Seasoned entrepreneur shares experience

JCI Dhaka Uptown organised a podcast titled 'Skill Development Part 2: Supporting Local Entrepreneurs' on June 19. The event entertained a nationwide audience of over 100 guests. The podcast featured Ghulam Sumdany Don, chief inspirational officer at Don Sumdany Facilitation and Consultancy and a certified corporate trainer, as the speaker. Fahim Ahmed Chowdhury, a marketing student at BUP and a fellow sub-executive member at JCI Dhaka Uptown, hosted the show.
The podcast offered insights and in-depth analysis of the struggles an entrepreneur faces in Bangladesh as well as answers to questions asked by the audience throughout the live session. It started off with a brief introduction of the guest speaker and an opening remark by the 2021 local chapter President, Rezwanur Rahman. He shared his ideas behind the naming of the project N.A.I.L.A, which stands for 'Networking and Intelligence Largely Aligned.' It is a tribute to the memory of the recently passed away Syeda Nishat Naila who was a fellow JCI Member, a friend and a leader. Throughout the podcast, a bottom ticker slideshow message with a bKash number was displayed for fundraising to donate and show support for Naila's family.
Among others, one of the remarkable questions asked by the host was-- how will an entrepreneur go to an investor for fundraising without compromising his idea or running the risk of it being stolen? Sumdany explained it with a different perspective. "No idea in the world is completely unique. Everything is usually derived from another or taken inspiration from. Someone might have an idea first and be the first mover in the market and yet not succeeded, whereas someone who hopped on to the trend, later on, can perfect and execute that idea. It is all about the execution."
Like every entrepreneur, Sumdany too had a phase when he considered quitting and getting another job. "Full-time jobs offer you stability and security, which makes it lucrative compared to entrepreneurship in the eyes of society. Different people have different ambitions. I wanted to look past the struggles and build my own brand that will continue to retain its value even after my death," said the seasoned entrepreneur.
He also highlighted the importance of building networks and connections. He shared his initial experience regarding networking which helped him build the Don Sumdany Brand eventually. He advised new-age entrepreneurs to learn first, expand their network, build connections, know 20 vendors if required and then, through experience, start an entrepreneurial journey.
"Live for Today! Stop being lazy, stop being a loser. Stop wasting time in 'addas' and chilling around in local tongs. If you think you will do something tomorrow or the day after, that will not happen. So stop procrastinating and do something with your time. Work on being an asset, not a liability," said the experienced man as his parting words.
The podcast ended with a closing remark by the 2021 National President, Niaz Morshed Elite who shared his own experience and the hurdles he faced during his struggling days as an entrepreneur. The podcast raised a fund of Tk 20,000 for the deceased Naila's family. The outreach partners of this event were NSU Young Economists' Forum, the Financial Express, and the Daily Ittefaq. The moderator of this podcast was Naimul Kader, key accounts manager in a Hong Kong based bulk trading company called Peakward Group.