How Runjhun Gupta helping people dance away their stress

She has been making corporate and couples, youth and the aged dance to her tunes and finding happiness in it. Noida-based Runjhun Gupta, an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Calcutta, and founder of ZipOut, a dance therapy institute, espoused what Cohen said years back - Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in. ZipOut has been providing remedial dance curriculums employing an interactive and fun concept, for relaxing individuals both at the corporate and individual level. And now she is venturing into another form of art - paintings, lining up plans for an 'art gallery with a difference' and much more with her financial and business management acumen. Speaking to Bizz Buzz exclusively, Runjhun Gupta shares her entrepreneurial journey and how she is charting out her new entrepreneurial path with an artistic twist

Because of my educational background and upbringing, I knew that I had to create a value-based system where like-minded people could come, de-stress, and enjoy life. And what better way other than my core passion and strength – dance! Thus began the journey of my venture, ZipOut, where zip stands for Zindagi In Pajamas. We wanted to build a retail base and create a bread and butter product- ZipOut as a complete de-stress solution, both online and offline

When you left your MNC job and floated your own venture ZipOut, it was a unique startup in every sense of the term. What has ZipOut been doing actually and how has been the journey so far?

Back in 2008, I was working with a reputed MNC, just stuck in the rat race like everyone else! After office I used to generally take dance classes at home out of passion, three times a week. One day I realized that instead of cribbing about Mondays and my work pressures, and especially because I look forward the most to those three days of dancing, why not make every day of my life worthwhile and happy! While I was trying to make this plan concrete, something very drastic happened. I fainted in office! There was so much stress and so many expectations – and I hated the fact that I had to work so hard for someone else, and I wasn't even enjoying it!

That was the trigger! This pushed me to take the plunge, leave the corporate life all together, and then just do what I really love to do - to be happy, to dance and spread this joy to as many people as I can. I figured that like me, there are a million others who are stressed out and if I can somehow touch as many lives, I'll be able to do something extremely fulfilling.

Now, the biggest challenge was how to spread happiness to so many. Because of my educational background and upbringing, I knew that I had to create a value-based system where like-minded people could come, de-stress, and enjoy life. And what better way other than my core passion and strength – dance! Thus began the journey of my venture, ZipOut, where zip stands for Zindagi In Pajamas. We wanted to build a retail base and create a bread and butter product- ZipOut as a complete de-stress solution, both online and offline.

I had started this venture back in 2011. ZipOut catered in the health fitness and happiness industry. In that we offered de-stress through dance, movements, and breath work programs, to groups, corporate, kids, and gyms. Zipout had various ups and downs but somehow I was able to convert every brick thrown at the venture into a wall by staying true to my goal of thinking of everyone's benefit. We had touched over 10,000 lives across the lifetime of the venture. I trained and built a team and we just kept expanding depths and breaths. I am a passionate person and the only reason that ZipOut expanded like anything was because of that passion, to touch the lives of as many through ZipOut, to spread happiness.

What was the trigger for suddenly taking to paintings?

Since childhood, I've been into different performing arts: dancing, singing, and playing musical instruments. Although I never received a great grade in art or drawing, I've always been fascinated by artists and their capability to draw and paint, and being things to life on paper. A few years back I used to keep watching painting videos to calm myself too.

Sometime back, I was going through depression, as if something switched off inside. From a motivational speaker, creator, entrepreneur, leader, influencer, a highly happy energetic person to hitting rock bottom, it was horrible (horrible is an understatement). But still I kept on. I tried shifting the model to an online version but market wasn't ready, and last year online businesses in general started growing but this time, I wasn't ready. All of this had a big impact on my health and even though I kept fighting the battle in every way possible. I had become a zombie (no, I'm not exaggerating). Then my doctor told me to start painting (she said I needed to do something easy because it had become so hard to do anything and my system became too weak. She encouraged me to do something that involves my hands and eyes).

I made my first painting, and yes, it kept my mind occupied for some time. I was very surprised to see the beauty, and the outcome. Then I made another, this time I made Ocean waves and they looked so real. People appreciated a lot and in fact even showed interest in buying my painting. Then I made another painting: a cherry blossom tree. And it went on like this.

What genre of paintings attracts you more and what is the kind of painting you are pursuing? And any influence of dance into your paintings?

Well, I've been into acrylic painting so far, and did a few sketches too. I must say the paintings and sketches are coming out quite good (I was extremely surprised and grateful to see the outcome myself). Lately, I'm drawn to abstract acrylic painting. Every painting that I made was on a bigger canvas that the previous one. I started enjoying the creativity. I started feeling glimpses of satisfaction (something that I needed so badly to combat these difficult issues). I've always imagined myself painting while dancing and creating something abstract, and I think soon I'll be creating one of a kind. I don't know about the outcome but I definitely know that I want to immerse myself in dance, music, and paint in that ambience.

Since you have had experience of floating and running a successful startup, any plans to give your new-found hobby or passion the same shape, some time, especially when art is a big business now?

Well, since I'm a baniya and my academic background in finance and management, I have thought of ways to make painting a business, but me being me. I will do it differently. Yes, I have already thought of opening up an art gallery. I'll call it Runjhun's Art gallery (the logo will have a big hat on the left corner, and that will be my signature - every visit to the art gallery I'll be wearing a big hat). I love how every painting has a story and every abstract has a subjective perception. And so I have named my paintings. My latest is an abstract called "The Sun - source of life."