|| श्री गणेशाय नमः ||
By Sharad Agarwal
By Sharad Agarwal
June 2020
The journey of hope began with just INR 5,000
I was a 22-year young and at the end of my 4th semester when I was asked to look for internships from college (Inspiria Knowledge Campus, Siliguri). I remember myself wondering what I could do other than being a professional musician, my true passion, which obviously wouldn’t work for my college’s mandatory internship certificate.
I had always wanted to learn audio, photo, and video editing software, both for my college projects and to flourish in a music career, I wanted to get my hands on a good laptop (which would cost around INR 1 lac). I was wondering how I could afford it. I didn’t want to turn to my family as I knew the silent financial battles they were fighting, and investing this money in me, with no certainty and promising return, seemed too risky and would only add to their trouble.
The motivation of supporting my family was the one reason that kept me going and taking a step forward I decided to reach out to a few of my relatives, but with no financial backup, I was lacking credibility in their eyes, they didn’t risk helping me out. Then one day, in a moment of hope, I thought of asking my cousin, Kamal Agarwal, who owned Rishabh Infotech (a showroom dealing with laptops and computers) in Jaigaon and was one of the most successful entrepreneurs in our family.
I reached out to him with a hope that he would help me by lending me the laptop for which I will make monthly payments of INR 5000 over the next few months. Kamal Bhaiya, being a gentleman as he is, agreed for the laptop and even suggested that I opt for the Dell G7 model (which costed INR 1,40,000) instead of the Dell G3 (which costed INR 1,00,000), which I initially requested, as the G7 was the latest model and would be a good investment for next 3-4 years.
I maintained a payment spreadsheet for the next 28 months. I still recall that Kamal Bhaiya was uncertain whether he would get his money back or not yet he helped me out and that uncertainty motivated me to prove him right and make him proud!
December 2020
An internship where I learnt photoshop and basic designing skills
So now I had my laptop, but I still lacked the skills and experience needed to meet the requirements of the companies. On our college WhatsApp groups, we used to receive long lists of requirements, even for positions as low as an office peon! During this crazy hustle and bustle of finding the right internship, I came across a campus placement where I met Mr. Harsh Agarwal, owner of Thirsty Feet – a travel agency. He reached out to my college through an email, approving me and asking me to join his company for a 2-month internship after seeing my designing skills.
So now, I began developing my skills in graphic design. One of the best parts of this internship was meeting my college mate Sameer – I forgot his full name, honestly – but this guy had excellent skills in photo manipulation. Sitting beside him, he taught me a lot. Mr. Harsh Agarwal (my first and only boss) was strict and had the expertise to demand perfect designs from me, which kept me constantly improving.
July 2021
A cold call which turned a life changer
During the COVID times, I was back home in Jaigaon, West Bengal with my family. The whole world was at a standstill, with no means to go out and work. Music, which had always been a passion and a career, seemed distant. I was wondering what to do as I was just looking for ways to make money for serving my family.
My father motivated me to keep an aim of earning INR 5,000 monthly by working from home in those COVID days. My father’s faith in me compelled me to look for opportunities for myself from wherever possible. I noticed that everyone around me were looking to promote their business and home delivery services. For which they needed flyers and creatives to share in their family WhatsApp groups and on Facebook pages to reach a wider audience. This prompted me to learn Photoshop better and hence prepare a small message to send to my contacts:
“Hey there, I am Sharad, and I am starting up a freelance business – designing creatives to help your business communication grow.”
I remember receiving very few replies, but those were motivating me enough to start helping a few friends. However, this work didn’t provide me with a fixed income. The income was minimal, but I was eager to connect with and help more people. I started making 15 -18 cold calls per day asking brands if they would be interested in getting their creatives made, which turned out to be demotivating as most people didn’t trust me. I used to receive 1 creative in every 2-3 days for which I used to charge INR 250. The thought of giving up never struck me. One day, after 7-10 days of continuous cold calling, I found myself scrolling through Facebook. There, amidst the usual posts and updates, was a post of a Dal Makhani dish from Siliguri Central. An idea sparked in my mind: why not try calling the contact number to see if I could get an opportunity to make creatives for them?
