Building brand before you build a business empire

Ankur Warikoo, entrepreneur, author, educator and one of India’s most influential content creators, had nothing short of some ‘epic’ advice to share with the students and parents of Invictus International School as it hosted the third edition of YEY – Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2025.

The annual event brings together student innovators from across India to pitch creative, solution-driven business ideas. The Young Entrepreneur of the Year Challenge, a national-level event, aims to design workshops to help participants develop business models, branding strategies, and visual identities. And Ankur was this year’s keynote speaker.

In a captivating on-stage conversation, Warikoo exchanged ideas with Manjot Dhillon, Director of Invictus International School, on leadership, risk-taking and the evolving meaning of success. One of India’s most valued start-up entrepreneur and investors, Warikoo laid emphasis on the power of self-investment for some ‘epic’ success.

“My advice to young people today is to be hard on yourself, not because that’s how it is done, but because you love yourself. I believe that we are one generation away from realising the true potential of entrepreneurship and developing skills, mindset, and habits through discipline is going to get you there,” he said. Author of now four books — Do Epic Shit, Get Epic Shit Done, Make Epic Money, and Build an Epic Career – Warikoo currently leads WebVeda, an online school for professionals on entrepreneurship and career growth. Advising students, young aspiring entrepreneurs to build personal brands through honesty, self-awareness and a mindset that nurtures continuous learning, Ankur shared relatable stories from his own life and journey to inspire.

“Remain a student, always. That’s how you will improve and continue to build, re-build and re-invent yourself. At 19, I thought I would become a space scientist, move to the US and that will be my happily ever after. Once I was there, I realised I did not want to do it, did not enjoy doing it. Over the years, I invested in myself by practicing discipline, upgrading my skill set and knowledge. We need to keep doing that because the world is changing fast and the values skill set or formal education that is preparing you for your future might not stay relevant anymore,” he said.

While stressing that re-invention and up-skilling might be the key words in today’s world, Manjot Dhillon said entrepreneurship is not just about wealth creation but also wealth distribution. “Failure should not be feared, but it also means to reflect and re-assess and continue to move ahead,” she said. “In that context, YEY is about empowering young minds to dream, pitch and lead,” said Manjot Dhillon. “This is where tomorrow’s change-makers begin,” he said.

In an empowering initiative, the school also felicitated 15 leading women entrepreneurs of Amritsar, recognising their contribution to the city’s business landscape.