Nishtha is an Architect and feels that it is very important to step out of your comfort zone to succeed in life.

Nishtha Pandey is the founder of N. Arch Design Studio and a skill-sharing platform, SkillYak. She is working as a professional Architect focusing on sustainable designing and also sustainable and creative coaching. She has been working in different fields like Architecture, Interiors, Landscaping, and Product Designing.

Nishtha was born and brought up in Jaipur. She did her graduation from the Aayojan School of Architecture, Jaipur. For internship and training, she went to Delhi. In Delhi, she got exposure to different projects and came to know about her inclinations in work. However, soon after her internship in Delhi, Nishtha met with two accidents and had to go through a rough patch in life.

Nishtha says that she comes from a family of Advocates, her grandfather and father both being one. However, she was stopped from pursuing the same field by her father and he said that she should explore her own world and do what she really feels like doing. He did not want her to step into a field where everything was already set for her and wanted Nishtha to build her own world. She feels that it was one of the best things to have happened in her life.

Nishtha says that she had always been an average student when it came to academics. However, she was a creative person from her school days. Her paintings were gifted to chief guests visiting her school. She also somehow knew that she was not meant for a fixed-hours job in an office and should look for a more flexible career.

Nishtha got married early and became a part of a joint family. Managing her family and her passion was a tough job for her. Soon, she and her husband shifted to Jaipur and Nishtha started taking on projects and started her own business.

Nishtha shares that she has to work with contractors and laborers who often feel reluctant to take orders from a woman. She feels that society still needs reform when it comes to working women.

Talking about the Covid pandemic, Nishtha says that it resulted in a shift in everyone’s life. She also started taking online workshops on topics like Upcycling and Recycling. She also took internships online and curated Mindfulness Sessions.

Nishtha says that the origin of SkillYak also was from these internships. She started providing a platform to people who want to learn and display their skills. She has collaborated with Universities and Multinational companies as well.

Nishtha remembers that someone very close to her said once that business is not meant for her and that she should look for a job. That remark really inspired her to do business and show that any person can do anything in life. She took it as a motivation and worked hard to prove that person wrong.

Nishtha shares that her daughter inspires her a lot. She feels that we can learn many things from children as they do what they do due to the purest of intentions and are not clouded by any external pressure.

Nishtha advises the youth not to work with a stagnant mind or thought process. They should be receptive to change in life. She says that we should not be dependent on anyone. We should listen to everyone but do what feels right to us. She also asks youngsters to read as many books as possible and spend the least time on social media.

Nishtha says that her favorite book or the book that gives her the most inspiration is the Bhagavad Gita. It has guided her a lot and she wants people to read it and learn from it.