HOW ARULSUJANESH TURNED FAILURES TO SUCCESS FLAVORS: THE ANNAPOORNA MITHAI STORY

Arulsujanesh G K, Founder & Managing Director, Annapoorna Mithai is a civil engineer turned restaurateur who crafted a 'sweet' success story with his persistence.

- Arulsujanesh G K

This is the huge gap I saw, & I decided to come up with a brand that is mindful of the nutrition & wellness of the customer, while it should serve profitability to the business as well

When failures came his way, Arulsujanesh converted them into sweet flavors of his success. Walking out with a civil engineering degree, Arulsujanesh was often turned down in interviews based on needing more practical knowledge in the field. However, he landed his first job as an apprentice in Arvia Constructions Pvt Ltd, Nungambakkam, Chennai. To this date, Arulsujanesh considers Mr.Nambi, his interviewer from Arvia Constructions, who encouraged him to step out and explore rewarding opportunities, to be one of his best mentors. He got his first paying job at Navins, which exposed him to two kinds of leadership experiences: the good and the bad. He then moved to Kaleesuwari Refinery Private Limited, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, for a year and a half, and learned that a leader is the one who leads the team and people don't follow bosses. Let's hear the rest of the anecdote from him.

As a civil engineer turned restaurateur, tell us how you emerged as a leader driving Annapoorna Mithai's success today.

In truth, one call from my father changed the direction of my whole career from civil engineering to the restaurant business. Although I shared a passion for civil engineering, I took the reins of my family business—a restaurant called Annapoorna in Karaikudi, obliging to my father's request. I initially had a few hiccups around workforce management, task delegation, and the language barrier, but I soon grasped how to handle people thanks to what I learned from Kaleesuwari Refinery. To date, I have retained most of the staff, including our chefs, team members, and still counting, who have been there since the inception of Annapoorna Mithai. To that, I remain grateful for all the leadership lessons from the past.