The idea of “foundations” began long before buying my first home. It started on June 15th, 2021 when I joined FreshIdeas in the midst of the pandemic whilst the company was still taking shape. What drew me was the possibility of what could be built from the foundations that the founders had laid. I was searching for a place where learning and responsibility go hand in hand… where I could be hands-on, learn across different areas, and grow, rather than staying inside predefined boundaries.
The first lesson I learnt was to unlearn the habit of waiting for direction. The realisation that there isn’t always a playbook forced me to shift from expecting clarity to creating it in all areas of work and life. I was able to shape my path by taking initiative, experimenting and fabricating processes that didn’t exist.
One of the most defining parts of my journey has been our trust-driven work culture at FreshIdeas. While many of my friends spend hours traveling to offices, I have been able to work from anywhere—my home, a café, or even while traveling—and still contribute meaningfully. This represents trust, responsibility, and the belief that impact matters more than presence at FreshIdeas.
We have no tools to track desk time or activity. Initially, it might look like an unproductive system, but for us, it has been a strength as it reinforces ownership, self-discipline, and clarity of purpose. No one constantly checks in because we trust each other to deliver, and that trust fuels not just accountability but hyper-ownership.
If the early years taught me ownership, the later years taught me how to build using systems, tools, and thinking frameworks. Over the past five years, I’ve worked extensively with CRM, Helpdesk, Service Desk, Project Management, Workflow Automation, Chatbots, and Gen AI. These tools helped me understand how modern businesses operate, how customer experiences are shaped, and how decisions compound into impact.
I was fortunate to have guidance early on as team members Kripa, Damien, Dennis, and Stephen shaped my foundational knowledge of business, and helped me navigate challenges strategically.
Over time, Charles became a major influence in my growth at FreshIdeas; defined by trust and the encouragement to look at the company from a broader perspective. He never gave me ready-made answers; instead, he pushed me to find them, build them, and own them.
This mentorship helped me transition from SDR into Chief of Staff. Along the way, I embraced new challenges, including representing FreshIdeas at the Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF) and participating in a partner conference in Vietnam which gave me exposure to global business cultures, customer expectations, and the market. Through this process of continuous learning, experimentation and contribution, presented an opportunity to build something new. I found myself branching into areas removed from FreshIdeas including social media content creator (@hyderabadipalate).
My growth at FreshIdeas oftentimes reflect onto milestones in my personal life, most notably buying a home by 26; an achievement formative to how I approached long term goals. Buying my first home made me reflect on what is possible with discipline, clarity, and consistent effort. It wasn’t just a financial goal — it was a mindset shift… It reinforced that if you stay committed, think ahead, and make decisions that compound over time, you can achieve things that once felt far away.
This intersection also guided my social media journey where I share not just the exploration of food in my region, but how to live better with over 180,000 followers. Winning the Best Food Blogger in Hyderabad award still feels surreal.
What began as an outlet for personal expression has developed into a learning journey. Being a creator taught me how people think, what captures attention, and how to communicate ideas in a simple and relatable way. Over time, I realised that these worlds aren’t separate… one helps me understand products and businesses, and the other helps me understand people.
It is not the size of my audience or the act of buying a home by 26 that makes it meaningful, but rather, it is the discipline behind it. I am grateful for Charles’ support in recognising the value in both of these fields and the importance of pursuing oneself outside of work.
What shaped my journey wasn’t knowing enough — it was being willing to learn, build, and take ownership even before I felt ready. That mindset helped me grow, and it’s what I want to continue — building things that matter, with people who believe in possibilities.