10 Reasons We Love Chuck Bass

Gossip Girl may be long over but that doesn’t stop us from going head over heels for Mr Chuck Bass. The smirk, the slow dialogue delivery, those scarfs and those four words – “I am Chuck Bass”. Enough to make any girl weak in the knees. Its no surprize that he managed to get the queen bee herself to fall madly in love with him. He may have started out as a philanderer but as the series progressed his character turned out to be one of televisions most loved. Though there is no reason required to love Chuck, but there were a few moments in the series when he just melted our hearts and made us collectively go Awwwwwww. While on the re runs of Gossip Girl, I have nailed down some of his aww-worthy actions.

Picture Courtesy - cosmiclovecb.wordpress.com

The time is kept Lily’s secret

The time his father died in a road accident while on his way to meet his stepmom Lily. Chuck, in the process of blaming Lily for his father’s death paid huge amount of money to his father’s detective. The one who had a big secret which even his father knew and was on his way to confront lily about but insteaddied in the car crash. Having a full chance to tell her secret to the world, Chuck chose to be a gentleman and at lily’s instance kept mum about Rufus’s child that Lily gave up, years ago.

Picture Courtesy - www.popsugar.com

When he saved Lily from getting raped by Jack Bass

While on the verge of losing his dad’s business to the evil Jack bass, Lily offered to adopt Chuck to become his legal guardian and hence help him keep his father’s legacy. This did not go down well with the scorned Jack Bass. He attempted to threaten and rape Lily but she was saved with Chuck’s timely intervention. I love the look of extreme anger on his face in this scene and well the mind-blowing blows. *sighs*

Picture Courtesy - gossipgirl.wikia.com

His best man speech

The best man speech at his father’s wedding to Lily was what changed Chuck from a boy to a man. Now we will forget that towards the end of the first season he stood up Blair and hobnobbed with some decorator. But his words about love and forgiveness stole our hearts. 

Picture Courtesy - gossipgirl.wikia.com

The time is helped Serena during the whole Georgina Sparks thing

Playing the perfect friend and step brother Chuck helped Serena coming out of the mess Georgina Sparks created. From holding her up at the Palace to arranging a fake Serena to give her SATs. He did whatever was possible to keep her safe including lying to not-very-amused Dan Humphrey. And who can forget the iconic “let’s get the bitch” sentence he uttered in response to Blair’s scheme for the final blow to evil Georgina.

Picture Courtesy - gossipgirl.wikia.com

When he paid for Blair’s dowry

According to an agreement clause in Blair’s cursed nuptial to the Prince, she has to stay married for at least a year or pay a mind boggling sum of money as dowry. Since the money would make the Waldorf‘s bankrupt, Blair decided to stay married for a year. But Chuck wanted her freedom so on the cost of Bass Industries he paid off Blair’s dowry in what can only be called as the costliest romantic gesture ever.

Picture Courtesy - governmentgirl1943lp.typepad.com

The time is got Blair her dream senior prom dress and made her the queen of Constance.

We all know Ms Waldorf had been planning her prom since she was a little girl. Her dress, her makeup, her man just about everything. But the time nearing her actual prom was not an easy one. So she was pretty excited when a dress arrived exactly like the one she had in her scrapbook. She went with the guy she had always dreamed of going with – Nate and also ended up being crowned the queen of Constance.Chuck made her dream come true.Though her minions schemed to de-throne her but it was chuck who saved her and put her name in all the voting chits. Awwwww.

Picture Courtesy - www.tumblr.com

When he rode a bike in that dapper jacket.

In order to get away from Blair’s wedding, Chuck went to chill out in LA. Considering that we rarely saw him in anything but suits, this appearance in that leather jacket was a treat!

Picture Courtesy - www.tumblr.com

The time in Yale when he saved Nate

In order to accomplish his dream to be a part of secret society in the crown of Ivy League, Yale he made sure not to betray his best friend Nate. When the members wanted him to give Nate as a ransom, he gave them poor Dan instead. Smart as he is, he also kept a blackmail material ready capturing their escapades with the girls in the party thrown by him. 

