Anchal Andrews

Tell us a little bit about yourself (background) and your journey as an entrepreneur, please;

As the Founder and CEO of SkillMaker Consultancy, I have a passion for developing people, and so delved into Business and Spirituality. In 2015, I wrote a book about spirituality in business for frontline professionals called “Beyond Frontline Excellence” published by Partridge, a Penguin Random House Company. I happen to be the 1st in the globe to write on this subject for Frontline Professionals. With over 20 years of work experience in Management, Sales, Service, Learning, and Development - achievements while in the business have been numerous. I have been awarded a Fellowship at the Chartered Management Institute incorporated by the Royal Charter in the United Kingdom to contribute to their Leadership and Management forums and have been the finalist for the Stars of Business Awards in all of the Middle East for the category of Professional Services. Even though I have successfully designed and delivered Training Programmes for employees of over 20 Franchises in the United Arab Emirates and India, I received a Scholarship by the Admissions Board towards a Master of Science in Strategic Human Resource Management from the University of Roehampton in the United Kingdom. I have left footprints across the globe including Singapore, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and India. To know more about what SkillMaker Consultancy does, plug into www.theskillmaker.com We are a success-driven family - my father Dr. Sudhir Andrews D.Lit. has empowered me as a Woman Entrepreneur and my mother Roma Andrews opened a few doors for me as the Former Executive Director for a Conglomerate Business in UAE, the Al Habtoor Group. To that extent, we are all self-made.

Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job?

An entrepreneur has the possibility of accepting and rejecting assignments. Entrepreneurs should be able to discern between the two. An Entrepreneur is one that backs an idea with Innovation and concrete Leadership. Just like I back The Rakshin Project by Sakshi which is a Youth-Led Movement to Stop Child Sexual Abuse. The innovation I bring to this assignment is my expertise in SHRM, Operations, Leadership and, Learning, and Development. To know more you can plug into therakshinproject.org

What’s your source of motivation?

My passion for making me the best version of myself. As a Global Thought Leader once said to me, "It isn't whom you marry that matters, what matters is making 'you' the best version of yourself". This is a source of inspiration, not just motivation. Along with my passion for developing people, while an Entrepreneur is selfless to the degree that they can support the larger picture that can bring change to the Nation and to the Globe.

What challenges/obstacles did you face in your journey so far?

I wouldn't call it an obstacle, but yes, a challenge I made friends with. Having Bipolar Disorder has been the biggest challenge I overcame. Thanks to the experts and the forces that helped me learn how to swim in the deep end. Those forces were many, in my profession and in my personal life.

What comes first for you - money or emotions?

This is an easy question, I know this pat on my lips. Emotion comes first for me, precisely what makes the business a Value-Based Organization. Money follows passion and not the other way around.

How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?

Stress is okay, but distress isn’t. I am a lot like a pressure cooker, as we all are when the pressure does surmount, the whistle blows. That's when I need to cool down and enjoy the food for thought.

How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?

There have been a lot of struggles that I had to face while turning into an Entrepreneur running a business for 6 years now. 4 years in UAE and 2 years in India. I would title it 'Transformational Leadership'. This is the conversion of struggles into success opportunities and this is an authentic way for any business, translating an Entrepreneurs vision to reality.

In your opinion what are the keys to success?

To qualify oneself as successful the 3 doors they must open to begin their success story are:

1. The door of struggles

2. The door of innovation through it

3. The door is the best way to position the result of this in one’s life.

Success is not a Bed of Rose's. It is a Path of Thorns. The fact is everyone can walk down that road.

On enquiring from Ms. Anchal Andrews about what advice would you give to someone starting out as an aspiring entrepreneur,

She explained that one should believe in himself.

THINK BIG, AND DELIVER BIGGER THAN THAT.