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| Our journey started small, but our determination to challenge norms in the real estate industry and foster positive change never wavered. We aim to empower women, spread self-love, and protect children—making a lasting impact in every space we venture into. |
1. Tell us more about your companies and your journey.
Book Your Ghar, which Alisha and I co-founded, was inspired by an overwhelming desire to stand out in the predominantly male dominated real estate sector. Our enthusiasm to develop a solution was sparked by our frustration with the widespread lack of professionalism. As a result, Book Your Ghar was established as a one-stop shop for all real estate requirements. Our main objective was to simplify the home-buying process, freeing purchasers from inconveniences and providing an expert, welcoming environment.
It represented the start of a transforming journey for me. We started off small, working out of coffee shops and keeping our endeavor a secret from our families. From these humble beginnings, we went on to construct an office, hire amazing women, and create opportunities for women in the real estate industry.
Our dedication to promoting diversity and encouraging women in the real estate industry is embodied in this journey.
2. How did you come up with this idea and go about executing it?
The idea for Book Your Ghar emerged during a casual conversation with a friend. Starting from scratch, we conducted research and made connections with experts in the field. Overwhelming education, field-specific insights, networking, and ultimately realising our vision were all part of the process.
We made a strong networking system with professionals, and took in a tonne of knowledge and insights unique to the field. Developing systems and establishing contacts, as well as learning about the real estate industry and its operations, were essential components of our journey.
3. What motivated you to start a podcast focused on self-love, and what advice would you give to individuals looking to embrace self-love and build lasting impacts in their lives?
Living alone in London for a year was a turning point in my life when I realised the value of self-reliance and self-love. During this time of isolation, the chant "I, me, myself" struck a deep chord, highlighting the need of loving and relying on oneself. I support treating oneself with kindness and giving yourself the time you need to grow as a person in the business world.
Another crucial point in my journey of self-love came when I was pursuing my entrepreneurial dreams and encountered doubt from others about my ideas and concepts. Even in the face of doubt and discouraging remarks, self-belief served as my motivation and kept me going after my goals.
My desire to help people who struggle with low confidence and self-doubt was stoked by this event. I became aware of my potential influence on college students' lives while leading a session for them. This made me realise that podcasts could effectively spread my message to a wider audience in less time. Thus, "Self Love in 60 Seconds" as an idea came to be.
Based on my personal experiences, I've found that using mindfulness techniques like journaling, meditation, and visualisation is really helpful for staying focused in the face of outside distractions. Furthermore, putting health first is an essential part of this life-changing path towards self-discovery and long-lasting influence.
4. You also founded Our Voix, an organization working on child sexual abuse prevention. How did you get involved in this cause, and what initiatives have you undertaken to raise awareness and combat child sexual abuse?
I was moved to become actively involved in the fight against child sexual abuse after meeting young girls who bravely told their stories of abuse. The establishment of 'Our Voix,' an organisation dedicated to preventing child sexual abuse, was spurred by this revelation. When i was doing my masters in child rights, I did research on how sex education can help in prevention of child sexual abuse. I observed that just by teaching children how to identify abuse and speak up. We can prevent abuse.
After hearing the experiences of young girls, I felt forced to intervene and ensure that no child has to go through such horror. A single workshop has the capacity to empower a young girl to speak up, and seeing the combined strength of young people raising their voices against abuse inspires us to push for meaningful change.
Our Voix' focuses on creating courses dedicated to child sexual abuse prevention, and we are happy to have introduced India's first cybersafety comic book in this arena. Furthermore, we have produced powerful animated films that double as instructional resources, providing kids with direction and a lexicon to comprehend and avoid child sex abuse.
We've attracted media attention—including features in TedX and Femina—in an effort to promote awareness.
5. How do you balance your roles as an entrepreneur, podcast host, and social activist? Can you share your insights on time management and prioritization?
Balancing the duties of business, podcast presenter, and social activist is unquestionably difficult and at times overwhelming. I admit that, as a human, there are days when I am unable to do several tasks at once, and there are times when I am exhausted. But knowing the 'Why' behind my efforts keeps me motivated all the time.
One important lesson I've learned—and am continually developing—is how important it is to set out various days and hours for different jobs. For instance, when hosting a podcast, all attention is focused on that, with no thought given to the future or the result. It's about doing every task to the best of my ability within the allotted time.
However, it's important to avoid being too hard on oneself. Recognising that it's alright to take breaks and not do everything all of the time has been an important lesson in this journey.
6. What has been the biggest challenge that you faced and how did you overcome that?
The most significant challenge I faced was breaking into the male-dominated real estate industry, where many questioned a woman's ability to succeed." Hearing "no" and getting rejected started to happen frequently. I heard comments like, "We don't want to work with girls," and some questioned our capacity for closing deals. But I made the decision not to allow outside judgements to determine my course. Despite the obstacles, our perseverance and diligence paid off. We grew the organization and opened doors, proving that a person's commitment to a goal bigger than themselves can overcome any challenge.
7. What are your tips for first-time and aspiring entrepreneurs?
Believing in your idea is crucial for first-time and prospective entrepreneurs, regardless of what other people think. Even though some people might question your ability or value, it's important to have the correct mentors. Recall that if someone tells you that you can't succeed, that is their reality, not yours.
Go beyond just dreaming; make concrete plans. Being an entrepreneur is a difficult road with many ups and downs that call for perseverance and self-control. Despite difficult days, force yourself to get dressed and keep going. Have a strong sense of self-belief and surround yourself with people who support you.
It might be difficult for entrepreneurs to accurately charge for their services. Trust your idea, and don't allow other people to tell you what you should dream about. You can make something if you can envision it. But self-control is essential.
Losses are a part of the process and won't happen every day. If you remain dedicated, life will commend your endeavors. Accept discipline, maintain an open mind, network, and learn more about your art constantly while unlearning everything that is limiting your development into the person you will become in the future.
8. Looking ahead, what are your future plans and aspirations, both for your existing ventures and any new projects on the horizon?
For Book Your Ghar, our immediate objective is to grow into Dubai and take advantage of the thriving real estate industry there. In addition, our goal is to expand the prospects available to women in India who want to start their own businesses, resulting in a more cohesive and welcoming real estate industry. Beyond only closing deals, we also want to close the knowledge gap in the industry by giving our clients access to educational materials so they can make well-informed investment decisions.
My future plans for the podcast include inviting various guests to share inspiring experiences. More entrepreneurs should be highlighted, and their stories should be shared to motivate a worldwide audience. My vision is to create a space where people’s voices are heard and they inspire the new generation.
Megha Bhatia, an accomplished professional with an LLM from the University College of London, is a dynamic leader in business and social advocacy. She is the Co-founder of Book Your Ghar, a leading real estate company. BYG aims to make the process of buying and selling a house a hassle-free process for home buyers. Committed to social impact, Megha is also the founder of Our Voix, a youth-led organization focused on child sexual abuse prevention. Her influential work for Our Voix has been featured in top publications, including Yahoo, Brut, NDTV, Femina, and Times of India. In the media realm, Megha's podcast, "Self Love in 60 Seconds," has gained immense popularity with over a million listens from diverse parts of India.
Interviewed and Edited by - Arunangshu Chatterjee
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