Sharmila Rama's great-grandfather was likely the first Gujarati (Indian) to settle in New Zealand — a sacrifice that impacted generations to come.
“There was a movement against the Chinese and Indians in New Zealand in the early 1900s. They were barred from going to the cinema, getting their haircut, or even going to the pub because the locals didn’t want them there,” Sharmila says. “I really feel that this shaped my grandparents’ resilience because they knew they’d sacrificed so much to provide opportunities for their future family in New Zealand.”
Years later, this same determination came to define Sharmila’s career as she gravitated toward start-ups, a space where she could leverage her grit to build a company from the ground up.
We asked Sharmila, now a principal customer success manager at Skedulo, to tell us more about how her family’s story fueled her passion for start-up life — including how you can decide if the start-up space is right for you.
Understanding the meaning of sacrifice
Growing up, Sharmila noticed her grandparents’ strong commitment to their business.
“The generations before me faced adversity but overcame this without complaint, building a foundation, attending school with English as a second language, leaving family never to see them again, and starting businesses despite challenges,” she shares.
Sharmila remembers stories of Indians leaving home with nothing but a suitcase of saris. They met their husbands in New Zealand, traveling for three or four months by ship, just to provide for their families.
“It was the ultimate sacrifice,” Sharmila says.
After graduating from university, Sharmila became the first person in her family to receive a degree.
“I was proud, knowing what it meant to my grandfather,” she shares. “I still remember the look on his face. This was what my grandparents had strived for — a tertiary education for their grandchildren.”
Sharmila started to realize that it was this commitment to a greater purpose that gave her grandparents the strength needed to overcome the adversity they faced.
“Whilst working in technology for most of my career, I found that I liked being a part of start-ups with a strong mission and plan to get there, where everyone was on board, heading that same direction,” she says.
Working toward a greater mission at Skedulo
At Skedulo, the platform that helps companies schedule, manage, engage, and analyze their deskless workforce, Sharmila’s grit and determination have helped her excel in her role.
“It all comes down to when times are tough,” she says. “Sometimes I choose to make sacrifices because I treat it like my own business, just as my grandparents taught me. Regardless of who you’re working for, you show up every day on time. You put your best foot forward.”
During the COVID vaccine rollout across New Zealand and Australia, Skedulo was especially busy because so many of their clients are in the healthcare space.
“There were times when I had to work long shifts, and it wasn’t a problem for me. I kept thinking about what I wanted to achieve at the end of it — the mission,” she says. “It all comes back to what my grandparents taught me: you only see the output if the input is there.”
Is the start-up environment right for you?
“I like that people can roll up their sleeves and work hard,” Sharmila shares when reflecting on why the start-up space matches her work ethic. “I don’t always need to know what’s coming next, but I like to know that something is coming. Once again, I think that comes back to the sacrifices my family made. They wanted to get somewhere — and that’s exactly how I feel.”
If you’re wondering whether or not the start-up space is a fit for you, Sharmila encourages you to ask yourself these questions:
- Do you like the idea of shaping something? “In start-ups, everything is rarely laid in place. So that might be a challenge if you like pre-established processes,” Sharmila cautions. “It’s important to be able to figure things out yourself, do your research, and make plans on the fly.”
- Can you take initiative when times are tough? “You may need to problem solve and work things out. There are times when you have to take the initiative, put something together, and also provide guidance to your team,” Sharmila says.
- Do you enjoy working in a horizontal company structure? “The start-up environment is typically not hierarchical,” Sharmila says. “Rather than just helping your boss out, you’ll need to coexist well with your peers, too.”
When Sharmila found Skedulo, she was immediately impressed by the mission of the company and the camaraderie of the people. “As a structured person myself, I loved the product, and the people were so lovely,” she says. “I just knew: it felt right.”
Grow your start-up career with Skedulo! Check out their job openings here.
