37:51.880 --> 00:37:55.880
you are really like putting your foot into all the water.
585
00:37:56.079 --> 00:37:59.159
Like whatever that's saying is like making sure that you
586
00:37:59.199 --> 00:38:00.880
have the impact you want to make and that your
587
00:38:00.920 --> 00:38:03.480
design skills are having the impact you want them to.
588
00:38:04.000 --> 00:38:07.639
It is so exciting to see and has her handbrings,
589
00:38:07.800 --> 00:38:10.239
so I would love for her to ask her a question.
590
00:38:11.400 --> 00:38:15.400
Yeah, thank you Kasselly and Sarah for this awesome conversation.
591
00:38:16.880 --> 00:38:21.599
I remember talking to Koshelly a year ago when she
592
00:38:21.719 --> 00:38:25.280
was still in the US and stressed out about her
593
00:38:25.360 --> 00:38:29.079
visa in the US, having to leave the country and
594
00:38:29.199 --> 00:38:32.639
not knowing what to expect. And it's awesome to see
595
00:38:32.920 --> 00:38:39.159
how you're literally making your life on your own. But
596
00:38:39.239 --> 00:38:43.480
I think it's also very clear, like you said that
597
00:38:44.000 --> 00:38:47.280
your time in the US wasn't a waste for you.
598
00:38:47.440 --> 00:38:49.960
I think it was you were planting a lot of
599
00:38:50.000 --> 00:38:54.079
seed for you to you know, harvest maybe now.
600
00:38:54.719 --> 00:38:57.159
And I know a lot.
601
00:38:56.920 --> 00:39:02.039
Of people in your shoes a year ago, but they're
602
00:39:02.280 --> 00:39:07.719
going through the stressful time now. What type of advice
603
00:39:07.840 --> 00:39:10.599
or tips do you have for them for the similar
604
00:39:10.639 --> 00:39:13.000
situation as you were a year ago.
605
00:39:15.159 --> 00:39:19.039
I mean, I think the only thing is to never
606
00:39:19.159 --> 00:39:22.400
really give up on anything. I the only way I
607
00:39:22.440 --> 00:39:26.880
could do that was by journaling, and I've journaled a lot.
608
00:39:27.159 --> 00:39:30.280
I would talk to people, but that wouldn't really help
609
00:39:30.360 --> 00:39:33.440
me anyways, because I knew that I had to work
610
00:39:33.480 --> 00:39:37.599
on myself. Myself, like I couldn't talk to people and
611
00:39:37.639 --> 00:39:40.800
then get it would be fine for at the same time,
612
00:39:41.119 --> 00:39:42.920
after a few days, I would just be like, I
613
00:39:42.960 --> 00:39:44.679
don't really know what I'm doing. It would be the
614
00:39:44.679 --> 00:39:49.960
same cycle repeated every time. So I think I the
615
00:39:50.000 --> 00:39:53.000
one thing that I did was get out my comfort zone.
616
00:39:53.000 --> 00:39:56.199
And my comfort zone was always my house. But I
617
00:39:56.280 --> 00:39:59.960
went to a lot of events. I put myself out there.
618
00:40:00.159 --> 00:40:03.199
I spoke to people, and that is how I got
619
00:40:03.239 --> 00:40:05.559
a few wads. Even though it didn't work out, I
620
00:40:05.599 --> 00:40:08.719
still went out there and it made me feel like
621
00:40:10.320 --> 00:40:13.440
I am someone who could be given this role, you know,
622
00:40:13.599 --> 00:40:16.320
like it didn't feel like a rejection. Even though I
623
00:40:16.320 --> 00:40:18.960
didn't really get it, I was considered for it. So
624
00:40:19.519 --> 00:40:22.639
I think there is no risk in putting yourself out there.
