Follow your passion

Youth activities appear to be the flavor of the season. Close on the heels of the formation of ZYNG (Zoroastrian Youth for the Next Generation), the revitalization of FOZYA (Federation of Zoroastrian Youth Associations) after a hiatus of over five years, the World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce (WZCC) launched its Bombay Youth Chapter on February 27 this year. "In 2009 the global WZCC board put out an initiative for every chapter to include a youth representative on their committees” and Chamber activities, stated Freyaz Shroff, Bombay Chapter youth chair in the introductory brochure released at the inauguration. "These activities would be dedicated to reviving the spirit of entrepreneurship and creating new generations of Zoroastrian success stories.”

(From left) Shernaaz Engineer, Nadir Godrej, Kainaz Messman: a legacy of excellence

The evening program, held on the roof garden-cum-terrace of Hotel Diplomat, had as its theme "excellence across generations” which attracted one of the largest WZCC gatherings, stated Shroff. Three noted speakers were selected for the occasion, namely Nadir Godrej, managing director of Godrej Industries, Shernaaz Engineer, editor of the Jam-e-Jamshed Weekly and Kainaz Messman, proprietor of the popular Theobroma eatery in Colaba.

Addressing the gathering in rhyme Godrej stated:

"I was asked how in college days,

Success was seen in different ways.

My focus then was all on learning

With little thought spent on earning…

Carrier pigeons are trained for homing

My instincts then favored roaming.

Five colleges I then attended

My stay might well have been extended.

In those days I was often guided

By my brother who then decided

It was high time that I came home

And finally I ceased to roam.

Freyaz Shroff and compere Hoshaang Gotla (center) seated with members of the WZCC youth wing All photos: Vazifdar World

"And though I did the routine chore

I always found it quite a bore.

For science is what I liked to do.

I got my thrill from something new.

Perhaps I hadn’t changed my ways

I was still living college days!

My biggest thrill was invention

Though, of course, I must mention,

Most credit goes to the team

My role was more to choose the theme

And show the way when they got stuck

And with their skill and a little luck

We got some patents and did new things

And this I find always brings

To me immense satisfaction.

I was never a man of action

But one of contemplation.

And in my estimation

It is the successful pact,

I made with colleagues, who could act,

That got me where I am today.

And so I confidently say

You can succeed at any scheme

If you have a balanced team

Where different skills are brought on board

And members all work in accord.

But listening to this my story

Don’t think that all was hunky dory.

For if you try to be bold

You may be left out in the cold.

Perhaps I was a little brisk

In brushing off the clear risk

In making olefin from oil

Which hardly seems worth the toil.

I had no idea what was in store-

One year we lost 80 crore.

And yet we could turn it around

The business now is very sound…

In conclusion I would like to state

There is no cause for you to wait

Ignore the trite dictates of fashion

And freely follow what is your passion.”

Engineering success

Engineer spoke of the legacy of faith, values, ethos "our race and unique DNA… you can virtually spot a Parsi the minute you see him and there is an instant connection! There is also the legacy of our legendary cuisine — I call it the ‘dhansak’ connection. From California to Calcutta and Australia to Ahmedabad, not to mention all over including Nagpur, we Parsis love our food and our lives almost revolve around it. Finally, there is also our legacy of excellence, be it in entrepreneurship or the various professions where we have excelled — and this continues to give our community a unique edge… We have perhaps the highest per capita rate achievers among any community in the entire world.”

Turning to values, Engineer stressed "being a Parsi is a lifelong obligation to an ethical way of life that enshrines” good thoughts, words and deeds.

"The ultimate goal of excellence and achievement, is not a feeling of arrogance but the satisfaction that comes from having lived a life of purpose in the pursuit of our highest ideals,” she noted.

"While always integrating into the larger fabric of India, we have to take care to protect and preserve our own identity. This is the legacy of our race and DNA that is distinctive. It is not superior or inferior to anybody else’s, but it is what makes us Parsis. While we must be completely secular always, there are times when we also need to stand by our own community, because we are increasingly becoming more and more marginalized as a minority. However, sadly, one notices that we are only fighting with each other, and that is a bad tendency.

"There will always be differences of opinion among a community. It happens within a family also. But we must stay united and stand by each other, and dissolve our differences with a deep understanding that we have a shared history going back thousands of years.”

"I do what I love”

"I am a cook and I dreamt of becoming a chef,” stated Messman. "The Oberoi Group of Hotels served this dream to me on a platter. But my family is entrepreneurial and they encouraged me to seek my own fame and fortune.

"Since we opened our doors five years ago our customers found us and the media courted us. But creating, running and growing our business has not been easy, in fact it has been anything but. We opened our doors knowing how to bake cakes and little else; we had to pull up our socks and learn everything else overnight.

"We offer a good product at an honest price and have a genuine desire to please. My father funded my business, he paid for every baking tray, every floor tile and every one of the plates, cups and glasses my staff have broken in these five years. He did not want the money back but it was not a free ride either. We did undertake to repay the amount invested, paying the money from profits generated towards charitable causes… Parsi corporations and luminaries have been the bastions of charitable causes and have led the way in giving back to society way before ‘corporate social responsibility’ became fashionable buzz words.

"I have a job and that is to get the job done. I call myself a chef but in reality I am a waitress, I am a cleaner, I am whatever my business needs me to be.

WZCC youth wing logo

"Would I recommend taking a leap and setting up on your own? I most certainly would, provided you are doing if for the right reasons. Most people in employment dream of being their own boss, deciding when and what to do, making money for themselves. These are all true but these are rights and responsibilities, these privileges come with strings attached. I can theoretically take time out to get a pedicure or have a massage but on most days I cannot find the time to do so. You will work longer and harder than you think you will, you will have to do the jobs you wish you could delegate and you will struggle to find enough hours in the day to enjoy the fruits of your success. Why do I still recommend it? Because I have been able to convert my passion into my work, I do what I love and I get paid for it.”

The talks were followed by management games played to hone business and general knowledge acumen.

"This is just the beginning, we have a calendar packed full of events including networking sessions and overnight leadership workshops,” said Shroff.