Q.1 Kindly give our readers an introduction to your business. Please include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
Ans. Zordha Education is the exclusive admission advisor and representative of Spartan Health Science University for the region of India. We are Medical Education Consultants who help students realise their dream of being a successful doctor.
We help students plan their Career in Medicine and equip them with essential information and the tools through which they can evaluate, with their own logic and intellect, the following are few important questions:
• How to choose your Career
• Do YOU really want to pursue a Career in Medicine?
• If yes, How to select the Best path to become a Successful Doctor?
And most importantly,
• How then to select the Best college, the perfect college, FOR YOU, to ensure a successful career
We aim to help students and their parents make an Informed Decision and NOT a decision based on Hearsay, or Groping in the dark, without knowing anything about the Obstacles, the Possibilities & the Opportunities on their Path to a Successful Medical Career.
Our Team is comprised of highly trained experts and doctors who deliver the most robust advice and resources for successful admission in Spartan health Science University with 40 % Scholarship. We are with the students and their parents throughout their journey, providing guidance and support for their every need as they realize their dream of being a successful and a respected doctor in USA.
We pride ourselves in giving the best support structure to students and their parents to make sure that they thrive on the MBBS in USA path to ensure that they get Residency/PG in USA.
We celebrate the flowering, not the students enrolled but those who blossom. We don’t want students to become Doctors or Engineers or Poets or Painters; we are interested in them Being successful Doctors or successful Engineers or Successful Poets.
We want our students to be happy & joyous – singing & dancing. We share Love, Light & Laughter and promote education and knowledgeability in its true sense,
We have offices in Ahmedabad and Kolkata and centres in Surat, Baroda, Anand, Patan, Rajkot, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Bangalore, Bagalkot, Jaipur, Ganganagar, Delhi and Mumbai.
Q.2 Kindly give us a brief description about yourself (it should include your brief educational or entrepreneurial background and list some of your major achievements).
Ans. I, Dr. Ishan Mehta, am an Ayurveda Infertility Specialist and have completed my BAMS – Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine & Surgery from B.V.V.S. Ayurveda Medical College & Hospital in Bagalkot which is affiliated with Rajiv Gandhi Health Science University in Karnataka.
I come from a family of successful doctors – my mother, my aunt, my uncles and my grandfather all of whom have won multiple awards and are regarded as the best doctors in their fields. My mother Dr. Prarthana Mehta & my maternal aunt Dr. Harikrishna Bhatt, who is also my Guru, are both MD Ayurveda Gynecologist. I was determined to follow in their footsteps since a very young age.
I have been an education consultant since 2006. I have delivered a number of interviews on various news channels and have also been part of a medical education counseling series with a news channel. I have been acknowledged by thousands of students and their parents for my unique, unbiased, clear and straightforward insights as a leading medical education counselor. I feel extremely humbled, honored and elated that my warm and professional guidance has helped so many students realise their dream of a successful career in medicine. I pride myself in being a meticulous guide in the journey of thousands of medical students ensuring that they realise their dream & potential.
Since 2015, I have been bestowed upon the honor of being the exclusive admission advisor and representative of Spartan Health Science University, St. Lucia for the region of Asia.
Q.3 What inspired you to (start a new business venture) or (to make significant changes in an existing business)? How did the idea for your business come about?
Ans. I studied in Karnataka which is about 1000 kms away from my home in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. I observed that it is of utmost importance that students get proper support structure while studying in order to thrive, and clear and meticulous guidance before choosing the college.
It became absolutely clear to me that there was a need for an honest insightful education consultancy which would put the needs of the students first and understand their problems.
Afterall, this is the most important decision of their lives; one which I observed was taken on heresy or in darkness or by falling prey to someone’s greed; almost groping in the dark without knowing anything about the obstacles or the possibilities and the opportunities.
At times, parents decide the future of their children without even asking the student if he/she really is interested in the career path that the parents have chosen for them. The decision is often taken arbitrarily which destroys the whole purpose of education.