Picture Courtesy - blog.muchmusic.com

When he gave up Blair to Prince Louis

Even though madly in love with Blair, he let Blair have her princess moment by not letting her breakup with Louis. It takes a lot of courage for a deed like this and Chuck proved yet again what an incredible man he is by this action.

Picture Courtesy - twitter.com

His fabulous quotes

Agreed he is portrayed as a narcissist but the dialogues and his dialogue delivery was one of the high point of the entire series.

Love:

Sepo

Tjori – Indian To The Core

There are no two ways about the fact that online shopping is a huge success. Garments, electronics, home decor, shoes - there is nothing that people are not buying online. While most of stuff available on various websites is more or else the same, what makes them different is the way they market themselves, the offers they provide and how timely they deliver. Our today’s covered startup - Tjori differs not only in style of operation but also in the stuff they offer. Coming from online shopaholic you have to trust me when I say that Tjori is like a breath of fresh air. It speaks and pours Indian-ness to the core. It’s like love at first click!

I must say that they have chosen their name very aptly because shopping at Tjori is seriously like a treasure hunt. They have sarees, suits and kurti’s in all popular Indian weaves like khadi, cotton, chanderi, raw silk, bagalpuri silk. Not just material, they have specialities from all across India. From kashmiri and Dogri suits to Chennai sarees. Leather bags to kolapuri chappals. Kullu boots to beautiful hand painted wedges. To complement each outfit they have beautiful traditional/tribal jewellery. Not just retail, they have beautiful paintings and home decors. And that’s not all, food is also a part of the trade. They offer healthy organic food, bakery items and traditional Indian utensils as well.

We had a chat with Mansi Gupta, the brain behind this awesomeness. Here’s what she had to say to our very many questions..

1. Tell us about inception of Tjori?

The concept of Tjori stroke my mind when I was studying in Wharton Business School especially when I understood the demand hand-crafted products had outside India. During my stay at Wharton, we were taken to Morocco on a trip and that is where I understood that the hand-crafted products were actually expensive by the time they reached the end consumers.

It was may due to the traditional value chain. But, I wanted to eliminate all those extra money and make sure that handcrafted products should reach people easily and also at lesser prices. Also, since childhood, I was passionate about hand-made items. So, Tjori was started as a platform to make that Indian hand-crafted products reached USA without any hurdles and later on as we grew, our focus grew too from just India to across the globe.

2. With so many online shopping portals, what is that thing which separates Tjori from others?

Well, Tjori is a unique shopping experience which cannot be found anywhere else. We have the best premium handmade products than others do. Also, we have a unique sales model where we actually sell items for just 15 days. We bring in a product and display it on our website for 15 days what we also call as event. The event runs for 15 days and people can buy during this period. But, once the 15 days get over, we take down the product. It's a kind of flash sales, we may think. This actually creates an urge of buying something new and unique and people have different items every time.

3. We have observed that you mostly have traditional and ethnic weaves, any special reason behind that?

Well! Most of the items that we showcase could be from any ethnicity but the qualifier for a product to be showcased is the fact that it has to be unique, high on design and not easily accessible. It has to be unique enough in terms of its design, origin or the story that goes behind the making, inspiration for the collection et al.

4. What features do you employ to achieve customer delight?

Customers are the centre point of our value system. We do anything possible to ensure that they are happy and satisfied. We believe in customer delight from the moment they come on the website.

5. Finally where do you see Tjori five years from now?

Well, we want to be the Number 1 in the industry providing our customers and members more offer and growing the ladder of success and winning more and more hearts every single day.

I are really proud of Mansi and her team for bringing up forgotten Indian weaves and traditional apparels mainstream. In a time when everyone is running after similar and safer options, they have embraced an untreaded path. Wishing them all the very best. Please check their www.tjori.com to feel that mitti ki khushboo.

