From A Rich Brat To A Cool Yogi

Sarvesh Shashi, CEO, Zorba, has come a long way. He shares his transformational journey with us…

When a charismatic 26-year-old CEO prefers to sit on the floor for the interview, you may feel he is trying to make a point. But that is just a way of life for Sarvesh Shashi. “All I want is to make yoga a lifestyle, and promote happiness via Zorba.”

In an easy breezy chat with us, the young entrepreneur divulges what made him give up the good life, follow the path of a yogi and build the country’s largest yoga chain…

A PAMPERED KID

“I have two phases in my life - before 17 and post 17 years. My dad Shashi Kumar, owner, Sabri Group, runs 16-17 verticals under the group – from schools, private sector companies to FMCG, scrap, tyres etc. I had a very comfortable childhood as I was literally born with a platinum spoon in my mouth. I would wear only brands and was also very arrogant and snobbish as a kid.

“I was also not the kind to stand still at one place, I would keep moving. But I loved sports, and cricket was my favourite. I honed my skills in the game, played a lot of cricket, went on a tour with the Indian Premier League and almost played for the country.”

YOGA BECKONS

“Then one day, my dad asked me to learn yoga. He had joined a yoga class and was not able to continue it, and asked me to go for it as it was already paid for.”

“When I met my yoga teacher, Guruji, I saw him dressed in white clothes, with long hair and beard. In my mind, I already had an image of him lecturing me on how he will change my life with his learnings! When I asked him to start enlightening me, he replied, ‘If you think of me as a person who will enlighten you, you are a fool, and if I think I can enlighten you, I am a bigger fool myself’. This hit me hard.