Episode 17: Career Pivots
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Episode 17 of Looking Outside shows us the courage, self-awareness and patience needed to make a Career Pivot, or in the case of Nihal Advani, Founder & CEO of QualSights … several!
What mindset does it take flip your life around and try something completely different? Nihal takes us on his personal journey from professional tennis player, to tech ‘idea guy’ at Microsoft, to creating and leading his own business. He details how adaptability is a pivotal component of seeing new opportunities, alongside the criticality of knowing yourself and your own strengths.
Jo and Nihal talk about constantly fueling your own momentum, while keeping a watch on burning out from the excessive need for progress.
As someone who truly lives by the word agile, Nihal also explains his process of evolving ideas - from cultivation to percolation - the challenges faced when bringing others along during the pivots and the benefit of patience.
To look outside, Nihal taps into a set of outside advisors from different walks of life. He also enjoys documentaries like Explained when they can teach him new things and spark ideas, inspired by people and industries outside the one he operates in.
Nihal Advani is the Founder and CEO of QualSights, an insights technology platform that helps companies generate deeper and more authentic insights from consumers anywhere in the world in a remarkably fast and cost-effective manner.
Nihal spent his teenage years as an internationally ranked tennis player but decided to pursue his passion for technology instead and began his career working for tech giants like Google and Microsoft. He combined his entrepreneurial spirit and interest in seeing and understanding the world by launching QualSights.
Ranked the fastest growing company in Illinois and the fastest growing consumer insights platform in America by Inc. Magazine, QualSights’ technology blends the depth and authenticity of qualitative research with the speed and agility of quantitative research. In addition to offering a variety of options to capture deep consumer insights, QualSights offers a powerful suite of AI tools as well as an easy-to-use presentation builder that helps brands analyze faster than ever before and quickly present compelling stories.
Nihal is now a trusted thought leader within the consumer insights community, working alongside leading Fortune 500 companies who utilize his award-winning insights platform to drive their business forward.
Connect with Nihal on LinkedIn.
Learn more about QualSights: www.qualsights.com & follow them on Twitter.
Hear more from Nihal by checking out his interview on the Success Stories podcast.
