- Please tell us something about "ZipOut" and how did your journey start?Back in 2008, I was working with a reputed MNC, just stuck in the rat race like everyone else! After office I used to generally take dance classes at home out of passion, 3 times a week. One day I realized that instead of cribbing about Mondays and my work pressures, and especially because I look forward the most to those 3 days of dancing, why not make every day of my life worthwhile and happy! While I was trying to make this plan concrete, something very drastic happened. I fainted in office! There was so much stress and so many expectations – and I hated the fact that I had to work so hard for someone else, and I wasn’t even enjoying it!
That was the trigger! This pushed me to take the plunge, leave the corporate life all together, and then just do what I really love to do - to be happy, to dance and spread this joy to as many people as I can. I figured that like me, there are a million others who are stressed out and if I can somehow touch as many lives, I’ll be able to do something extremely fulfilling.
Now, the biggest challenge was how to spread happiness to so many. Because of my educational background and upbringing, I knew that I had to create a value-based system where like minded people could come, de-stress, and enjoy life. And what better way other than my core passion and strength – dance! Thus began the journey of my venture, ZipOut , where zip stands for Zindagi In Pajamas.
- How difficult the decision was to shift from a currency trader to a dance therapist? What is the role of your family in what have achieved today?
I am really glad to have made this choice of leaving the corporate world and pursue my passion. It feels wonderful to further inspire so many others to start their passion. I could perform anything on stage, but could never speak and that too extempore, never! But because of my venture, ZipOut, today I am an entrepreneurial speaker and I enjoy it. To top that, I am the author of my upcoming book (a little secret, I always used to get butterflies at the mere thought of writing and never could write!). This decision has helped me explore myself, helped me venture into fields that I could have never imagined, like marketing or networking. It’s taught me what I’m great at and where to improve. It’s given shape to my dreams and aspirations. It’s given me very lucid clarity!
My family has always been very supportive of my endeavors, right from the day I decided to quit my job. From brainstorming to emotionally supporting me, they have faith in me and that is what counts.
- Having come so far in your venture, what do you find most rewarding?
I want to mention that it has been a really tough and bumpy entrepreneurial ride so far, where challenges ranged from managing time, prioritising, work-life balance, creating a name in an unconventional field, being a rebel to limiting thoughts, but when I feel that through our venture, Zipout, we have made ourselves and people experience true happiness and when I get that earned respect and appreciation from people, it all seems worthwhile.
- Dance is a medium, an expression of connecting mind and body. What are your views?I took professional training in creative style of dancing, where the entire focus was on the very essence of dance. It made me understand the beats, the rhythm, and the soul of music, and how to create that aura and mood, and also express through graceful and rhythmic body movements. I would say, this particular style helped me create many fusions, using various styles of dance, for example, we have created belly dandiya , bhangra cardio, modern bollywood, belly hiphop, etc. Today, I am well versed with 9 styles of dance, from belly, salsa, tango, zumba to bollywood.
- From where did you develop such interest in dancing?
Even though no one in my family is an artist by profession, but we all share the love for music, dance, and adventure. At the age of 6, my parents put me in a professional dance school, Ananda Shankar dance academy, where I had the opportunity to learn from the legends in dancing. It was because of my mom’s dedication to take me to dance class every Sunday for whole 7 years, that I got umpteen stage performances at the school and college level, and that I am here today spreading the joy to so many others. But right from childhood, the focus has been on education, learning, and widening my thinking horizon, and so I had to maintain a very good balance between education and my passions. Because of this when I did decide to pursue this direction, they had faith and confidence that Runjhun will excel in whatever she pursues.
- How would you like to describe ZipOut’s role in de-stressing today’s working woman?
In my journey, because I personally taught so many students over the last 4 years, I could identify over-weight, lack of ‘me’ time, work life pressure as the major cause of stress in a woman’s life. So based on observation, constant feedback and experimentation, I can today proudly say that we have found the solution. We developed the most effective program for women, called Curv’It – get curvy and be fit. In this many have lost around 8-10 kgs in 6-8 months only through natural and fun ways, and have also attained toned figures.
- Do you follow any mottos in your life?
There are 3 mottos that I follow:
i)“If it is to be, it is up to me” .These are 10 most powerful 2 letter words, that were advised to me, by my close friend, Pranav Chaturvedi, who himself is a very successful serial entrepreneur and has been my mentor in setting up zipout.ii)“Do different things, or do things differently”
iii)Love yourself just the way you are and simply ZipOut.
- What advice do you have for all the aspirants out there?I want to mention that, if we can identify the root problem people are facing, and can create an innovative service/product to solve that problem, then we have a success recipe with us.
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