People say restlessness is bad. But for me, that’s precisely what keeps me going. From childhood, I was one of those kids who wanted to do everything… academics, sports, theatre, reading… everything. Not that I became a connoisseur of any one skill, but this constant quest to explore, experiment and try different things gave me one of the most important aspects of my life: a much broader PERSPECTIVE! You do different things, travel to different places, meet a diverse set of people, and what you ultimately gain is perspective. It changes the way you look at things and, over time, makes you more aware, more evolved.

Professional Journey

If you are an engineering graduate and in the last semester of an MBA course, the only ambition you have is to get placed in one of the top five companies coming to campus. I got placed with the first company that visited our campus. The company was one of the biggest names in the consumer durables industry, LG Electronics India.

But it’s not the placement; it’s what happened after that…

One year into the company, I realised that being in a product-based organisation, where the end consumer interacts primarily with channel partners, my conversations and, consequently, my thought exchanges, would largely remain limited to internal customers. The future learning would largely remain within the same domain.

What did I do??

Left the job without a job in hand. Yes, I did that.

First company to hit the campus. Selected from 400-odd students. Celebrated with friends and family. Overjoyed. All of that happened. But the fact remained, I left it with no job in hand.

Good Decision or a Bad Decision ???

Honestly, it was one of the best decisions of my life. Not an easy decision to make, but the best one for sure. My strengths were different, the things I found joy in were different, and my calling was different. I wanted something that could give me the opportunity to learn about different industries, interact with people from varied backgrounds and understand the world through their perspectives. I was looking for media, advertising agency or consultancy work, as these were the only profiles that, at that point, seemed capable of giving me the exposure I was seeking.

After giving it a lot of thought, I jumped into an ocean called ‘RADIO’.

RADIO : Theater of Mind

2007 – Radio was beginning to take shape as one of the most powerful forces in the broadcast industry. New stations were being launched, and I was fortunate enough to get an opportunity to work with a station that was going to become the first private FM station in that location. Though I was an entry-level executive, my inquisitiveness and keenness to learn helped me look beyond my immediate role and understand the bigger picture. Since then, it’s been more than 20 years of radio.

The medium fascinates me with the sheer range of possibilities it offers. This is probably the only medium that talks to many, yet has the ability to have an intimate conversation with each one of them. It’s personal, non-intrusive, and has the power to influence. For any brand communicating with its TG, the environment in which the content is consumed is of immense importance. Radio’s inherent local nature creates that familiar environment, where the probability of a consumer responding to a partnering brand’s message is at its highest. So, the medium works beautifully for both, advertisers and content consumers.

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with three of the biggest names in the radio space. Radio Mirchi – TOI Group, Red FM – Sun Networks and MY FM – Dainik Bhaskar Group.

Different organisations. Different markets. Different people. Different challenges.

I have worked across different locations, explored new territories & met people from completely different industries. The job meant amplifying an existing setup, building something from scratch or putting the right structure in place and making sure it continues to thrive, irrespective of market conditions or the external environment.

And then there are the people.

Direct teams. Cross-functional colleagues. Decision makers. Customers. Partners.

A wonderfully diverse set of people, each bringing a different perspective to the table. And I genuinely enjoy that part of my work.

Because, at the heart of it, I like building. I like creating. I like taking something that doesn’t exist or isn’t working as well as it could and making it better.

Maybe that’s the same restlessness I started with as a child.

The difference is, I now know what to do with it.

People call me a workaholic.

But when you love what you do, it doesn’t always feel like work.

And I intend to keep exploring, creating, learning and building…

until I become:

“The Next Best Version of Me!”