With less interest in studies since childhood, Suresh Chablani, Director, Rose Travels never thought of getting into the world of travel. He was persuaded to opt for Chartered Accountant as he was excellent with numbers, however, he never appeared for its exams. While Suresh worked as a tax expert at his uncle’s firm, his wife – Hema Chablani started her travel agency from home in August 1983. Slowly, with her hard work and dedication, she made her name in the industry and requested Suresh to join her.

“It was in 1984 that we rented an office. All thanks to my previous job at my uncle’s firm, we started getting inquiries and clients from the film industry. It was in 1988 that we bought our own office and in 1989 we got our agency registered with IATA,” said Suresh beaming with pride. He further added, “Hema preferred hard work and I opted for smart work. She preferred working from a desk and I preferred attending social and business events. Since I was good with numbers and photographic memory, I was excellent at calculating fares and airline miles. Even in those days, I was faster than airlines to quote fares. It was because of this skill and knowledge that I got great friends in airline and film industry since the 1990s.”

The first movie for Rose Travels as ticketing agent was Jurrat in 1989 and since then, the company has been the preferred travel company for over 200 Bollywood movies. Talking about success and life, Suresh said, “Never stop learning because life never stops teaching. In our travel business, focus on providing prompt and correct information to your customers. If you build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful. Make every interaction count, even the small ones. They are all relevant. Never leave your customers wondering. Not responding is also a response. To build a long-term, successful enterprise, don’t close a sale, open a relationship.”

Today, while Suresh is slowly taking a back seat, his son Prince Chablani is leading the way with similar business ethics powered by technology and social media. Prince said, “It’s amazing to see the legacy my parents have created in the film industry as a travel brand. Even today, my mom is being remembered for her no-nonsense attitude in business while my dad is still friends with top film industry leaders. There is a lot I’ve to do and I will do my best to keep up with their good-will and brand name.”

Be so good that they can’t ignore you. Focus on knowledge, focus on your expertise and you will #RiseLikeAPhoenix in no time.