Today we’d like to introduce you to Purnima Thakre.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My journey from an average but hard-working student in one of the top schools in Mumbai to the COO of this cutting-edge marketing and innovation firm in Boston has been exciting and adventurous.
I was born and schooled in India. I worked there as an architect in the beginning of my career. Even as an architect, I excelled at operations and with people. At times, for a construction project, I would need to manage a group of 200 people ranging from C-level executives to construction workers to government officials. During my time at Colliers International and Tata Realty and Infrastructure, my career grew from being an architect to project manager and then, to fund manager and project development manager, whose role is a combination of fund manager and project manager. While at Tata’s, I came in contact with many international consultants. That was when I realized that, I didn’t have enough international exposure, so I decided to come to the US to attend a business school with a focus on training global managers.
All these experiences molded me into a business innovation expert with a design background – a species hard to find but extremely in-demand in these days. However, this hasn’t always been the case. Eight years ago, design in business was not the hot topic as it is today. Today, I am a true T-shaped person with deep expertise in innovation and overarching expertise in operations, design, finance, accounting, technology, people… you name it.
Refine+focus was one of the three internships I did after finishing my MBA and MFin. It eventually became my full-time job. I chose refine+focus over large corporations and consulting firms for its culture of learning, its adaptability and potential to grow. At that time, refine+focus was an early adopter of social media marketing with deep people expertise, but they needed someone who could manage the business. They needed my operations and finance expertise, which could keep the shop running and profitable.
By combining my background in innovation with refine+focus’ strengths in marketing, I helped it transition from a social media and marketing agency to a customer-centric innovation and marketing firm, creating clarity and accelerating growth for organizations as well as people.
Today, applying these skills to helping people build their careers is what I love doing the most. I don’t want anyone to go through prolonged periods of confusion, feeling unconfident or overwhelmed. If the world is not ready for you yet, I will show you how you can prepare for the world. I am here with my team to help everyone achieve their true potential.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road at all. In addition to all the challenges we face as women, I had a few more.
Like I said earlier, people didn’t take innovation or design seriously. They didn’t understand the meaning of a multidisciplinary person. For a long time I had to continuously prove myself and convince people that just because I can understand and do many things doesn’t mean I don’t do them all very well. It has changed very drastically in the past three to four years. Now, the importance of design is well recognized in business. Even McKinsey Consulting has McKinsey Design.
It was also hard for me when I first came to the US, a different country with a completely different culture. After finishing my studies, I had thought of going back. I wasn’t prepared to live here forever. In my initial years in the US, I encountered many challenges. I would struggle with the smallest things like small talk. Connecting with people and learning from them was a big part of my personality. When I couldn’t connect with people easily, it made me feel lost. I was lucky to have a very supportive husband (a great career coach himself) who helped me build my confidence back by teaching me strategies and tools to connect with people in my own way.
Please tell us about refine+focus.
refine+focus is a Customer-Centric Innovation and Marketing Consultancy. We help transform businesses and executives into digital-savvy market leaders through a reverse-engineering approach. We grow our clients’ revenue, enhance their reputation and build their strategic partnerships.
Until recently, we were helping C-level people with career advancement, gaining career clarity and personal branding. Now, with our Careers Program, we are providing the same services to young professionals. We understand that in this fast-changing world, it’s very difficult for one person to keep up with all the trends and keep their personal branding up-to-date. In addition, everyone is so multidisciplinary nowadays, as companies have high expectations of individuals. It’s even more important now to remain self-aware and have the clarity on the next steps to take. That’s why we have the Careers Program. We understand the millennials need it more than ever before.
As a company, we are most proud of our ability to stay ahead of the trend, which is mainly due to our culture of learning. In our day-to-day working life, we have created room for continuous learning. Therefore, we never feel overwhelmed by things we don’t know. Even if we don’t know something, we can always figure it out as we have a strong learning muscle.
What sets us apart from others is the corporate and innovation background we come from. While most firms in the career development industry are from an academia or human resources background, refine+focus isn’t. We have been deeply involved in core business problems. We know what employers need. We have deep expertise in working with Fortune 500 companies and startups. We understand their culture and know who is the perfect fit for them. In addition to being a great problem-solver, refine+focus takes on a personalized approach to marketing for people. Everyone is unique and needs a unique approach to make their stories impactful. We as a team of experts are always here to provide young professionals with customized and personalized career action plans, which they absolutely need.
What role has luck (good luck or bad luck) played in your life and business?
I do believe that “The best way to predict the future is to design it” and yet, luck played an important role in both my personal and professional life. I had to put in a lot of hard work to get to where I am, but there were a few things that happened at the right time and presented me with the right opportunities.
The first time I was lucky, was when I practiced architecture. My mentor referred me to Colliers International. If not for that opportunity, I would never have thought of doing something other than practicing architecture or of joining a large corporation like that. I wanted to work on larger projects and larger problems but I didn’t know how. For the most part, it would take a lot of coaching and months of job hunting to land on an opportunity like that, especially at the time when architects were rarely hired at large multinational corporations. If my mentor had not recommended me, I would never have been able to explore more, learn more and reach my full potential.
The second time I was lucky in life, was after I finished my MBA and MFin and found a perfect job. It was a time of economic downturn so, it was hard to find jobs at big corporations. I decided to take up a job with a smaller firm. I was lucky to have met Zach, someone who helped me start my career in this country, at refine+focus – someone who gave me space, opportunities and support to adapt to and grow with the work, people and culture here. refine+focus, like me, thrives on a growth mentality. After all, it’s a Growth Consultancy inside and out. Growth is not just something I do – it’s part of our culture. My job here not only gives me a great work-life balance, but its culture of learning also extends to other aspects of my life, whether it’s food blogging, dancing or serving on nonprofits’ boards. I learn, adapt and thrive. These wouldn’t have been possible if I didn’t get that job at refine+focus.
Pricing:
- Our Careers Program services start from $1,500. Depending on how much time you will invest and how much support you will need from us, the price can go up to $5,500.
Contact Info:
- Address: 63 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215
- Website: www.refineandfocus.com
- Phone: 617.671.0526
- Email: hello@refineandfocus.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/refineandfocus/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/refineandfocus/
- Twitter: @refineandfocus
- Yelp: N/A
- Other: LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/refine-focus/
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