At the outset, let's agree on the fact that in India, a woman has to work a little more than a man to convince other's, sometimes even her own parents, of her abilities. One such story is of Dr Sravanthi Ellasiri. Born in Venkatagiri, Nellore, Sravanthi comes from a family of academicians, so naturally, she was asked to become a doctor. But even in her early years, Sravanthi realised that she had a gift, the gift of the gab. "My mother was a school teacher and as a child, I used to sell her red pens to her students so that they can add half a mark to their total. I knew I was a talker and I could sell," says Sravanthi matter-of-factly.
But it was in Hyderabad that she really took the chance to explore her skill. While pursuing her dentistry from G Pulla Reddy Dental College in Kurnool, over the weekends, the now 26-year-old used to travel to the City of Pearls. Without being aware of the technical jargon of the skill she possessed — marketing — she was appointed Business Development Manager at Vyasa Overseas Consultants after her seniors witnessed an incident when she convinced the parents of an aspirant to encourage their child to pursue an education abroad.
But it was only in November 2017, after her graduation, that she established Boxwish, her own business advising consultancy. But trust did not come easy. "People used to feel apprehensive upon seeing the prefix ‘Dr’," recalls Sravanthi, but redemption was sweet when a UK-based company that was looking to get into medical colleges opted for them. "Now, we are in a good position as we usually work with companies who are into medical innovation using technology," she shares. So, within the span of 2 years, they have worked with 20 companies, six of which are MNCs.
While the struggle was uphill, during the initial days, Sravanthi did not have the support of her parents. How are things now, we inquire? "They are very happy. Now I give jobs to children of my mother’s colleagues as well. From not being able to eat three square meals a day to now employing 40 people, it's been a great journey," she sighs. Without any support, financially or otherwise, how did she continue to relentlessly pursue her goal, we ask. "Frankly, I was born with a silver spoon, but I had this urge to prove myself. I challenged my parents so I had to prove it," she says with the same determination we presume she uses to power through tough times.
Sravanthi says that she has miles to go before she sleeps because she still has a lot to accomplish. For starters, she wants all her clients to consider Boxwish as a one-stop shop for all their marketing related queries and oh, she wants to open a multi-speciality hospital too. And we say cheers to that!
