While most of the entrepreneurs out there are searching for ways to start ventures, there is a unique company called MIC for Youths, that focuses on transforming academic knowledge into practical skills that are demanded in today’s world. As a youth-oriented initiative, its primary focus is to connect youths across the country and provide them with international exposure. It covers job hunting, entrepreneurship, and many other scaling mechanisms for growth.
[dropcap type=”default”]H [/dropcap] ere is the story of MIC for Youths which has been serving as the top Career Transformation Hub in Nepal
Learning from Experience!
“I think problem-solving skills are important. I myself had a fear of expressing myself in front of a mass audience. When I was working on myself, I realized that similar problems might be plaguing millions of youth across Nepal as well. Why not create a platform that tackles these issues? Thus the idea of MIC for Youths was born. “ says Mr. Shivam Agrawal, CEO of MIC for Youths.
Unlike regular start-ups, this is an institution that thrives at establishing a hub for youths to interact, collaborate, and build confidence. In doing so, they can realize their unique potentials and manifest them right here in Nepal instead of harvesting them on foreign soil.
Learning from self-experience, the young entrepreneur finally established Shivam Training and Events Pvt. Ltd. in 2017. Since its inception, Founder and CEO Agrawal has untiringly worked at upholding the company’s motto ‘To provide potential and professional leaders‘. The company has since bifurcated into ‘MIC for Youths’ and ‘Grow Corp Global’ which consists of varieties of training seminars such as ‘Art of Speaking – Speechification & Leadership’, ‘Art of Selling ‘, ‘Art of Speaking Championship’, ‘Communication Masterclass’, ‘Interview Skills’ and many more.
Vision With Action Can Change The World!
“Change starts with the individual” is its guiding philosophy, so it provides a stage for individuals to showcase their achievements. It has established a blooming youth network designed to nurture a massive pool of active minds working with the same vision of national development. “MIC for Youths is ultimately a stage for those youths who love exploring, taking risks, and leaving no stone unturned in growing into their best selves: the ones who will eventually contribute passionately towards the socio-economic development of the nation.” says Mr. Agrawal proudly.
Having started with just a couple of members, it has till date managed to successfully train more than 5,000 youths, among whom more than 500 have secured employment in major companies.
Where There is a Will There’s a Way!
Empowering oneself and others weren’t always easy. The journey from start-up to a successful business was like a rollercoaster ride.
“When I started the business, I had no idea about how to register a company. I inquired with my seniors and mentors and did all the legwork alone: running to-and-fro to the registrar office, the ward office, and the tax office. Finally, I managed to register it in five days.” says Mr Agrawal.
His will was enough to see it through, with a little help from mentors here and there. Often we think that being an entrepreneur is just a one-man job, but as the saying goes, ‘Every man can do it with a little help’. Here is the perfect example of that. When MIC for Youths started, it was probably the only innovative startup of its kind, but since then, many have been inspired and have given birth to startups working on similar visions.
Start-ups often get stuck in the singular matter of ‘Investment’, however, for Mr Agrawal, the basic expenses were for registering the company and operations. Later in the journey, he received immense support from the people who supported his idea and helped him cut through the knots of financial obstacles, along with manpower support from people working directly for the company.
A Rising Hope amidst the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected everyone worldwide and has created severe economic imbalances. The company’s main challenge was to tackle the problem of struggling youths for employment and economic stability. They took it as an opportunity to transform their platform into an online session which made it easier for people to participate from the comfort of their homes. “This pandemic has taught us so much. We are expanding right after the situation normalizes, with both online training and on-venue training running on full-gear.” shares Mr. Agrawal.
Towards a path of Leadership and Confidence
Being a refreshingly unique platform that aims to train youths not just in theory, but also with practical terms, MIC for Youths has thus become one of the best avenues in the country for self-development.
“I am fortunate enough to have had the chance to interact with thousands of youths through the program. Each of them has such unique skills and knowledge that never fails to inspire me.” shares Mr Agrawal.
The journey has also taught him to be humble. He believes that honesty and purity of intention to provide genuine service is what sustains a business, “The more honest you are with your work, the more blessings come your way and help your business thrive for a long time.” He shares, “I was never obsessed with competition. My only concern was and still is, to provide quality service to each and every one of my customers. Volume doesn’t matter to me in this regard. Quality service leads to positive word-of-mouth, which I still believe, is the best form of promotion any service-oriented company can ask for.”
“Failures have served as a stepping stone for progress. You eradicate the issues and constantly refine your service with each successive iteration. It’s like grinding a knife. If you keep at it, it only becomes sharper and sharper, and the only way left to go is up.” Mr. Agrawal shares optimistically and finally adds, “For the budding entrepreneurs out there, always remember, entrepreneurship is all about solving problems by the simplest and effective means. You shouldn’t hesitate to make your move. Your country is waiting for your brilliance to shine upon her.”