625
00:40:22.719 --> 00:40:25.719
Like at one of the events, the person literally told
626
00:40:25.719 --> 00:40:27.760
me if you are looking for a job, if you're
627
00:40:27.760 --> 00:40:30.239
looking for anything, very direct and tell the person that
628
00:40:30.280 --> 00:40:33.239
you wanted and you never know, like you won't even
629
00:40:33.239 --> 00:40:35.960
need some the next time, but just try your love,
630
00:40:36.079 --> 00:40:39.239
just talk to them, ask them. There is no harm
631
00:40:39.280 --> 00:40:43.360
in doing any of that because everyone is the same
632
00:40:43.440 --> 00:40:45.639
on the same it's on the same life, it's in
633
00:40:45.639 --> 00:40:48.760
the same words, so you don't really have to feel
634
00:40:48.880 --> 00:40:55.880
very stressed or worried about what the other person might think.
635
00:40:56.400 --> 00:40:58.559
And that is what I struggled with a lot, like
636
00:40:58.719 --> 00:41:02.400
what if someone says this? What someone says that? But
637
00:41:02.480 --> 00:41:06.400
then I stopped doing that, and I think, also, just
638
00:41:06.440 --> 00:41:10.519
give it time. It's everybody says that, but I think
639
00:41:10.519 --> 00:41:12.480
that's the only thing that works. And another thing that
640
00:41:12.559 --> 00:41:16.880
worked for me was spray. For spraying, it's sort of
641
00:41:16.920 --> 00:41:19.639
made me feel like there was someone at me, and
642
00:41:20.360 --> 00:41:25.719
I got this feeling of getting healed slowly and slowly
643
00:41:25.800 --> 00:41:30.039
while chanting and doing all of that. So I think
644
00:41:30.079 --> 00:41:36.039
all of that helped me calm down. And yeah, now
645
00:41:36.199 --> 00:41:40.199
I feel bad about the things, but I also realized
646
00:41:40.320 --> 00:41:43.400
how far I have come, and I'm always going to
647
00:41:43.400 --> 00:41:47.719
be very grateful to everything. Because I also met like
648
00:41:47.800 --> 00:41:52.519
I also got into design community in the US, right
649
00:41:52.599 --> 00:41:55.280
like I met you guys there, and then I came
650
00:41:55.320 --> 00:41:57.719
for a few events and then I'm sure, but I'm
651
00:41:57.880 --> 00:41:59.840
somehow still a part of it, even though I cannot
652
00:42:00.039 --> 00:42:02.039
tend any of the events because they happen at like
653
00:42:02.079 --> 00:42:06.119
four am, five am, three am. Mind but it's like,
654
00:42:06.519 --> 00:42:08.280
I'm so grateful to also be a part of this
655
00:42:08.320 --> 00:42:10.159
community because I get to speak about all of this
656
00:42:10.280 --> 00:42:14.960
as well. So again, like whatever happened a year ago,
657
00:42:15.119 --> 00:42:17.199
you might not know what impact that's going to make
658
00:42:17.360 --> 00:42:20.079
the next year. So just keep doing whatever it is
659
00:42:20.119 --> 00:42:24.840
that you're doing, and don't worry about how that's going
660
00:42:24.880 --> 00:42:28.079
to do. Like, don't think about there is no guarantee
661
00:42:28.079 --> 00:42:30.159
that whatever you doing to get the results the next day.
662
00:42:30.920 --> 00:42:34.719
Just don't end up wanting to do something hoping that
663
00:42:34.760 --> 00:42:38.119
the next day something happens because of it. Oh, I
664
00:42:38.159 --> 00:42:38.760
think that's that.
665
00:42:41.079 --> 00:42:46.159
I love that. That is such wise insight. I hope
666
00:42:46.199 --> 00:42:49.639
everyone takes that to heart. It also reminds me of
667
00:42:49.679 --> 00:42:52.519
the saying they say about pop stars, like it takes
668
00:42:52.559 --> 00:42:55.840
ten years to be an overnight success. And I think
669
00:42:55.840 --> 00:42:58.039
that speaks truly to what you were saying, like, don't
670
00:42:58.079 --> 00:42:59.840
expect it to pay off the next day, but if
671
00:42:59.840 --> 00:43:02.840
you keep trying and you know where your heart is,
672
00:43:02.960 --> 00:43:05.800
you'll get there. I love it.