I was determined to change this to ensure that the most important decision of a student’s life is taken with awareness.
A doctor would never give you an option that you may choose from any 5 different medicines to treat or cure your ailment or disease. Your lawyer would never tell you that you may use any of the 5 given options as arguments to win the case in a court of law. Your doctor would categorically tell you the best medicine to treat your problem. Your lawyer would give you or fight with the best argument(s) to win your case.
I was determined to spread the awareness to expect the same professionalism from your Education Consultants. Education Consultant should tell you categorically about the college where you would find the best opportunity to shape your future. Doctors and lawyers would charge you consulting fees but they would also take responsibility and so should your education consultant take responsibility.
Most consultants do not do any research and don’t care about the students. All that they care about is the money they would make of the students. They would enroll students to any college that would give them commission. Most consultants care about number of enrolments and care absolutely nothing about the students and the consequences the students would face if they select a fraudulent or bogus or an inappropriate medical college.
Most consultants won’t pick up your call after enrolling you in a college; they would become forever busy for you and busy to fool the next herd of students to some college which is paying them money.
I saw the need to spread this awareness that one should choose his/her college and the education consultant wisely, intellectually and with awareness. This decision cannot be taken arbitrarily, cannot be made by hearsay.
We check for after sales service when we invest even a meager 5 lakh rupees in a car. All of us check if the company has after sales service and how good or bad it is.
Students & their parents are investing in their education, their future, their career to transform their potentiality to actuality.
I have no doubt whatsoever that without support structure they would find it extremely difficult to even survive let alone Thrive!
Unlike most consultants who recruit students to every college that pays them commission, we recruit students to just one college – Spartan Health Science University, which we have found to be the best option for Indian students through extensive research of over 2 years and then 5 years of experience in enrolling students to Spartan health Science University. This helps us focus all our attention to students that we recruit to Spartan Health Science University.
I had to ensure that students don’t go to Education Consultants who would just charge them consulting fees with ZERO responsibility. These are just admission facilitators who are duping students, taking advantage of them at the cost of the student’s future and career. These so-called admission facilitators will not stand by them or help them when they would need any support. They would give the students 50 different options 50 different colleges to choose from; all options where they could make money from with not the slightest care about the students; many times with outlandish and ridiculous misinformation just to earn a quick buck.
I made sure that we at Zordha Education don’t count the number of enrolments. We celebrate the students who blossom. We are with the students and the parents at every step of their education from enrolment to graduation to when they get PG and beyond. We share Love, Light & Laughter and promote education in its true sense.
Q.4 What three pieces of advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?
Ans. 1. Don’t take the first step if you are not determined enough to reach your goal. You would face many obstacles on the way which you have to transform into steppingstones. The journey to the top of the mountain is not at all easy and may demand many sacrifices.
2. Know what you are selling to the core; it should resonate deep inside your soul; become what you are selling. You should know what you are selling like you know your own self. Just being an expert in not enough. This also implies that you love what you are selling and are proud of it; if you do not like what you are selling, chances are most people won’t like it either. Do not try to sell something just to make a quick buck if you do not believe in it; not at any cost or reason.
3. You need to have a supportive life partner. This journey is improbable without support and encouragement from your life partner. You may travel alone even if it is tough but if you have a life partner or wish to have a life partner, he/she should know about the toll this journey may take on your life and their support is paramount.
Q.5 What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur?
Ans. Entrepreneur is similar to ‘HatYogi’ in many ways. So the most important skill or trait needed to be a successful entrepreneur is to have great determination & focus – a gigantic will, even if it is borderline stubbornness.
Second skill, counterintuitively, which may sound contradictory to the first is that of being flexible. You would make mistakes along the way and you need to be open for course correction if there’s a need. Like Einstein said, its madness to repeat the same mistake again and again and expect a different result. Determination should be for the result and flexibility to adapt and not repeat the same mistake is also essential to achieve success.