Love:

Sepo

Random Musings

Tell me about yourself? That’s one question that drives me crazy. Not that this post is going to help me answer this question. But yea, the different traits of my personality never fail to amaze me. It takes more than just hobbies and career to define us. Little things we love, the way emotions like anger and jealously affects us. These and numerous other things define the person we are. Though one cannot go on explaining these traits, it is still good to know them about you. I just happened to do the same and have listed some random traits and fact about me.

1. I am the revenge taking type. If someone just playfully hits or nudges me, I get back with a kung-fu action. This has caused a lot of wrath from people nearby.

2. I also maintain a highly efficient and fast processing database inside my brain. It comes in handy during a fight or argument when I do a fast query and come back with the data of how 4 years back the person had done something that can now be used against them

3. I sulk. A lot. Sometimes for no apparent reason.

4. I am obsessed with things old and antique. Retro lamps, grandfathers’ clock, Victorian furniture, smell of old books, radio, gramophone, chunky telephones, vintage cars… The list is endless.

5. I am a quintessential90s girl. 90s music on my phone – Check. 90s shows on my laptop – Check. 90s style staples in my closet – Check. Scrunchies in my hair – Check. Stack of unused junk jewellery eating a huge chunk of space in my cupboard – Check. Slam book – Check. Huge crush on Milind Soman – Check. You get the drift? That’s just how 90s I am.

6. I am sarcastic. Sometimes. Most of the times. Whenever the situation demands.

7. I am an intriguing mixture of creative and lazy.

8. I love the silence and magic of late nights – a perfect creative canvas for me. But dare to wake me early and I will bite your head off.

9. I love DIY projects. Revamping old shoes, painting, earing holders, decoration from old sarees. Bring it on! Earing holder from twigs is in my current lust list!

10. I mentally stab and kill the person who criticises my cooking

11. I am obsessed with even numbered lists. 3s 7s 11s 13s give me restlessness.

12. I get super-duper jealous when someone praises a girl for her good dressing sense, time management, looks, cooking or anything else in front of me.

13. I organize my entire week’s clothes in my mind and also keep next day’s clothes ironed and ready for that extra 5 minutes of sleep in the morning.

14. Closing with the embarrassing one. I am obsessed with watching re-runs of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu thi, Kasauti Zindagi Ki, Rendezvous with Simi Grewal, Hip Hip Hurray, Kahin na Kahin toh hoga. Guilty pleasure – reminds me of old school days.

When I started I had just about 2 or 3 things to write about. But then as I started, I couldn’t stop - so many things started to crop up in my mind. Must say try it sometime!

Love:
Sepo

Of Meddlers and Nose Pokers

I really don’t understand what makes some people so interested in others’ affairs and activities. They leave no stone unturned to dig dirt, scheme and finally blabber what they know to who so ever will listen. Being a private person I like to keep my life a private affair and the presence of such meddlers irritates the hell out of me. Sometimes I just think on what drives these people into such extreme levels of interference. Is it boredom? Insecurity? Dearth of things-to-do? Guilty pleasure? Or maybe there lives are so boring that they find others’ more interesting.

The thing is some of these people hardly know where to draw the line. Ok, so I understand your desperate need to know stuff but must you just go on and on? Asking uncomfortable questions or at times giving unsolicited advice. I once lived with a girl who had a nose bigger than Cyrano de Bergerac (not literally). She just wanted to know everything – the first day she came, I was just done having talked with my friend and the first thing she says to me is, “your boyfriend?” I was like Oh-My-God, who the hell are you, my mom? And it did not stop there, she wanted to know the DOBs of all my family members and explain to me the importance of getting married at 25. A little cough or cold would result in her explaining me the Ayurvedic and antiseptic properties of turmeric. The girl did not even let me snot in peace.

Take the example of the much talked about AIB roast. Just about everyone has an opinion about it. Mr Perfectionist Aamir Khan thinks it’s highly inappropriate even though he has not seen it. His movie Delly Belly full of expletives and double meaning songs is apparently very appropriate. Talk about double standards and hipocracy!

