Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 18:57
Does he have a chain of pizza?
Vikram Seth: 18:59
Correct. He had a chain of pizza. Right. But obviously, I mean, he doesn’t have that kind of the budget to afford somebody actually who can do that. I mean, you know, and managing 5 or 6 different pizza stores. Then actually we actually tried to explain to them, you know, what all those tasks that actually you are telling us that can be done from anywhere.
You don’t need a physical person. But trust me, it was very hard actually, you know, to convince him because he never seen that world, right? He come from like a very old school, you know, like doing the things and, you know, like. And he was not ready to actually accept that. Okay, you know what, Vikram? What you are saying is that anybody sitting from the Brazil or Argentina can do that. right?
And then we told him, why don’t you try somebody that actually we actually suggested them for 30 days, and you don’t need to pay us anything. If nothing works, it’s all on us. Right. And trust me, I mean, after 30 days, this guy come to me and say, like, can I actually have 1 or 2 more people like that? Right.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 19:58
What were they doing?
Vikram Seth: 20:00
I mean, they were doing just all, you know, like operational tasks that actually, you know, this person actually the owner of the company was doing it. So now what? He has realized that in one month that okay, you know what? This person is capable. I know that he hire, you know, and she actually took all the tasks from his plate.
Now he can focus more on the business development. He can spend more time with the investors. He can spend more time, more time in finding the, you know, the real estate where actually he can open up more pizza stores, right? He doesn’t need to actually call his, you know, like the pizza store manager to ask, hey, you know what, what do you want me to order? You know what grocery you need because this person is already doing all those tasks, right?
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 20:44
How did that person find you? It’s kind of random. I always picture technology businesses, you know, working with you or, you know, those types of companies like software, because I know you have developers and place developers and other various positions. How did a pizza owner find you?
Vikram Seth: 21:03
Well, I mean, the pizza owner find me. You know, that’s interesting. I mean, like the pizza owner find me, I mean, through some references, you know, as I said, I mean, like, I have another, I have another, I have another, actually, you know, the the client actually, who owns a lot of, like, a gaming parlors, you know, as you can see, a lot of gaming parlors. I mean, so obviously the gaming parlor has some pizza concept. I mean, because they have a little pizza shop and then the gaming machines and all that, you know, we actually work with them and we develop a platform called Bamboo Rewards.
And they were friends together. And, you know, I think over the drinks, I think they talk about, I mean, how they actually optimizing the resource and actually, you know, making sure that, you know, like there is a, you know, like an of amount of the delegation happen. And that’s how actually, you know, over another client actually help us to connect with this, another retail pizza store owner.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 21:59
You know, I want to get into your journey a little bit and talk about a little bit where you grew up and then what brought you to the States.
Vikram Seth: 22:12
That’s a very good question. I mean, like, first of all, I born and raised in India. I mean, I come from like a city called Amritsar. Most of the people, I mean, like most of the people know, probably Amritsar is the city of the Golden Temple. If you know religion, I mean, one of the religion named Sikhism actually founded actually in Amritsar.
So I born in Amritsar. I did my, you know, undergrad in Amritsar. But now the second question that you ask, how did I came in United States, you know. Well, while growing up in India or while even doing my education, I mean, I have no plan to come to United States, right? You know, because I come from a very different background.
I mean, like, I always used to tell people, I mean, you know, when you grow up in certain circumstances where, you know, you were told, you know, to dream. I mean, coming into United States is a big dream. So I was told, you know, I don’t have a right to dream above my means. And, you know, and I come from a blue collar family and, you know, and as you know, that, I mean, when you actually born and raised in a country like India, I mean, you are destined to be a laborer, right? So there was no question of, there was not even a 1%, you know, like 1% actually, you know, like there was not even a 1% chance of me coming to the United States.
So me coming into the United States is all accidental, you know, I would say like that was my destiny. And I ended up coming over here.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 23:48
What was the first step? It sounds like from what you’re telling me, the story, there’s no chance of you coming here. But you did. So what was the circumstance?
Vikram Seth: 23:59
Well, the circumstance was, I mean, like, I did my bachelor, you know, in India and I, and I want to pursue higher studies in India. I mean, I was a mediocre student. I was not like, you know, like the brightest or the brightest, you know, but for some reason, I couldn’t make it into my master’s program anywhere in India because, you know, I was looking only for those schools who actually take me as a free education, right? Because, you know, because of our financial restriction. I mean, you know, we couldn’t, my father couldn’t or my parents couldn’t actually afford that higher education.
