Welcome to the first edition of my newsletter.
I’m so excited to start this journey with you.
This newsletter will help you reach your peak performance and grow your business while operating stress-free.
You’ll discover strategies, tips, and resources I have learned over two decades of building (and profitably selling) 2 multi-million dollar businesses.
Let me share a bit about how I did that.
In early 2001, I landed in America as a software engineer at a startup. Almost immediately, I was drawn to building a company that solved a real problem.
I loved the fast pace, learning new things, and all aspects of building a startup. It was a crazy, adrenalin-filled ride. After working at multiple small and mid-sized companies, I landed at JPMorgan, India.
Through these different experiences, I learned a lot about how businesses operate at various stages.
In 2005, I joined my husband, Nitin, in our tech startup, Tejora Technologies. We were the co-founders who coded.
The business grew fast.
Early days at Tejora Technologies.
We worked with Fortune 100 companies in the US and top private sector banks in India and UAE.
In 2007, we co-founded another business, Elixir Fitness, alongside Tejora.
The competitive nature of the retail market pushed me to adapt quickly. I learned to productize services, create new products, make sales, ensure customer satisfaction, manage cash flow – and most importantly, trust myself.
Elixir’s membership base grew rapidly, and within a year, we broke even. In 2012, I sold Elixir to a celebrity fitness trainer to focus more on Tejora.
Selling Elixir was an interesting experience (I’ll keep it for another time). It taught me how a business is valued and what factors contribute to increasing business value. I carried this knowledge to Tejora.
Then, in 2017, my world shattered. I lost my husband, my partner in life and business.
The grief was overwhelming.
Yet, Tejora needed me. The company’s responsibility fell solely on my shoulders.
The next two years were a blur of stabilizing the business while navigating my personal loss.
The COVID pandemic made it even harder, but with a strong team and loyal customers, we kept growing.
The fear that “I will fall short” accelerated my learning. My sole mission was to take over the reins of the company and make it as stable and valuable as possible.
I surrounded myself with experienced mentors and coaches and learned everything about the parts of the business with which I was not previously involved.
By 2021, Tejora had 200+ engineers, stronger cash reserves, 2 distinct revenue lines, and an impressive customer list across India, UAE, and USA.
This is the time when I realized the true value of our creation:
- A great team,
- Amazing culture, and
- Huge goodwill with clients.
Priceless!
My team and processes were set to run the business without my day-to-day involvement.
18 years had passed, and a desire to create a larger impact with smaller operations was taking root in me. So, I decided to sell and exit Tejora.
Was the decision easy?
Not at all.
I oscillated for over 4 months on whether this was the right decision. But in the end, it felt right for Tejora and its employees’ future growth.
Preparing to divest my stake, presenting to potential buyers, and undergoing due diligence was an experience in itself.
Our robust systems, impeccable finances, founder-free company operations, impressive customer list, and resilience demonstrated over the years attracted buyers and resulted in a full buyout offer.
In early 2022, I sold Tejora, taking time for self-care and reflection.
My journey from engineer to entrepreneur was hard. During the early years, I felt like an idiot—lost, confused, and stressed out.
Time and again, I’ve seen brilliant ideas and talented people fail in their businesses. The challenges of entrepreneurship in this unpredictable world are real.
Now, I had two choices:
- Start another company, or
- Help other CEOs build theirs.
Starting another company would have been easier, but I chose the latter because this time, I wanted to work for a massive impact.
I trained to become a formal coach with ICF and took courses in related fields such as Applied Neuroscience.
Now, in my third venture, I am on a mission to help founders bootstrap, grow rapidly, create value, and even exit (if they wish to).
Here's a secret I've come to realize and I want to share with you:
To grow a business efficiently, the founders must work on themselves first.
That’s why I decided to become a CEO Coach and not a business coach/consultant. Now I help CEOs reach their peak performance while learning the ropes of building their businesses.
Seeing them succeed makes me content.
Through this newsletter, I want to share everything I have learned over two decades and help you with your business.
Next Thursday, I will share a pivotal moment in Tejora’s journey.
It’s something that excites every entrepreneur I meet—the successful sale of Tejora.
Stay tuned for the next edition.
To your mastery,
Surabhi
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