The Job
I think beauty and personal care in India is still in its infancy — there’s just so much value and awareness that will be created in the next decade — that it’s a true privilege to play a role in this revolution. India has been a brand-starved market in this aspect — but it’s all set to change. It’s this energy and sense of urgency that I see reflected in the SUGAR Cosmetics’ team of nearly 500 across the country that I love the most about my work. A caveat here is that unfortunately, this industry has seen a lot of fear-based selling and outrageous claims — hopefully, as the customers become more aware and brands across the board become more responsible — this will change and we will see less of this.
The Weekdays
Now that we’re back to work, I look forward to the no-agenda chats and impromptu corridor ideations — which is what builds culture in any organisation. While I love the flexibility of video calls, there’s no substitute for hunkering down across a table to solve a problem and churn out ideas at speed for a fast-moving organisation like ours. Whiteboard discussions energise me and if that gets too heavy, there’s always music to fall back on.
The Weekend
Weekends are mostly for purging me of the guilt of not being able to spend enough time with the kids during the week and some personal time to run or cycle and catch up on basic fitness. Apart from this, I try to block some time to spend with other entrepreneurs building in different spaces to share and learn from their experiences.
The Toys
I have always had a fascination for trying out the latest content creation apps and gadgets — during some of my earlier triathlon races I’ve completed the swim-cycle-run routine with a GoPro strapped to me. In recent times, I’ve been experiment-ing with 360-degree cameras and have fun learning and experimenting with new techniques. Also, road bikes — I ride a Specialised Roubaix and it’s one of the few experiences that takes me away from the noise to allow me to think through things that have a risk of weighing me down.
The Logos
I’ve always seen brands as an extension of my personality — there are things that a few brands stand for that seem so aspirational that there is an innate desire to touch, feel and experience the brand — every day of your life. Nike has always been my go-to brand for running shoes — having read the backstory of the founder, Phil Knight and his crusade to upstage a much larger competitor, Adidas — it’s a classic David vs Goliath story that would inspire any entrepreneur. Other brands whose stories I am inspired by are Apple, Red Bull, Coke Studio and if you consider people as brands — then I’ll add Richard Branson, Barack Obama and Gary Vaynerchuk to the list.
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