`Ajack of all trades is a master of none' is a commonly used phrase. It suggests that people who try their hands at various things cannot gain mastery in one arena. However, a majority of the world has been using only a part of the idiom. In its totality, it reads, "A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one".

As right said by William Shakespeare, trying our hand at various things is what makes us successful. Especially in today's hyper-competitive market landscape, having a diverse skill set can often create a resounding distinction between success and failure. The story of entrepreneur Sravani Padmanabhuni is a great testament to the same. The co-founder of Concept2Designs, an interior design firm has tried her hand at various things and excelled at them all.

Be it exploring the various digital mediums or creating a content writing enterprise on her own, Sravani has never shied away from exploring new avenues. A talented writer armed with an inborn knack for running businesses, she established Concept2Designs five years ago. Today the company runs majorly across three important states i.e., Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The Women Entrepreneur team interacted with the maverick businesswoman as she narrated her professional journey from being a BE graduate to creating a successful interior design firm.

Take us through your early educational journey. What factors motivated you to take up entrepreneurship?

Although I have completed my B Tech, yet I was never a coding ninja. I always wanted to do something creative.

As far as I can remember, I never wanted to do a job. I was always keen on entering the world of business. My inspiration came from my father who himself was not a very high academically accomplished man yet he successfully started his own detergent soap manufacturing company. With no business knowledge or expertise, he started from scratch & worked his way up the ladder of success. Today he has completed more than 30 years in the industry and is a well-established name in the city.

Take us through your prior industry experience. How did you eventually arrive in the interior design industry?

After completing my graduation, I got to know about content writing as a career during an interview for Google. I proceeded to do my own research, tested the waters, and in less than a month, I began building my client base. This is how I discovered my love for writing. I started getting more projects and eventually hired a team of writers in less than two months.

After one year of freelancing as a content writer, I decided to look for a full-time job. That's when I applied to an interior firm as a social media marketer. I was one of the first five employees of the organization which has now become a renowned company in Bangalore.

Gradually I discovered that I was not a `settler'. I tried my hands in multiple departments including HR, social media marketing, digital marketing, branding, and even YouTube videos. I quickly understood the basics of how the organization works as well. Looking at my performance, I was nominated as the only core female member in my previous company among 50 employees. Being an important member I was easily able to capture the insights of how an organization works, team handling, issues and concerns in the relevant field.

“My words of advice especially to women are to strive to become financially independent. Whether you do business or a job, it doesn't matter much. I can only feel a thin line of different between two is the risk taking factor”

The experience at my previous firm helped me discover my passion for interior design. Eventually, I came across the right partner who decided to take a risk and help me build our firm C2D. It has been 5 years since we started this journey with lots of hiccups in between. C2D is currently operating in Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Tirupati.

Tell us more about your brainchild, concept-2designs (C2D). What are some significant projects that the company has worked on?

C2D is an interior design firm. We want to provide clients with fresh and unique design solutions at affordable pricing. Although the industry has various players, yet C2D is unique with its exclusive finishes and limited projects undertakings. We believe a strong team is the core of any successful venture and have thus built a young team that has been helping C2D grow organically. We ensure that our team has sufficient free space for learning and unlearning which helps us to have fresh concepts building.

So far we have worked on major of the projects that are stand-outs. In terms of commercial projects, our team has worked on MasterChef South designs, Nandi Upachar in Bangalore International Airport, Railyatri - Intercity Smart Bus Lounges for South India, and many residential projects as well.

As an interior design firm how do you ensure that you stay aligned with the trends developing within the industry? How do you spend your free time beyond work?

We have our own R&D team at the firm. We also conduct internal workshops, attend various events, do experiments in-house before launches to understand the pros and cons of different materials available in the market.

Personally, I love writing. It has been my hobby for many years. Whenever I feel low, I grab a notebook and start jotting my thoughts down, & if I'm out with my phone, I share my thoughts on my Facebook page. Doing this has helped me evolve as a person too.

As a successful business leader what would your advice be to other young women who aspire to become entrepreneurs and business leaders?

My words of advice especially to women is to strive to become financially independent. Whether you do business or a job, it doesn't matter much. I can only feel a thin line of different between two is the risk taking factor.

Never is now, just stretch your leg ­ try out things. Its ok to get low at times, but do make sure you always have someone who can understand your work, gives mental support no matter how hard the day and the situation is. This boosts one's confidence and helps you overcome anything. Find the right partner for your business and in life too.

Sravani Padmanabhuni, Co-Founder, Concept2designs

A maverick business woman she established Concept2Designs five years ago and has grown the organization organically.