#sg100peopletothank

Thank you, Pradeep (11)

Post 11 of #sg100peopleToThank. More about this series is here. I started this in April and then as things got busy, I sort of forgot about it. Until I was cleaning Asana and saw that I had decided I will write 100 thank you letters. And here I am!

Thank you, Pradeep!

So, Pradeep Daniel. I don’t even know how to describe him as. Before I try to talk about him, lemme give context. At a point in time, I used to work with this events agency as the client servicing / strategy person and Pradeep was the head of the creative team. As two senior resources of the company, we often had to work closely on various projects. And like all other colleagues that work closely, we’ve shared some great times. And not so great times.

Of course, Pradeep moved on. And then I did. And there was no reason to stay in touch but like those old warhorses that gather together to relive their battles, Pradeep and I meet often (about once in two years when I am in the same city as he) and talk about the times gone by.

So, now that you know who he is, lemme try and describe him. Try is the keyword. He is one of his kind. I know this is a cliche and the writer in him would cringe at this. The supervisor in him will ridicule me and ask me to rework the copy and the friend in him will encourage me to think harder. He is not just a senior. He is a friend. To everyone that knows him.

This still does not do justice to who Pradeep is. Lemme try harder. Maybe Pradeep is someone who could write so well that his email could move you to tears? I remember reading one of his emails when he wanted leave. I distinctly remember wanting to be his driver and drop him to his hotel with my own very hands. In fact, I would look forward to reading his emails – even if they were for work. They were pieces of art. If I were him, I would put those emails on an exhibition. If nothing else, I would publish a book.

Of course, he is more than a writer. Lemme try harder, as he would say.

Maybe Pradeep is that original multitasker who taught me that I need to be able to write copy, make my own artworks, get the damn thing printed, ensure that prints have come out alright and follow up with the Production team till those are put up at the event venue! Maybe it is the time that I spent with Pradeep that has made me chase this multitaskness! May be secretly I hate him for being so good that all my life I’ve chased his benchmarks!

Maybe he is someone who taught me that I ought to enjoy those long rides home from work (I lived some 50 KMs away from the office. Pradeep, another 10 or so beyond that). In fact, Pradeep made those rides fun (the drive otherwise is way too long, too drab, too monotonous and too tiring). If not for Pradeep, I think I would’ve quit Gravity long before I eventually quit.

Maybe he is someone who had the balls to stand up to two super-smart, super-opinionated, super-intelligent people that he reported to. You know that unstoppable force hitting an immovable object? Pradeep was that force. Suvi and Anna were that object. You can not imagine the intensity of that explosion. And of course, on the way back home, he would glow in the, well, afterglow. And I would catch some radiation. And, well, radiate.

Maybe he is a magician under the garb of a human being – he has answers to all the life’s questions and mysteries. May be is Calvin and he is pulling a fast on us by posting Calvin posts on his Instagram feed all day long. Maybe he is the hero we all need (but do not deserve).

You get the drift. That’s Pradeep Daniel for you. Thank you, Pradeep. For being you.

Oh, and I have a confession to make. I am guilty of often overlooking the contributions made by Pradeep because there was Suvi around. Each is different. Each is important. But as it happens often, the polite one tends to fly under the radar. Like Pradeep did. I know this is too late and too little. But I have to put this on paper. Pradeep, thank you!

Till we meet next, Daniel San!

Love,
SG

Others posts in this series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Thank you, Suvi!

Post 10 of #sg100peopleToThank. More about this series is here.

Thank you, Suvi!
So, before the long post, here’s a short one. If I could thank just 3 people in the whole wide world, Suvi would be one. That’s the size of the impact that he’s had on me and my life.

Lemme start with how I met him.

Way back in 2009, I was doing this startup thing with Kunal and that wasn’t going anywhere and we were down to the last few rupees in our accounts and we did not know what to do. I wrote an email to MDI alumni group (no I don’t have the balls to go back and read what I wrote) and sought advice. Or maybe I was seeking gainful employment. I don’t recall now. Of the few people that wrote back, Suvi was one. He said something like, “I run an events agency and the very nature of the business makes it tough to hire great people. You are from MDI, you must be great. Let’s meet and see where it goes.” Lemme reiterate. I don’t know the exact words he used or what he intended. This is what I recall.

Note. Suvi hadn’t met me. He just assumed that I am great, just because I was from MDI. Branding. Affiliation. So, attach yourself to great brands.