Third skill or trait which I feel is absolutely paramount is that of large heartedness. It is important that everyone benefits from your venture and that you uplift people along your journey to success. Not only is this food for your soul but it is also important for the growth of your own business. Only a symbiotic venture will become a successful venture. A parasitic venture is, without a doubt, doomed to fail one day.
Q.6 How many hours do you work a day on average?
Ans. At times 20 hours a day; at times 3 hours a day.365 day average would be more than 9 hours a day.
Q.7 To what do you most attribute your success?
Ans. Clean, clear & pure conscience & Honesty
Q.8 How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Ans. Digital Marketing with great focus on Social Media. The most successful form of marketing has been word of mouth. Great reviews from students and parents have helped us more than anything else.
Q.9 Where did your organizations funding/capital come from and how did you go about getting it? How did you obtain investors for your venture?
Ans. I have never borrowed capital from an investor. Of course, there have been times when I had to borrow money from loan sharks or family members. But I have been very disciplined in not spending more that the venture would earn. The good old grind it out philosophy has allowed me to carry on a sustained growth for my venture without the need to raise capital from an investor.
Q.10 What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
Ans. If what one is selling makes a difference in the lives of people, is something that one loves as much as one’s own self which implies that it is of the highest quality, if one uplifts people along the way and spreads love, light and laughter, with honesty and determination one is bound to achieve success and a sustained success too.
Q.11 Where you see yourself and your business in 5 – 10 years?
Ans. I see myself running a multiversity. It is a concept in my mind which is the future as opposed to the current university.
Q.12 Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Ans. Amul I don’t think any other company or business has had a greater impact on the quality of life, both economically and socially, of so many people. It’s revolutionary indeed.
Q.13 How important have good employees been to your success?
Ans. Absolutely vital. It would have been impossible without them. It is infact their success.
Q.14 How long do you stick with an idea before giving up?
Ans. I have never given up on any fundamental idea. If a marketing or branding idea doesn’t work, I would give it up in about 2 months to a year depending on quite a few things.
Q.15 What motivates you?
Ans. Plight of students and admission facilitators who prey on gullible students to make a quick buck motivates me the most to spread the awareness.
Q.16 What are your ideals?
Ans. Spread Love, Light & Laughter. I feel this encompasses most of my ideals if we really dive deep into it.
Q.17 How do you generate new ideas?
Ans. To be honest, they come on their own accord. Its like answering how do I sleep. I do not; sleep comes on its own accord. Yes, we make preparations like making the bed and a soft pillow.
Most of my good ideas came when I was in peace and unperturbed. Many times just before I would sleep.
Q.18 How do you define success?
Ans. For me I feel successful when a student or his/her parents come to me, after he/she completed MBBS and gets admission in PG, with a huge smile on their face. The gratitude they express for showing them the right path is truly humbling. They walked the path, they conquered their destiny but still when they bless me just for showing the correct path, the feeling is of elation, pride, love, humbling..difficult to express. I feel that is probably success
Q.19 How do you build a successful customer base?
Ans. By being Honest & Brutally Truthful and especially by providing excellent after sales service and staying in touch.
Q.20 What is your favorite aspect of being an entrepreneur?
Ans. That I decide my own destiny. My own actions and hard work decide my future and success.
Q.21 What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
Ans. Personally, like I wrote above, when students blossom into great doctors and they come to meet me with their parents. From the point of view of business in the recent past, third year of our recruiting students to Spartan Health Science University.
In the first year we recruited just 5 students. In our third year we recruited 53 students. We give our new students a full day island tour of St. Lucia. So, for the first time, at the third year of our recruitment efforts, we had to hire two buses to accommodate students. I still remember the moment I stepped on the bus with students and we explored St. Lucia again with our first big batch of 53 students and some previous year students too. That moment of elation and the entire island trip was truly satisfying.
Q.22 What do you feel is the major difference between entrepreneurs and those who work for someone else?
