“Being an entrepreneur, whether male or female, or any other gender, is a challenging journey. There are no reservations here. This is no metro cabin where seats are reserved. The best one wins. So, we have to have the best product/ service/ best pitch, best customer engagement and so on”, said, Sonica Aron who is the Managing partner of Marching Sheep. By constantly trying to improve herself and learn new things, Sonica Aron has been able to constantly reinvent herself in the current highly competitive market segment and guide her company towards sustained success in the industry.
In an exclusive interview with women entrepreneur, Sonica talks in detail about her professional journey and the operations of Marching Sheep.
Kindly share the inception story of marching sheep? Also, sketch out in details the various offerings of the company?
Having been an HR professional for over a decade in 2013 and having worked across industries like FMCG, FMCD, telecom and healthcare in Strategic HR business partnering roles, I realised the power of having streamlined HR policies and processes, aligned, motivated and capable workforce in driving business results. Having been a women professional, I had also seen the evolving narrative of diversity and inclusion and the gaps in the industry closely. Armed with these insights and experience, it was but natural for me to establish my firm Marching Sheep with service lines in these areas. The four main services that we provide are Diversity & Inclusion Strategies and interventions, Human Resource Consulting, Bespoke learning interventions, and Health & Wellness Portfolio.
“We do not push off-the-shelf programs on solutions, but we rather invest time and effort in a thorough diagnostic so that we can offer a relevant intervention to the client”
Give us brief details about your educational and professional background. Also, explain about your current role at marching sheep and how are you leveraging the best of these elements across your company’s operations?
I have done my schooling from Delhi Public school, Noida till class tenth, and DPS Mathura Road, for 11th and 12th. I then did Maths (H) from Hansraj College Delhi University. I was college and University ranker and I have also done my MBA in HR from XLRI Jamshedpur in 2001. I am the founder and Managing Partner at Marching Sheep as of now and I leverage my learnings and experience of the last two decades in the corporate world and as a consultant in curating customised interventions for our clients. Over the years, I have worked across sectors and interacted with individuals in different stages of their careers and personal lives. If there is one thing, I have learnt, it is that one size does not fit all, and there cannot be one stroke for all folks. Approaching each situation with curiosity, empathy and dealing with transparency, looking at a 360-degree view to come up with possible solutions that will resonate with the client gives us an edge. We do not push off-the-shelf programs on solutions, but we rather invest time and effort in a thorough diagnostic so that we can offer a relevant intervention to the client.
As a woman in leadership, how are you influencing and inspiring others in and around your professional and personal stratum?
My aim is to continue to do meaningful work. The day I conduct a workshop where I touch lives, where I impact someone personally or professionally, I sleep well. Many of the participants connect with me on linkedin or whatsapp and stay in touch after a workshop and that tells me I have impacted them. Many of them become friends, and continue to reach out. I also realise that mindset change is a slow process. We have been writing thought provoking articles on topics close to our hearts like motherhood penalty, domestic violence, emotional health being a taboo and so on. I was also recently listed by Yourstory among the top100 digital influencers in 2020.
What message would you like to give for the young women entrepreneurs who would like to start their career in a similar industry?
I would just say, believe in your dreams, believe in yourself, make your goals, and go after them with laser focus. Everything else will fall in place. There will be challenges, make no mistake. But don’t let them faze you. Make choices on the solutions you need. If you need to invest in a solution provider, do it. These are good costs- investments that allow you to do your job well. Also, don’t forget to make allies and collaborations, because no one won a war alone!
Sonica Aron, Managing Partner, Marching Sheep
She founded Marching Sheep as a boutique HR advisory firm with an intention to partner with clients in their journey to build long term capability through people strategy, structures, processes, leadership & learning interventions and managing diversity. Her passion to excel and her eye for perfection have helped her to strive for sustained success in the industry.
