'Life is about taking risks, but do not make decisions in haste'

Koushik Nagamalla, 28, Marketing person, Indian.

Settling in a new country with a new job and no friends is never an easy task. Leaving behind loved ones and finding his feet in Dubai, Koushik Nagamalla landed here two years back.
"I was working for a frozen foods company in Hyderabad and my company moved me to Qatar where I worked for four months. After returning to India, I got an opportunity to work for a firm in Dubai," he recollects.
His experiences before coming to Dubai helped him survive the initial few months away from home.
"Life is about taking risks, but not making decisions in haste. One has to give time and not react on impulse. Whenever we are faced with problems in life, we panic and start thinking about possible solutions and outcomes. One has to withstand that moment and take time to find the right solution without hitting the panic button."
Koushik knows the harsh reality of being hasty. He recollects how in his youth, after college, he set up a fruit juice business in Hyderabad.
"It was the toughest time I had faced in life. Paying back investors at a very young age and having faced failure - I realised I needed more experience to succeed in business. When I look back, I feel I didn't have a clear goal," he says.
"Sometimes we keep running behind material gains. One has to realise there is no point in running. If something has to come to you, it will eventually come to you," says Koushik.
Having worked as a shopkeeper, restaurant staff, salesman and entrepreneur, Koushik knows he has to be patient in the pursuit of success.
"Three years I worked in Pizza Hut and KFC back in India. I survived mostly on tips from customers and I did everything from taking orders to kitchen management," he says.
Today, Koushik works in a marketing role for a Dubai-based firm and he knows the hardships of real-life all too well.
"In Dubai, there is a lot of competition when it comes to providing services. One has to keep innovating in order to survive in a job. From not having friends, to becoming part of this city has been a fulfilling journey for me. Wherever you go in Dubai, you see people and it doesn't let you feel lonely," concludes Koushik.
Interviewed by Muaz Shabandri
Street Talk is a weekly column to get a glimpse of people's lives in the UAE

• UAE