Incessant phone calls keep Gaurav Sharma busy; either demanding his presence in one of the kitchens or clients placing extra orders. Gaurav owns Green box, a portion-controlled, calorie-measured meal option which diners need to subscribe for. Very few know that Green Box is the result of a transition of his career from banking to food sector.
Gaurav started contemplating seriously on a career shift after a trip to Pune’s most popular naturopathy centre, as an attender to his ailing mother. Severe diabetes demanded drastic changes in her lifestyle and Gaurav was determined to see his mom back on her feet. “I had made up my mind to do everything that she needed. The stay at the centre disciplined us and helped us understand what is good for her,” shares Gaurav.
This is when the software professional in the banking sector got into the food industry. Downsizing in the company he was working eased the shift. “I was asked to move from coding to the marketing side. Since a job is important, I took it as a challenge and worked in that for a few years,” he recollects.
With absolutely no regrets, he describes it as a learning experience; as he learnt a new subject while at work. This is also the time he and his friends started an online portal to sell imported liquor. “It was my first venture and we named it ‘Dil daru...dosti’,” says Gaurav. The business did well but shut shop. “We had to wind up the business because the government revoked licences of all online liquor sellers,” adds Gaurav.
With the experience in the online sphere, and given the need to help his mother eat healthy food, Gurav considered the delivery of healthy food. “When my mother and I returned from the retreat I found myself desperately looking for a service that delivered healthy food. We didn’t find any but Iwasn’t ready to compromise on the food,” explains Gaurav.
In the meantime, Gaurav started experimenting with healthy food. He put in extra hours to understand the required nutrients in the body, especially for his mother. “Meeting nutritionists, food experts, experimenting and reading made me confident of what I was doing. Before starting a business with healthy food, I wanted to equip myself with the knowledge,” he says.
Because this knowledge would guide him to look for the right chef, Gaurav also took a nutritionist on board to assist the chef and hand-hold subscribers with the meal plan.
After working on the product and the idea for more than six months, “I launched Green box. After a couple of years, we reinvented ourselves and started a salad section as well, keeping in mind the craze for eating healthy salads as a meal.”
Does he regret quitting his corporate life and running after groceries and food delivery? “Not even a day. It is rewarding when customers get back to saying they like the food or even suggest recipes. It gives me a sense of their involvement. Because involvement comes when someone appreciates something and still feel there is a scope of improvement,” says Gaurav.
As far as quitting corporate life is concerned, “I am absolutely happy doing what I am doing. Sitting on the desk and looking at codes is no fun. This choice has introduced me to a lot of people and made me realise aata chawal ka bhav ,” laughs Gaurav.
This column features people who dared to give up their lucrative jobs to pursue their dream.
