Vishal Bhatia, Visit Britain #RiseLikeAPhoenix Special Feature ‘Embrace the struggle & let it make you stronger’, believes Vishal Bhatia, Country Manager – India, Visit Britain (Love GREAT Britain) At 18, while everyone was enjoying college years and planning a career, Vishal was working part-time with an e-card company to pay his college fees. The family fortune changed and his parents parted ways when Vishal was 15. His mother (Jayshree Bhatia) use to work for Thomas Cook in corporate ticketing, and post his graduation, suggested him to try his luck with a cruise representation company. From 2001-2012, Vishal grew in the industry with several companies (cruises, airlines and holidays) and in various roles. However, in 2011 Vishal lost his mother which changed everything for him, both mentally and financially. “I’ve had my ups and downs in life but losing my mother was one of the hardest thing I faced in life. Within few months, I left my job as the money was not enough to make ends meet. Me and wife, we both started working while our toddler stayed at my in-law’s place. I started with a company related to sailing but the work culture was too taxing. So I quit and was jobless for few months. It was during this time that I was the lowest in terms of mental health and finances. But that rock-bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” In 2013, Vishal started with Visit Britain as Deputy Manager and made his way to now the Country Manager. “During my early days in VB, I also learned that people respect the chair more than the person. I’ve been asked to leave from travel agencies during my sales calls since I didn’t make any prior appointments. I’ve been treated as a nobody during sales meetings and even felt disrespected among industry seniors. But I took everything on my stride. I don’t hold grudges any more but I remember facts,” said Vishal. He credits his success to his wife and few of his bosses who helped him polish his skills, trusted his work and let him take independent decisions in the organisation. Forget what hurt you but never forget what it taught you. These are not the times to quit but to learn. #StayStrong#HaveFaith and forget what the world says about you. You will soon #FlyLikeAPhoenix, so just #DontQuitYet Share this:FacebookX