And I go to meet him. With the thought in my head, what is an event manager and who the fuck does events after passing out of MDI? And that too at Gurgaon, some 52 KMs one way from where my parents live/lived. I told myself that Suvi’s been kind enough to respond to my email. Lemme go meet him and then come back. You know, formality.

Note. Always, always, always respect what others do for you. Especially if they are strangers.

I did not know I was gonna be so wrong.

My first memory of him is that he’s in office, in this conference room, yelling on some client (I now know who that client was) about the client trying to negotiate a smaller fee for a project. I remember Suvi telling the client curtly, in Hindi, that he is a professional and he will charge a certain fee for a project to be worth his time. The client could choose to work with him. Or can go find alternative event managers. And then he hung up, turned to me and politely asked, “samosa khaega?”

And he had me at Samosa.

Not a fancy salary, not a promise of a great future. But a measly Samosa. At 7 PM. In an office in one of the bylanes of Udyog Vihar in Gurgaon.

That one Samosa led to me working for Suvi for about 4 years (till 2014 I think) and some freelance gigs post that (the last one was a year or so ago I think). In these 4 years and beyond, I have seen him at the highest highs when the event goes like clockwork and at the deepest lows when nothing seems to be working at an event! Yeah, even the masters have an off day.

And I have travelled the world (some 25 countries if not more) with him. From the sand dunes in Dubai to the top of the Whistler mountains, from posh parties at LKF to bar hopping at the walking streets all over Thailand, from the upcoming towns of India like Surat and Cochin and others to cultural capitals of the world like Paris and Budapest and others. From large hotels on the beaches of Goa to tiny rooms near the Coral Reef at Cairns. I have been so fortunate to have immersed in so many vivid experiences and learned from so many diverse cultures. And I have gained the experience that no school could ever teach me!

Note. If you are a 20-year old, go work for something that makes you travel like mad. It’s the best education ever.

And I have been at the backstage with celebrities, athletes, businessmen, motivational speakers, talent agents, artists and others. And I have seen their human side. I have seen them shake at the prospect of addressing a crowd, even though their day job is to motivate people. I have seen insecurities in their otherwise stoic countenance (who uses words like these?). I have seen the idea of my heroes getting shattered. And I have found respect for people that I would typically ignore. You know, how some people are invisible?

And most importantly, I learned EVERYTHING I know about the business of events from Suvi. And because of Suvi’s patronage, I’ve been able to create C4E and all the aspirations that I have with it (for the record, C4E will NOT end as just an event agency – we would be a full-stack entertainment company).

So, thank you, Suvi.
For everything.

Thank you for being that patient teacher to a kid who’s always chasing the next shiny thing. I remember the times when I’ve fought with you for tiny things like sharing a room with an unknown crew member. And I remember the times when I let go of all emotions and let you charter the course of my career with you. As I look back, I can recall the tantrums I’d thrown. I am surprised that you didn’t throw me out!

Thank you for giving me a long leash that has allowed me to wander to the end of the world and come back richer and smarter and wiser (I hope).

Thank you for taking me under your wings, even though I had no clue what the events business was and yet you allowed me to make mistakes. Mistakes like losing money for the company, getting rude with the clients and often taking risky bets. And each time, Suvi, you told me to take a lesson and move on. In fact, thanks to this learning that has been ingrained in me, I try and offer an even longer leash to people who’ve chosen to put their faith in me and chosen to work with me.

Note. In life, if you find a boat that is going fast and going for the greatest ocean, attach yourself to it. Do whatever it takes to be a part.

In fact, thanks to you, Suvi (and Gravity), I have met some of the most important people in my life. I don’t know how to make a list but it would include people like, in no order, Dipanker, Renu Maam, Sanjiv, Shailendra, Pradeep, Meghna, Anna, Praveen, Komal, Sonu, Tinku, Girish, Sandeep, Rishi, Piyush, Deepali, Ashu, Solo, Nikhil and so many more. At a point, I was working with about 100 people on a regular basis and I know I have missed scores of names – these were just from the top of my head. All these people started as colleagues, suppliers, clients, vendors and others. And eventually became friends. With time, most have drifted away but thank God I remain friends with a handful! But then, I cherish the time I spent with each of them and once in a while I do reminisce about the good old days!

