Skanda
Sandeep
Value investing translated to many life lessons and taught me how to be an effective decision maker.
Skanda draws inspiration and motivation from seeing the hard work put in every day by the founders and management teams of our partner brands.
IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED
My experience playing basketball taught me not to let one rejection alter my goals and vision, and that one misstep doesn’t mean the end.
SOUR PATCH KID
I was a very naughty and inquisitive kid that was always getting into trouble. To this day my dad talks about the time I gave him an extremely sour candy, claiming it was sweet. I used to love pranking my parents.
Backing it way up…what were you like as a kid?
I was naughty and inquisitive and was always getting into trouble. To this day my dad talks about the time I gave him an extremely sour candy, claiming it was sweet. I used to love pranking my parents.
Kept them on their toes, huh?
Definitely.
You played basketball in college. What was your proudest moment on the court?
After I was rejected from the college basketball team during the freshman year tryouts, I took the opportunity to join a local club that focused on coaching aspiring athletes and improving fundamentals. By the end of my junior year, I was named captain of the same team I had been rejected from earlier. This experience taught me not to let one rejection alter my goals and vision, and that one misstep doesn’t mean the end.
Sounds like a great lesson. You also have your CFA. What drove you to get it?
In 2016 I attended a two-day program on value investing, and was instantly drawn to it. This method of disciplined investing translated to many life lessons for me and taught me how to be an effective decision maker. I decided at that moment that I wanted to pursue investing as a career, and eventually passed all three levels of the CFA exam in my first attempt. It’s one of the best decisions I have made to date.
Flashing forward…what gets you most psyched about working with brands at VMG?
I love the fact that we are uniquely positioned to work with brands that are upcoming and potentially on the precipice of a tipping point. Seeing the struggle and hard work that the founders and management teams of these brands endure every day is something that inspires and motivates me.
What do you think makes you shine most in your work?
A lot of my work ethic comes from witnessing the struggles my parents had to endure and the importance of the hard work that they put in to eventually do well for themselves. I try to be thoughtful in everything I do and give 100% no matter how small or large a given task is.
Task, or prank?
Naw, my pranking day are behind me. I think. ( ;
