Seconds, before you get up on stage for an important performance or on the first day at your first job—the pearls of wisdom, doled out by your father may have given you a sense of encouragement, enough to take that challenging step in life without any qualms. Often, the lessons passed down by fathers to their children stay with the latter for long; it impacts both their personal and professional journeys. This holds true, especially for those who decide to tread on an unconventional career path; your father’s support may provide you the safety net to experiment with your career without the fear of failure. On Father’s Day, we speak to three individuals from Delhi-NCR—who turned their passion into their profession—about how their fathers made this journey easier for them.
Giving life lessons to live by
On turning 30—when people think of ‘settling down in life’—Abhinav Mathur decided to quit his job as a litigation lawyer. “I understood that this job was not meant for me and I want to do something on my own,” Mathur (now 38) mentions. The decision of quitting was fuelled by the urgent need to give his creative side an outlet—he started a hospitality business and also created content on social media.
Mathur’s father, Arun Mathur—a retired IAS officer—was concerned about his son taking such a decision. “He was alarmed when I quit and switched fields but he believed in my journey. There was no pushback or intrusion from his end. He decided to understand what I am doing and why I am doing it. He saw that I am an artistic person and he supported me in the process,” recounts Abhinav, whose father routinely goes through the videos (Instagram @_abix_) Abhinav creates, and also gives him constructive criticism. “Experience is greater than anything else. He loves watching my vlogs but he watches out for me and tells me what I must or must not speak,” shares the South Delhi resident, adding that his father has taught him that the route to success passes through hard work.
A silent support for life
“My father is a person who was very interested in pursuing a career in music and dance,” recounts Akriti Lal aka Pho, a singer, songwriter, and beatboxer from South Moti Bagh, who is an evolving name in Delhi’s music circuit. When Pho chose to tread this off-beat career path, her parents, understandably, were—and to an extent, still are—concerned about the latter attaining financial security in such a field. “He has this thing that he wants to save to ensure that the child does not suffer and is financially independent,” she mentions.
However, the silent support of her father, Sunil Lal, has been instrumental in helping the 23 year old get all the confidence to stay true to her art. “He shares all the news about what I do with his friends, he does not say it to me but I feel that support,” adds Akriti. An advice by her father that she swears by: Do not lose your path in life. If you fail once, keep going on.
Just the push you need
Entrepreneur Minakshi Singh (39) learnt bartending when she was a fresher in hospitality school. “I was doing it just to earn some extra pocket money,’ she recounts. Today, Singh is the co-founder of two award-winning bars—Cocktails and Dreams, Speakeasy (Gurugram), and Sidecar (Greater Kailash II). Looking back, she mentions that her father’s (Krishna Kumar Singh) support in quitting her job to begin her entrepreneurial journey has taken her to where she is today. “The day I resigned from my job, dad was the first person I called. He asked, ‘Are you feeling free?’; that’s how I felt,” she shares.
Singh’s father asked her to enjoy this moment and explore the options available. Over the years, Singh says that her father has extended the safety and the freedom to explore, experiment, fail, and shine. “One of the biggest reasons why I took the plunge [into entrepreneurship] was because he had my back and he stood by me,” she concludes.