Thanks to Suvi, I got access to more people that were hoping to hire event managers. Vijesh met me because he wanted an event manager for an event. Shatrujeet wanted to talk to me for an event. Harshit is friends with me because he wrote into an event manager, aka me! RaJ wanted something to do with events and met me. C4E happened because Rajesh wanted someone to do a freelance event for him. There are many more doors that have opened for me because I was with Suvi.

Thanks to Gravity, I could make friends with other professionals in the events business and pick their brains.

Thanks to time at Gravity, I could teach at EMDI. Teaching is a big big theme for me in life. And if not for Gravity I wouldn’t be able to take a step in the direction. I would have remained oblivious to my limitations as a teacher. And thus, try and become better!

Note: If you can, teach. Has to be among the most humbling and enriching experiences ever.

Phew! I am tired of this note. The list of things that Gravity and Suvi did to me is literally endless. The impact that Suvi has had on me is immeasurable.

I want to end this by saying Thank you. For everything. And for the good times and the bad. For the flowers and the brickbats.

Thank you, Suvi!
Love you to bits.

That’s about it. And a lot at the same time :).

Thank you, Suvi. I shall remain indebted to you for life.

Regards,

Others posts in this series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

PS: Wrote this the morning after an event that, let’s just say, wasn’t my best. Thing is, I am emotionally attached to my work and every project that does not do well, I get home sad, depressed, tired, even hurt. When I realised that the project wasn’t going the way it should have been, of all the people in the world, I thought of Suvi! That’s the kind of impact he’s had on my thinking, my life and how I work. And now that I have seen some other managers, I don’t think I’d ever want to be anyone else, but Suvi’s protégé. If there is a role like that 🙂

Oh, and Suvi told this to Dipanker once, that after an event, once you sit in the car to go home, you must forget what happened at the event – if it were great, good for you; if it were fuckall, good for you. You need to get detached. You must leave the event behind at the venue.

If not for this lesson, I would get drowned in the misery and fell down a rabbit hole of self-doubt!

PPS: Someone told that while these thank you notes are great, there has to be a tangible lesson, a takeaway for the reader. I like the idea. I have tried to insert some notes in between the text. Those are in italics and are titled “note.” Do revisit those.

Oh, and one large thing that I want you to take away from Suvi’s impact on my life is that often, just a handful of people will play a disproportionately large role in shaping your life. This could be because they take an active interest in your life. Or it could be because they give you opportunities that you otherwise would not get. Or it could be the mere fact that you spent time with them and picked things as you went along.

You ought to find those people. And put your faith in those. Live is way too long for you to get attached to your ego. No one is self-made. No one has “done it by himself”. Anyway, we are stuck on this Pale Blue Dot for a speck of time. Let go of aham and see the magic unfold.

And how do you find such people? You may not be able to pinpoint who these people are but try and spot patterns – who takes an active interest in your career? Who makes you feel comfortable when you talk to them? Who gives you a disproportionately large space of their mind? Who is generous without expecting anything in return? Who is always there to help you? You know what am saying?

Thank you, Vijesh!

Post 9 of #sg100peopleToThank. More about this series is here.

Thank you, Vijesh!
Vijesh Sharma. Yet another friend, philosopher, senior from MDI that I am very grateful to have access to.

I first met Vijesh when I was working at Gravity.
He needed someone to organise his 8th birthday party. Really. 8th. I gave him some inputs and he thought they were thoughtful and interesting. From there on started this series of interactions, that has made my life tangibly better. Each interaction has been a learning experience. And every time I speak with Vijesh, I get out of the room with tons of optimism, hope, positive energy and enthusiasm. The world looks like a great place and I want to go out and win it all!

Thank you, Vijesh for being the North Star.

One thing that I will never forget from interactions with Vijesh?
Vijesh and I were in Dubai last year – I was on a break from life and work and Vijesh was participating in some exhibition. After a long day, we were sitting in a hotel lobby and talking about things.

As it happens often when I speak to Vijesh, the conversation moved to life purpose and all that. And he asked, what do you want to do in life? And I blurted something like, “I want to work on the cutting edge. I want to create new things that make the world a better place”. I honestly don’t recall what I said but it would be in this zone.

Vijesh asked me, “Where do you think these things exist?”

I said, “Not in India for sure. Maybe Silicon Valley.”

Vijesh said, “I am going to make you an offer and I will make it one time only. And I will never revisit again. You can either take it or leave it.” He then said, “If you have the balls, leave everything and move to the US of A today. Now. I will pay for the flight. You already have the visa. Go figure. Spend 3 months, 6 months, hustle and see where you end.”

