Check Marc | A Platform Helping People, To Achieve Their Goals Collaboratively
- BySheetal Sidhu | March 31, 2021
Vrinda Johnson, Co-founder, Check Marc engaged in a one-on-one interview with Startup story media. Reflecting on her entire life’s journey, she has come to conclude that,
“People don’t give themselves enough credit to be resilient”,
Vrinda further quotes her favorite businesswoman Barbara Corcoran “Success comes and heals your biggest failure”, and infers that “people need to stop thinking that failure is negative, instead look at it like a hidden opportunity and how you can benefit from it”, explicitly reasoning to support her earlier statement.
Giving a brief profile of the company Vrinda tells Startup story media that she considers Check marc “as her newest baby”, she and the co-founder Marc, who got acquainted in their previous careers and started toying with the idea since they were both passionate about mentorship they found a common ground to share. They wanted to “bring access to things like guidance and information”. They set up a digital platform so that people in any phase of their life could reach out, they are disposed to the idea that a question needs to be answered, a hand has to be stretched and a piece of advice needs to be shared. Every individual is entitled to it and so they are here to readily provide it.
Still ‘fresh from the oven, they set up in February 2020 and are a core team of six members, Vrinda is upbeat and says “we are small but mighty”, they have an extended team for development, PR and marketing, engineering in India, U.K and the USA. And they are all currently working on their next step enthusiastically.
CHECK MARK WITH CHECK MARC
When asked by Startup story media about how they came to name their company Check Marc, Vrinda was eager to share the funny incident that helped them settle on the name. Previously, they worked with a different name and while on a conversation with the advisor her co-founder Marc realized that they were basically helping people to checkmark against their checklists, also he liked the fact that it included his name in it and so they settled upon the name for their company and sanctioned it.
PROGRESS REPORT DURING THE LOCKDOWN
When the pandemic is known to slow most people and businesses down, for Check Marc these times proved to be fruitful in business terms they actually realized that their platform was a place that was needed more than ever before. They went to market quickly because the breakdown was prominent; pandemic was a way to see that they could achieve success despite the unfortunate turn of events.
Being a digital company all of them live in different cities and have been persevering throughout the crisis but that has not dimmed their spirits. The pandemic helped them see that the times were changing and the need of the hour was providing the people the kind of help they couldn’t receive in their day-to-day setup. Vrinda says that it was like the “wind beneath their wings” allowing them to soar. Pandemic proved to be a kick-off for Check Marc, resulting in a positive by-product of the pandemic.
FUTURE PLANS
When asked by Startup story media what was in store for the future of the startup, Vrinda said that currently, they were focussing on adding more members to the platform. They wish to build a community of their own; they are in their ‘expansion stage’, as far as their short-term agenda goes taking Check Marc to the next step is in immediate focus.
A major responsibility undertaken by Check Marc is restoring faith in digital communication, bringing it into the positive light that whatever that people need to accomplish is accessible. Communicating closely with the members is acting as the key to improvement for them while they are figuring out what works best for the platform and the customers.
CHALLENGES, A BLESSING IN DISGUISE
Vrinda is very optimistic about the hurdles and challenges faced or in store for the startup and she says that they have faced a lot of things including sickness, things were going haywire in the beginning but the team and she collectively rose above these struggles. She says that these struggles have been “learning experiences” for them and in the future, she is ready to look the problems in the face and deal with them with utmost diligence.
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND FEEDBACK
The customer so far has been incredible for Check Marc, it has been quite positive, Vrinda says that it is like a plus point they receive and they are working on improving customer experience by listening closely to their reviews. They are collectively trying to create a space that is not limiting rather it is a space that people can get access to in order to achieve their goals. Furthermore, they are adding new and improved features to Check Marc to improve customer experience and can meet the standard expectations of their customers.
JUGGLING WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Vrinda who is a full- time working entrepreneur is a perfect example of a Superwoman. Along with, taking care of her family, catering to the needs of her children, and supporting her husband she is an enthusiast and doesn’t neglect personal care and health despite her hectic schedule. She goes for a power run in the morning to charge her up. she understands that stress can really be a problem but she has been trying to stay in control and taking charge helps her to keep the situations in check. She has a fixed schedule and routine and she sticks to her plan.
A PRO TIP FROM THE FOUNDER
“Leadership or mentorship is about passion, empathy, being sensitive and observant about the things around you”,
Vrinda Johnson, Co-founder, Check Marc.