From Trip Plans to Survival Mode

Hey, Sambha here.

April was supposed to be fun.

Ever since Ranjini announced the office trip, the entire team was excited. People had already started making plans, discussing destinations, talking about outfits, food, photos, and everything in between. For a while, the office felt light and energetic.

But somewhere in the middle of all that excitement, reality hit us hard.

Within a few weeks, we started losing clients. Some mistakes were ours, some situations were out of our control, but the outcome stayed the same. We lost around 3 to 4 lakhs worth of retainer contracts, and suddenly the atmosphere inside the office completely changed.

The trip conversations disappeared.
Pressure entered the room instead.

Jiko called everyone together and openly shared the situation. There could be salary delays. Anyone who wanted to leave the company was free to do so. No false promises. No dramatic speeches. Just honesty.

And honestly, that moment changed the team.

A few people resigned. They chose stability, and nobody blamed them for it. But the people who stayed decided to fight through the phase together. Venkat, Jiko, and Ranjini immediately started pushing harder. Meetings increased, campaigns were launched, online sales efforts became stronger, and the team started looking for ways to rebuild momentum.

Then came a small but important turning point.

We onboarded a new client, Tressez.

But the bigger news was that Kajal had closed her very first sale. During one of the toughest phases for the company, she managed to bring in a client, and the entire office celebrated that win. It wasn’t just about the client. It reminded everyone that progress was still possible.

Slowly, the team started feeling motivated again.

This phase also exposed one major weakness in the company. We were late in adopting AI. Earlier, it felt optional. Now, it became necessary. The team started learning, experimenting, and using AI actively for Tressez deliverables and campaigns. People became excited to improve again, not just survive.

Somewhere during all this, Jiko shared one of the biggest business lessons from the month.

Never let multiple major client contracts expire around the same time.

That mistake created unnecessary pressure. If Client A renews in March, then Client B should ideally renew months later. That gap gives enough time to recover losses, onboard new clients, and maintain stability.

A simple lesson.
But an expensive one.

Looking back now, May didn’t become the month we expected.

There was no office trip.
No easy victories.
No smooth ride.

But maybe this phase gave us something more valuable.

Clarity.
Resilience.
Better thinking.
And a stronger team mindset.

We’re still rebuilding.
Still onboarding new clients.
Still learning every day.

But now the excitement feels different.

It’s no longer built on comfort.
It’s built on growth.