{"id":1840,"date":"2019-02-12T21:54:28","date_gmt":"2019-02-13T02:54:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/the6rightest.com\/?p=1840"},"modified":"2020-07-13T19:56:25","modified_gmt":"2020-07-13T23:56:25","slug":"colour-outside-the-lines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/the6rightest.com\/en\/colour-outside-the-lines\/","title":{"rendered":"Colour Outside the Lines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cO<\/span>ne\u2019s real life is so often the life that one does not lead.\u201d This observation by Oscar Wilde was as true in turn-of-the-century Britain as it is today. Many of us have dreams, goals and talents that we don\u2019t pursue because society divides us into groups and typecasts us. As children we are given colouring books with themes to fit our type. We learn that these books come with an implied set of rules: colour neatly in one direction, use complementary colours, finish one page before starting the next, and, most importantly, stay within the lines. When we grow into teenagers the colouring outlines only get more complicated, and the rules more restricted. Societal \u201cnorms\u201d try to limit who we are and who we will become. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

From a young age, serial entrepreneur, Sathish Bala<\/a> was daunted by the expectation of who he was supposed to be. In the last quarter of a century he has successfully built three back-to-back companies, but his journey was not an easy one. Today he is the Entrepreneur in Residence at the Ryerson Science Discovery Zone,<\/a> where he works with startups to help students forge a new path for themselves while they are in school. \u201c[This] is exactly what I did when the term \u2018entrepreneurship\u2019 didn’t even exist,\u201d recalls Sathish. \u201cIn the 90s, it was either you got a job, or you\u2019re a loser. And I didn\u2019t want to get a job. Figuring out what to do was the only option.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing up Sathish was constantly labelled \u2018dumb\u2019 and \u2018unteachable.\u2019 Society\u2019s hand had sketched out the silhouette of his potential and defined the lines he could not cross. In his traditional South Indian family, it was believed the only route to success was by getting straight A\u2019s. When he was a young boy he went to school in Singapore, where a child\u2019s place in society was pre-determined based on standardized test scores. At the age of 10, according to his academic performance, Sathish was destined to be a blue-collar worker. Thankfully, when he was 14 his parents decided to immigrate to Canada and as his environment changed, so did his self-perception. At his new school in Scarborough he still felt low about his grades, but he gained confidence through the discovery of new talents in drama, DJing and sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Alex Banman<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After high school Sathish studied Computer Science at Ryerson University. He enjoyed his program, but any talk of GPA scores still made him feel inferior. It wasn\u2019t until his last year of university that Sathish was recognized for his talents and abilities. He took the opportunity to run for Computer Science Student Body President, created his first marketing campaign and won! The election finally made him feel valued at school.\u201cIt was really cool because it was the very first time I wasn\u2019t only measured on my academic success, it was [about:] Can I create programs that help first-year students not drop out? Can I influence teachers to be nicer to students? \u2026I championed a bunch of\u2026really good causes, and in doing so I found my own voice\u2026I wanted to turn that into a business,\u201d he says. It was then that Sathish realized the labels of \u2018hustler\u2019 and \u2018street smart\u2019 are in fact prerequisites for the entrepreneurial journey. Winning the election gave Sathish a platform to realize his potential and showed him that his people skills could pave the way to success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gifted with oratory skills and charisma, Sathish pitched website creation and sold some of the first black and white websites. While still in school he found quite a few clients and started his first company, Spyder Designs. After graduation his business partners left to get \u2018real jobs,\u2019 so Sathish converted the company structure and renamed it New-Age Consulting. With timing on his side, Sathish continued on his own. \u201cIt was 1999, everybody was freaking out about Y2K, and the only class that I was good at was called COBAL\u2026and apparently a lot of the systems that were Y2K threatened were built on COBAL! I was like \u2018Holy s***, this is so dope!\u2019\u201d he exclaims. \u201cSo I started calling all these companies, people started reaching out to me, I hired a bunch of people from my class that were smarter than me, and New-Age Consulting was in the business of Y2K. And I single-handedly take responsibility for saving the world, so it didn’t end. Truth. So you\u2019re welcome people!\u201d Sathish laughs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we walked into that building we knew\u2026either sell, or somebody\u2019s not eating in two weeks. \u2026Poverty and hunger are great teachers\u201d <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The business expanded and clients began asking for various services. For the next six years, New-Age Consulting became a large experiment for Sathish. He said \u2018yes\u2019 to absolutely everything; besides building websites they ran network cables, did system administration, designed databases, developed click ads, and did early email marketing, e-learning and digital marketing, to name a few. Sathish just wanted to learn as much as he could and figure out what he\u2019s good at. He grew the company successfully and exited in 2006.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While briefly working in the tech department of a marketing company, Sathish discovered the perfect path for his skillset. He didn’t know a thing about what the company did when his contract began, but as he came to understand the world of marketing he saw how much fun it could be. He asked the executive team, \u201cWait a second, you get paid to sit in a boardroom, and just like, daydream on a whiteboard? …Where were you all my life?! \u2026I\u2019m full of ideas!\u2019\u2019 As a natural salesperson and creative, Sathish knew marketing was the ideal industry for him. In 2007, once his contract finished, Sathish started BlueBand Brand and Digital and hired his first Creative Director, Chris Gostling. The two of them worked hard out of a shabby, tiny office in Chinatown. \u201cWhen we walked into that building we knew\u2026either sell, or somebody\u2019s not eating in two weeks. \u2026Poverty and hunger are great teachers,\u201d Sathish shares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Alex Banman<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

