Taking the Leap from Entrepreneurship to Global MBA- Ridhi Virmani’s SP Jain Journey
Before June 2022, a typical day in my life in Kolkata, India, involved me overseeing operations at the family-owned cosmetic manufacturing business and simultaneously juggling my boutique creative agency, The Visual Flair. This dualistic journey was a mix of creative energy and strong business acumen, two worlds that may seem different – but were beautifully woven into my daily life. Then the question appeared – how could I make this relationship even better? The answer was clear – it was time to start getting a proper education in business.
As a Mass Communication graduate, I always veered towards the creative side, dabbled with the concepts of branding and storytelling, and designing was my playground. Nevertheless, being an entrepreneur required a deep understanding of business processes, which I had gained only through experience. Artistic talent is also a must, but the business side of things had to be learned by doing and making mistakes. I understood I needed a deeper understanding of business basics to grow my ventures. So, the idea of pursuing a Global MBA appeared in my mind.
The transition from a creative entrepreneur to an MBA student was a leap. It wasn’t a jump in the dark but a plan to learn more about the world where my businesses worked, which was becoming more global, linked, and unstable.
The first few weeks of my GMBA program were a change for me. Compared to the creative thinking meetings at The Visual Flair, the classes were full of words, brimming with many rich case studies and group discussions. However, after a while, I started to see how much SP Jain could teach me. It was like someone gave me a lens to view the business world, and I could now see things, trends, and possibilities I hadn’t ever seen before.
Earlier, I used to think about business like I was looking at the world through a window. I was aware of my close surroundings, but I didn’t know what was happening in the bigger picture. The Global MBA gave me a broad view of the business world. Not everything was about charts, graphs, and numbers. It was about knowing that the business world is shaped by how economic, political, and social forces interact with each other.
The MBA program also helped me learn about different business domains, such as finance, marketing, human resources, and management. This big-picture view helped me understand how the different parts of a business work together, giving my entrepreneurial view more meaning. I could now look at new ideas from an artistic, strategic, financial, and tactical point of view to see if they would work.
As I learned more in my Global MBA classroom, I found another important aspect – the network of people with similar goals. I was surrounded by aspiring businesses, pros with years of experience, and creative leaders, all of whom had their own unique ideas and experiences to share. This varied environment made it easy for people to share ideas, learn from each other, and even find people they might want to work with.
In the end, the decision to get a Global MBA was about a lot more than just school. It was a choice to learn about the world business scene, widen my view, and give myself the tools required to make good decisions. Having my own business to starting the Global MBA was not easy, but it taught me a lot and paid off in the end. It let me combine my artistic instincts with a strong knowledge of business basics to make something that is both – unique and powerful.
The transition hasn’t diluted my creative spirit; instead, it has enhanced it by giving me a strong foundation in business. Soon, as I navigate the challenges of running my businesses, I will do so with an enriched understanding, an expanded network, and renewed zeal. The leap was indeed a giant one, but it’s one – that has helped me grow.
About the Author
Ridhi Virmani (GMBA intake of 2022), a Kolkata-based entrepreneur and a Mass-comm graduate, oversees a family-owned cosmetic business and her creative agency, The Visual Flair. She embarked on her Global MBA journey with SP Jain Global to bridge the gap between creativity and business and gain a deeper understanding of the business world. Now, armed with a robust business foundation, Ridhi combined her artistic instincts with strategic business acumen to create something unique and powerful.
