Vikas Bansal - Success Is Not Dependent On Simply One Aspect But In Mastering Many Areas (Productivity Coach, Speaker)

We need to identify our passion and start working towards it – what would you be doing on the last day of your life? I love talking to and interacting with the audiences and that’s what drove me to my entrepreneurial journey.

1. Tell us more about your background and your journey.

I was born and bought up in a God-loving Hindu family. I did not have access to too many resources in my childhood, which was true for most people my age who were born around the mid-70s.

I did my engineering from NIT Kurukshetra. I was not only good in academics but performed fairly well in other activities as well (I was the college secretary handling the entire Literary and Debating activities). I worked for two years in a sales job post my engineering.

The biggest dream of my life came true when I was selected for the MBA course at IIM Indore in 1999. I got an opportunity to interact with some of the finest minds in the country and it helped broaden my horizon. I successfully graduated in 2001.

Over the next more than 17 years, I worked across the IT and Telecom industry with some of the biggest business houses in India. I worked across various roles ranging from Sales and Distribution, Product Management, Strategic and Financial Planning, Analytics, Customer Lifecycle Management, Innovation and Customer Experience.

Since 2016, I also started taking guest sessions at MDI Gurgaon. I realized I was able to connect well with my audiences (this revelation was a Yahoo moment for me similar to what “Thakur” experienced after having tested Jai and Veeru in Sholay).

I found my internal calling and started preparing for my second innings. I knew I could unleash my full potential in the training space.

I started my second innings as an entrepreneur towards the end of 2018. I have worked with a few corporates for their training requirements and have also organized end user sessions which have been attended by people across many industries.

Now, I also conduct LIVE online sessions for audiences across the world. I take guest sessions in Marketing at MDI Gurgaon and I am a visiting faculty at IMT Ghaziabad where I take a regular course.

I published a book in June 2020 titled “Be Your Boss.” It is about developing an entrepreneurial mindset. The book made it to an Amazon Best Seller in the US for a few days and was a Best Seller in India for 26 days in July.

2. How do you choose and prepare for a talk?

I work primarily in the area of productivity. Success is not dependent on simply one aspect but in mastering many areas. My focus remains an all-round development.

I always prepare my talk basis for the target audience. I have been fortunate to have spoken to people in their early 20s right up to people in their mid-50s. The examples and the way a point needs to be explained will depend on the age group and their working profile.

I also make it a point to rehearse my talk before the actual session.

3. Which is your favourite talk ever and how did it change your life?

The famous talk of “Connecting the Dots” by Steve Jobs. There is a purpose in the way things unfold in life. Steve took up calligraphy, not knowing that this would lay the foundation for the beautiful fonts we see today. Whenever I learn something new I am confident that God has a plan for me!

We need to identify our passion and start working towards it – what would you be doing on the last day of your life? I love talking to and interacting with the audiences and that’s what drove me to my entrepreneurial journey.

4. What are the best public speaking tips that have worked for you?

I can think of 2 tips which I always keep in mind.

Always look into the eyes of your audiences
Engage with participants – important to hear their viewpoint

5. What inspires you while penning a book down?

I can sum it up in a short sentence - Adding value to the lives of others.

6. What piece of advice would you like to give to future aspiring writers and public speakers?

My simple advice is to “enjoy the process.” Be patient for nothing worthwhile in the world was built overnight. Stay the course and you will make it one day.

7. What impact do you want to make in the world?

I want to help people become more productive and make them live a life of passion!

8. Which is your favourite book and why?

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. I learnt about the ESBI quadrant and understood the real meaning of an asset and a liability!

- Vikas Bansal (Productivity Coach, Speaker)

I have worked across Sales and Distribution, Product Management, CLM, Financial and Strategic Planning, Customer Experience and Analytics in my 20 years of corporate experience. Now, as a Productivity Coach and Speaker, I work in the area of Goal Setting, Mindset and Intrapreneurship. One of my videos has been featured in “Josh Talks.”