BlueBand allowed Sathish to rip off the labels that society had plastered on him.\u201d It all clicked when I founded BlueBand because I never thought\u2026I could be a creative person and also be a technical guy. I [just] didn\u2019t think those two came together.\u201d BlueBand gave Sathish the freedom to focus on his strengths and continue growing into himself. \u201cThat company, for 12 years, was like the perfect cocktail for me\u2026it had tech\u2026it had creativity, it had branding, it had problems to solve, all these things that I didn\u2019t think would be available in one ecosystem. \u2026With each win, the company got better, but I as an individual just got more and more schooled on\u2026how to build these really cool little companies,\u201d he shares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI no longer fear what I\u2019m not good at\u2026which is a huge weight off [my] back.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The biggest challenge for Sathish throughout the years has been accepting his weaknesses. He was constantly working hard and stressing to catch up where he fell short. He didn\u2019t think he was good enough and thought he needed to be an expert in everything related to his business in order to fit in. But that was exhausting. \u201cI think there\u2019s something magical when you embrace the s*** that you\u2019re not good at. \u2026A lot of people are much better at the things I\u2019m not good at so, come, help, build, grow together, let\u2019s synergize! \u2026It took me a really long time to be okay with: I\u2019m not this version and I\u2019m not gonna spend my life trying to be this guy, I\u2019m cool with this version of me. \u2026And the people that are attracted to me, see the version that I really am,\u201d he smiles. Now Sathish is happy to offer his expertise in marketing, sales, and strategy to the fresh startups he mentors, but he has realized he doesn\u2019t need to know everything about every industry he\u2019s invested in. \u201cI no longer fear what I\u2019m not good at\u2026which is a huge weight off [my] back.\u201d Giving himself permission to not need to be an expert in everything was very liberating.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sathish attributes much of his success to his EQ. He knows the value of teamwork and understands people. He created a lively company culture by hiring positive, open-minded, hard-working people, and allowing them the freedom to grow. Empathy has also served him when building relationships with clients. \u201cI\u2019m a natural problem solver, but to solve problems, you can\u2019t go in there guns blazing, you really have to understand the other person, you really have to understand the problem you\u2019re trying to solve,\u201d explains Sathish. Today he continues to use his strengths to help the young companies he\u2019s invested in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUltimately, I\u2019m only accountable for my self-growth, and the better I am, hopefully the more I impact\u201d <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Besides his active involvement in the startup world, Sathish is the Founder of desiFEST, a non-profit that empowers diverse communities of young artists in the music industry. Now in its 13th <\/sup>year, the annual desiFEST Music Festival is Canada\u2019s largest South Asian urban music festival. This year the festival will run from June 5th <\/sup>to 8th <\/sup>at Yonge-Dundas Square, and it\u2019s expected that about 150, 000 people will experience the brand. The festival has grown from a 2-day concert into a 4-day conference. The South Asian music industry is still very young, and while there are many talented artists they don’t always know how to market themselves and make money. The festival will include workshops to support and educate the artists about marketing, branding and social media. Through desiFEST Music Festival Sathish inspires others to follow their passions in music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Alex Banman<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sathish is driven by self-growth. He is constantly reaching for new opportunities. In between Sathish\u2019s three companies he had about ninety other business ideas that he tried and that failed. But having side hustles gave Sathish a chance to be creative, grow, and learn, without jeopardizing the company and hurting the team. His most notable experiment and failure was the creation of Bala Bow Ties. Now he has a large signature collection of bow ties to wear that are also souvenirs of his learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou won\u2019t be afraid of yourself, but if you\u2019re not you, you\u2019re gonna be afraid of the person you\u2019re not\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Through constantly pursuing his business ideas Sathish became who he wanted to be. \u201cThe only way I knew how to do it was through building my own businesses, right or wrong\u2026because it forced me to learn on the job, put what I learned into practice, test my own theories, and then do it again the next day. And everybody I\u2019ve ever hired, every client we\u2019ve had, have all helped me in that journey. …It was a perfect playground for me becoming the person I want to become. \u2026Ultimately, I\u2019m only accountable for my self-growth, and the better I am, hopefully the more I impact,\u201d he says. Besides helping startups and running desiFEST, Sathish is growing his speaking career and is working on writing a book. \u201cIf I could one day be a mayor and add more value to the city, I totally will, and that’s my hope in [my] 50s, to run for council,\u201d he shares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now Sathish is helping startups grow at Ryerson University, the school where his own journey of self-discovery began. Hehopes that young entrepreneurs can learn from his experience and not succumb to the pressures of society. \u201cI realized all these stupid walls and labels and stereotypical biases [were] all created by another dude, and I don’t have to believe in any of it! But then, how do you not create your own? And that’s [really been] the challenge for me the last 10 years\u2026creating positive, empowering labels and walls that give me this fearless attitude in life.\u201d He wants to show them that there is more than one way to succeed, and that they don\u2019t need to change who they are. The C+ student can be a CEO and still wear a hoodie while skateboarding around the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou won\u2019t be afraid of yourself, but if you\u2019re not you, you\u2019re gonna be afraid of the person you\u2019re not,\u201d Sathish states. Society will always try to throw us back into the themed colouring book and trace outlines around us. But once we realize those lines are merely optical illusions, we free ourselves. We make our own rules: try multiple pages or focus on one, get messy, use various media, fill the whole page, add doodles, do the impossible \u2013 explore, innovate, create. Certainly, life is much more fun when we colour outside the lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Alex Banman<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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