SAHEBA SINGH: BRINGING STUNNING DESIGNING IDEAS TO LIFE AT THIS IS IT DESIGNS PVT LTD
SAHEBA SINGH: BRINGING STUNNING DESIGNING IDEAS TO LIFE AT THIS IS IT DESIGNS PVT LTD
"You can use your past as an excuse for everything wrong in your life today. Or, you can use the strengths that sailed you through those adversities and use them to your advantage. It's your life. The choices are yours to make. Make your choices work for you." – Saheba Singh
The unyielding verve of the modern women and their never-ending thirst for success pushes them to walk extra miles to break all the existing stereotypical norms.
With a perfect blend of brilliance and determination, these women incline to make groundbreaking strides in the unexplored discipline. Saheba Singh, Director of This Is It Designs Pvt Ltd. is one such superwoman. This Is It Designs Pvt Ltd. is an Interior Design consultancy firm, established in 2005.
"I guess I'm your everyday next door person with dreams so many and so big that sometimes it's hard to contain them all in my head. I'm trying to see all of them through, one at a time, "asserted Saheba.
Saheba always dedicates her success to the people she is working with. She says, "I am able to do that because I have an army of people who love me all around – all the sharp corners are padded. That makes powering through life so much easier. "
"I started with almost nothing. I remember once my partner and I went to see an office space. It was a beautiful spot overlooking a lake.
The rent was Rs.20, 000 and we just looked at each other in dismay and said, "We will never be able to afford that." So today when I live the life I do, that is strongly underlined with privilege and luxury, I feel I must have done something right," she further added.
Saheba's strong determination to be independent influenced her to be an entrepreneur.
"For as long as I can remember my earliest dream had been to be independent. I hate being told what to do- by anyone both personally and professionally.
If I choose to work 18 hours a day – I do it because I want to. If someone had asked me to – I don't know how well that would have gone down. I work hard – I party hard. I do it at my own pace and as I deem fit," stated Saheba.
The systems in office are watertight and they follow the design, delivery and communication protocol to perfection.
"When I commit something – I see it through. Not just in terms of the design, but also in terms of the timelines, budgets and all. Even if we over-commit, we figure out how to deliver that. We preempt most of the initial stage hiccups and plan for them in advance. So when we agree to something and say 'Done' we make sure it's done," Saheba explained.
"The best part about starting with nothing but your dreams – is that even if you lose everything you've made – you're still left with everything you started with." And that's picked Saheba up more than once.
"Since I hardly trained under anyone and didn't do a job, I learned everything on site. And considering I was your classic case of a 20-year-old overconfident entrepreneur, I realized I had to learn and learn fast! And I did … Not that I did not make a fool of myself on sites and made massive mistakes, but I always worked my way around it.
When I look back, I think that phase of life made me resourceful. As a result, I never find myself in a situation now where I'm stuck. I always manage to find my way around any problem," asserted Saheba while discussing her early day challenges.
There is always a way. It's always possible. You just have to figure it out.
Stick to what your gut says and 'settle down' when you want to. Don't fall for a checklist life. Getting married and having kids is their dream. If it's not yours – don't let them tell you it is. What's given them 'purpose' won't necessarily give you yours.
Break out of your comfort zone. What might be one person's success is most probably just a small part of your journey that overlapped. Don't count your associations as your success. Their success is not yours. Learn your lesson, do your job, mark your milestone, be grateful and move on.
There are times when you will feel overwhelmed and scared. Keep going. You are meant for bigger things.
Saheba shared, "I'm not a morning person so; my alarm goes off at 9. I usually like to spend the first half of my day at the office and get all the design work done. I work out 5 times a week. The 2-3 hours before I sleep are my favourite part of the day.
I read I sketch with charcoal, I write I do everything I love doing. I have my blogs and I love reading. I want to understand Urdu better so right now I'm also translating a book by Ghalib. I believe that all this helps my design process at work. Unblocks my creative energy and gets it flowing."
While talking about her toughest decision last year, the empowered lady shared, "I have suffered from some mental health issues for a long time but never really did anything about it or told anyone about it till mid last year when I finally reached a point where I realised I needed professional help."
"I finally decided to face all my traumas in therapy and then muster up enough courage to tell the people I was closest to that I'm not okay, and that I'm getting help. I think it's the most difficult thing I've ever done.
I am ashamed to admit that I didn't talk about it all these years because I thought it would be taken as a sign of weakness. I'm happy to report that I was wrong. It's not a sign of weakness.
It's something that needs to be spoken about because at the outset everyone's life looks perfect. I'm glad I got the help I needed because I feel so much happier and incredibly balanced today, "she further added.
Manage your demons – or they will get the better of you.
Currently, Saheba and her team are retailing her collection of wallpapers and fabrics and dinnerware in New York and London. They will bring it home soon.
Never be scared to scrap your work and start from scratch. It's okay if you've got all the approvals and done the million and a half drawings and it's all good to go. If you review it and feel you can do better – trash it all, own your decision, and do better. Never be scared to rework.
"I regret nothing. There have been things I missed, but I ask no questions because I have loved it, such as it has been, even the moments of emptiness, even the unanswered-and that I loved it, that is the unanswered in my life." ― Ayn Rand,
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