With a mix of hope and determination, I dialed the number listed in the post. On the other end of the line was, Mr. Sumit Bhansali, a very successful and established entrepreneur of Siliguri yet a very humble man. He spoke with a warmth and humility that immediately put me at ease. He agreed and asked me to work on a few creatives. This moment, I would later realize, was the true kickstart to my marketing career. Initially, my designs didn’t quite hit the mark. However, Sumit Bhaiya’s constructive criticism was both motivating and educational, guiding me to create work that met his high standards. Gradually, as I honed my skills and earned his trust, he began to offer me more projects from his trading unit, Bhansali Enterprises. We developed his brand, Colour Suraksha, which focused on roofing sheets. Each new assignment was a step forward, a chance to prove my worth and expand my portfolio. The journey didn’t stop there. Sumit Bhaiya’s faith in my abilities led to further collaborations. I assisted with their real estate business, creating compelling visuals that helped elevate their market presence.
This journey was incredibly fulfilling, as I not only honed my skills but also played a part in helping their businesses grow. Most importantly, I found an elder brother in Mr. Sumit Bhansali, whose guidance and support have been invaluable to me.
July 2021
A cafe's table turning to be my office table.
Things were just starting to open up after the first 3 months of COVID, and I was looking for an opportunity to explore. I was tired of working from home and couldn’t see any growth in Jaigaon. I was restless, desperate for growth.
One day, in a moment of frustration, I spoke to Sumit Bhaiya and shared this feeling of helplessness with him. He listened patiently and then, without hesitation, suggested, “Why don’t you shift to Siliguri?” A lot of questions came to my mind It was the middle of a pandemic—what if I got sick? Where would I stay? I would be all alone in the city. I voiced my concerns to him, expecting practical advice.
Instead, Sumit Bhaiya laughed and said, “Pura hotel hai, tu bas aaja.” He offered me a space in one of his restaurants to work from, so I wouldn’t have to worry about co-working space or office rents. He even assured me that if I fell ill, the hotel staff would take care of my every need.
A week after this call, I packed my bags and with lots of motivation, enthusiasm and nervousness moved to Siliguri. Upon arrival, the city felt like a fresh start, an open door to new possibilities. My journey began- I started going to his restaurant, Siliguri Central, at Panitanki More, Siliguri reaching there every day around 9 a.m. Starting my journey at a restaurant was no less than a luxurious experience for me. Whatever I wanted to eat, I could order anything from the menu, free of cost. The good thing was chefs coming for interviews, cooking delicious chinese and sometimes north indian food during their tests, which I got to eat. Sumit Bhaiya had actually instructed all the managers and staff members to treat me like his younger brother and ensure that I was extremely comfortable. I even remember Sumit Bhaiya telling the waiters, “Sharad ko puchlia na?” I couldn’t believe receiving such hospitality and warmth, all thanks to Sumit Bhaiya!
My feeling of gratitude doesn’t just end there. He was also concerned about my growth and even trusted me with his brand, Colour Suraksha. I was given the opportunity to create everything for the brand from scratch, including the logo, guard film, calendar, umbrella, T-shirt design, visiting cards, hoardings, and banners for other retailers, etc. One thing I am utmost grateful for that I made everything first for Sumit Bhaiya, he pushed me into everything from my first brochure for Dwarka Residency Apartment along with the 2D typical floor plans to umbrella designs to social media management, everything. Being the biggest supporter he is, whenever I didn’t have any work, he used to find activities within Bhansali Group which I could perform and earn money.
Sumit Bhaiya started referring me to his friends whenever they visited his restaurant, which I needed the most at that time, he would introduce me to them saying, “Meet Sharad. He’s our Ad man!” I used to laugh a lot! I started receiving different kinds of work from his friends like brochures, logo, banners for big real estate and other companies which motivated me to work harder and learn better! I always wanted to have an elder brother in life, God blessed me with Sumit Bhansali. His premises were more than just a workplace to me, it used to make me feel secure, comfortable and kept my thoughts high and beyond what I could have imagined!
August 2021
Meet my first team mate – Hema Rathi.
Thanks to Sumit Bhaiya, I was flooded with many clients and projects, especially real estate projects. Seeing the amount of work Sumit Bhaiya told me to hire my first to assist with my designing projects. I was quite sceptical in the beginning but I knew I had to find someone.
I started searching for a designer, made a few phone calls, and eventually got connected with one of my school seniors, Hema Rathi.