So I was only targeting those school that actually can give me the free education. And for some reason, because of the system in the country or because of my abilities, I couldn’t able to make it right. And then actually, there was an opportunity comes to me where that opportunity actually took me to a another country in Africa. I mean, some of you probably know this country as one of the best safari in the world, but I didn’t go to that country to do the best safari. I went to this country to do a work, and the name of the country is Tanzania.
So at the age of 22 year old, I left India and I ended up going in Tanzania. And my door, my door to USA actually opened from Tanzania. So I’m always grateful to Tanzania as well. I had a great experience in that country. I mean, that was the first time actually, I exposed myself to a totally different culture, you know, totally different race, you know?
And I think I was lucky enough, I mean at a such a early age, at the age of 22 year old, I mean, I was able to understand the human connection, the relationship and the power of, you know, and power of power, of being a just a, you know, like a genuine human being. I mean, because a lot of stuff happened in Africa that made me to think that, you know, if you if you, if you as a human being, I mean, you want to try to achieve something, there is a whole universe behind it who is ready to actually help you, right? You don’t necessarily need to depend upon your family or the friends that you know them for. For a long time. You know stranger will come forward and help you.
And that happened with me. That happened with me in my life. You know, a lot of people who know me, they know my story. And, you know, how can you know Jeremy? I mean, a stranger can give you 15,000 USD in a year of 2000, you know, like a six. So that happened with me. Stranger gave me 15,000.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 26:39
Why? Why did I do that?
Vikram Seth: 26:41
Well, I mean, I needed them, I needed the money. I mean, like, that was I needed the money. I mean, to to come to United States or to apply for my visa and, and they and I borrow 15,000 USD from them. But I returned the money. But I mean the but the but the but the thing is, for me, it was a mind boggling.
I mean me coming from the different culture, different race, you know, I didn’t born and raised in Tanzania, but somebody actually just like a stranger that I know him, you know, maybe last for like a 3 or 4 months and I, I told him this is my problem. I really want to apply for the US visa. And actually this person come forward and he’s like, you know what? I’m here to help you out. So that is very human to me. You know that was very surreal to me.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 27:28
What was it like then when you came to the US?
Vikram Seth: 27:32
Well, I mean, that’s a good question. I mean, when I came in us, I mean, think about like, you know, like as a, as a kid in a, you know, like a candy shop, right? You know, like, you come in United States. I mean, my, you know, it was mind boggling for me to see the infrastructure in the United States. Right, because I have never seen anything like that.
I mean, I grew up in India. I actually ended up going in Tanzania, and now I’m actually in a, you know, one of the richest country in the world, right? So think about it. I mean, like I always say this to people, I mean, like I see the world like, you know, like India. I mean, you know, coming from the middle class country, the poorest country, and now I’m one of the richest country in the world.
I mean, I mean, obviously, I mean, everything looks great to me. I mean, and thanks to my friend, I mean, who came to pick me up from the airport, you know, and all, obviously. I mean, the moment you come out of the US, the first thing you see, the roads and cleanliness and that was mind boggling. That was mind blowing to me.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 28:31
Describe the scene in India and then Africa compared to the US then?
Vikram Seth: 28:37
I mean, it’s a very hard to describe that. I mean, but I’m gonna, I’m gonna, I’m gonna try my best. I mean, like, I mean, for example, I mean, if you go to India, I mean, there is a lot of chaos. I mean, because obviously one of the biggest population in the world, I mean, like, people are nice, but obviously there’s a lot of things that are happening at the same time, right? You know, in Africa, I mean, things are very slow. In Africa, people call this no hurry, no worry. This is Africa right.
Now in US. I mean, you just come over here. I mean, you look here, you feel like everything is actually everything is on, like some sort of, you know, like a cruise mode, right? The cars are stopping at the light when actually they supposed to stop. Right? Everybody is following a process. Very process oriented, you know.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 29:26
Where did you actually first land when you came here?
Vikram Seth: 29:30
I landed in Washington, D.C..
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 29:32
Why? Why there?
Vikram Seth: 29:34
Because one of my. One of my college friends, I mean, one of my college friend, he used to live in the Washington, D.C., and and he was the only hope of me to coming in the United States, because I have when I came in 2008, I had nobody from my family, you know, who was in the US. So that was my only hope. And then he’s like, hey, you know, you come to Washington, D.C., and then I said, okay, I’ll come.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 30:00
Were you coming here? Did you have something set up to do school here, or did you just come on a whim and you’re like, I’ll figure it out when I get there?
