My name is Madhav, and I was born in 1970. I live in Mumbai, India, where I share my home with my partner, and I have two children. My journey has been very steady and focused. Everything I have done in my working life fits into two main periods: the ten years I spent working as an employee to learn my trade, and the years since then that I have spent running my own business.
My earlier career really took shape in the year 2000, when I started working as a salesperson. At that time, I was a paid employee with a permanent employment contract. Because those years were a long time ago, I honestly do not remember the exact amount of money I used to earn back then. However, staying in that role for a full decade, from 2000 until 2010, was a very important part of my life. Working as a salesman year after year allowed me to understand the sector properly and build up real, practical experience on the job. Having a permanent position gave me the stability I needed while I was still learning.
By the time 2010 came around, I had spent ten solid years working for someone else. I felt that I had gained enough experience from my time as a salesman and that I was finally ready for a fresh start. Instead of continuing as a paid employee, I made the decision to step out on my own and start working for myself. That same year, in 2010, I became self-employed and started my own work as a real estate agent.
I have been working as an independent real estate agent ever since 2010. Moving from a permanent job into running my own business changed the way I earn a living. Because I work for myself, my income is not a single fixed figure; instead, it falls within a range of 20,000 to 100,000 rupees per year. Even though my earnings move within that range, this work income is the main source of financial support for my household. I do not receive any pension, which means the money I make from my real estate work is what my partner and I rely on to manage our life here in Mumbai. Looking at where I started in 2000 and where I am today, those early years as a salesperson gave me the exact foundation I needed to run my own work independently.