As I asked her to come for an interview, I had to give a name to my company.
This marks the beginning of the chapter for Primsy India. Staying connected to my roots has always been important to me. The name “Primsy” came from my very first college start up, “Print Made Easy,” which I founded in my second year. Now, “India” finds its place in the name because, well, let’s just say my love for this country runs deep. This venture is not just a business for me; it’s a heartfelt journey rooted in my passion and patriotism.
I had a mixed feeling of awkwardness & excitement when I asked Hema di to come for an interview as she was my school senior and also Primsy’s first teammate. Initially, I wasn’t sure how the collaboration would turn out, but honestly, she was someone who undoubtedly met my expectations with complete acceptance. I remember Hema Di coming to meet me for the first time, and as we sat on the restaurant table with waiters and customers moving all around, I showed her our working environment in action.
In a very short period, I realised how energised and loyal she was towards the growth of our company. Also, not to forget, she suggested creating our WhatsApp group, Primsy India Official, after Siraj Khan (Motion Designer) joined which now has 20+ members.
It’s always said the first few members have to be great, and believe me, I had the finest. We have reached where we are today because of them!
December 2021
Our first office at Terrace with 4 members.
It was around the months of October-November when Sumit bhaiya asked me to search for an office space as my team was growing. The Café table where I started my work was now filled with all first four members, including me. So, it was me, Sharad Agarwal followed by Hema Rathi handling static designs, Siraj Khan in motion designs, and Muskan Agarwal in social media management.
My clients started asking me about getting a GST number to generate original invoices for them. I was really proud of how we started off with premium clients. So now, having my first office wasn’t just a desire, but a need, a necessity for growth!
Looking forward, I somehow interacted with my friend Aashish Agarwal from Singtam, Sikkim, who had a standalone building on Iskcon Road, Siliguri. I asked him if he could hand over a very small space to me as affordability was a big concern. Aashish then showed me his terrace and a small room where I could fit 7-8 members. This would also give me more confidence, having my own space, Primsy’s own space!
When we moved to this office, I had only around INR 75,000 in the bank and INR 5,000 in cash. I feared if I would be able to clear the monthly rent of INR 4,500. The weight of this responsibility was heavy, but I was determined to make it work. Since I didn’t have enough money, Aashish helped me by providing 4-5 chairs and a big table where we could set up our laptops and work. I managed to install our first CCTV camera and a Wi-Fi connection, the bare essentials for our fledgling operation. Sitting for 8-9 hours on aluminium chairs wasn’t easy, but the team at Primsy was tough!
We did it until our next move, to a flat just below the terrace. As I looked around at our new office now, I couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride. We had come a long way from those early days, the journey had been challenging, but the hard work and dedication slowly began to pay off.
April 2022
Primsy India’s first 8 members and first 15 clients.
Slowly, when more clients started coming in, we always kept our hirings on. Gradually, we earned credibility through our hard work and dedication. Each successful project not only solidified our relationships with existing clients but also enhanced our reputation in the industry.
Word of our commitment to quality and innovation began to spread, bringing with it new opportunities and challenges.
Whatever work we received, our intent was to give it our best and do anything possible for our clients. I knew that the quality of work from my early days would be the foundation for a strong and good brand. I was never in a hurry to scale up. Instead, I focused on learning, on finding ways to grow through education and improving the quality of my work. Each project was a lesson, each challenge an opportunity to hone my skills. I poured over every detail, striving for perfection, not just to impress clients but to build something lasting.
As funding grew a bit, so did our ambitions, we wanted to enhance our space. As I’ve always believed in thinking big, I thought about renting a big 1500 sq. ft. flat on rent.
I bought around 10-15 chairs to comfortably accommodate our growing team. It was more than what we needed at the time, but I’ve always held the belief that that if you have space to grow, only then you can grow. If you have room to expand, you will inevitably fill it with new ideas, new energy, and new team members!
September 2022
Greet Twinkle Sharma— Our Operations Head.
Around this month Primsy was facing an issue with management. We were handling at least 16 clients and we needed someone who could address client concerns, understand their requirements, and serve them in the best way possible. What we needed was a great social media manager—someone who was humble, a good listener, and capable of managing the demands of our diverse clientele. Then I came across Twinkle.