Photo Courtesy - pinterest.com

Then there are people who compliment you. They seem genuine at first, but slowly their ulterior motive comes into picture. After the customary compliment they will dig deep around the outfit with questions like “where did you get it from?”, “how much did it cost?” Now call me a prude but I just hate this kind of intrusion. You like my dress, I get it. But where I got it from is none of your business and it is under no circumstances ok to ask me the cost. I would practically gag before asking someone the price of their clothes or accessories. And the lecture on overspending is again totally uncalled for. Include in it the inability to understand the quirky fashion sense and cracking of lame jokes at its expense. Like calling the awesome evergreen high waist pants as maternity pants. The very in-season pleated skirt as childhood frock and dismissing the funky jewellery pieces as absurd. I know everyone is entitled to an opinion but knowing when to shut up I feel is the ultimate sign of being wise.

I am also amazed at this another category of people – the ones who are a mixture of gossip mongers plus snoopers. They are an expert at twisting the information they know, spreading it like wild fire around them and not caring a bit about the consequences it has on the people involved.Such people usually have a very orthodox thinking and mind you they can be found everywhere. Small town, big town does not matter. If they see you with a person of opposite sex, they will garner all sorts of rubbish in their minds. They will add more spice into the story and start the character assassination. But the thing that bothers me the most is the behaviour they display in front of you. They don’t say what they know directly, instead they give you a look which says they know it all. They whisper things in their comrades’ ears and laugh their hearts out thinking people are oblivious to their stupid private jokes. Little do they realize that it jeopardizes the simple harmless totally unromantic relationship between two individuals. It’s the presence of such people that make it difficult for guys and girls to be friends. And that’s also the reason why I sometimes crave for a gay guy friend. Who I can have fun without bothering about any bullshit people talk about.

There are all these people and then there is Kamal Khan! Have you guys ever had a chance to read his tweets? They are hilarious. Period. But they also signify a streak of something. I really don’t know how to point a finger at it or what to call it, maybe immaturity but it’s eloquent. We all have self-esteem, his happens to be twice the distance from earth to moon. But sadly for him the measure of his stupidity is four times more. I am ok with the fact that he considers himself to be so awesome, we all can put up with delusions. But his overtly derogatory remarks about others is totally unacceptable especially since he himself is such a loser.

Photo Courtesy - bollywoodlife.com

 Finally I want to understand why there is a ban on the documentary of Nirbhaya. We all know what happened, we all have read about the contents of the video on various news feeds. What is the point of banning something that raises awareness? And why is Mr PM not intervening, he talks about making India a powerful nation. Is this a powerful nation? Which cannot handle a documentary that is based on nothing but the truth.

Knowing the fact that even after indulging in such a grueling crime the rapist has no regret what so ever makes us girls even more cautious. Now we know that there are some men out there who are even worse than animals.

P.S I just re read the post and I guess I am just going through the phase where you hate everyone around you. That is the only reason I can have to pick a bone with so many people. And on a different note – how awesome is team India performing in the world cup. So Cool

Love:
Sepo

10 Type of Girls We All Have Met

 After a very overwhelming response to the guys post, a similar post on girls was promised (and requested). All this time I had been formulating the post in my head, very confused on the number of categories to be included. Since I did not want to go beyond 10 it was hard narrowing down, plus many seemed to be kinda overlapping. So finally after much deliberation and way too much analysis the post is ready. Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen I present you a dissection of the fairer sex.


1. The Drama Queen

Alia Bhatt in Student of the Year (Photo Courtesy - tajveez.com)

The name explains it all. This girl has a knack of highlighting a simple mosquito bite into something that can be potentially life-threatening. Though everyone close to her knows her tactics, she still manages to invoke sympathy and well, a lot of attention. Especially from the opposite sex. One of my cousins used to be a huge drama queen when we were kids. She saw ghosts, fainted, got diseases whose symptoms were only visible to her. Her tactics for attention exasperated me from the very start and throughout my life, I have tried to stay as far as possible from the DQs. DQs are generally insecure in nature and that is what drive them to various new attention seeking tactics.

