Bav Majithia, co-owner of Yiannimize sat down with the hosts of the All-Things Youth Justice Podcast at Leicestershire Cares to discuss his journey and the lessons learned over the years. Bav who now lives in London was born in Leicester to Asian parents who ran a corner shop. In this shop, he observed his parents work 7 days a week with no holidays. It was within this context that Bav developed his work ethic.
Bav commenced working in his parent's business at the age of 6 years old. He struggled through the education system and came out with one GCSE which required various re-sits. He obtained a job in Leicester and earned £5000 a year at the time. Eventually, he applied for a job in London where he was offered £8,000 a year including commission. Although he did not have a plan on where he was going to live at the time, his family supported him, and he moved into an empty flat and slept on an air mattress for several months.
Whilst working at this job, Bav utilised the skills he had learned in his parent's business. He was always the last to leave work and he treated the business as if it were his own. Bav was intentional about learning everything about how to run a business. Over time, he developed various skills, and he ended up running the business with the owner at the time. Bav was then invited to become a co-owner in a company where he increased sales and expanded the business.
Business and Life Lessons from Bav
Bav eventually decided to sell his share in the business in 2019. When he took a break at that time, he realized that most people only wanted to connect with him because of what they could obtain from him. Only a few people stayed in touch at this time. During this time, Bav learned a lot about people’s character.
Bav shared that when assessing a business, he looks at the People, Process, and Product. He has learned that people are sometimes retained in positions not because they are a good fit for the role, but because of their relationships with decision-makers within the organisation. Bav is keen on placing people in the right place, observing the process, and facilitating process and people changes where necessary. He believes that if a strong product is being produced, the people and process will have an impact on the outcome. Bav acknowledges the fact that people generally do not like change. He is an advocate for facilitating change with consideration and treating people with kindness.
Bav stated that people can leave the criminal justice system if they are intentional about their decisions. His advice to businesses is to give people in the criminal justice system an opportunity to prove themselves in the workplace. He confirmed that his organisation has done this successfully in the past. To listen to Bav’s podcast, and learn more, click the link below:
If you are a business and you would like to get involved in the work that we do by providing valuable work experience/work trials, please get in touch using the email address below.
Youth Justice Project Development Manager
Chikodi Lori
chikodi@leicestershirecares.co.uk
To read about our Power to Change approach, click on the link below:
For more information and insight into our Youth Justice Projects click the links below:
https://www.leicestershirecares.co.uk/about-charity/news-events-/vipphoenix-careers-and-hoodie-design-day/
https://www.leicestershirecares.co.uk/about-charity/news-events-/vipphoenix-mock-interview-preparation-event-pathways-and-nelsons-solicitors/
https://www.leicestershirecares.co.uk/about-charity/news-events-/hinckley-and-rugby-building-society-budgeting-workshop/
https://www.leicestershirecares.co.uk/about-charity/case-studies/jg-work-experience-case-study/