I was speechless. I tried to stutter things like rationality, parents, responsibilities and all that. I even said lemme sleep over it and take a more patient and grounded decision. Vijesh shut me up by saying that time is running out and if you can’t decide where you want to be, soon, you would have lost out. He said that by thinking too much you let your gut lose to reason. And reason never ever moved the world forward!

Any guesses what I chose?

The greatest lesson I’ve learnt from him?

He said the way someone treats a person (could be any person) is EXACTLY the way that person will treat you. You may be the best friend, the greatest employee, a neighbour, a stranger or whatever. And rather than looking at patterns of great behaviour and all that, look for anomalies. Look for exceptions.

Lemme give an example. Let’s take this hypothetical person, Ms Ganga. You know, most days Ms Ganga is the kindest human being ever. And you know that on her bad days, Ganga tends to resort to convenient lies. And you are ok with it. There are ups and downs! And here’s the lesson. You have to know that while she could be your best friend, at some point in time she would lie to you as well! To make her life convenient and easy.

You ought to try and spot patterns. Of predictable behaviour and of exceptions. You ought to know that the way the other person operates with others, is the same way s/he will operate with you.

And the other thing, become a person with zero anomalies. Your behaviour has to be so consistent, so predictable that even a stranger can vouch for it! It has to become your brand! That!

Thing is, with each interaction that I’ve had in life, I have seen this one tip, one lesson, one prophecy from Vijesh proving to be true time and again! Long-term partners have cheated on me. Romantic interests have swayed. And of course, there are positives. Kind people have showered me with love and affection and attention.

I don’t think I can ever forget this lesson. I just hope that I become the kind of person that everyone wants to get into engagement with.

Thank you, Vijesh for this. And thank you for all the mindspace, help and inputs. And apologies for not taking up the offer of the lifetime. I hope I do reach the cutting edge, in my own way 🙂

Wish you all the best 🙂

With all respect,
Saurabh Garg

Others posts in this series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

PS: Posting after a few days. Which is ok. As long as I reach at least 100 thank yous.

Thank you, Ashish!

Post 7 of #sg100peopleToThank. More about this series is here.

Thank you, Ashish
Ashish Biswas is a filmmaker (some of his work is on Vimeo) and storyteller. And is also an MDI Gurgaon Alumni and that’s how I know Ashish (he was a senior at college). And this is one of those million things that I am thankful to MDI for. If you can attend a business school, please do. The people that you meet there will add so much to your life that you would come out a changed person.

Coming to Ashish. So, he was a year senior at MDI and thus we were on a first name basis.

Lemme narrate an incident. This goes back almost 10 years, if not more. There was this time when Amit (Sharma, a classmate from MDI) and I were in Mumbai and we were really struggling to balance our ambition and reality.

Reality – he and I were in jobs that paid ok, was ok in terms of work but it was far far from the kind of stories we wanted to tell. I don’t remember where was Amit but I was either with GE or with CLA or with Gravity.

Ambition – tell stories that made ordinary people into heroes and gave the message of hope and all that.

To both of us (Amit and I), Ashish was someone who was living it up. He had quit his cushy job to “struggle” and make films. And he was the only person we knew who was doing anything that was remotely related to things we wanted to work on.

So we met him at the rooftop canteen of a post-production studio (I still remember it was at the Gold’s Gym building at Pali – that time there was no Gold’s Gym) and while I don’t remember the specifics, I remember a thing that Ashish told me. After all these years, that thing has stayed with me till date. He said, “mehnat karega to there is no way you will not reach where you want to reach.”

This is a way too polished version, to be honest. He had used some expletives that only he can muster. But you get the gist.

The funny thing is that I have heard this from parents, teachers, strangers, neighbours, their pets, random stranger on the street, books, motivational speakers and even Shahrukh Khan. But when it came from Ashish, it hit home. To a point that it has stayed with me till this date. There are times when I am sad and I don’t know what to do and I want to cry and I want to walk up a mountain to scream my lungs out in despair and all that. And that’s when I am reminded of this simple lesson. Fuck as I write this, I can recall what he was eating. A veg thali with some deep fried papad. Bisu, veg thali, papad. Funny how our brains work!

So yeah, thank you, Ashish, for the lesson that I have NOT forgotten till date.