That said, it is my personal belief that there is a hidden drama queen inside every girl. While some make it a way of life, others (like me) unleash it at the right time in the right situation. The art of drama is crucial for every girl, it is one of those things that we can display when a situation demands and get away with aplomb. One the best things about being a girl is to be all girly and reap the benefits ~ like pretend to get dizzy in crowded bus to score a seat. Or use PMS as an excuse to take a day off from work. Or harmless flirting with the shopkeeper for making him agree to your bargain price. Before you start to get all judgmental, let me tell you – with all that we have to put up with on a daily basis, the lewd gestures, the dirty stares, and “accidental” hand brushings. We deserve to use our gender in a way to reap some harmless little benefits.

2. The IT Girl

Blair Warldorf of Gossip Girl (Picture Courtesy - pinterest.com)

This is the girl surrounded by her admirers that follow her around just about everywhere. This girl is rich, spoilt, proud, has an enviable wardrobe and the handsomest boy as her boyfriend. Her life seems perfect but in reality it’s far from it. Her constant struggle to remain popular is taxing. Add to that the pressure of looking like million bucks always. And she has no close friends. Girls are jealous of her and guys are intimidated by her. Everyone around her is just for the sake of popularly and her social status.

Having spent my school years in a girl’s school, I have literally grown up surrounded by IT girls. It starts with one senior girl who all the girls look up to. She is pretty and looks fabulous even in the school uniform. While we are still busy figuring out puberty issues, she has had changed two boyfriends already. To come up in the radar of becoming an IT girl, you would have to mingle with the queen or have some sort of an ego clash with her. And of course fight for the spot within your batch mates. I will always regret not being an IT girl all through my school life. But I will try my best to make my daughter into one. Just kidding. Actually no, not kidding pretty serious!

3. The Guy’s Girl

Genelia in Jaane tu (Photo Courtesy - pixsharks.com)

She is the tomboy. The girl who you sometimes forget is actually a girl. She drinks with you, is your shopping buddy, beats you at various games and makes fun of all the girls you hit on. She fights with you all the time but loves you fiercely. Usually she is the only girl in your group of guys but that hardly matters because she comes without the fuss and hassles guys usually associate with a girl. She swears without batting an eyelid and gives two hoots about what society thinks.Hanging out with her is just is just like a breath of fresh air.

These types of girls are usually the danger zone of getting friend-zoned.

4. The Sweet Talker/Gold digger

Keeping up with Kim Kardasian (Photo Courtesy - foxnews.com)

This one is a cunning fox. She takes her time in getting to know you, your likes and dislikes. She acts in a way you like. Praises you, cooks for you and does everything possible to make you fall in love with her. And then she subtly tries to influence you to give her gifts. Sending you pictures of things she likes. Before you know it you are doing her shopping and paying her bills. You won’t even seem to mind it because in your eyes she is oh-so-perfect. Your friends will try to put some sense into you but you will pay no heed. She has that bedazzling effect on you. In case you do come to your senses she will make sure to extract every last bit of benefits from you, ever heard of a hard duty divorce alimony?

5. The Crazy one

Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl (Photo Courtesy - cineticstudios.com)

Have you seen Gone Girl? If yes then that’s the kinda girl we are talking about here. If you haven’t seen the movie, then please do watch it. They say Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. If you by any chance mess with this girl, she is going to make you pay. Big time. She will leave no stone unturned to make your life hell. She with her group of comrades will sit together over martinis, carefully plotted each and every detail of how to ruin your life. Depending on the type of unjust you have done to her, it takes just about some nano seconds for a perfectly normal girl to transform into that crazy bitch. I have indulged in some minor scheming of my own. Read more about that here.

