Pivot. Pivot. PIVOT!

The Story of YJA Day

Every two years, YJA holds a Convention bringing together nearly 1000 Jain youth (ages 14–29), dignitaries, and speakers from around the world. For 2020, we were incredibly excited. This perfect number — one that stands for perfect vision — led us so naturally to the Convention theme: Our 2020 Vision: Progressing with Purpose. Yet the world had different plans for us; with the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping in and forcing us to consider our commitment to the safety and health of our community, continuing with our original, elaborate plans quickly went back to a dream. Instead, we hit many firsts: navigating contract cancellations, restructuring our 41-person Convention Committee, and giving birth to a new concept: YJA Day.

The entire process was a winding roller coaster ride, and at its helm were four incredibly dedicated individuals: our 2020 Co-Chairs. Join us as we talk to them about their experience.

What was going through your head when the whole country essentially went into quarantine?

Parshva: There’s two big things that go through your head at a moment like that. I remember the first questions that started running through my head were along the lines of “Could I have caught the virus? Should I be going home to my family like everyone else is? What if I have it and I spread it to them accidentally?” However, we were simultaneously months into the planning process for (and just 3–4 months away from) holding an 800-person Convention in Dallas, not to mention the three remaining regional retreats across the country. Where was that line between the optimism that we could still hold our flagship in-person events for our youth and the possible risk to attendees, volunteers, and speakers’ health and safety? Looking back, it’s easy to tell that it would’ve been better to take the more prudent approach, but at the time there was so much uncertainty and hope that maybe we could resume normal life soon.

Where was that line between the optimism that we could still hold our flagship in-person events for our youth and the possible risk to attendees, volunteers, and speakers’ health and safety?

Can you walk us through the experience of making the decision to go virtual? What were the variables to consider? Was there internal disagreement? How did you negotiate in a time of unprecedented uncertainty?

Avish: The decision essentially boiled down to one question: can we safely hold this Convention without putting a single attendee in harm’s way? All of us were generally on the same page that if we could not firmly answer that question with a yes, then we would either postpone indefinitely or cancel the event entirely. As simple as that question may seem, there were multiple factors involved including the hotel layout, COVID-19 case counts and projections, travel restrictions, utilization of the Convention Committee, and community sentiment. We had weekly calls from March-May with our Board of Trustees and a group of external advisors who were subject matter experts in areas we needed recommendations. At times we definitely had different opinions on the best ways to negotiate and execute; however, we always had the best interests of our community in mind. Some people did reach out during those initial weeks and suggest we should cancel right away. Navigating community engagement and trying to process everything that was happening was not easy, especially when there was an incredible amount of uncertainty; no one truly knew in March/April (after talking with public health experts) what the situation would be like in July. As the certainty rose in mid-May that the pandemic would continue through the summer and well into the fall/winter, that’s when we fully transitioned to a virtual setting for YJA Day and decided to part ways with the in-person Convention.

What did you hope to accomplish with YJA Day and do you think you were able to achieve it?

Simmi: When we shifted focus to figuring out “what comes next” for our committee and all the effort we’d poured into Convention planning, we found ourselves with an opportunity to leave an impact on our community in a way unlike ever before. Transitioning over to a virtual environment enabled us to spread our reach farther and engage more people than we’ve ever been able to. The summer saw a reinvigorated BLM movement and a concurrently worsening pandemic, all as we began to formulate our vision for YJA Day. I hoped that we, as a spirited and re-energized arm of the organization, could take what the world was giving us and utilize YJA Day as a space for our community to come together, reflect, and explore very real issues facing our generation. YJA has always sought to provide excellent session speakers at our biennial Conventions, but now we had the chance to extend the invite to a potentially massive audience — over 1,100 people as it turned out! With a wide range of session topics, including the pandemic, interfaith, social and environmental justice, and the coexistence of religious and LGBTQ+ identities, we provided a platform for speakers to connect with our audience on discussions relevant to their collective experiences as Jains in America and across the world. And of course, it would be remiss if we didn’t talk about how we managed to keep the convention spirit alive with our YJA Convention hotel-themed escape room and the YJAWorld Community Showcase & Mixtape. All in all, YJA Day was everything we hoped it could be, and more.

