“Very few Marketing graduates in the world get to be the Brand Manager for Coca-Cola and Sprite. And even after being in such a coveted position, and having a brilliant marketing career, I left all of that… 

The story dates back to 2010 when I auditioned for Master Chef India Season 1. Cooking had always been a passion of mine, but for the longest time, I considered it more of a hobby than a career path. This changed when (with some good fortune) I ended up in the Top 10 for that season of Master Chef. Food intrigued me like never before, and this experience made me want to pursue it professionally. So I started my venture, FoodDost, in 2013.

The shift from an excellent job to being an entrepreneur for the first time wasn’t easy. I was filled with uncertainty but I wanted to explore that path and learn from it. I also received a lot of support from my friends and family. At FoodDost, we used to make nearly 500 meals for underprivileged children every day, and for six months, we distributed around 75,000 meals in aggregate. Even though I didn’t experience commercial success in that business, our team achieved victory in social work and I am really proud of it.

With time societal stereotypes began to creep in. Men are viewed as the provider and the breadwinner of the family. Despite not being a typical person myself, it still bugged me. I chose to return to a financially stable career and returned to a corporate life. 

In 2016, I worked at Radio Mirchi as Vice President and Business Head. I loved my work but the entrepreneurial itch never left me. The failure of my first business brought in a lot of self-doubt. It took a lot of courage to convince myself and others to venture again. This time, my daughter was the North Star for me. When I spent time with her,I realized there aren’t many good children’s stories out there. So I decided to make something for my daughter.

This time, I was confident in my decision to return to being an entrepreneur. And that’s how HiVoco, a two-way audio interactive platform for children, came into existence. Two years into this venture and I’m content not only as an entrepreneur but also as a father.

It’s been a long journey with a lot of twists and turns, but my desire to learn and experience new things has sufficiently catered to my desire to build something of my own.”

Pritesh Chothani, #1 of our #100careertransitionstories