Only a few get a chance to work with their father, and ‘daddy’s girl’ Neha Jain considers herself privileged in assisting her dear father in the family business. Before joining the business, Neha gathered all the technical know-how working with Godrej Consumer Private Limited, as a senior field officer. Now her aim is to make her father proud and grow the family business leaps and bounds
Behind every successful woman, there is an army of people who support her no matter what! For Neha Jain, her family always supported her through thick and thin and pushed her to reach the sky. The daddy‘s princess has blossomed into a tough, capable and confident woman. Raised in Vadodara, Gujarat, Neha’s father Santosh runs a logistic company named Shantinath Express Services that provide service all over India. Their company delivers services to top-notch companies like Jindal Steel Ltd, Nuvoco Ltd, HNG Glass, Aditya Birla Cement and Reliance Industries.
The ethics and inclination for business were inculcated in her at a very young age. Currently working as an Assistant Manager at her father’s company, Neha’s valued opinion and strategies have taken the company to the next level. “It’s a dream come true to assist my father in the family business. His guidance has always shielded me while his motivation has boosted my self-confidence. And when we work as a team there is no stopping us!” says the proud entrepreneur. Her mother’s love has steered her through the toughest of days, and spending time with Priya, her younger sister, gets her high on life.
Apart from her family’s guidance, Neha owes her leadership qualities to her school and college. A student of the St. Kabir School, Vadodara, her school has played a great role in shaping the young leader’s mind. “My school has taught me to take up leadership, and the teachers always pushed me to give my best. Whatever I am today is courtesy my school,” says Neha.
After schooling, she followed her heart and learnt the concepts of Geology. However, realising the need of the hour, Neha shifted her focus to marketing, which acted as a game changer.
She had a great revelation during her post-graduation college a renowned MBA college in Pune. “We are always scared to face the problems in our life. Here, what I learnt was to take the problems head-on. Problems are nothing but opportunities. I got a chance to implement these words in my life and ultimately that led me to join my dad’s business when he was facing some problems and needed a helping hand”, she adds.
'Starting a café has topped my goal-list. I have always been associated with various NGOs that help the autistic. I personally feel that they are very talented but society fails to accept them. Working with them will give me a chance to grow too’
Neha with her friendsWhile others may pick a favoured option just to impress the company during placement, Neha on the other hand, chose a possibility that would not only lead the company to success but also add to her personal growth. During group discussion for Godrej Consumer Private Ltd, the topic given to her group was to choose an option in a hypothetical situation. The situation being, after three months of joining in an urban area, would they shift to the rural market or stay put in the same company and take a promotion? Whereas others Choose the first option, Neha was the only one to go with the second option. “I wasn’t afraid to go against the tide. I would surely want to stay with the company in the urban market and work harder to help the company reach its target. It’s a win-win situation for both,” explains Neha.
This explanation impressed the Godrej officials and she soon landed a job with them. Before being placed with Godrej, Neha gave the aptitude test for Deloitte, but she couldn’t clear the written test. “Not overcoming a task is not the end of the world. We should learn from it and grow with the experience. There is certainly something good for us in store. Be patient!” she says.
When Godrej company was scheduled to come for campus placement, Neha did not leave a single stone unturned in her preparation. She studied day and night. What helped her during this period was self-analysis. She knew where she was lacking and she focused just on that. Having solved several practical questions gave her the confidence that she could easily crack the aptitude test and the group discussion. To keep abreast with current affairs, Neha read the newspaper daily and to brush up on her language, she scrolled through several books including the Corporate Citizen magazine.
Neha got selected at Godrej on December 8, 2017. After completing her PGDM, Marketing, she joined the favoured company as a senior field officer. Her plate was full of responsibilities. She supervised and controlled the team of DSRs, promoters and merchandisers for the implementation of the growth agenda in the area through opportunities addressed by key geography, key channel partners and sales infrastructure and processes.
Neha also played a pivotal role in planning and organising, executing the agenda (focus areas and enablers, annual plan), setting objectives (targets at monthly level), field review meetings and much more. “Working with this well-known company helped me understand the market. The practical knowledge that I gained here will stay with me forever,” she says.
The six months she worked with Godrej gave her the opportunity to work at various locations like Pune, Mumbai, Indore, Vadodara and Ahmedabad.
‘I wasn’t afraid to go against the tide. I would surely want to stay with the company in the urban market and work harder to help the company reach its target. It’s a win win situation for both’
An ambitious Neha hopes to start a cafe that serves healthy foodNeha has come a long way in her life. Things have changed and so has her fate. But the only thing constant apart from her family’s unconditional love was her friends support, who have always been her pillars of strength. “Their support guided me to do my best. I wish the best of the world for all of them for always being with me,” she smiles.
A passionate and humble Neha one day hopes to bring in a welcoming change in the society. Her dream is to start a café serving healthy food in the near future, with the help of the autistic. “Starting a cafe has topped my goal-list. I have always been associated with various NGOs that help the autistic. I personally feel that they are very talented but society fails to accept them. Working with them will give me a chance to grow too,” explains Neha.
Cheers to Neha’s attitude and confidence! Hope she brings a positive change in the society with her contagious smile and determination.
Hard work: There is no substitute for hard work. The only price of success is working religiously.
Consistency: Nothing is more effective than being consistent. ‘Never give up’ attitude will pay off one day.
Optimism: A positive attitude towards work will take you a long way.
Patience: Slow and steady wins the race. Things will fall in place, just stay strong!
Confidence: Believe in yourself. If you don’t, no one will believe in you!
By Ekta Katti