Vikram Seth: 30:09
Yeah, I just come on a whim. I just come on. I come here as a tourist. Yeah.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 30:14
So what were you planning on doing?
Vikram Seth: 30:16
See, I mean, like.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 30:18
It’s so interesting, right? I mean, were you planning to stay indefinitely? You’re just like, I’m going to come?
Vikram Seth: 30:23
See, I mean, you know, like, I. I want you to understand that. I mean, like when you grew up outside the United States. You know, United States has always been like a land of opportunities. You know, that’s how the people see this outside the United States right now.
Where and also, I mean, you know, as I as if you if you remember, you know, like I was always want to go for the higher education, right? So now I happen to come in United States. I have no plan. I have no family. But I have one dream that I want to go for the higher education in United States because, you know, you are in United States.
United States has the best school in the world, right? So, you know, there was very like, you know, like in your world, you know, in entrepreneurial world, we call this bag, right? You know, the big hairy audacious goal, right. So in my head, having no money in the pocket, you know, I’m thinking, hey, you know what? I’m in the right country right now.
I want to go for the higher education. That’s all I have in my head. But I have no money in the pocket.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 31:21
So then how do you make that happen? Education is expensive when you got here.
Vikram Seth: 31:26
Well, I mean, like. as I said earlier, I mean, you like a, you know, I, I personally believe where there is a will, there is a way. Right. You know, and what happened in Africa where actually the stranger come forward and acquaintance come forward to help me out. I mean, I had realized that, you know, the law of attraction, you know, very quickly early stages of my life, you know, when I came over here, obviously, I mean, as when you come over here, I started working as a I started my career as a dishwasher because I couldn’t find any job over here.
2008 Germany. You know that that’s not the best year to come in the United States. You know, and especially I mean, none of the retail stores were ready to give any jobs. So I ended up going into, you know, like a dishwashing. I did dishwashing at that time.
My English was also not very great. My English was broken, you know. So during the dishwashing, I able to learn a different culture over there because I was actually working with a lot of people from the Latin America, right? From people from the Mexico, people from Guatemala, people from Honduras, Brazil, you know, all sorts of different people. The only one thing was common with me and with them was, you know, their English was broken. My English was broken. Right.
So, we both kind of considered each other at the equal level. Right. And to be honest, I mean, like, they were the only one who come forward and actually, you know, and accepted me as their own first. You know, I’ve been I’ve been into a lot of different situation where actually a lot of people from India, they look down at me, you know, I’m sorry to say that, but, you know, most of the people who born and raised over here as an Indian American, I mean, they were making fun of my accent. Right. But the people from the Latin America, they were not. Because even though I didn’t speak Spanish.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 33:19
People from India were making fun of your accent.
Vikram Seth: 33:21
Yes, 100%. People who born and raised over there.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 33:23
That seems weird.
Vikram Seth: 33:25
I mean, well, I mean, you know, there is, you know, people say that racism, racism, actually racism, racism doesn’t restrict only at the color level. In my experiences, racism exists at the various different level, right? Like for example, maybe I look same that the way look I but the they probably looking at me and they’re probably laughing at me. Oh you know what? You’re pronouncing this word incorrect.
Then they laughed at me. Right. You know, definitely English is not my first language, you know, but that happened with me, you know? But not everybody’s like that. But where I feel more, you know, like a closeness, you know, with the people from the Latin America because as I said, maybe the commonality was, I don’t know the language. They don’t know the language.
Even though I don’t speak Spanish, I don’t speak Portuguese, they don’t speak Hindi or or Punjabi that I speak. So we used to communicate with each other with the, with the, with a with our hand gestures with our with our literally, I mean, the pure emotions, the the face and all that. So that bring a lot more closer to me to that culture, actually, you know.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 34:35
What did you want to go to school for then at the time of, you know, you went on to Georgetown, right?
Vikram Seth: 34:41
Yeah. I mean, but going to the Georgetown was not easy ride, you know, because obviously, I mean, you know, like are there is there is a, there is a story behind it or how that happened, you know, dishwashing to Georgetown, you know, like when I came in this country, I mean, I want to go for the higher education. And this is where actually, you know, while working the kitchen, this is where actually I met Piyush, who happens to be my business partner. Right. He came into the kitchen, you know, and then I asked him, I want to go for the higher education, you know, is there a way that you can help me?