6. The Tattletale

Kareena in Jab We Met (Photo Courtesy - bigindianpicture.com)

This one just goes on and on and on. She will tell you about her day, in minutest details including how many trips she took to the washroom to pee. She will also keep you updated on all the latest happenings in her friends’ life. She will bitch about the girl she hates. Tell you who is going out with who. Also tell you the secret her BFF swore not to tell anyone. Though she shares everything with you, there is an equal chance that she bitches about you the moment she is with her friends.
It’s a little hard to trust this girl and also somewhat hard on your ears.

7. The Mysterious One

Robin in How I Met Your Mother (Picture Courtesy - barbarashdwallpapers.com)

Everything about this girl is perfect. The way she talks, the way she dresses, her smile, her hair…it’s all so dreamy. You fall heads over heels for this girl. Everything thing seems perfect until to realize that there is only a fraction of her that you know. She is fiercely independent and always in control. Bills to movies she handles and is capable of watching them alone. Although she is extremely fun to hang out with, she will never make you feel needed. There is this shield around her which if difficult to break. She doesn’t like to talk much about herself but is a patient listener. Takes time to open up but once she does never break her trust. Because trust issues is the reason behind that strong walnut shell she has around her.

This girl is usually artistic in nature, she paints or writes or engages in some creativity. It takes a little work to be in a relationship with this girl. Poke and nudge her about her behaviour and she will cut you out of her life. She can’t handle drama, especially when she is already burdened by it from her girlfriends.

8. The Marriage Material

Daina Penty in Cocktail (Photo Courtesy - apnatimepass.com)

She is the kind of girl raised by Alok Nath. Everything about her screams sanskari. She dresses appropriately, talks with just the right amount of shyness. Cooks delicious food and has that distinct mother hen feeling associated with her. She does not experiment with drinks or talk with guys or lie to her parents. Whatever she lacks in the crazy/adventurous quotient she more than makes up for it in the taking care department. She has the 2Cs and 2Ps of the one – Commitment, Communication, Persistence and Passion.
You are one lucky man if you manage to get this girl. Agreed she is a little boring but she is a gem. She deserves a guy who treats her the best and thanks his luck every day for getting her. And if you mess with this type of girl, ditch her or have an affair behind her back..well then you will just rot and burn in hell. Because this girl prays and keeps various fasts, hurting her will invoke wrath of numerous gods on you.

9. The Innocent One

Amrita Puri in Aisha (Picture Courtesy - blogbestwallpapers.com)

Ever since I have seen this episode of HIMYM (Season6 E15) guest starring Katy Perry, it has given a new dimension to the word innocent. Check out some of the quotes from the episode and decide for yourself. “My apartment building is so safe. My landlord even installed a security camera in my shower”.” Maybe I should feel weird about giving a stranger my Social Security Number, but the guy's a Nigerian prince!”
Hilarious as it may sound the truth is, some girls are innocent. They believe all the shit some stupid skunk tells them just to get into their pants. They have a childlike innocence and a tendency to tear up at slightest provocation. A lot of guys are really crazy about these girls because you are guaranteed to have a lot of firsts with this girl.

10. The Damsel in distress

Katrina in Bang Bang (Photo Courtesy - pinkvilla.com)

 Just like Rapunzel, this princess needs to be rescued from the metaphorical tower. Your number will be on her speed dial and she will call you nonstop. You will have to pick her up from places, carry around her shopping bags, and beat the hell out of guys that are apparently stalking her. She is beautiful which just flocks guys around her. Generally she is also a little clumsy, which means she will forget her phone, drop her things, fall down frequently and do a lot of other careless stuff.
She is the girl for you, if you like playing the dad.
 

Well, that's all we have. Hope you enjoy it as much as you did the other one. Leave your feedback in comments.
Love:
Sepo

Corporate Survival Guide for Dummies

This write-up was written for seeups.com and can be found here.