What are you proudest of from this past year?

Vatsal: Our Convention Committee had people of all ages and backgrounds. We had 18 year-olds for whom this would’ve been a first experience and 25+ year-olds for whom this would’ve been the last. When we decided to cancel the Dallas convention, we weren’t sure how they would react and how motivated they would be to continue working towards the virtual convention. Not only did our entire team stay strong throughout the cancellation process, but they also came back even stronger during May and June to help plan some amazing weekly virtual events leading up to YJA Day in July. The resilience and togetherness that our convention committee showed throughout the most difficult times, and the sacrifices they all made despite knowing that we were not going to have a Dallas convention — that’s what I’m most proud and thankful for.

Describe your convention committee experience in one word.

Simmi: Family; These 41 dinguses (what we lovingly called our committee members) are the most resilient group of people I’ve ever worked with, and I’m lucky to have gotten close to them. They’ve taught me so much about life and living, I’m endlessly grateful for the time I got to spend with them.

Parshva: Trust; With so much uncertainty along every step of the way, trust was the only way we were able to make it through this arduous journey. The four of us needed to trust not only our 41-person team to stick around for this new experience but also each other and ourselves that we could make the right decisions and pivots at each step of the way.

Vatsal: Unforgettable; Yes, a Convention in Dallas would have undoubtedly been a memorable experience for all of us. But what we went through together this past year as a team, as an organization, and as a community was absolutely unforgettable.

Avish: Magnifying; as it’s often said, “everything is bigger in Texas.” Before the pandemic, we were trying to push the boundaries with regards to Convention attendees, creative schedules, food logistics, an exquisite ballroom atmosphere, etc. Once the pandemic hit, the magnifying mindset didn’t change but simply pivoted. Many things that normally wouldn’t have been explored were magnified to great lengths — fully remote work, all-virtual programming, experience building while not being able to be physically together, etc. It was an incredible opportunity and experience to define, build, and iterate multiple new things for this organization while still staying true to our values and members. Looking back, I’m so proud of the team’s ability to keep pushing on the original mission, while pivoting so well to adapt to a new reality for our beloved community.

What did you learn about your own leadership style this year?

Parshva: One of the biggest lessons I took away from this year was that being a leader doesn’t necessarily mean setting a working style that works for you and shaping others to fit the mold that you’ve envisioned; rather, it requires adapting to the various working styles of those around you while also maintaining your own vision of the end goal. Each committee, and each member, had a different dynamic in how they worked together, interacted with others, and accomplished deliverables, and I found that much of our job was helping to translate and bridge those various puzzle pieces together across the various committees. Finding ways to adapt our own leadership styles was often difficult, but it produced some of the best opportunities for personal growth and development.

What were some of the personal, professional sacrifices you had to make to do your job to the best of your ability?

Vatsal: I have always said that being Co-Chair felt like having a second job. Having served on the Executive Board as a Director before, and then serving strictly as an Executive Board Co-Chair for the first couple of months of the 2019–2020 term, I had an idea of what we were getting ourselves into. But once the Convention Committee kicked into full gear, it definitely took our commitment up a notch. Because every decision, every social media post, every announcement needed the Co-Chairs’ involvement, review, and approval, it was crucial to make ourselves available as much as possible. There were times when these review requests came in the middle of the day due to others’ availability, and then there were times where we had to go through lengthy decision-making calls late into the nights, all of which required numerous sacrifices. While we were respectful of each other’s professional and personal lives, it did require us to sacrifice our evenings, weekends, and sometimes even early mornings for YJA so that we could keep moving forward with the planning process. And even though this often meant less time for us to spend with friends and family, I would not hesitate to say that the sacrifices we made were every bit worth it.

What are some lessons you learned from each other?

