From starting, Sukhi Jutla, Co-founder and Coo of MarketOrders, followed a relatively traditional path of graduating from college and university and securing a sought-after graduate job offer. She was excited and eager to use her newly learned skills and make a difference. But very quickly into the new job, she became disillusioned with her work because she didn’t find it exciting or meaningful.
Before launching MarketOrders, she was a corporate cog, working in banking for over 15 years. During this time, however, Sukhi tinkered around with multiple business ideas she worked on during her lunch breaks, after work, and on the weekends, so her entrepreneurial streak started to show up!
“I knew I wanted to do work that interested me, played to my strengths, and allowed me to use my creativity and grow,” says Sukhi.
During this time, she wrote and published three books (using her lunch breaks to write the first draft!), re-trained as a life coach, and started two other ventures in the jewelry space before settling onto MarketOrders, so it has been a nonlinear journey to get to where she is today.
“I consider myself an ‘accidental ‘tech entrepreneur. I say accidentally as I never set out to build startups in the tech space but followed my curiosity, strengths, and interests, which led me down this path,” says Sukhi.
For her, there wasn’t ‘one pivotal moment of change but a gradual awareness that Sukhi wanted to build her own company and be her own boss at some point. She always knew that she had an entrepreneurial streak as Sukhi was bursting with ideas, craved autonomy, and wanted to do work that interested her and gave her a sense of purpose.
What’s the story behind Sukhi’s startup Journey of MarketOrders?
“I never set out to be an entrepreneur at the start of my career. I was in banking and had a rough idea that I wanted to build my own business at one point, but I was unsure what that would be. Then I met my cofounder a few years later, working on some exciting projects that I was helping out with on the side. He had the idea for MarketOrders and asked me to join him as his Chief Operating officer, and that’s when the business took off,” says Sukhi.
Sukhi strongly believes that no experience is ever wasted – all her time in the corporate world, her studies at university, learning coaching skills, and her experience of writing and publishing books taught her many things about how businesses work.
“One word to describe me is ‘curious’ as I wanted to pursue a path less well trodden, and I started to follow my interests and explore what the possibilities of a life outside the 9-5 corporate rat race could look like. My goals have remained consistent – I want to pursue work I enjoy and find meaningful, working with people I respect and those that motivate and inspire me to be the best version of myself, expresses Sukhi.
As an entrepreneur, there is always more work to do, so it’s essential to schedule downtime and rest breaks throughout the week to maintain energy levels. Exercising daily and getting quality sleep also help to keep you in balance.
All about MarketOrdersÂ
MarketOrders is developing a platform-based marketplace and provenance chain, specifically focused on helping retailers source gold and diamond jewelry products they need more efficiently and at better prices, turning the traditional gold jewelry supply chain model upside down by digitizing every element of the customer journey.
For the first time, retailers can order, pay, and securely deliver their items online. Over 90% of small, independent jewelers have limited or no online presence and less than 5% of the major suppliers have online capabilities that allow their customers to order, purchase and track products. The industry is old-fashioned and lagging.
Most retailers wait for a wholesale salesperson or distributor to visit their store to see the product range and place an order. Digitizing every aspect of this supply chain creates scalable efficiencies throughout the entire operational process. MarketOrders aims to provide an online, seamless, end-to-end transaction process for all retailers, suppliers, and manufacturers.
“We are currently growing our customer base, developing the technology required, and growing our team as we move into the subsequent growth phases. Our vision is to be the global destination for the jewelry trade industry,” assures Sukhi.
Sukhi’s Advice for Aspiring Leaders
I think the bravest thing you can do is to pursue what makes you happy rather than doing what society or the status quo expects of you. It takes courage to step away from the well-trodden path, jump into the unknown, and take risks like starting your own business, building a team, and learning new skills.
I describe myself as a multi-dimensional person with multiple interests and constantly evolving into the most faithful version of myself. We live in a constantly changing world and continually learn, grow, and evolve. I never set out to be a role model, but I am aware that others do look to you as a role model or mentor figure. In that respect, I strive to share my journey with others on the same path in the most authentic way, never shying away from failures or struggles I have faced in the hope that it will give someone else hope and courage that we all go through similar hurdles, but with enough persistence and determination, you can succeed.
I take inspiration from many other entrepreneurs and business owners who strive daily to make their world a better place to live in through their services and products.
