From Slave to Success: My Journey to Self-Employment

My story is probably unusual. It's also somewhat long. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin to quote the Small Faces.

Moving from Safe to Uncomfortable

In the 1980s, I studied the latest technologies in computing and developed applications for small businesses. Being a terminal job slave did not work for me. Doing the same thing day after day, week after week, year after year, decade after decade, with no results and no time left over was not fulfilling. This was where I was 14 years ago. Thankfully, we took action, decided on who we wanted to be, and created the results we demanded. It was a good choice.

From Merchant Navy to Coaching

Hello everyone, my name is Praneet Mehta, and I am a Chief Engineer in Merchant Navy. Even though I was quite well settled in my own profession, I always felt like there was something missing. I decided to co-found JMDi Academy in Dehradun in 2017, a coaching institute for Merchant Navy and NDA. This was the best decision I took in my life as it gave me the opportunity to mentor and interact with young students who were passionate about joining Merchant Navy and NDA.

Seeing my students clear competitive exams and get placed in good shipping companies brings me a great sense of pride. These students, as well as the staff at JMDi, have all become part of my extended family. I'll always stay connected with them in their highs and lows. I want them not just to get good marks in their college and get placed but to succeed in life. It’s all because of this family that JMDi Academy has become the best coaching institute for merchant navy in Dehradun. Currently, I am also running a website called Merchant Navy Decoded. [Read More]

Breaking Ground: My Journey to Self-Employment

My journey to self-employment began quite deliberately. I studied computing, excelled, and gained a first with honors. I joined a startup and worked towards a 10-year plan: get a couple of years of experience, then go contracting, move to another country, preferably Australia.

However, fate had other plans. I ended up staying at the company for four years because it was a good place to work. But after a couple of years, I had itchy feet and decided to emigrate to Australia. Luck had it that a customer from the company needed help, and I could help because I was one of the developers of the product. I applied for a job and got a temporary visa sponsorship, and off I went.

Company Building and Global Opportunities

I worked on the contract for a year and then realized the job was much bigger than what I could do and worth a lot more. I opted to join an outside company to take on the contract, gaining a few more contracts myself and eventually setting up my own company. I not only managed to become self-employed and successful, but also moved to a new country with my wife and two children, grew my company to employ other people in my field, and had contracts all over the world.

Some of the biggest corporations I worked with include Johnson Johnson, Chubb, Rio Tinto, WHO, and KPMG. How did I do it? I had absolute faith in my possibilities and my skills. I wasn’t wrong, but perhaps I was lucky at several points. I also believe that chance favors the bold. Seize those opportunities with both hands and don't let go.

Advantages and Strategy

The key to my success was my previously unknown skill in programming, a company producing a product that was way ahead of its time, a small market, and the ability to leverage my knowledge effectively. Moving to a country where the company had no presence made me the only viable point of contact and support.

To take advantage of my position, I used and abused the internet to market my services. I set up a forum to provide help and support for the product, better than the company provided. I also wrote a book on the product, still the only one, and created online introduction courses leading to actual training courses. All of this got my name out there and got me jobs.

Success didn't come easily, and I reckon I spent 16 hours a day, 7 days a week promoting myself and working for about 10 years. It was a labor of love, but it was serious labor. You don't get what I got by sitting around and waiting.

Quite honestly, I cannot believe how successful my 10-year plan was. Everything I wanted happened and much more. I retired at 50 in the tropics with a pool, 10 acres of bush, and enough money to swan about the world in relative luxury. I have to believe that something is looking out for me.

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