Simmi: The four of us, myself and my three Co-Chairs, have been to hell and back this year, probably multiple times if we’re being real. And with every hurdle faced, they’ve each taught me something about leadership in the moments that I’ll carry with me forever past this experience. Avish taught us the importance of patience; sparing just a few extra minutes, sometimes hours, for fine-tuning often saved us from making costly mistakes. Our output this past year was phenomenal on so many levels, and much of that was only possible after much diligence, attention to detail, and never settling for anything but the very best. Vatsal was cool as ice in some of the tensest moments, and the impact of his collected composure ensured that we always put our best foot forward and did right by our committee members and attendees. Beyond that, he demonstrated how a situation gone awry can be brought under control by refocusing on the right priorities. Lastly, Parshva taught us the importance of lightheartedness and nurturing a fun, enjoyable environment for everyone to do their best work and be the best version of themselves.

Vatsal: When we formed our Convention Committee in December of 2019, one of the immediate thoughts in my mind was how I was going to add meaningful value to our team. Not only was this my first Convention Committee, but my Co-Chairs collectively had enough Executive Board and Convention Committee experience between them that you’d need two hands to count all the boards. Needless to say, I was in awe but also nervous at the same time. What I hadn’t anticipated however was how much of a fun, amazing, and enlightening experience the next few months would be. I learned so much from my fellow Co-Chairs about the organization and our flagship event while I tried to contribute with my fair share of experience as a past attendee and as an “outsider.” Avish taught me how to be a sheer professional, paying attention to detail and showing prudence with our approach to the planning process. Simmi taught me how to make and maintain good personal relationships, all the while getting work done responsibly and with accountability. Parshva taught me about efficient, effective, and intelligent management while also cultivating a culture that was so enjoyable to be a part of. Altogether, these three people taught me so much about Jainism, leadership, teamwork, and above all, friendship, and I am forever indebted to them for this experience of a lifetime.

Avish: Over the course of the nine months, from day one until we put up our hats, each day presented a new learning experience through from the work, the situations, the people who surrounded us, or the random curveball that was thrown at us (think: the dumpster fire that is 2020). Even though we annoyed each other in more ways than one can imagine (take a moment to think what might happen when you spend an average of 15+ hours per week after the regular workday with the same three people on Zoom before Zoom became a household name), it’s an experience I would not give back for anything, and we left our impact on each other in multiple ways — many of which we may not even realize to this day, months later. Parshva continuously reminded me of the importance of creating an energetic, fun environment and adapting our own role to cater to each team member’s mindset and strengths. Vatsal was the one who didn’t blink an eye under pressure and taught us how to stay focused on our overall goals of serving our community. Lastly, Simmi brought every drop of sweat and tears humanly possible to the table with whatever task, role, and conversation she participated in and made sure we all did the same to make the best of any situation. All in all, even though in these days of retirement where we are no longer be spending hundreds of hours together on Zoom until 3 AM (ya know… arguing about whether we should post at 2 PM or 2:30 PM) or vigorously conversing on Slack (queue: “threadbot” @Parshva), the learnings that transpired will stay with us long after we only have gray hairs, and I’m so grateful to have been one of the four bases in this DNA molecule where its bond will truly never break.

Parshva: It’s hard to start in one place because the four of us constantly developed throughout the year and learned from each others’ successes and failures in changing the way we approached every situation, but I’ll pinpoint a few of the lessons I think truly changed my view of leadership. From Vatsal, I learned that it’s the personal relationships that make the difference — it’s easy to get caught up in tunnel visioning only on deliverables and deadlines, but spending the time to truly get to know each and every person you work with on a personal level makes a big difference in the culture and environment, and that was one thing Vatsal managed to do so naturally day-in and day-out. From Simmi, I learned that passion for what you are doing results in the most impactful experiences. From even before day one of the planning process, I’ve seen Simmi pour every ounce of her being into every task, big or small, she took on, whether that was planning a small retreat or an incredible social event at the Convention, and the inspiration this has on others around her was incredibly evident. Lastly from Avish, I learned that if you haven’t got a haircut for three months, wearing a cap is an easy way to hide it (just kidding, sorry). Avish showed me how even in the most stressful and emotional situations, taking a step back to breathe, think rationally, and take time is incredibly important and results in better outcomes. Overall, these three Co-Chairs showed a 22-year old kid that no matter what obstacles we faced, this friendship is a bond that will truly last a lifetime.