From being a job hunter to head hunter

When Jyothi Reddy found herself in a dire situation, the choice was clear: either to be consumed by negativity or find a way out and emerge on top. Her journey — from a field labourer to the CEO of an organisation in the US — was not easy. She worked as a saleswoman in shops and gas stations, baby sitter and cleaner at restaurants. The turning point of her life came when she was appointed a software recruiter by a firm with the aid of a close relative. She gathered as much information as she could about opening a small business and to keep it going.

“I learned a lot as a recruiter in two companies, first of which was at South Carolina and the second at Virginia. And finally in 2002, I started my own company Key Software Solutions in Phoenix,” says Jyothi, who believes in the dictum, ‘Do before you die’. “It was a long and painful but fruitful journey. I do believe in hard work and with a perfect plan it all works out well.”

Success has not made her forget her roots. Every August, she visits India and makes it a point to celebrate her birthday with orphan kids. “I spent six years of my life in an orphanage. I dedicate my birthday — August 29 — to them. Every year, I visit Warangal district and celebrate with them,” says Jyothi, who is a member of the advisory council for all NGOs in Warangal district.

She left her two daughters — Beena and Bindu — behind in a missionary hostel when she went to the US. “It was a very tough decision. I was also blamed for that. Working with the support of men is different from working without their help. I wanted to give a good life to my daughters and that’s why I was very arrogant and adamant in making my decisions and I never comprised on them,” says Jyothi, who started her business with her savings of $40,000.

Earlier, she was a government teacher from 1992 to 2000. “I sold saris in trains making use of the two hours’ commuting time between work and home. I used to get paid `398 as teacher which was not enough to survive,” she says. “I also used to stitch 20 petticoats daily for `20.”

Of course, things are a lot different now after entrepreneurship had paid good dividends. And she’s more than ready to pass on the lessons she’s learned while working relentlessly to make her business a success. “I want to use the same model to teach young adults on how to become entrepreneurs. I have thousands of followers on Facebook and Twitter and pass on my wisdom so that others can improve their lives through entrepreneurship.”