“Man is nothing else but what he makes of himself” is a powerful saying emphasizing that your actions (or inactions) are the most significant factors that determine how far you go in life. Look all around you, and you’ll find inspiring stories of people who come from lowly backgrounds but have gone ahead to achieve so much success in life. Dig deeper, and you will discover that these people encountered so many obstacles on their journey to success, some of which were as a result of their humble background depriving them of access and choices. However, the learning point in these stories is how these inspiring people have been able to overcome these challenges and come out looking nothing like where they come from. One of such exceptional and inspiring people is Vimal Patel, a leading hotelier and techpreneur whose story would motivate you to do great things regardless of your background.

‘They always ask where do you want to be, where do you see yourself in 15 years? I would like to turn that question around to ask what do you not want to be – and my thinking process is what do you not want to be?’ – Vimal Patel

From Humble Beginnings to Greatness

Vimal Patel is a renowned hotel management and development leader. He is the president and CEO of QHotels Management, a leading hotel that owns and operates budget hotels in Louisiana and Texas. He is also a massive advocate of fair franchising who once instituted a class-action lawsuit against one of the world’s biggest hotel chains to end several years of price gouging, a la’ David and Goliath. He has been widely featured in international media outlets such as Fox Business, Newsweek, the Associated Press, Nerdwallet, Authority Magazine, NOLA.com, WWL-TV, and many other local media outlets. He was recently named as one of the 100 Most Powerful People in US Hospitality and given the National “Award of Excellence.”

One striking thing about him is his penchant for identifying gaps and stepping up to bridge these gaps, true to his iconic entrepreneurial style. When he noticed a gap in the existing structure of hoteliers’ duties across the hospitality industry, he rose to the challenge of filling this gap by becoming a tech entrepreneur and launching INNRLY. INNRLY is a proprietary software that streamlines the day-to-day duties of hoteliers. The software increases efficiency and profitability and helps hotel teams make better, quicker, and well-informed decisions. ‘I believe that doing the right thing, morally and ethically; and giving up short term gains for long term gains is very critical. That’s true in business and it’s true in family life,’ reflects Vimal Patel on the drivers behind his entrepreneurial success.

The consistent level of excellence exhibited by Vimal Patel may cause one to easily forget his humble beginnings in Nogama, a small village in India. When he moved to America several years ago, he had to simultaneously work at a local donut shop and at McDonald’s just so he could make ends meet.  He did that for some years till 1999 when his cousin, Kevin Patel offered him a job with his company, Cajun Lodging Company.

How was he able to rise over the years irrespective of his rough head start and the several bumps along his journey? The answer isn’t far-fetched. He recognizes the importance of people, resilience and a good reputation on the journey to success.

Your People

Vimal Patel acknowledges his people, and how impactful they have been to his journey. One of these people is his uncle, who was the one who housed him in Africa for three years.  When he later moved to America, his cousin, Kevin Patel also helped him get a fair landing. Not only did he give him a job at Cajun Lodging company, but he also housed him. Working with that company marked his first major exposure to the hospitality industry, and significantly prepared him for when he and Kevin eventually formed the management company, QHotels, in 2003.

Another important figure in Vimal Patel’s success story is his wife, whom he fondly refers to as one of his role models. While supporting her husband in all his business endeavors, she wasn’t slacking in raising their daughters. Vimal Patel continues to pay all the help he has received from people forward, knowing as a leader and employer, you are not always the most favoured person, but your duty is not to make everyone happy but to do business. This means doing what’s right for the entire structure, albeit family, business or partnerships. It takes great courage as a leader to uphold the highest standards – but it’s also the duty of a man.

Your Resilience

If there’s one thing that has helped Vimal Patel achieve so much success, it’s his resilience. “Don’t give up, keep fighting” says Vimal Patel. However, this is more than just a quote for him, as it has been his reality over the years.

Vimal Patel has faced many failures and setbacks that would ordinarily have made him give up, but he continues to use these failures as stepping stones for greater feats. When he was 29 years old, and after several years in the US, he had to start all over again with no resources. But the one thing he didn’t do was give up. Instead, he kept striving and putting in the work, searching for new opportunities before he eventually became successful in his hotel management business.

However, the past few years have been extremely tough for this business.  The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 almost tore apart the business he had spent three decades building.

In the wake of travel restrictions across the U.S., the 11 budget hotels under the QHotel management experienced a massive drop in guest counts, and revenue dropped by almost 90%. To worsen the situation, there was pressure from some lenders who wanted their payments on the loans he had taken out for the business regardless of the obvious effects of the pandemic on business activities. The effects of the pandemic hadn’t worn off when Hurricane IDA struck in New Orleans in 2021, and he had to close all the hotels at some point. The aftermath of this hurricane on business was a nightmare. It affected the electricity and water supply such that they had to start traveling miles just to fill up gas.

However, regardless of these challenges, Vimal Patel is still in business, and still making giant strides. Rather than sit around and let circumstances define him, he continues to make the best out of every situation Launching INNRLY on the back of the Covid-19 pandemic is one important feat that speaks to his resilience.

Your Reputation

Your reputation matters a lot on your journey to success. You don’t want to be that person who achieves success through questionable means. Vimal Patel believes that “it only takes five minutes to destroy a reputation that took twenty years to build.” To be successful, you need to pay attention to your reputation. That includes how you make decisions, working with the right mindset and attitude, and generally doing the right things even when it is not the easiest. You need to be ready to make hard decisions if you want to be successful.

According to Vimal Patel, “the ability to make hard decisions even when they might not be immediately popular is one of the three key elements that makes a person successful.” However, making hard decisions does not mean being ruthless. It’s important to make hard decisions that are fair. You should be prepared to do the right thing morally and ethically and be ready to give up short-term gains for long-term gains.

Even when your decision turns out to be a mistake, don’t blame others for it. Vimal Patel believes that “part of becoming a success is owning up to your failures and shortcomings and learning from the mistakes you have made.”

Open Up About Your Failures

One of the challenges men face today is bearing so much burden and being unable to open up about it. There will be times when things are not going as planned, but men are generally not expected to talk about it. Men are not expected to be vulnerable, as vulnerability is seen as a sign of weakness. However, that should not be the case. Men should be able to communicate openly and express themselves, as this fosters peace and even increases their productivity. ‘In an ideal world, there would be more openness, more trust, collaboration, and people having challenges not being perceived negatively, without having to worry about any backstabbing, and of course jealousy would go away as well. If we can communicate openly and trust each other openly everyone should be at peace and have more fun in business and social life’ says Vimal Patel.

On your journey to success, you will encounter failures. Do not let this discourage you from picking yourself and trying again. Surround yourself with people you can discuss your failures and shortcomings with in a no-judgment and safe environment. Your background does not define you, neither should your failures ever hold you back. And if anyone is proof of that, it’s Vimal Patel.