Lalith IN TO THE LIFE OF “HARPO” Gooneratne

From being an unheard of DJ who cycled to events in the early 80’s, to building a prominent business empire within Sri Lanka, Lalith Gooneratne, or more famously known as Harpo Gooneratne, is one of the most acclaimed and influential entrepreneurs of our time. Following are excerpts of an interview of his life and journey through the years to where he is today.

FIRST OFF YOUR ACTUAL NAME IS LALITH CLARENCE PIERIS. HOW DID THE NAME HARPO COME TO BE?

Actually, it was my dad who began calling me Harpo at a young age, as he felt that I used to resemble Harpo Marx of the Marx Brothers. Thus, the name stuck throughout my school career and was one I became accustomed to, and even ended up building my brand around it.

TELL ME A BIT ABOUT YOUR EARLY LIFE, WHAT WAS IT LIKE GROWING UP WITH YOUR FAMILY?

I have an older brother, and we grew up in quite an open and liberal household, owing to the fact that our parents weren’t too strict. Although I wasn’t the best at academics, I did excel at sports, and to be honest I was a bit of a scamp at school. I had quite a phenomenal childhood, enjoyed my school career and made many amazing memories.

WERE YOU ALWAYS INTERESTED IN MUSIC?

When I was young, I would tag along with my parents to parties, and witnessed how much music can exhilarate a person’s soul. I realised that I wanted to pursue something that would allow me to connect with people, and I wanted to give them that same sense of joy and happiness, hence why I chose music. By the time I left school, I was already going Down South to DJ at various hotels, not only on weekends, but some weekdays too. There have been days where I’ve finished an event at 3am and gotten back to Colombo by 6am, just to get to school on time. I used to have many sleepless nights, but I enjoyed the adrenaline rush, and every moment was worth it.

YOU WERE ONE OF THE PIONEERS OF THE DJ INDUSTRY? WAS THERE A LOT OF DEMAND FOR IT AT THE TIME?

Well, at the time, many had quite a stereotypical view on DJ’S and synonymised us with a crazy party lifestyle, one night stands and so on. However, with tourism at its peak before the 83 riots, we were in very high demand, especially from major hotels Down South. Over time, something I did for fun, evolved into a profession.

HOW DID YOU TRANSITION INTO THE INDUSTRY OF HOSPITALITY?

I completed Hotel School, and worked at a number of major hotels, including the now Cinnamon Grand, which was then known as the Ramada Renaissance, The Hilton Colombo, and briefly at Hilton in both China and Japan. I was also General Manager at Crescat before I finally decided to acquire and manage my own business. My first acquisition was of the Commons Cafe and Bayleaf Restaurant, which I managed. I continued to pursue business in entertainment by coordinating a number of events, as I believe this goes hand-in-hand with my involvement in hospitality. Our brand of “Harpo’s Pizza” was then established, and now celebrates 14 years since it’s very inception. Other venues that followed in close suit include the Roti Cart, the Mews Restaurant and Curve, all of which cater to a variety of people with a different taste. In addition, I do have a Hotel School Down South, in which I hope to provide youth with the opportunity and resources to expand their horizons and pave their way in the hospitality industry. This is my main focus at the moment.

RECENTLY THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY SUFFERED A GREAT BLOW DUE TO THE EASTER SUNDAY ATTACKS. HOW DID THIS AFFECT YOUR ENTERPRISES?

Unfortunately, there are still many tourist based hotels who feel the impact of these attacks. Our restaurants have also fallen victim, though haven’t been affected in the same magnitude as most, simply due to the fact that our customers were more local based. The Fort Cafe, on the other hand, was certainly affected owing to the fact that the Dutch Hospital itself caters mainly to tourists. That being said, we are adamant to move forward.

IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN EASY TO RECOVER SOON AFTER THE BOMBINGS. HOW DID YOU DO IT?

Well, the key was to keep my staff motivated, and above all I had to remain positive and believe that we will pull through this. We carried on our usual business activities and kept our restaurants open at its regular times. Although we are still in the process of recovery, we are definitely on a steady path to getting there.

YOU ARE CLEARLY A VERY BUSY PERSON. HOW EVENTFUL IS A NORMAL DAY FOR YOU?

I usually wake up at about 8 and I’m at the office at about 10. Then I make it a point to visit all my properties within the day, hit the gym in the evening, and then work again till late. Many ask how I manage everything that I do, and my answer always remains the same - I am passionate about what I do, so I’m very motivated to do it!

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE SECRET BEHIND YOUR SUCCESS?

I’m naturally a very positive person and although there have been many ups and downs throughout my career I have always focused on how to overcome my problems and move on rather than dwell on them. I firmly believe in the fact that if there is a down, there is always an up. I have always been confident of where I’ve wanted to be and no matter what obstacle I faced, I’ve always believed in myself and worked hard to achieve my goals.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?

My main focus right now is my Hotel school and how I plan to expand that. I doubt I will be taking on any massive new ventures any time soon, but will be focusing on improving and expanding what I currently have.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE THE EMERGING ENTREPRENEURS OF TODAY?

Do something that you’re passionate about so that you always enjoy what you do. Believe in yourself and your dreams and work hard to achieve them. And most importantly, be patient; a brand isn’t built overnight.

Unfortunately, there are still many tourist based hotels who feel the impact of these attacks. Our restaurants have also fallen victim, though we haven’t been affected in the same magnitude as most, simply due to the fact that our customers were more local based”