“Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.” Morihei Ueshiba

It all depends on the deeds you do in life you have got. Since life would not trim or stretch itself, you must learn to make the most of whatever it provides. The struggle has been a part of Sandeep Maheshwari’s life in its plural sense. A middle-class college dropout and his story to the heights of success is something which would push you to go and take that big step for your future. His story is as much of failures as it is of success. An entrepreneur, a motivational speaker, a writer, and many other hats have been donned by this man who has taken hardships as an inspiration.





Birth from dearth





Sandeep was born in 1980. His father ran a business in the aluminium industry. A dilliwala by birth, during his childhood, he was fond of everything a normal child would be. He completed his schooling from Delhi and then went on to study B.Com at the Kirorimal College of Delhi University. It was in 1999 that his life started playing with him. His father’s business collapsed overnight due to some internal issues and the financial implications followed. When this happened, Sandeep was in the final year of his graduation, and due to the drastic turn of events, a bright student had to leave his graduation midway. This wasn’t the end but a beginning of an entirely new journey for Sandeep.





The endeavor called ‘Life’





After the family business fell, Sandeep felt the need to earn and contribute all that he can to improve his family’s financial conditions. He tried his hand at working with MNCs which didn’t last for long, he then went on to manufacture and market household products, but this was also for a short duration. It was as if life had different plans for him. Next was his interest in the world of modelling. This startling profession made Maheshwari learn about the plight of models who all had to go through several stages of exploitation before making a name in the industry. This gave him a goal, a goal to work for those who have dreams but are unable to achieve them not because they have less talent but because their talent isn’t valued.













“There can be no failure to a man who has not lost courage, his character, his self-respect, or his self-confidence. He is still a king.” ~ Orison Swett Marden.

Another setback





His next step was a course in photography, and after that he went on to do freelancing in the field of photography, doing whatever came his way. In his freelancing days, Sandeep used to get rooms on rent and converted them into studios.





“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” ~ Winston Churchill.

In 2002, Sandeep and his 3 very close friends teamed up and incorporated a company. They may have had huge plans from this venture, but the company was closed even before completing half a year. It was supposed to be a setback for many who dream of owning a big company and climbing the ladder of success. But for Sandeep, this wasn’t a failure but a learning curve. The learnings from here helped him in his next company- Mash Audio Visuals Pvt. Ltd. one which he owned solely with the aim of helping the models achieve their dreams. The camera became his new friend as he made portfolios of models.





“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” ~ Helen Keller.

Some Success





The year 2003 witnessed Sandeep creating a record which he had never imagined. In just 10 hours and 45 minutes, Sandeep took approximately 10000 shots of around 122 models. It was not only a record but a push which he needed to move ahead in his life. This didn’t make him take success for granted as he went on to stay focus to the goal of his life- improving the modelling industry and reducing the plight of aspiring models.





Moving forward and failing again













In the same year, Sandeep donned the role of an entrepreneur and was ready with his consultancy firm. To promote his firm, he went on to write a book as well. But as destiny had it, Sandeep again failed to put up an impressive show as his firm shut down due to no major growth. Throughout his life, failure didn’t leave him.





“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” ~ Henry Ford.

The ultimate showdown





From his failures, he finally realized what wrong he did. He learned a lot from them and decided, in the end, to go back to his passion of Photography. The year was 2004, and the website was ImagesBazaar. All the hard work, determination, grit, and perseverance were applied here by Sandeep. It all eventually paid off as he succeeded in making ImagesBazaar a real ‘bazaar’ with the most extensive collection of images on any digital medium. Millions of images, thousands of clients and plenty of countries, all this combined to make him one of the most valuable entrepreneurs India has ever had.





Life beyond photography





Enjoying life and helping others enjoy their life are two different things, the former has many followers while the latter has only a few, Sandeep is one of those few people in the 2nd category. He has enlightened many students, children, and people from all walks of life through his motivational speeches and shows. He is valued very high in the list of motivational speakers by the viewers. His failures have helped him let others overcome their fear of failing.













Conclusion

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.” ~ Walter Elliot.

Sandeep’s failures have made him an invaluable person since they have helped him gain immense experience. He has been an incredible learner throughout his life. Sandeep’s one life is enough to inspire millions and billions of people around the world. Had there not been a dropout from college, we might not have seen him grow like this. His story has proved again that failures are a key to success and success is a result of numerous failures.