The first job for freshers is tricky and at the same time a very important milestone. It marks your ingress into the big bad world of manners and etiquette’s. The way you conduct yourself, the choices you make at the initial stages will affect your future tenure in the corporate world. Not everyone is lucky to get guidance on the perfect corporate behavior but fret not Seeups is here to help you out. Read on to transform yourself into corporate savvy.

1. Be Professional
You have to be prepared for this. This is no college so don’t come here expecting to make friends and have a blast. Just out of college with no professional exposure the first few weeks were very strange for me. Addressing people double your age with their first names, working 9 hours continuously at a stretch, attending trainings and having a polite smile plastered across your face. It was not an easy transformation for the erstwhile class-bunking me. But I survived although not before gaining quite a reputation for falling asleep in trainings.
Mostly all corporate offices have an induction for freshers where they tell you all the mandatory attributes. But I suggest before all that, just Google some professional etiquette s so that you are atleast mentally prepared and know what to expect.

2. Learn, Learn & learn more
Once you are assigned to work on a project. Just treat your office like an unlimited buffet, where all you have to do it just eat and eat. Here the food is knowledge and you have grasp as much as you can. Whatever technologies and processes are being used should be understood and implemented by you. In corporate world knowledge is power. Even the small talk you have with random people is seldom about weather & movies. It’s about the latest strategies of Vishal Sikka and whether JP Morgan is really going bankrupt. So starting to read the newspaper is also a good decision.

3. Be a Smart Worker
Hard worker and Smart worker. Little difference in theory but huge difference in impact. Importance of what you do is less than that of how you present it. Learn to present your work in an effective way. Taking cue from the Pareto principle we can infer that 80% planning and

20 % implementation is the success mantra. Plan your work, do a thorough breakup and assignation of tasks, automate as much as you can and most importantly review your work in-depth before presenting it. Do proof reading, check for attachments, don’t miss the subject lines and remember spell check does not always work correctly. Avoid these petty mistakes at cost, managers are programed to base their judgement on the much overrated first impression.

4. Know when to say NO
It’s a general practice in corporates to dump all work on freshers. So it is very important to know when to say NO. While learning is critical at initial stages of your career, you should judge smartly when you feel people are taking you for a ride. Saying No is important because if you don’t even when you are old enough in the company, people will always remember you as the guy who does all the work. And by then it will be too late to say NO.

5. Beware of pesky co-workers
Team members form an integral part of your journey in corporate world. You are going to meet all kinds of people here. The good, the bad and the ones that fall somewhere in between. Don’t come here expecting to become best friends with people. At the same time, be cordial and polite with all. Have fun with your team on outings and picnic, bond over food at lunch, discuss sports and movies at coffee but that’s where it ends. Don’t get on being too personal (especially in the start) once you have a grown familiarity and develop a good understanding you can go ahead and be friends. Stay away from people who gossip – because today they are talking about others with you, tomorrow they will be talking with other about you. Also smartly tackle people who have a knack for taking credit for everything. And the ones who sweet talk to get all their work done from you.

6. Right & Wrong
Once you join a company, the first thing you should do is read all the policy documents available in repositories. Be clear about medical benefits, release/transfer policies, increments, promotion criteria etc. Have a one on one session with your HR to understand the functioning of your organization. Be aware of your rights and don’t let anyone take you for granted. Whenever required fight for your rights. If you feel you are eligible for promotion just discuss it with your manager. Don’t wait for him to initiate any discussion. Here you are not going to get served on a silver platter. It’s the survival of the fittest and the fastest.

7. Effective time management
Sometimes we need to stretch beyond our working hours to meet deadlines. While this is perfectly okay once in a while, make sure not to make a habit out of it. Life is not just about your job. Make sure to prioritize stuff and make equal time of yourself, family and friends. Take leaves, go for a vacation. Do a reunion with your buddies, take that road trip you have been planning forever. We all know, all work and no play makes jack a dull boy.