Memories down the lane, I and Twinkle, we both grew up in the town of Jaigaon, West Bengal, she was my junior at school and was also a known face as she participated in various events at school like me and was the school captain. My dad and Twinkle’s dad knew each other, so I kind of had an idea about what to expect from her.
During my 1st interaction with her on call regarding the joining, she was finishing her graduation in English Honours from Kolkata. The day she finished her last exam, she travelled all the way to Siliguri.
At the period I wanted someone to work parallelly with me, in the same path as me. The way Twinkle spoke, with such humility, it really fascinated me and I was sure of one thing, whether she would be the right member to work with or not, she would definitely be a good human to grow with.
When Twinkle joined, I was in fever for 3 days and as the management was in a very rough phase, she had no proper guidance. I slowly explained her everything about the workings and felt the warmth from her that everything will be alright.
Twinkle single-handedly managed and took control over the workings of all the 16 clients, when Primsy needed her the most. Twinkle had the calibre and aura to look after everything in my absence and gradually we started calling her our Operations Head, Primsy’s Operation Head!
October 2022
Say Hi to Abhijit- Whose Work Speaks for Him!
October rolled in, and our only motion designer, Siraj Khan, wanted to leave the team at Primsy. I remember requesting Siraj Bhaiya for a month’s notice to find a replacement, but he denied and told me he had already accepted an offer from another firm.
A Hiring Post for Primsy (seeking a motion designer) was already live but I was really worried, I wondered, how will I be able to complete all the tasks without a motion designer! Stress started taking over me. As if on cue, I received a really basic CV at around 10:30- 11:00 pm. What intrigued me was that he attached Primsy’s Logo at the bottom right of his CV. With no other options in sight, I had nothing to lose so, I called him to the office for the interview.
That guy came in looking very timid, very nervous and barely speaking, he shared a link with me which had all his designs, I was a bit surprised looking at them. I asked him, “Are these really designed by you?” to which he replied positively.
I remember saying, “Agar aap sach bol rahe ho toh bahut achi baat hai kuiki designs to bahut ache hai.” On his 1st day, he was assigned with a Chhath Puja creative through which he showed he knew every aesthetics of a good design.
This guy carried a small HP Laptop in which I couldn’t understand how he used after effects and premier pro, and made such good motion graphics, the dedication to do good without any excuse should be learnt from him!
Within 3-4 days of joining, he made a very important coming soon ad campaign video with utmost perfection for The Senses, a real estate project which had to run in prominent regional new channels like Khabar Samay, Siliguri Times etc.
In just 15 days, this guy showed me what he was capable of and exactly why he didn’t speak much, because his work spoke for him. Today, that person- Abhijit Barman, is one of the top motion designers at Primsy.
April 2023
Meet Ankur Saha— One of Primsy’s Motion Magicians!
Around March-April 2023, Primsy was looking for another Motion Graphic Designer. I remember talking to Abhijit Bhaiya about it and asking him if he knew someone who could learn from him, to which Abhijit Bhaiya replied “Bhaiya, there’s someone I know but he’s on a break right now. When he comes, I’ll be the one learning from him.”
Abhijit being one of my most credible designers, it intrigued me. It made me curious and wonder, “What’s so special about this guy that even a credible designer like Abhijit Bhaiya will learn from him?”
On April 1st, that person- Ankur Saha, joined Primsy India. At first his designs seemed pretty normal to me, not that great but not bad either. Then, one day, he was assigned a logo reveal of 2 ½ Mile Cafe which he completed with excellent visual communication, perfect balance of sounds and amazing finishing all keeping in mind the branding. He proved Abhijit right.
In just 10 days, Ankur Bhaiya earned my and everyone’s trust with his excellent communication power and the way he perceived the designs.
With Ankur Bhaiya, Primsy got the confidence that we can create anything and everything. His spark within to learn and make today better than yesterday is unmatched!
August 2023
Introducing you to the Mini-Salesian College at Primsy!
Around the span of May to August, 4 students—Rechal, Shama, Aditi and Payal, from Salesian College, Siliguri joined Primsy. Around that period at least our 6-8 members had left all at once. All I could think about was “Why is this happening?” I started doubting myself a little bit. I kept trying to find out what exactly was going wrong.
Another thing that added to my stress was that these four members were straight out of college, with no idea about what’s going to happen in their futures. They just have one thing in their mind- they wanted to do something great in life and me being an emotional person, I really wanted to help them achieve something.
