All successful entrepreneurs began their journey with inspiration, and for Yad Senapathy, founder and CEO of the Project Management Training Institute (PMTI), this inspiration was Lee Iacocca. Today, Senapathy dedicates his skills to teaching project managers what they need to know for a competitive edge in business. And it all goes back to his early years growing up in India and developing a passion that was inspired by the American Dream.
Dreaming the American dream
Knowing his family could not afford his formal education, Senapathy began strategizing to achieve his goals. At first, he prepared for and took the test for admittance into the extremely prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology, but he did not score high enough. However, it led him to a fully paid scholarship at a state university.
He wanted to graduate from school and get a job in America. While he scored high enough to go to the US, none of the graduate schools offered him a full-ride scholarship. He wrote letters to the graduate schools he preferred, explaining his situation and attaching some of his exceptional work. And his efforts paid off. All of the schools offered him placement, but Kansas State provided the full-ride financial assistance he needed.
We don't 'fail -- we 'learn'
Each time he was shaken to the core, he was forced to reevaluate, plan, and improve. This process is self-growth, and Senapathy is a prime example of how we all need to experience a failure to grow. Senapathy believes we need to replace the words 'fail' or 'failure' for 'learn' and 'learning.' This positive spin is life-changing if it alters your mindset to understand that no one fails. And this is the mindset Senapathy uses to teach others about the ups and downs of business.
At PMTI, Senapathy trains people to take the Project Management certification exam, and this training includes some of his 'positive' coachings, advocating what you do after disappointment matters most. His goal is to teach people to see their setbacks as stepping stones, another way of getting to the final destination.
A true inspiration
Yad Senapathy is living the American Dream. He had wonderfully supportive parents who were extremely influential regarding his outlook on life. Senapathy has had his share of successes and 'learning experiences.' And he says his journey is not over. He is still growing and trying new things and learning all he can. He is truly an inspiration.