Ans. Independence. Entrepreneurs weave their own destiny and their future and success is dependent only and only on their actions and hard work. Those who work for someone else are dependent on a lot of other factors and variables. Of course, if they work hard, they will be rewarded and get success but still at times I feel that I have observed other variables and factors at play too.
Q.23 What kind of culture exists in your organization? How did you establish this tone and why did you institute this particular type of culture?
Ans. Culture in our office is that of spreading Love, Light & Laughter. It is important for one to be joyous and love his/her work in order to achieve our aim of spreading Love, Light & Laughter. Everyone decides their own work times and work days, it’s up to each individual when they feel like working. Only condition is that they should be joyous and enjoy their work.
Q.24 In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
Ans. Adventurous
Q.25 If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
Ans. Probably jump on the digital marketing bandwagon a bit sooner.
Q.26 How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life?
Ans. It could have had a very serious effect on my family life if my wife were not supportive.
I like working at night, i also travel a lot and when I started, I was travelling 20 days a month. But my wife has been super supportive in fact encouraging and motivating. So, my family life has only been affected blissfully all because of my loving wife.
Q.27 What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage fear?
Ans. I have observed that fear is just a state of mind; its not actual or real or a fact. This is not just information to me but has been my knowledge for far too long. So, I have never had any fears. Of course, it doesn’t mean I am not cautious; it would be stupid to jump from the top of a 10 storey building or run towards a lion.
Q.28 How did you decide on the location for your business?
Ans. I have lived the majority of my life in my home town. I guess it was comfort and ease that made me open my office in Ahmedabad.
Q.29 Do you believe there is some sort of pattern or formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur?
Ans. I would hope not. My experience is that if one wants to share love, light and laughter and if one is honest and steadfast on his path, he/she is bound to achieve success.
Q.30 If you could talk to one person from history, who would it be a nd why?
Ans. I would have to name at least three; Osho, Buddha & Krishna Osho He resonates deep within my soul. I think he and I have the same frequency if that makes sense. Buddha I am inspired the most by Gautam Buddha Krishna He is..saying anything more would be wrong; even writing He is seems wrong
Q.31 Who has been your greatest inspiration?
Ans. My Parents.
Q.32 What book has inspired you the most? (OR what is your favorite book?)
Ans. Ajahoon Chet Gawar by Osho like many of his other books and discourses.
Q.33 What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made?
Ans. I don’t think of anything as a mistake but still if pressed I would have to say that I probably spent a lot of money on or for frivolous things. I do not regret it but I could have used it or spent it wisely. But the information that one should be wise with money became knowledge only after I spent the money unwisely which is the reason, I find it tough to call it a mistake.
Q.34 How can you prevent mistakes or do damage control?
Ans. By taking decision in awareness-with awareness. I never jump to a conclusion or am pushed to a decision. I have no doubt that any decision taken with awareness is bound to be successful. Even if it is not, but because I made it with awareness, my entire self will strive to make it a successful decision and more often than not, it will succeed.
Q.35 What are your hobbies? What do you do in your non-work time?
Ans. Love to listen to Sufi songs and watch football and cricket.Love to listen to Osho.
Q.36 What makes you happy?
Ans. Hmm..at the risk of being interpreted as overly philosophical; but I know that happiness and sadness are just state of mind; just thoughts. I am mostly in a state of joy. I don’t think this state of joy is disturbed for more than a couple of hours max.
Generally speaking, talking to my mom, my dad and my wife brings a wide smile to my soul.
Q.37 If you were conducting this interview, what question would you ask?
Ans. If I know the path of the journey of my life, if I am aware of the destination, do I have the determination to fulfil my potentiality and if I have swayed from my path.
Company Detail:
Company : Zordha Education
Contact : Dr.Ishan Mehta
Address : 88, Jessore road, Nagerbazar, Kamardanga
City : Kolkata
State : West Bengal
Zip Code: 700074
Country : India
Phone : 9898917761