When inspiration hits you hard..

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending a charity event held by the Shampan group, a high end restaurant chain known for their fine dining and exquisite events. Two years ago, Shampan started their own foundation; the Shampan Foundation. And since it's birth, they have improved the lives of many children in Bangladesh. Their work has shown innovation, authenticity and ingenuity, and I only wish for their prosperity and recognition at an international level.

I entered S4 (Shampan 4) in Westerham, Kent admiring the foundation and knowing very little about their host, Manish Bhasin, a sports journalist and presenter for BBC's Football League Show, and left having a new profound respect for the charity and Manish. For one, Sufiyan Miah and his partners charity dinner had left a remarkable effect on me and I gasped for my own opportunity to do some good. Not only was it inspirational but the personality of the foundation and their business was captured beautifully and participators could really feel the intimacy between the group and themselves.

And Mr Manish, well isn't he just a bubble of inspiration for all things brown! His dapper style, charming and witty humour, eloquent speaking style and all round humility really gave me the kick in the butt side to think, breathe, eat, essentially live media, with some dignity of course. Pessimistic me cannot stop thinking of every other job I can obtain with my degree if journalism doesn't go well for me. But Mr optimistic (Manish) opened my eyes to chances and belief.

Let's be realistic, to make it big in the media world, you have to be the best of the best, have the right contacts and most importantly, be able to talk for your life! We live in a dog eat dog world and well, Manish taught me how to stay grounded and true to my beliefs whilst trying to reach the top. I may not be the best writer or have all the contacts, but I can certainly try to achieve those things. And really, the event itself speaks volumes; one must believe in what they want to achieve. If you don't believe in the cause you will never be able to initiate change.

Thank you Shampan Group and Manish Bhasin for inspiring me.