673
00:43:06.880 --> 00:43:10.239
As someone I always believe in whatever is meant for
674
00:43:10.280 --> 00:43:15.840
you will not pass by you and so and but
675
00:43:16.280 --> 00:43:18.719
just does not work if you sit down and do nothing.
676
00:43:18.760 --> 00:43:23.239
Obviously you have to do something but also believe that
677
00:43:23.280 --> 00:43:25.920
it will happen. It has to happen because that thought
678
00:43:26.000 --> 00:43:27.719
was planted in your head for a reason, So it
679
00:43:27.800 --> 00:43:29.599
is going to happen. It's just going to take time,
680
00:43:29.639 --> 00:43:30.440
but it will happen.
681
00:43:32.320 --> 00:43:34.000
I love that, and I feel like you are like
682
00:43:34.039 --> 00:43:39.559
the shining example of that being true. Is there anything
683
00:43:39.599 --> 00:43:41.840
you feel like you haven't gotten to share with us
684
00:43:41.840 --> 00:43:43.840
today or that you'd like to kind of close us
685
00:43:43.880 --> 00:43:44.239
out on.
686
00:43:45.639 --> 00:43:48.800
No, I think the questions that you asked were really
687
00:43:48.840 --> 00:43:52.480
really spot on and create because I got to talk
688
00:43:52.679 --> 00:43:55.840
not just about what I'm working on, but like how
689
00:43:55.880 --> 00:43:59.719
I'm working on things. So that got me reflecting on
690
00:43:59.760 --> 00:44:02.360
the word that I've done as well in the company,
691
00:44:03.119 --> 00:44:06.119
which makes me feel great because now that I talk
692
00:44:06.159 --> 00:44:09.920
about it, I can feel like I've done work. Because
693
00:44:09.960 --> 00:44:13.360
when you're working for your family, you like my dad
694
00:44:13.400 --> 00:44:15.440
always tells me a good job with job, but again
695
00:44:15.920 --> 00:44:17.960
because it's family, so they'll tell you you've done a
696
00:44:17.960 --> 00:44:20.920
good job someone else, and you talk about it and
697
00:44:20.960 --> 00:44:22.920
then someone tells you I have You've actually done this,
698
00:44:23.039 --> 00:44:25.239
and I'll be like, oh, yeah, you think so too. Okay,
699
00:44:25.280 --> 00:44:27.039
then I think I've done a good job.
700
00:44:28.679 --> 00:44:32.360
I love that. It has been so inspiring to hear
701
00:44:32.400 --> 00:44:34.800
your story, all the impact that you've had on your
702
00:44:34.800 --> 00:44:38.280
family business and all the work and passion that has
703
00:44:38.280 --> 00:44:41.159
gone into making this happen. It is so clear how
704
00:44:41.280 --> 00:44:45.000
much you care about one your family business to your design,
705
00:44:45.440 --> 00:44:47.559
and three who you are as a person and like
706
00:44:47.639 --> 00:44:50.880
what you bring to these companies and operations. It is
707
00:44:50.920 --> 00:44:54.440
so exciting to see how much how thoughtful you've been
708
00:44:54.480 --> 00:44:58.400
about it and how much care you've brought to each interaction.
709
00:44:59.320 --> 00:45:01.559
I really appre she did how you spoke about how
710
00:45:02.239 --> 00:45:04.800
like design is more than just a website in so
711
00:45:04.880 --> 00:45:08.159
many ways, like thinking about the full user experience and
712
00:45:08.280 --> 00:45:11.599
to end and how that starts and ends. This has
713
00:45:11.639 --> 00:45:15.119
been so exciting. I love your advice, especially for people
714
00:45:15.199 --> 00:45:18.760
who maybe wearing your shoes a year ago. So Kushali,
715
00:45:18.840 --> 00:45:21.280
thank you so much for being here with us today.
716
00:45:21.320 --> 00:45:24.559
This has been amazing and I hope you everyone here
717
00:45:24.599 --> 00:45:25.639
has a wonderful day.
718
00:45:26.719 --> 00:45:29.960
Thank you so much for having me and I had
719
00:45:29.960 --> 00:45:34.239
a great time. You were a great post Summa. Thank you,
720
00:45:35.280 --> 00:45:35.719
Thank you