Right? He’s like, yeah, I mean, this is my business card. Why don’t you call me? I was like, you know what? In US, everybody give a business card, but nobody picks up the phone. Everything goes to the voicemail. You know, I’m already very frustrated. Please don’t give me your business card. And he said, I’m not that type of person. You know, maybe you just call me, I’ll help you.
And then I remember that actually, I called him, you know, and I said, hey, you know what? This is where I want to go. I want to go for the higher education. And I remember that I mean, he picked me up. He took me to certain some of the schools, I mean, you know, then actually, I was able to get myself into one of, like, a very small school, you know, I don’t think so. That school exists anymore. His name? Stratford, very private school.
I actually went over there and actually I got admission. Right now I’m working in a restaurant so that everything is going fine. But while working in a Stratford University, I still feel like, you know, that’s not the school that I imagined in my dreams. Because when actually as an immigrant, you see American University, what comes into your head?
Your head comes in like a big, you know, are the big campuses, right? You know, lush green gardens. You know, you know, like all those buildings comes. But where I was going in a school, there was a simple, like, office building. And I was going over there once in a week. Right.
And I was I was not learning anything new because that school was, you know, was there, but but I was not learning anything. And then and then one day, actually, I was in the kitchen and then I was on my break, I was browsing an internet, and I asked the owner of the restaurant, hey, you know what? There is a one school pop up. And I was so naive.
I was so naive. I asked the owner of the restaurant, what do you think about this Georgetown? And then the owner of the restaurant looked at me, and he’s like, are you kidding me? I mean, this is one of the best schools in the country. What are you trying to do over here? Are you trying to go over there and get admission?
I said, I didn’t ask you about that. I asked you, how is the school? He’s like I said, it’s a great school. The long story short, I mean, you know, like then I asked my, you know, like, current partner, you know, the business partner. Hey, you know what? How is this school? He’s like, it’s a great school. And he’s like, he’s like, you should apply for that school. And he jokingly told me, like, you know what?
You should go and meet people there. You know, I took it very seriously. I ended up going over there and meet the dean of the Georgetown.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 37:53
Did you just walk up and knock on his door or what? Or her door?
Vikram Seth: 37:56
Yeah. Yeah, I just knock on the door. Right? Yeah. So. And I was lucky enough I was able to get it through.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 38:02
And what did you say when you walked in?
Vikram Seth: 38:04
I mean, I.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 38:04
Can you let me in here like.
Vikram Seth: 38:07
100%? No. You’re right. I mean, like, think about it. I mean, at that time, my vocabulary was very limited, you know?
So that’s what I said. He asked me, how can I help you, son? ” And I said, like, you know what, sir? I mean, this is how I used to pronounce at that time. I said, like I said, I mean, I need admission in the school, you know, and I need your help. So I was very direct.
And he’s like, you know, well, I mean, you know, this is not admission office, right. But then obviously, I mean, you know, like we had a conversation almost like a 20 minutes and then the I was I was able to convince him to give me the admission and, but there was some conditions and I fulfill all those conditions and, and I was able to get myself into Georgetown.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 38:52
What were you studying there when you went?
Vikram Seth: 38:54
I actually studied over the entrepreneurial biotechnology. That’s the first time that I heard the word entrepreneur from Georgetown. Right? You know, because me coming from like, you know, my entire schooling in India was in a public schooling and anyone actually who is listening me from India, they know that. I mean, what does that mean is, you know, if you come from like a public school from India.
So for me, entrepreneurial world, first time I actually listen in Georgetown. So thanks to Georgetown, I mean to teach me, you know, the entrepreneurial you know like the mindset.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 39:32
So once Vikram, once you finished there, when did you start working with your current business partner?
Vikram Seth: 39:40
Well, I mean, like, once I finish over there, I mean, obviously, I mean, like, I was looking for a job, right? You know, I was looking for a job, actually, in a pharmaceutical world or in a biotechnology world. There is a funny story also. I mean, like, if you allow me I mean, I’m happy to share that how that happened. I mean, you know, see, I mean, when, when I actually graduated from the Georgetown, I was actually international student, right?
So obviously, I mean, I have a lot of visa restriction and everything, a lot of time, I mean, all these big companies, I mean, like they say that, I mean, we are open for everybody, you know, you know, you know, blah blah blah, right? But the moment you apply, your application doesn’t even go to them. All those applicant tracking system, they rule you out.
