A Powerful Interview with Vishakha Ruhela

Oindrila Gupta
13 Min Read

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A lot of people slog throughout their lives to achieve their dream. Some try to achieve it through sincerity, and some through notorious methods. Still, every once in a while, (and mind you, that “once” is extremely rare), one is faced with the profound question of how we define success.

In most cases, we either convince ourselves to like what we do or brush the old, uncomfortable thoughts neatly under the carpet of our ever-evasive nature. Again, very rarely comes across people like Vishakha Ruhela, who dazzled others with her brilliance, defining success and life itself.

Vishakha is the founder of Wiser Budweiser. She is also a Vision founder, where she exercises her passion for photography and uploads the best shots.

She also has tied up with fashion brands where her designs and products are sold online, CUPICK and although she has achieved so much in so little a time, what makes her stand apart, is her courage to stand up for what she believes in and be passionate enough to chase her dream! She likes to write articles, poems, self-quotes, and journey descriptions.

Interviewing Vishakha Ruhela

Read on to find out what makes her truly an inspiration for the young and the old alike to achieve their dream!

1. Reason for Interest in Different Fields

I believe in experimenting at every level and not keeping myself restricted to anything. Being a designer doesn’t mean one must follow design rituals and not give other things time. A designer might be interested in science, and a scientist might be interested in designing.

I love to get exposed to the variety of things that the world has to offer and experience happiness while doing different things!

2. Favorite Genre of Books

I do not have a particular genre for books that I like. I am a Potterhead, and I also read books on lateral thinking by Malcolm Gladwell. I am interested in mythology and have read Ramayana and Gita and excerpts from The Bible and Quran. However, I am an agnostic, and I respect religious people.

Other than that, starting from mysteries of Sidney Sheldon to romances like “Anything for you ma’am” by Tushar Raheja, I enjoy them all. I have loved reading comics like Chacha Chaudhary and Billu since childhood. I enjoy reading the most exciting comic ever written – Calvin and Hobbes.

3. Beginning of Achieving Your Dream

I can
By 9dream studio/ Shutterstock

I have not started a company of my own yet. But I do love blogging and illustrating. I started a Facebook page called VISION while in college to share my ideas and passions. After college, I started my blog called Wiser Budweiser on Instagram. It exists on Facebook and WordPress, with the same name but with filtered content.

Wiser Budweiser captures my travels, design ideas, and the illustrations that I draw while traveling.
Recently I tied up with an innovative start-up from India called CUPICK, where I provide my artworks to be sold on various products like tee shirts, hoodies, posters, etc. I will be more active on that platform once I return to India in December.

4. NIFT

I was preparing for engineering in Kota, Rajasthan, for two years. But while preparing, I understood it was not meant for me.  Meanwhile, after seeing my inclination toward art, a senior told me about NIFT. The NIFT exam was very spontaneous. I did not know much about the paper’s content, and I never prepared exclusively for it. Surprisingly, I got through the exam, which motivated me to attend counseling and finally get into NIFT.

It has been one of the best decisions to date, and I am proud of myself for pursuing what I love to do. I worked hard in college and maintained a 9-point GPA, gained a scholarship to study in Leicester, the UK, for a semester, and also attended a workshop in Wolverhampton, UK, during my summer break.

By the end of my graduation, I was given the “Student of the year” and “Best Graduation Project” awards, which I am sure I wouldn’t have gotten if I was still pursuing engineering, which I was not interested in.

The best career is making a career out of what you love.

5. Awards for the ‘Best Student Award’ And ‘Best Project’

Being a topper and getting awards does bring you the stamp of an academic nerd, but believe me, I never forced myself to study. I have always participated in extracurricular activities from my childhood days until college.

When I top high school, I did face the pressure to maintain the record, but I never gave it much importance. I enjoy studying and give my heart and soul to it when I am on a project, but I also enjoy riding my bike and playing table tennis whenever I get a chance. I guess that’s what gave me the best of both worlds.

