Exclusive Trusted Magazine Q&A with Aman Pal Singh, CEO at Benefits For Expats FZC.
What was your most challenging experience, and it has changed your mindset?
After working in the corporate world for over 2 decades, I have come to realize that one’s success largely depends on the culture of an Organization and the leaders that you get to work with. As a young professional I was able to make a mark for myself quickly and climb up the corporate ladder, meaning, hard work, the will to learn and the desire to go the extra mile was recognized and handsomely rewarded.
Moving to the Middle East exposed me to a consistent start-up environment and every day was a new day full of unending opportunities, challenges, and achievements. The learning curve was steep, and the ride was amazing, but I was soon faced with the biggest challenge of my career: to continue being an employee or to take the plunge and put my entrepreneurial spirit to the test.
Goes without saying, after 22 years of working with some of the largest MNC’s in the world to embark on this journey was no easy task, but, having said so, I have been blessed to learn that being an entrepreneur is a blessing and I am relishing each moment that I invest into this amazing journey.
When you get surprised by unusual or uncertain context, what do you think?
I think the only constant in life is the unexpected. We can chalk out the best plans and have the most surgical execution strategies, yet it is impossible to rule out the occasional curve balls that will result in the inevitable derailment of plans. People are designed to behave differently, hence the key to success is to always be open to surprises, to communicate and to never ever give up. Of course, having a strong sense of faith in your own abilities also plays an imperative role.
However, that is not to say that comfort with uncertainty is something that comes naturally to everyone. I passionately believe that the only reason I am this open to change is through my personal and professional experiences within dynamic settings. And to build on to that, if there is one thing I have been reminded of time and again, it is that we cannot control or influence everything or everyone around us.
All in all, success will always be around the corner, its waiting there for the few to dare to reach out and make it their own. Look at the unexpected as an opportunity to try new things and flourish.
What is the key success factor for an entrepreneur in a cross-cultural context based on your experience?
I believe in collaboration, an unending desire to learn and to consistently network as some of the essential elements of success for an entrepreneur. We all live in a highly diverse environment which in turn dictates inclusiveness as the way forward, hence I make it a point to interact with people from different backgrounds and try to understand their cultures, beliefs, and challenges. In doing so I can garner necessary market intelligence and insights that help my business inculcate meaningful changes to our core value proposition and develop impactful marketing strategies. Unlike in the olden days where business could thrive in a bubble, it’s a must to build businesses nowadays which are not only keeping up with the competition but are also culturally aware about their social environment, thereby ensuring scalability and at the same time future protecting the business.
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