Having set the right foot in the corporate world, a free-spirited Sheefali Gupta, who is currently placed with Vistaprint, Ahmedabad as a learning specialist – HR, talks about her transformation from being an introvert to a confident, sassy and determined woman
Highly educated, dedicated, learning specialist, voracious reader, eloquent writer, gracious Bharatnatyam dancer, swimmer and an excellent public speaker - these are just a few of the feathers that Sheefali Gupta’s vibrant hat is adorned with. Her persona is positive and buoyant, chiefly because she is high on life, something that her generation lacks. She takes each day at a time and makes sure to deliver her best without thinking about the outcome. Her world revolves around her family and friends and she possesses the zeal to transform her work into worship. This is Sheefali in a nutshell - a hustler in the true sense.
Some people possess the ability to be confident and outspoken, while others just have to come out of the cocoon and their charm can handle the rest. Born in Uttar Pradesh and raised in Pune, Sheefali always believed that education is the pathway to success. And it is this path that came in like a breath of fresh air in her life and altered her persona. Taking admission in the best B-School in the country was the turning point in her life.
“Who knew that a ten-minute presentation conducted by me along with Abha Bukharia would change my life forever? It was the first time that I had got the chance to present my work in front of more than a thousand people. Nervous? Yes, I sure was! But after the super hit presentation on Balaji Telefilms, I was declared the speaker of the year by some of the most eminent corporate personalities. The 360-degree transformation after this induction presentation gave me the metamorphosis of life,” smiles Sheefali.
Touted as one of the top-notch MBA colleges, for Sheefali her college was her Hogwarts where every door opened the casket of magic. Along with soaking herself in all the education and knowledge imparted by the talented professors, she also learnt that to build any sort of a relationship takes courage, hard work and patience. “My college taught me that relationships aren’t built overnight. It becomes fine as time passes, just like the classiest wine. It requires people to overcome their insecurities and work hard to heal their wounds. What possibly helped me gather myself and work towards success was the bond that I shared with Rishabh Bharaj, Shubham Dangi and Vinay Kabra,” explains an emotional Sheefali.
“The most important thing is to understand our own personality. We need to accept what we are. Improving ourselves doesn’t mean that we are bad now; it means we have to keep growing”
What pushed Sheefali to work towards success was the bond she shared with a few of her close college friendsThe thing about Sheefali that makes her stand out in a crowd is her zeal for life and her assiduousness. Her will to take life as it comes is the reason why she is always content. For instance, give her a book to read; instead of finding reasons not to go through it, she will not only finish reading it in a jiffy but she will also make plans to be a classy writer. This for you is Sheefali! It is hard to believe that the then teen, Sheefali religiously went through most of the Shakespeare novels and decided to paint the world through beautifully penned words. “I was handed a Shakespeare novel during my school days. And since then there was no turning back when it came to writing. Most of the times, my writing was appreciated. My written scripts for college and school functions earned great applause,” she says.
Her writings depict the harsh reality of life. One of her passages, The Unsaid Virgin, is a hard-hitting truth that shouts out for male evolution rather than female to change the rape scenario of our country. Her picturesque ode, Seasons of Leaf, talks about how to turn a new page in life. Every letter, every word, every para of every story written is so beautifully knit by her that it will certainly force you to ponder on the facts of life.
‘My mother and my friend, Rishabh, have a great convincing power. From not wanting to take up the job to now being one of the best learning specialists at Vistaprint, Ahmedabad, life has taught me to trust the universe. This was destined to happen. And now, I am quite happy and settled with this great company’
Sheefali with her mother, Usha and brother Karan
Sheefali being felicitated during her convocationLife may sometimes put you in the spotlight where reality becomes obscure and your decision-making power takes a back seat. Raised in Pune under the immense love and care of her mother, Sheefali wanted her career to take off from the city. “After completing my PG, my only wish was to work only in Pune. That’s because my family means the world to me. Growing up, my mother did everything to support me. And leaving her to work in any other city was not acceptable to me,” she says.
But her life went off course when she got placed with a company outside Pune. “The day a fresher gets placed is the day that always remains closest to her heart. But the same was not for me. Getting placed in Ahmedabad, so far away from my mother got me crying instead of being elated. I was sure I would turn down the offer,” says a teary-eyed Sheefali. However, when you are surrounded by people who are positive and optimistic, you are bound to take the right decision. Sheefali’s mother helped her clear the air and persuaded her to take up this opportunity. “My mother and my friend, Rishabh, have a great convincing power. From not wanting to take up the job to now being one of the best learning specialists at Vistaprint, Ahmedabad, life has taught me to trust the universe. This was destined to happen. And now, I am quite happy and settled with this great company,” she smiles.
She took her time to settle in the new environment, but her focus remained the same - to excel at everything. Having joined Vistaprint in November last year, Sheefali now imparts nontechnical training to the employees there. So, what’s the best part of being placed? We ask. And pat comes the reply, “Apart from the professional experience, the joy of buying gifts for my family and friends from my first salary will always top the list of things that make me the happiest person on earth."
An artist is someone who is always true in every sense. And Sheefali resonates with all the qualities of a genuine artist. Be it her passion for writing, or her immense love for Bharatnatyam and swimming. Each art she picks up, she makes sure she acquires all the virtues it has to offer. “Bharatnatyam actually made me realize my flexibility and adaptability. It also brought me closer to music. Bharatnatyam happened in 2003 as an unanticipated love. There was a Bharatnatyam teacher in my society and from there it went through many stages over the next few years. I remember how my first pair of ghunghroos was made by my grandfather. It simply brings back great memories,” says Sheefali about her love for dancing.
Call it her stubbornness to learn any form of art, it’s actually her inquisitiveness that makes her master that art. Swimming happened to her by fluke. “The giant swimming pool near our house was always alluring. It was my naanu who took me and my brother to the pool back in 2002. It was extremely fascinating to see it. After a bit of training, I outdid myself and swam in the pool which was almost 20 feet deep. It was quite an achievement for me,” she smiles.
By Ekta Katti
