Just trying to do something,

Greg Owens  34:02  

that that’s amazing. And there’s you’re doing so many different things and having to wear so many different hats. What is your own personal sort of way of sort of calming yourself down and relaxing? Or what what if what do you do sort of to enhance yourself?

Sheetal Ohri  34:20  

Okay, so I love to actually keep on learning every day. So I’m very much into traditions where you know, I’ve done real estate or, or construction or trying to learn about the restaurant because I I’m a hotelier and a restaurant runs in my blood. So for the last 2526 years of my life, that’s all I’ve done. And, you know, whether it’s it’s starting to do something from joining, you know, as a restaurant, hostess, you know, and then moving up within few months because that whole You know, hunger was there to learn to grasp to know, to a guest relations executive to then going on to still going ahead and getting a traditions or, you know, diplomas in travel management, or hotel management or industry or, you know, sales management. So just keep on doing that. And then, yeah, from there reaching up to assistant sales manager to sales manager for companies or resorts chains, and then moving up to being a PR and marketing head for a restaurant chain in London, to then moving to us and then having my own company giving consultancies to restaurants and getting my own award shows. And then yeah, technology kind of was booming. So I kept on moving, kept on moving to the technology phase. And then I guess, the one fine day, I joined Yadav Enterprises, and I’ve known the CEO for a long time he, he had offered me the position. And, you know, he just gave me a challenge. And I guess I took the challenge, seven years back, and I’ve never looked back since then, I believe he’s happy with me. That’s why he’s been asking me to manage many portfolios in the company for from facilities point of view. So it’s, it’s been really an experience and a ride and a journey. And when I have to come down my son is that factor? My parents, they are my, you know, great strength. So I keep on going, just just going every day trying to learn trying to juggle, but yeah, my calming factor is my family and my family’s my support.

Greg Owens  36:50  

Oh, that’s great. Yeah. Family is wonderful. Did you have something another question, Katrina,

Katrina Hayes  36:56  

I was just saying that was beautiful. 

Sheetal Ohri  36:58  

Thank you so much, Katrina. Appreciate it. Yeah,

Greg Owens  37:01  

and and so one of the aspects of this podcast I like to talk about is, and you talked a little bit about your career path. And there’s so many people out there that don’t know about becoming a facilities manager or the facilities industry as a career, what would you say to somebody that’s like wanting to get into it or learn more, what would be a good like first steps for them?

Sheetal Ohri  37:45  

  And you have to understand what you want to do if you think you’re a person who can be a hands on person, because the facilities you need to be a hands on person, you have to pick up the tools, you have to pick up those loads, you have to pick up the things you have to get dirty, you can just be somebody who will be like, Oh, no, I can just direct I don’t want to, you know, do this or I don’t want to do that. So you have to have that hunger in you that passion in you to make a difference in the facilities, if that’s where you want to go. And facilities is is broad, it’s not something just related to HVAC, or maybe just doing the building repair job there is so much out there with facilities today whether you want to go towards the energy efficiency side or you want to go towards technology app that you want to make full facilities. So there is so much which you can do you know, whether you want to do it from the building, repair maintain inside or when you want to go from the HVC point of view or you want to build apps for facilities management. So there is lots So don’t ever think that you know, it’s it’s something which is going to bore you because from my experience of seven years, there has not even been one day when I have been bored. I would say every day is a new challenge. And if you’re up to challenges go for it facilities is the is the way it is very well respected job. It is something which gives you you know, a great salary or a great position. And you you know that today construction is happening everywhere, not only in your vicinity, not only in the nation, but in the world. I have traveled to many countries everywhere I go I’m like, Oh my god, everywhere. You see there’s construction happening today. So construction is booming. So I believe that facilities is constructions facilities is remodeled facilities is building maintenance repair. So it’s a vide Wide Field wide horizon wide field. So whoever wants to be part of it should go for it. But you have to have that Hunger, you have to have that passion. And you have to know you have to make it because you have to give your full dedication and your hard work to it. Because facilities is hard work.

Greg Owens  40:11  

Yeah, and it’s a problem solving skills you have to have in facilities, especially in these times, like with, with the, with your role changing so much due to COVID-19. And all the new aspects that you’ve had to learn. There’s never, there’s never a dull moment right now for

Sheetal Ohri  40:33  

you, you have to come up with creativity, you have to come up with understanding knowledge. And that’s very, very important. Because there are restaurants or there are your customers, or they are people depending upon you to make things work. So they can function.

Greg Owens  40:52  

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And what do you do you see any opportunities with within, like in the future here with, with the pandemic, and COVID-19, and all the different aspects of things going on? I know, there’s been just a tremendous amount of challenges, any any opportunities that you’re seeing in the horizon?

Sheetal Ohri  41:17  

Yes, I am, I believe that everything has to either slow down or finish. And then there’s always a new day in the horizon, just like you said. So I personally think this is the new norm we’re living in and this is gonna go it’s not going anywhere, but we have to keep up with with ways of living, you know, whether it’s wearing a mask or doing social distancing, or putting dividers between our boots, or putting sneeze guards everywhere, so that everybody feels comfortable. End of the day, this is the way it’s going to go. But yeah, we just have to adapt ourselves to to go with with the flow, and go on hopefully, in the next three, four months, we will get so used to it that it would be like just living because the states are opening up, our cities are opening up, you know, we are having our restaurants open up now Florida opened Alameda County’s opening, you know, our governor here in California is advising us to open so I believe that it’s going to be the new way of living, we just have to adapt ourselves to it. And there’s always a new day. And I really hope and pray that this this whole pandemic finally goes away and we can at least breathe and and especially even with the fires, I really hope that this this is controllable, and we can try and have some rain and and be at ease

Greg Owens  42:44  

from we’re entering. We’re entering the that the fire season right now. And it’s already been an incredibly bad fire season. And this is October is is historically, you know, one of the driest months for Northern California. So hopefully we’re okay and rains come soon.

Sheetal Ohri  43:03  

Yeah. Amen to that.

Greg Owens  43:05  

Yes. And so what would be the best way for people to find out more about you or to contact you if they’re interested in? Is it LinkedIn? Now?

Sheetal Ohri  43:15  

Yes, LinkedIn is the way I’m on LinkedIn. SHEETAL Sheetal Ohri, you can also visit my website Sheetalohri.com. Feel free to you know, write to me on on the contact form or just ping me on LinkedIn. Are there sheetalohri.com on Facebook as well. I’m on Twitter @sheetalohri. So the Instagram stories, so just, you know, ping me anywhere I contacted bill I would be more than happy to give any kind of information or any details on facilities or remodels more than happy to be in touch. So please feel free.

Greg Owens  43:55  

And thank you so much for being on our, our podcast. It’s a real pleasure to get to know you in this format.

Sheetal Ohri  44:03  

Thank you so much, Greg, and thank you so much, Katrina. I really appreciate you know your time, and I appreciate what you are doing by making a difference. I really do. So thank you so much for that. 

Katrina Hayes  44:16  

Yes, thank you.

Outro  44:27  

Thanks for listening to the Watching Paint Dry podcast. We’ll see you again next time and be sure to click subscribe to get future episodes.