There are entrepreneurs who have transformed their hobbies into a business venture. Tanushree is one of them and has always had a desire to travel across the globe. After completing her high school and under graduation in Indore, she started to travel around a bit. Little did she know that the travel bug would soon bite her and she would eventually decide to leave the city. During this time, she traveled around England for a year, while completing her post-graduation in Management from Lancaster University. She understood that the real learning starts when one crosses borders and travels miles for the real knowledge.
Few years down the line, she came back and started her own venture called MPTravelogue. A travel blog strives to highlight the best of Madhya Pradesh. It engages communities on a common platform, bringing together avid travelers, starving to explore more every day, every second.
Please provide a brief overview of your product/ service.
To put it forward in one sentence- The website mptravelogue.com has been built with an effort to promote the state of Madhya Pradesh on a global scale with an aim to reach the Travel enthusiasts all across the world! It is one single platform for travellers to share their experiences from all across the state.
Unlike all the other state websites in the country, our product is dynamic in nature. The information is constantly updated by creative writers, users or travellers, along with the design. The focus is on 4 Tourist circuits in the state, displaying the simple connectivity with graphics and creative maps; along with briefly laying emphasis on each city or town with some significance.
What inspired you to build the above product/ service?
So, this is a product that was designed keeping in mind the tremendous scope and endless Travel opportunities in Madhya Pradesh; or as we call it- ‘The Heart of Incredible India’. Firstly, there was too much information; secondly, there was no single platform providing information outright and finally, the data was scattered; content everywhere in the field of Art, Culture, Wildlife, Nature, History, Pilgrimage and so on. The astonishing, the rare, the endless content gave us the inspiration to document the data with the help of Creative writers and Photographers all across the state. We ourselves were amused and were oblivious about the beauty and the enormous scope of this state we live in! To sum up in a sentence -This is the beginning. The inspiration came from my insatiable desire to Travel the whole World!
What is your life mantra?
Accept the situation as it is. Try and make something beautiful out of it!
What was the most challenging part of your journey till now?
As we took an effort to rebrand the state, people were actually curious about the facts, history, trivia, an expanse of the jungles and all those wonderful luxury specialty lodges that we were constantly sharing on our platform. One question that was asked in every few days- Are these places for real?
One thing that I could gather after all the months of research- the state of Madhya Pradesh has been underrated and not been marketed in the way it should have been. The constant effort of delivering the right picture, moulding the correct image, putting the right word forward, has always been amusing, along with being challenging at the same time!
How did you overcome those challenges?
Focusing on what lies ahead and gradually working towards it. Travel has been my passion and every challenge has been an opportunity. The bigger aim is to cover the country, cover the world!
Share some details about the investments that you have been able to fetch for the business till now.
As it’s a unique product and we are a start up, we were entirely focused towards building the right template first. Now, as we can see that it is taking the right shape, we will be presenting to the Central Tourism Department early next year to get their support. Our aim is to explore the unexplored and unravel the hidden gems of the country; spread out the right word and show the world what they actually hold! We wish to go far and we are almost ready with the next model.
How do you protect yourself from the problem of Brain Drain?
There has been just one such situation so far but we are still connected for work and wish to be connected in the long run. We have managed to gather a team of passionate Content writers and Travel enthusiasts from across the state. These include full time Writers, Photographers, Freelancers from all across the state and a few who belong to the state and are living out of the country. The country is theirs and the state is theirs, so there develops a sense of ownership. The team members
mostly take pride and fulfil the given task enthusiastically!
According to you, what are the three qualities an individual must have to achieve success?
Firstly, the ability to take risks. Secondly, the art of consistency. Thirdly, accepting the situation with an open mind and making the best out of it.
Share any one habit which you think makes you more productive.
Meditation. The art of clearing the clutter. Even 20 minutes of meditation added in the daily regime can work miracles. You will concentrate on the given task; just on the need of the hour. It will make you tolerant, fearless, focused and more productive undoubtedly!
Answer in less than 50 words
• One tip to success:
Consistency. Highs and lows are part of the game. Always remember why you started in the first place.
• One mistake you believe every individual must avoid:
‘An individual trying to avoid a mistake’ can also be put up as- an individual afraid to undertake a risk. And one who is afraid, won’t go far. The reason why we are here today is because of that mistake of the past which gave us all the motivation. If you wouldn’t have committed the mistake, what would you have learnt? What would’ve pushed you to take a step ahead?
• One most important lesson that you have learnt till now:
Life is unpredictable. Accept and move on. Make the best out of every situation.
What are your plans for next 3 years?
Travel, travel and travel some more.
If you get a chance to start your career again what would you do differently this time?
For me, it has never been about making a career; but it has always been about exploring the unexplored. It has never been about- predictions, but it has always been about- letting life unfold itself. It has never been about following a strict regime. It has always been about moving forward with an open mind. Instead of thinking too much, I would simply follow my instinct. I know I have all the chances and I can begin anytime, anywhere. As of now, I love what I am doing!
What are your top three getaway destinations?
- The Himalayas
- Greek Islands
- French Polynesia
Share a quote that inspires you the most.
“If you get the inside right, the outside will fall into place.”