These 4 members brought happiness and positivity into the office with them. They knew each other from college, and the way they enjoyed, laughed, and giggled together spread a contagiously happy atmosphere. Watching them relish their first job filled me with joy and made me happy.
But it wasn’t just about the laughter and fun. These four transformed the office environment into a happier place for all of us. Every day, they were eager to learn new things, absorbing knowledge and giving back in equal measure.
Rechal, was the among the 1st of the four to join us. To this day, she possesses a remarkable tonality, whoever speaks with her, whether clients or teammates, never feels anything but respected. When Rechal joined, she never joked around with me, she was polite and did whatever she was asked to do in a manner of giving more than what was asked with lots of dedication.
Gradually, she earned a reputation for her reliability. Whenever something was assigned to her, she approached it with passion and discipline. She quickly became someone we could depend on.
Then came Shama and Aditi, infusing Primsy with a spirit of adventure and fun along with an abundance of love. Their arrival marked a new chapter, bringing a lively and infectious energy that brightened my days.
I vividly remember one day, in the month of December, I was really stressed about a work and was not in a very good mood for anyone to talk to me, I had a lot on my plate and was very anxious about getting things done.
I remember having stressful and heated discussions with few of my team members. I went out for few hours and when I came back, I saw a bento cake on my chair alongside a note- “Please always keep smiling!”- it was from them. It was that moment which made me realise there’s more to life than just work, and these people mean more to me than teammates.
Then came Durga Puja, a very hyped festival in Bengal. There wasn’t much work to do at the office that day. Aditi & Shama came to me on behalf of the entire team and pitched the idea of going to a Durga Puja Carnival flashing their bright smiles. Since there wasn’t anything left to do, we started planning.
15 members of Primsy, some on bikes, some on scooties, double-triple loading, all somehow reached the Carnival, carrying our chaotic energy. We went on countless rides, screaming on the Ferris wheel, trying different flavours of ice-creams and just spreading infectious laughter throughout Primsy. Primsy really hadn’t seen anything like this before, an out-of-the-blue plan turned into a Primsy Party. That moment was really special for both Primsy and I.
Talking about Payal, she joined during the Puja’s. Payal is a talker—someone who could fill a room with conversation. She smiles a lot, laughs even more, and has an ability to lift everyone’s spirits simply by entering the room.
These people made me love office like never before, I started enjoying to come to office, I had never been so punctal in office before. Sundays and off days had started to feel empty and lonely. Another heartfelt incident, is the day before Diwali of 2023. The Powerpuff Girls of Primsy (managers) didn’t have much work that day so guess who? Yes- Aditi and Shama walked into my office, requesting- no, ordering- me to get some flowers so that they could decorate the office.
I was a bit unsure and insecure because I felt like the office had just started, it wasn’t even painted, what’s the use? To which my dad told “Whatever they ask for, get it” as he believed that it was Goddess Lakshmi wanting to do something for Diwali. I got the flowers, lights and diyas and all of us decorated the office together, just like the team we are. That moment taught me that even the smallest of actions can create immense happiness.
All these experiences have taught me something or the other and honestly speaking, I’m really grateful to these four members of Salesian, namely- Aditi, Shama, Rechal and Payal for bringing the elements of fun, love & belongingness into the Life of PI!
December 2023
Yunhi Chala Chal Raahi- Dekh Kitni Haseen Hai Yeh Duniya!
On every trip, there’s a friend who cancels the plan. On Primsy’s Kalimpong trip, it was…all of us. We planned, problems came, we changed plans and this kept on happening again and again. We all couldn’t settle on a destination until, finally, Twinkle suggested “Mystic Orchid Retreat”, a place she had visited before. To my surprise, everyone agreed! So now it was final! It was decided- we all were going to Kalimponggg!
On the D-day at 6:00 am all of us, half asleep, reached Panitanki more from where we hailed a ride to Kalimpong. Singing our hearts out all the way we reached. When we reached the resort, there were so many rooms, all of us, especially the girls ran to choose the best ones. The weather was perfect, not too hot, not too cold, we could see clear mountains from our balcony. The resort was beautiful and peaceful, an idyllic escape from our daily routine.
