Spotlight Interview: Mental Health Champion and Business Development Expert Sandeep

Thank you for taking the time to do this interview with me! Please tell us a bit about yourself and what you do currently…

My name is Sandeep Saib and I am 28 years old. I work full-time Mon – Fri 9.30-5.30 at a legal firm as a Marketing and Business Development Executive. I am an extremely dynamic and ambitious 2010 Business Management Queen Mary University of London Graduate with sound Marketing and Business experience, something I have always been keen in to flourish. I have a well-developed creative strategic thinking and strong commitment to prove and perform, as well as contribute to overall organisational growth and development.

On a personal side, I have lived with the experience of mental health (MH) and am 77% better and stronger within myself with the help of therapy, mostly CBT, medication and support group. I was diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa, Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), OCD and Depression in 2012-13.

Also I am a London Time to Change Champion, Rethink Mental Health Charity Eastern Regional Committee Member, worked for Mind Charity and did a fundraised skydive raising over £475, 10km walk for CLASP as well as a 50km Thames Path Challenge with Mosaic Clubhouse charity raising over £365, jointly as a team over £2k. I also support The Innerhope Project, a mental health support.

Also in my personal time, I am in the midst of starting up a social enterprise called ‘Unite 2 Empower’ with 2 my friends around domestic violence and opening up pop-up cafes and empower them through training and education.
With Time to Change, I have organised many events, and have recently planned and hosted ‘Happy Heads’ on 13 May 2017 in Croydon with 2x of my Time to Change colleagues, which was a fantastic turnout, with 7x exhibitors, exercises, art exhibition, pamper room, poetry and my first opportunity to tell my recovery story to everyone present at the event which was a huge achievement.

Currently, I attend monthly BDD support groups and am trying to do more inspirational talks which I have titled ‘Power to Succeed’ at educational institutions such as my former high school, and others I wish to go into and speak to students to help motivate them with telling them my story, career, day in the life of me and my MH.

Just in! Am hoping to be on TV in providing my BDD experience for a film production company in London – watch this space!

What inspired you to start doing your own business venture?

My father providing me with his experience, thoughts, values and traditions – finding out his ethics and what was/is important to him. Father was a mechanic to being a self-employed property developer. People need to help one another and there needs to be more this support readily available and to encourage one another to be more proactive than reactive i.e. mental health, domestic abuse, 121 mentoring.

What has been your biggest achievement so far?

Biggest would be managing work and life (philanthropic). Speaking for the first time about my lived mental health experience, fundraising for charities and through thrill-seeking activities i.e. skydiving, starting up a social enterprise, motivational talks to students to help inspire them in everyday life, and currently will be the film production around BDD.

What fuels you to keeps you going each day?

Philanthropic work a lot at all levels, family and their ongoing support and admiration, job and finance security, hobbies of mine – art, music, dancing, films, doing something different and trying to give something back to anyone each day.

Who are the top 3 celebrities/experts you’d love to work with? And why?

Tony Robbins (American MLM advocate, businessman, and author) – He is what I strive to be and is my role model. He inspires and motivates people from deep within the soul and make them more than powerful than they could possibly dream of. Tony makes the impossible possible in all aspects of his work and it would be a dream to work with him and learn a whole lot more!

Michelle Obama (American lawyer, writer and former First Lady of USA) – She is a very determined, strong, powerful female advocate at this present moment in time. Everyone can learn something from Michelle. To me, she is never in the shadow of the President and paves her own way to lead a positive life for herself and her family. I do admire Michelle’s passion for philanthropic work, her ongoing campaigns on issues that are pivotal as well
as her love for family.

Michael Jackson (singer) – There were many personalities engrained within Michael. There was the singer/songwriter/dancer and then there was the charitable/philanthropic side to him and he played his cards extremely well. He inspires me through his sheer presence and captivation in drawing in a crowd and what amazes me in that he is a true and genuine artist with a kind heart despite what critics had to say about him. He stuck the entertainment out like a true musician and a fantastic innovator of his time to inspire many generations and still until this very day.

Take a moment to close your eyes. Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?

My goal right now is to find a position at a company where I can grow and take on new challenges over time. Ultimately, I’d like to assume more management responsibilities and get involved in product strategy. But most importantly, I want to work for an organization where I can build a career.

I am driven to be the best at what I do and I want to work somewhere where I’ll have opportunities to develop my skills, take on interesting projects, and work with people I can really learn from. Some of the most innovative thinkers in the industry work here and that’s a big reason why I would love to build a career here.
I would also eventually like to be self-employed, and engrained myself in solely philanthropic work and giving back.

If you could get the perfect help from an online tax return service, what would they do for you?

Need to be effectively efficient, be able to take ownership and do what is require swiftly and correctly.

Can you give our readers 2 key tips for success in business?

Be open to learning and do not give up.

If you were stuck on a desert island and could only bring 3 things what would they be?

Lip balm, mobile phone and boat to get myself off the island in the first place!

How do you describe yourself in 5 words?

Organised, hardworking, ambition, tenacious and stubborn.

Thank you for taking the time to do this interview with me! Where can we find and follow you online?

You can find me on the below online platforms:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandeepsaib
Facebook: SandeepSaib29
Twitter: SandeepSaib