6. Travelling and Leaving a Secure Job

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I landed a job in Bangalore during our campus placements and was very excited about it. I worked in that company for about a year. Meanwhile, I got this chance to travel to the USA, where I could explore, and I had a choice to make. It was difficult to leave a job that paid for the rent and the food, but I have always been passionate about traveling, meeting new people, and learning about different cultures.

It makes me grow as a person, and I learn a lot. So, one day I thought, “I need to take this break while I can because chances like these don’t come often.” I faced both: criticism and support. My parents have been supportive of my decisions. They have taught me well. So, with full support from their side and my friends, I resigned.

The outcome? Well, I was standing at the top of the Grand Canyon on the day I would have otherwise completed one year in that same monotonous job.

7. Biggest Obstacles in The Way of Your Dream

A. I am blessed with a fantastic family and loving friends who have always been there by my side. Without them, it wasn’t easy to pursue my dream the way I wanted to. A dream can be small, like wearing a loose t-shirt with baggy denim in public, even if you are a girl or an entrepreneur someday.

I have been criticized by many at many points in my life, I have been cheated on, and I have been slandered. But I have been loved, I have been appreciated, and I have been pushed forward to follow my heart. This is common for anyone, but the only difference is how you take it and move forward. Believe me, exploring the world is like exploring yourself and the journey is never ending.

8. Opinion on Walking the Road Less Traveled

feet in canvas shoes standing inside comfort zone
By: buecax/Depositphotos

A. I think we had come far from when kids were not allowed to travel independently or live in another city. But yeah, I do agree a lot of work still has to be done in that aspect. I shall say the kids should believe in what they want in life, how they want to do it, and work their asses off to achieve their dreams.

Parents should stand as pillars and not restrict their kids due to social stigma and fear. They don’t have to answer anyone but themselves. If they are content with what their kid is doing or how they identify themself, they need not worry about what “Sharma Ji” would think. Society needs to be more tolerant and stop trying to control everything that moves.

9. One Thing that You Are Entirely Crazy About

I love riding motorcycles. I can do that any time of the day for as long as possible. I didn’t know how to ride a bike until my last year in college. During my time in college, I was the only student on campus who owned a bicycle, which helped me explore the town better. During my last year, I got this fantastic opportunity to do my graduation project in Auroville, near Pondicherry.

Sometimes, I used to ride a rented old Kawasaki Boxer and Splendor, and then there was no turning back. When I got settled in Bangalore for my first job, I bought myself a black Bajaj Avenger. You can say that my Black Mamba is the man of my life with whom I have had some of the most amazing times 🙂

10. Childhood and Traveling

My father is a dermatologist, and he has his annual conferences all over India. He used to take the whole family with him during my childhood for a nice vacation. Even after having a hectic schedule as a doctor, he always made the time to take us around, even if it was a small town nearby. So, I have traveled most of South India with him.

11. A Sentence that Describes You

Girl staring at sky from mountain top with dreams
By: A_B_C/Shutterstock

I take life as it comes, and I am not afraid to take chances.

12. Parting Words for Our Readers

Love endlessly lives fearlessly. Don’t be afraid of heartbreak and failure. One of my favorite TV characters said the following, which I believe in:

Sometimes the future changes quickly and thoroughly, and we’re left with only the choice of what to do next. We can choose to be afraid of it, stand there trembling, not moving, assuming the worst that can happen, or step forward into the unknown and assume it will be brilliant.

Have fire. Be unstoppable. Be a force of nature. Be better than anyone here, and don’t give a damn about what anyone thinks. There are no teams here, no buddies. You’re on your own. Be on your own.

If you want crappy things to stop happening to you, stop accepting crap and demand something more.

There comes the point where it all becomes too much. When we get too tired to fight anymore, we give up on our dream. In reality, the real work begins: to find hope where there seems to be absolutely none at all.

We have to dance it out.

– Cristina Yang

Last Updated on by Sathi

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Oindrila Gupta is a student of Delhi University with a passion for Literature and her hobbies include music and dance. Apart from this, she is also a voracious reader and hopes to establish a career as an editor some day. Meanwhile she finds joy in little things and strives to make an impact through her writings in order to touch whatever lives she can. You can read more of her write-ups at pearlsonathread.wordpress.com