The moment you say that I need a sponsorship in the future, right. No call. Right. Doesn’t matter, you know. So obviously, I mean, I didn’t get any phone call, you know, I was I was getting frustrated because having a degree from the Georgetown and I and the and the clock was ticking, you know, and.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 40:43
You need a job to stay in the country.
Vikram Seth: 40:45
Yes, yes, I needed a job. And then one day, I mean, like, I was standing in the bus stop, somebody I mean, I think the lady was from us. And she looked at me, I looked at her and she asked me out of the blue. I mean, she asked where this accent come from, right? My accent.
And I said, like, yeah, I mean, I’m born and raised in India. Before I say anything, she’s like, oh, you must be working in technology. Right. You must be working in a technology, you know. I said no at that time, but then I came back home. First I thought like, okay, why? She was labeling me, but then I. But then actually.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 41:27
She was labeling you.
Vikram Seth: 41:29
Right. You know, but then I thought, like, you know what? She gave me the great idea, right? She gave me the great idea. Because, you know what? She maybe I’m banging the wrong door. Maybe I am not. I am not over here for the working of pharmaceutical. You know, maybe this face is not for that. Maybe this accent is not for that.
This lady is teaching me something. She is my she. She’s my guru. I mean, if today I met her, I want to I want to say thank you to her. Because then I went back home and I told myself, you know what I got? I need to do something, you know, and then I get myself into technology, project management and all that, and the rest is history. Now that’s why we have our Simpalm, you know, technology business obviously. I mean the later I joined Piyush. Piyush is actually PhD from Johns Hopkins. You know, he didn’t tell me.
He told me when I actually graduated from the Georgetown because he doesn’t want me to feel bad, that you know what? That he went to such a big school and I didn’t go, but when actually, I graduated from the Georgetown, then he told me, hey, there is a surprise for you. I have a PhD from Johns Hopkins. But that was the back to the story. The lady was a reason I stepped into the technology.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 42:42
And then at what point do you reconnect, or do you kind of forge that business relationship with.
Vikram Seth: 42:49
I mean, you know, that was I remember that I mean, I was working, I was working for some companies. I mean, like because I work as a consultant for the corporation. And then one day, actually, I remember that Piyush invited me to dinner at his home. You know, he used to live in Maryland and on the dining table. Piyush at that time already started Simpalm.
He was doing this custom. I mean, how this, you know, like the staff augmentation has been working and how is this been actually been handled here in the United States? And I think, you know, we can do in a better way. And then he’s like, you know, but you know that, I mean, you are going against a lot of big companies, you know, you know, I like you know, but I want to try. And then as usual he said, if you want to try, I’m in.
You know, I already have this company that I actually registered. Why don’t you work? Why don’t you actually work with me and try your idea? And then actually, I ask, what would this idea work? Then he said, like, then we will be a partner, right? You know, and then he allowed me to work on my idea, which was more on the human side, the staffing side. And that works out.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 44:05
You know what strikes me about the journey? The story is your mindset. Each piece. You could have stopped. You could have given up. You could have listened to everyone else who says, this is impossible.
What was it early on? You could have never left India in the first place, right? What do you think it was in you that was like. You know what? I know that I grew up in this blue collar family, but I’m going to do this other thing. I’m getting out of here to the US or Africa or whatever it is. What was it? Where did you get that mindset from? You think?
Vikram Seth: 44:51
I think, you know, like I always say this necessity is the mother of invention, right? You know, when you have nothing to lose, you have to play your cards right. I mean, for example, when I came in us, I mean, you know, yeah, I could have actually adopted that path where actually, you know, I could ended up actually in a restaurant industry and actually, you know, like a working actually as a undocumented or working actually as a but I saw the life of those people when actually I was, I was living in a same home where actually all the Latin American were living. I was listening their first hand stories. Right.
And then I told myself, you know what? If I want to, if I want to? And even they told me, you know, like in the Spanish that I can understand that, you know, they told me like, you know what, this world is not for you. And then I told myself, if I want to live in this, if I want to live in United States, I need to go and educate myself, right? Because I don’t want to have that life.
And now you know what you said. Like where I this where I get this positivity, the energy, I think from the people because think about it. I mean, all the people, the Latin American people that I’m living with them, they have no blood relationship with me, but they have an expectation, okay, this guy will actually will do something different because they were watching while I’m going to the school and I’m also watching the dishing.
