Anupam Mittal is the founder and CEO of Shaadi.com.
Anupam Mittal, the founder and CEO of Shaadi.com, recently opened up about a difficult phase in his life that left him "shattered - emotionally, physically and financially". In a post on LinkedIn, Mr Mittal shared the extreme lows of his entrepreneurial journey that he faced in 2008 - the year that shook the world with one of the most severe economic crises. He revealed how he navigated the period and what helped him regain his footing in life. He also emphasised on the importance of "internal anchors" for staying grounded.
"In 2008, we had closed a $25m investment-everything was lined up in anticipation. But we failed. The global financial crisis hit & the VC (you know who you are) retracted a week before funds were expected," Mr Mittal wrote.
He recalled how his world came crashing down and how his life "shattered". "Overnight, I went from leading a thriving company to laying off people who felt like family. I was shattered-emotionally, physically & financially. I kept asking myself, "Where did I screw up?" 'What if I had gone with another VC?' 'Could I have planned better?'" he wrote.
Take a look at the post below:
Mr Mittal acknowledged that while his "'conquer-the-world plan' was dead", he wasn't ready to accept defeat. "My mind was a tornado and the only thing clear was that I needed help," he said.
The entrepreneur revealed that during this difficult time, he turned to meditation and spirituality - an approach he was initially sceptical about. "It felt ridiculous-but I had nothing to lose. So I leaned in and something started to shift," he wrote.
With the help of a therapist, Mr Mittal said that he realised that his anxiety and pressure weren't about his company, but it was about him. "I wasn't just chasing success-I was running from the fear of not being enough. Ergo, even the thought of failure sent shivers down my spine," he admitted.
"Of course, spirituality didn't magically fix the chaos but it changed how I responded to it - freeing me from the constant pressure of 'needing to win' to realigning my ambition with a deeper purpose," Mr Mittal shared.
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The entrepreneur concluded by saying, "We live in a world of relentless noise-reels, emails, meetings-and it's only getting louder. Silencing the world ain't possible-so our only option is to prepare ourselves internally to deal with the external world."
"Whether it is religion, spirituality or therapy that calms you, a life-partner or family that understands you, or a purpose & knowledge that frees you- we all need anchors to keep us grounded and wings to give us flight," he added.
Mr Mittal shared the post a few days back and since then it has accumulated more than 450 comments and nearly 10,000 likes.
"You are super inspiring always my buddy Anupam," commented one user. "an extremely intellectual analytical and a successful Investor we know you to be today! Your story is and always remains inspiring!" commented another.