Comfort Was Never the Goal | Growth Was | The Mehul Parmar Story | Uncommonly Common

"Don't be a donkey who carries ten times his capacity all the way to Ahmedabad." That's what his grandmother used to say. He didn't understand it then. He built an entire life philosophy around it later. Meet Mehul Parmar — born in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, into a comfortable, government-job-oriented, middle-class family, in a state where everyone else was building their own business except his own household. Mehul wanted to study pharmacy. His father insisted on mechanical engineering — because engineering meant security. He gave in, studied mechanical, followed it with an MBA, and applied to fifty jobs before landing his first offer — ₹3,500 a month. He built a stable, comfortable, enviable life in Ahmedabad. A house. A car. A family. Everything Gujarat promises its sons. And then — a connecting flight to Dubai changed everything. In 2013, Mehul landed in Dubai for the first time — not even meant to explore the city, just a layover. Something sparked. He made a silent pledge in the back of a taxi — this will be my last job. He took one more corporate role in Dubai to be sure, and when the universe kept closing every other door, he finally listened. He quit a secure, high-paying job at a German MNC — the kind of company people join to retire from — with absolutely nothing lined up. No safety net. No guaranteed income. Just an idea, two failed business attempts behind him, and a relentless belief that real growth only happens beyond your comfort zone. Today, his company — COROFY — operates across continents, built not around his name, but around systems designed to outlive him. In this insightful, deeply practical conversation, we talk about growing up in Gujarat's business-first culture, the discipline of joint family life, the wisdom his grandmother passed down through simple sayings, choosing security over passion — and eventually reversing that choice, arriving in Dubai almost by accident, walking away from comfort — not once, but repeatedly, the mindset shift from employee to entrepreneur, building systems that don't depend on you, surviving and thriving during a war, and what real entrepreneurship demands beyond just capital. If you have an idea sitting quietly in the back of your mind — this episode is the push you didn't know you needed. 👍 Like this video if Mehul's mindset shifted something in you 🔔 Subscribe to Uncommonly Common 💬 Comment — what's the "impossible" goal you're stretching toward right now? 📤 Share with someone who keeps saying "someday" instead of "now" Chapters: 00:00 — Introduction — Gujarati proverbs and grandmother's wisdom 04:00 — Growing up in Bhavnagar, Gujarat 08:00 — Why Gujaratis are wired to be entrepreneurs 12:00 — Joint family life and the bonds it built 16:00 — His grandmother's influence and being over-pampered as a child 20:00 — Father's insistence on mechanical engineering over pharmacy 25:00 — Fifty job applications and a ₹3,500 salary 30:00 — Discovering international marketing and finance 35:00 — Two failed business attempts in India 40:00 — The flight that changed everything — landing in Dubai, 2013 45:00 — The pledge made in a taxi 50:00 — Quitting a secure MNC job with nothing lined up 55:00 — Setting up a business in the UAE vs India 1:00:00 — Surviving and growing during the war 1:05:00 — Building systems instead of depending on himself 1:10:00 — Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs 1:15:00 — What retirement really means to him 1:20:00 — His biggest regret — and how he overcame it Follow Uncommonly Common: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncommonlyc... Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7FzS0q1... Connect with Mehul Parmar : 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mehulparmar... 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mehul80?u... Uncommonly Common — Extraordinary Journeys. New episodes every Friday. Follow so you never miss a story. About the Host: Sachin Hasan hosts Uncommonly Common — a podcast dedicated to extraordinary journeys of ordinary people. He is the Owner and Managing Director of Silk Lantern, a Pan-Asian fine-dining destination in Dubai, and Founder of IDA Hospitality & F&B Solutions. A 22+ year veteran of luxury hospitality across the globe, Delhi, New York, Dubai and the Maldives, Sachin brings two decades of people-first leadership to every story he tells.