Weekends are all about down time. After a week full of work to meet deadlines, everybody needs some breather to relax and recuperate. From watching a favourite web-series to planning a vacation, weekends are designated as family and me time. Pankaj Jathar, vice president and country head- India- Etsy., talks to BrandWagon Online about his weekends, favourite vacation destination and more.
What is the one thing you like to do when not working?
I am a motorbike enthusiast. I own three bikes and every time I get the chance, I like to go on long bike rides with friends or by myself. With the kind of time I have, I mostly get to ride within the city but I’m always looking for opportunities to ride to new terrains.
Most recently, I added a new bike to my collection so these days I’m busy exploring its ins and outs.
How do you spend your weekends?
I am an early riser. On most weekends I’m up before my family and use that time to go for an early morning bike ride where I usually pick up breakfast or grab some coffee. The rest of the day is spent with my family or doing chores around the house and catching up on some reading.
What are your favorite gadgets?
I can’t do without my iPad. For me it’s all encompassing. I use it for reading, for watching shows and movies and mostly everything.
I am also a huge music lover and my B&O speakers are always on in the background providing the musical uplift I need to keep going through the day.
Given an option to choose another career, what would it be?
I’m an amateur DJ and play for family and friends at gatherings. I was told that I have a good ear for music and the knack for being able to make everyone enjoy, through the songs I play. Encouraged by this feedback, I tried to explore this a little more and bought a DJ set around three years ago. I went on to learn the nuances through online tutorials.
I also love mountaineering. I try to go on treks whenever time permits. The last one I did was the Everest Base Camp trek which I found exhilarating. I always wish I had more time to pursue this.
So yes, if I could choose a different career path, I would either be a DJ or a mountaineer.
Which is your favorite vacation spot?
Without a doubt, it would be Goa. I love the sea and Goa has a very inviting vibe with its music, culture and food. I make about two trips to Goa every year.
One is during the India Bike Week when I bike from Bangalore to Goa along with friends who are also bikers.
The other is with my family. My wife and kids also love Goa since it offers something for everyone, so we make it a point to go there once a year for our annual family vacation.
A TV show, movie, and an ad campaign that you highly recommend watching.
A TV show that I really enjoyed is ‘James May: Our Man in Japan’. It’s hilarious and provides great insights into the uncharted haunts of Japan. An interesting watch to sit back and relax with after a long day.
I am a big sci-fi fan so a movie that I would definitely recommend for sci-fi lovers like me would be Inception. I think it’s one of the better made sci-fi films of our time with incredible production quality, direction and storyline.
An ad campaign that I would highly recommend watching is Etsy’s global holiday campaign for 2022, ‘Etsy has it’ that highlights how sellers on Etsy have one-of-a-kind gifts for all kinds of relationships and catering to all kinds of budgets. The two ads under this campaign, ‘To the New Parents’ and ‘To the Travelers,’ portray stories of how people give personalized and meaningful gifts whether as a grand gesture or in a small quiet moment.
Another campaign that I’m looking forward to is Etsy’s ‘Add to Heart’ campaign for India during Valentine’s Day.