8. Health is wealth
Corporate life can take a toll on your health. Irregular food habits, too much coffee, sitting posture can lead to myriad of problems ranging from gastritis to spondylitis. Not to mention that quintessential tummy that IT world gives you within 2 years. An early precaution will help. Take breaks in between and do some workstation stretches. Look away from your screen to give your eyes a break. As far as possible eat healthy, carry fruits and dry fruits with you which you can have in case you have no time for lunch. Don’t take your health for granted.

9. Use social media wisely
Social media is addictive. Period. We love to tag and check-in all the awesome places we visit. But social media backfires when you call in sick for work with your party night pictures plastered all across Facebook. Be cautious of information you share on social media. Always remember “Excess of everything is bad.”

10. Personal Grooming
You may have spent your entire college life strutting around in distressed denims. But once you enter the business world, the entire wardrobe would need a major intervention. Invest in some good business formals and casuals. Clean and ironed shirts & trousers. Nicely polished shoes preferably matching your belt. Clean and dark coloured socks, white socks are a big NO in corporate offices. Please use a lightly scented deodorant or perfume. No one expects you to look red carpet ready but a clean, well groomed look goes a long way.

Love:
Sepo

Featured - CALMARE

This post was original written for seeups.com.

Over the last 5 years, the world has been drastically changed by the phenomena of online shopping. Though initially not that popular, it is now a majorly thriving business. The surge in the number of websites dedicated to online shopping just proves that point. From movie tickets to pen drives, mobile phones to lingerie, clothes to jewellery everything is at your doorstep with just a click of few buttons. Hell, even fresh fruits and vegetables can be ordered online! One can easily assume that amongst the urban population online shopping is hugely popular. And the big offers the websites keep announcing just keeps the customers glued.

Browsing through various shopping websites is one of my favorite pastimes and that’s exactly how I stumbled across CALMARE – our featured start-up for today. Calmare offers a wide variety of options for all you fashionista’s out there – Ethnic wear, western wear, winter wear, jewellery and accessories. Some of the merchandize is specially designed and some is purchased directly from factories. It will take you less than 5 minutes to get hooked to the fantastic yet affordable collection they offer. It’s been almost a year since then and in this tenure, I have had the pleasure of doing business with Team Calmare multiple times. The product quality, delivery, follow-up and everything is conducted in a well arranged and professional manner.

We had a chat with Alisha Resutra, the brain behind the whole idea. Beautiful and charming Alisha is from Jammu, J&K. She holds a masters’ degree, works in IT sector and simultaneously nurtures her dream of being a creative entrepreneur. Read on to know more about her dream.

Conceptualization of Idea
“Calmare was a dream for a very long time. It is a result of desire to design and sell. I had been working on the idea for years and then it just took a moment to finalize. It was easy because it was my father’s birthday and that’s when I decided to launch it. It was just all about bringing out the latest in fashion around your body and it hit a chord with women around the world.”

Personal Style & 5 top picks from her wardrobe
“I am someone who would not run for brands and just go with what suits me. My all-time favorites are sheath silhouette, a blend of contemporary and traditional. I also particularly like to work with shades of gold and oranges.”
The 5 things she absolutely loves in her wardrobe are:
1. Red stilettos
2. Blue and silver mesh A-line gown
3. Gold stitched saree with gota work
4. Mauve sweater
5. Gold danglers

Envision for future
“Well, we have grown in the last two years. I still remember there was a time when we would get one order in ten days. Yes, that was a time too. And today we’re doing much better. We don’t even get to know how the day ends with us taking new demands for customers, taking their orders and sending them. The big catalyst for us was that we were bringing really unique designs. Facebook helped us have a free and global opportunity to find a tribe, to find a community of women that’s niche. We also started the hash tagging system. Essentially, hash tagging a product on Instagram or Facebook, and then we’d pull it in and populate it underneath the product.
5 years from now, Calmare would be a dream come true. I see it growing at a good pace. Certainly, we would be happy seeing ourselves do good things for our customers. Calmare would be in about every 10th woman’s wardrobe in times to come.”

Do check out Calmare’s official page on facebook.

Love:
Sepo