The resort had its own quirk, there were 4-5 floors and the staircases were steep and long, as they often are in the hills. Our rooms were on the top floor, while the dining hall in the ground. By the time we made it down for meals, we were ravenous from the mini trek, and after eating, the climb back up left us hungry again (a bit of a bad joke, I admit).
We spent the day playing cards and Dumb Charades, clicking pictures, and enjoying the property. As it was turning evening, we all were excited for the bonfire. As soon as the bonfire was set up, I turned into the singer and everyone else became my audience. We sang our hearts out together. Slowly our sufi singing sessions turned into disco party. We all danced like no one’s watching. I even picked the speaker up and just danced like there’s no tomorrow. Some of the office members were pranking each other as well.
Then came the next day, some of us woke up early to see the beautiful sunrise, had our breakfast, and then it was time to say goodbye to the place where we had created memories to cherish for a lifetime.
I remember, when I came back from the trip, I told my parents about the trip and how it was the best day of my life in 25 years!
The Kalimpong Trip holds a very special place in my heart, it’s the moment when all of us bonded, had breakfast, lunch and dinner all together and became a family rather than a workforce. It’s an experience, a memory I’ll truly never forget.
December 2023
Happy Birthday, Primsy!
It was the last day of the year and the next day was Primsy’s Birthday. I was in Kalimpong and there was a birthday post for Primsy that was supposed to go live the next day, there were few changes required but since it was the night of 31st December, I couldn’t even ask anyone to work. I had even mentally prepared myself to post it later, after the birthday of Primsy, but then I received a call from Ankur Bhaiya, our motion designer, he wanted to complete all the changes required in the video. (These small gestures speak so highly of a person!)
Now that we had Ankur Bhaiya ready to fix the video, we needed someone to supervise him as well so I called Twinkle. She was in Kurseong at the time but knowing the gravity of the situation herself, she said she’d be there by 7. At 7:00 pm sharp, Ankur and Twinkle met at the office and started working on the changes required. Twinkle and Ankur wanted no less than perfection when it came to Primsy’s birthday.
Hours kept passing by, I even asked them to go home but they refused. I told them we’ll post it on some other day, again they refused. Around 11:30 pm on the night of 31st, they finished the video. Primsy’s birthday meant as much to them as it did to me. That day I again realised, Primsy isn’t just a work team, it’s a family where people have got each other’s back every time.
June 2024
Meet Aditi Goyal – Our and My Growth Head
It was around 10 pm on the 2nd of August when I received Aditi’s CV via mail. It was fully filled with a number of different activities and competitions she had taken part in and won. Though the CV was fully packed, the email had nothing but the pdf containing her CV which intrigued me.
I reached out to her on WhatsApp, not expecting the reply to be a 200-word essay of her introduction and how she can contribute to the company. I ended up giving her a call the next morning, we spoke about her joining period and there she was, right in front of me on 7th of August, just 5 days after we spoke! When she walked into my office and I got to know about her work a little bit more, all it took was 2 minutes for me to offer her the post of a growth manager. Aditi just smiled. She was smart, intellectual, born to be a leader, a good listener. Overall, she was someone who sounded exactly like me.
I know almost all the entrepreneurs will relate when I say this —- “Staying at the top isn’t easy. Many times, you become indecisive and you start thinking about what is correct and what’s not. It’s just too lonely at the top.”
And I remember sharing this same feeling out loud to Aditi. Her reply? She just smiled and said “I know it’s lonely at the top, but we’ll make sure it’s not.” And she proved it. Her first priority was work and helping the company grow with us.
From heading tough assignments, to building that affection towards the company, from winning client’s expectations, to developing as many proposals for pitching new clients to even telling me about the various methods of system development & scaling up – I think all these combined made me hand over the responsibility to Aditi, making her the first and only Growth Head of Primsy India.
June 2024
If India Can Win, So Can Primsy India!
The night of 29th June, 2024, when whole country had assumed that India will lose against South Africa in ICC T20 World Cup seeing their performance, no one knew that India would get back and turn the match around and bring the cup home!
Filled with energy, I remember talking to Aditi after India’s win and saying, “Agar India yeh match jeet sakte, toh Primsy India bhi jeetega!” These were not just mere words but my passion speaking, my trust in myself and my team members that we can and we will achieve anything and everything, with consistency and hardwork!
The journey ahead is only going upwards and onwards!