So for them actually, you know what really doesn’t matter what country I come from. For them, it really doesn’t matter. I mean, what religion I come from. For them, what really mattered was I am working with them in the same kitchen. And this is the guy actually, who tried to do something different.
So they’re I think they’re I think they’re all the positive, you know, the blessings were helping me in somehow that give me the power so that I can go and knock the door of the dean with my broken English.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 46:39
The other thing that strikes me is that you, even from getting to the US and then getting into Georgetown and further, you put it out there and you ask, right?
Vikram Seth: 46:55
Yeah.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 46:56
You know, you just take action, you march down, you knock on the dean’s door, you ask, probably same thing. You weren’t, like hoping and dreaming of $15,000 to get the visa to come over to the US. Like you probably put it out there. I imagine you talked to a bunch of people. How do I do this? And you asked, and you know, you took action on it. Yes. Of course, like someone was generous to help you.
Vikram Seth: 47:21
Yes.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 47:22
But you have to put it out there. Right? And that’s what you did. I’m wondering. I have one last question, Vikram.
First of all, thank you. Thanks for sharing your journey. It’s fascinating. It’s amazing what you’ve done. You know, you plop someone in a foreign country and then, you know, with nothing, you know, no money or anything.
And so it’s really amazing. So I have one last question about some of your entrepreneurial influences throughout the years. But I do want to, you know, encourage people to check out Simpalm.com, check out SimpalmStaffing.com. You can check out Ducknowl.com.
But who are some of your entrepreneurial influences? It could be colleagues mentors. It could be distant people that you’ve learned from, whether it’s books or podcasts or something like that as well.
Vikram Seth: 48:13
You know, like, I’m a very simple man, you know? So I have a very simple idols as well. You know, I think the first one, I mean, you know, like the one, the person that actually who gave me 15,000 USD, right. You know, I think if even if he would not have given me that kind of money, I would never be able to make it over here. Right.
And then I think, you know, another one. I mean, the, the owner of the restaurant. Right. The owner of the restaurant. I learn so much from him. I mean, the leadership style. Right? For example, I mean, I was very new in the country and he was the one who served, like, you know, like what you should do so that you can actually be better, right? So, I mean, I’m still in touch with him. I mean, whenever I go to Virginia, I meet him, you know, he’s the one.
I think my another idol was my, the dean of the, you know, like the Georgetown, the biotechnology department who was visionary enough to see that spark, right? If he would not give me the chance, I would never able to make it. You know. Other idols, I mean, you know, like all those people. I mean, like, I work with them. I mean, in the restaurant industry, I mean, specifically, I’m in the kitchen. I saw them I mean, like, that is how their resilience, right?
I saw them I mean, like, it’s very easy to say that, but it’s very hard to live that life where actually you don’t see your family for last ten years. You’re working over here and sending them the money, right? Those were my idol, right? You know who made me who I am.
That’s why probably. I mean, the God has given me the chance to work in the people business, right? Maybe I’m not into some other business. I mean, you know, I don’t own a gas station. I don’t own any restaurant. I came into the people business because my entire life is all. All about the people. And all those people, I mean, come from nowhere.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 50:10
What about through EO or EMP?
Vikram Seth: 50:14
Well, I mean, yes, I mean, the EO came in my life. I mean, you know, like, you know, in the later down the year, I mean, you know, that. I mean, you are also the EO member. I mean, when actually I, when actually I reached a certain milestone. I mean, you know, then actually I ended up joining EO, you actually open up a very different world, right.
You know, the EO actually gave me the opportunity to meet people with a similar mindset, right, where actually my connection can go up to the global level. Right? You know, for example, I mean, you know, Germany, I mean, I was in a Brazil and I was in Argentina, I mean, ten days before. I mean, I met a lot of awesome people over there. Right?
And there are a lot of good people in EO who want to do the good deeds with a lot of people, you know, who are actually in who are, who actually come from like the world that actually has nothing to offer to them. So actually, I think EO gave me the the power of the connection that actually I can my connection is not only limited to Chicago only. My connection is all the way now from, you know, like start from India to start and to the Brazil. So almost I mean, you can cover the entire world. I mean, with this EO connection and you actually ended up, you know, thanks to you, I ended up meeting a great person like you. So you played a very vital role in my journey as well.
Dr. Jeremy Weisz: 51:37
Vikram, I want to thank you. Everyone, check out Simpalm.com and Ducknowl.com and we’ll see you next time. Vikram.
Vikram Seth: 51:45
Thank you very much. Thank you.
