SOMETIMES having a dream that you so badly want to chase may not be the easiest task to come through.
Having a goal is one thing, but how you attain it is a whole different thing.
And importantly, the call to build a reputation for yourself, as well as to provide service at a tender career phase may not present you with overnight monetary benefits.
That’s exactly what Shankar R. Santhiram, a Penangite who is currently championing multiple roles in the industry had to say to the upcoming generations.
Shankar, 52, a law graduate, is doing everything else except practising law.
He is a leadership coach, owns a management consultant company and a restaurant, called ‘The Fire Grill’ in Kuala Lumpur, co-owns a comedy club, is a columnist for Free Malaysia Today and New Straits Times and lastly, a radio personality too!
Many may wonder how someone can do so many things and be so good at them.
With the right attitude and character, nothing is impossible, the ever-versatile Shankar says.
“When I started my firm (EQ Training and Development Sdn Bhd) in 2002, I had the educational background but not the practical knowledge of how to work and deal with toxic co-workers.
“For me to grow and be taken seriously in an industry that has always been so competitive, I needed a profile for myself.
“That’s when I started doing other things. I committed six years to providing free services in areas I saw myself capable of delivering results.
“I started writing columns for NST initially before being called to do so for FMT as well.
“I didn’t get paid for my columns, and I didn’t mind it either. This is because at the end of the day, I never saw it as a money-making opportunity but rather an opportunity to let people know about my skills.
“At a tender age during your career, if you do more things for free than you could ever imagine, eventually your efforts will one day be paid for, provided you are good at what you do.
“The right source will somehow come knocking on your door and there you go, a lifetime opportunity that you have to grasp!
“A lot of young people today need to understand that you can’t make money overnight. It doesn’t work that way.
“It takes time to build your reputation, and when it is built, it becomes so natural that you no longer have to find people for work. Instead, they come to you.
“It’s important to also be proficient in whatever we do in life. Once you become proficient in something, it naturally becomes a habit to excel,” Shankar told Buletin Mutiara during an exclusive interview in Straits Quay on Feb 14.
Before establishing his own consultancy company, Shankar was teaching law at several private colleges in Penang.
His 21-year-old consultancy firm now has a wide range of top key industry players as customers, namely Western Digital, Flextronics, CIMB Bank, B Braun and many others.
As for his early education, he completed his lower and higher schooling at SK Francis Light and Penang Free School respectively.
Growing up, Shankar also developed a liking for cooking, which tells a lot about his popular restaurant, The Fire Grill in Kuala Lumpur.
Despite having a full house every day, especially during lunchtime, this part of Shankar’s adventure was quite bumpy and he had to come through difficult times before having his food business properly settled.
It was in 1998 when Shankar first decided to open a restaurant, and according to him, being a cook is never the only important part of opening a food business.
“It’s more than that. It comes in a package. Yes, being a good cook is essential, but that’s just one of them. You need to have good financial management skills, be well-disciplined, have good time management, be confident about supply and chain, and many other things too.
“My first restaurant failed big time. So, I decided to stay away from the business for 15 years.
“After researching and learning the business well, I opened a restaurant, The Fire Grill in 2019. We are growing and doing all right now,” Shankar added.
Separately, Shankar said in life, he is grateful for many things, but if there are three very important things he could handpick, it would be the support he received from his parents, wife and his own steadfastness and never-give-up attitude.
“My parents weren’t really keen on my liking when I first told them, but due to my sheer force of personality, they realised it was pointless arguing with me.
“Despite the cold tension, one good thing is that they never wrote me off. They started supporting me eventually and assisted me in my preparations whenever they could.
“Another blessing in my life is my wife. I have a partner who is very supportive of everything I do.
“Although she’s not Indian or Malaysian, she’s very Indian than most Indian people I know.
“It is important to have a partner who lifts you. My wife helps me become a better version of myself every day.
“She’s a doctor who is on a path of her own, while I am on my own. That’s important as well, which is to respect each other’s path and be supportive, nevertheless,” he added.
In his early 50s, Shankar has stacked up a good amount of accomplishments that will speak volumes for years, and all of these achievements, he claims would not have been possible if he had not made his opportunities.
“I constantly make my opportunities. Never let your race or religion decide your fate.
“Don’t use it as an excuse to not go the extra mile and hit your target. Opportunities don’t just come to you, go make them!
“Between the ages of 20 and 30, don’t look for a permanent job. Always look for a job that will give you value and provide you a path to know more people; learn the job well and time will bring you closer to bigger successes.
“And when you move jobs, don’t burn bridges with your employers. Depart well and with integrity. That tells a lot about you as an individual,” a vibrant Shankar said.
On another matter, Shankar, who currently resides in Kuala Lumpur, is planning to move back to his home state, Penang for good.
And he’s coming back with some good news for people who follow his restaurant videos as he will soon be opening a restaurant, called ‘Fire by Shankar’ at Straits Quay in Tanjung Tokong in May this year.
“This restaurant will have fire elements, but it will be very much driven by south Indian food, more like an elevated version of it,” he said.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Law Suun Ting