Oh, the other thing that I took away from you that day (and continue to hold dear) is that you’ve taught me to chase my dreams by being an example that I could emulate. I have seen you through your ups and downs and highs and lows. You’ve held your head high when you were down. And you’ve kept your doors open when you are at a place of comfort. I hope when I reach where you are, I remain as humble and as helpful.

Thank you for all the mindspace, help and inputs.

Wish you all the best 🙂

With all respect,
Saurabh Garg
Class of 2006

Others posts in this series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Housekeeping.
I don’t think I can keep up with one post a day. So, I am dropping the charade of even trying. However, I do need an endpoint. So, I will endeavour to do these before I go for Vipassana (around September). I have about 170 days. Manageable? Any bets?

Thank you, Hemant!

Post 7 of #sg100peopleToThank. More about this series is here.
Thank you, Hemant

Hemant Gupta runs Am Conscious Labs where in his words, “he is working to find synergy in ancient wisdom and modern science and it’s relevance in the current political-economic-social spectrum.” He also runs social experiments like Thank You, India and represents the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute in India.

And he is a friend, advisor, philosopher, guide, client, critic, advocate, vendor and a mentor.

Hemant is easily one of the top five people that I would want to stay in touch with for the rest of my life.

There are a million things that I want to thank Hemant for. Here is a list, in no order.

Thank you, for giving me an opportunity to work when I needed the word and the money the most. This was when you were working on FIA and you needed a product manager.
Thank you, for being around as a counsellor when I had to make tough decisions. There are way too many instances to list here. Thank you for your time and attention – two most important (and limited) assets that we humans have!
Thank you, for teaching me how to be mindful while working, while in relationships, while I am with strangers. And most importantly, when I am with myself. From things as complicated as how to enjoy that glass of water to as simple as maintaining decorum while working, your patience with me has been beyond imagination.
Thank you for pointing out my flaws in as many words. And thanks to your discourses on mindfulness, I could take your inputs with equanimity and work on those.
Thank you for your words and puns and buns and rhymes and reasons and two by twos and millions by billions and… 😀
Thank you for all your daily emails. I learn a new thing each day.
Thank you for being that bouncing board on which I have shared a few hundred (if not thousands) ideas already. Thank you for all the inputs (even though I may have disagreed with you on a lot of those). And thank you so much for your belief in me and the idea of me. I promise that someday I will increase my hit rate to a number that you would be proud of.
Thank you for being my advocate and pushing my agenda at places that I would have never been able to reach by myself. Thank you for recommending me and introducing me to so many interesting people. I believe in the power of loose connections and you have been instrumental in helping me create so many of these!

Hemant, as I end this, heartfelt thank you for all that you’ve done for me. I wish you the best for all your meandering and research and mission. As a soldier, I stand by you and I am available for you anytime you may need me.

And like you like to say, blissfully, I remain.

Others posts in this series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

PS: When I started this project, I thought I would write one note every day. And did exactly that for the first 6 days. I missed writing and posting on Sunday. I don’t have an excuse. I got lazy. Will try to not miss this again. Thanks for reading!

Thank you, RaJ!

Post 6 of #sg100peopleToThank. More about this series is here.

Thank you, Raj

I consider myself a destiny’s child. Good things happen to me, without me asking for them. Of course, there are times when it takes time for those things to happen, but they do happen. And at times when I am totally unprepared for those. Case in point? ~~Raj~~ RaJ Kurup, founder of Creativeland Asia, an advertising agency.

So this is back in 2007. I had put in my papers at GE and I had no clue what to do (not that I know now but back then I was even more clueless). I had seen some great ads (this, this and this) and back then I thought making ads would be something that could be exciting. I went to a placement consultant and asked her to get me interviews with some. She got me two – one with Raj and the other with Law & Kenneth. From what I recall, both accepted me and Raj offered me more money. Plus he was cooler for sure. That chance meeting with him and the decision to join him as one of his first employees turned out to be among the best decisions of my life.

In the two years I spent with him, I learnt EVERYTHING I know about the business of communication. Each day was fun, exciting, nerve-wracking, full of learning and more. There was this constant amazement. I was on the steepest learning curve of my life. Apart from his brilliance, Raj had assembled this team of great people, each a master of their craft. Each interaction with the team at CLA was enriching. Each day I left the office a better person, richer with knowledge and more aware of the world. And I tap-danced to the office most days.

I spent exactly two years with him and I quit him to go back to Delhi and start something of my own. It’s ironic that Raj was himself responsible for feeding me with all the ambition that made me want to have more than what Raj paid me and quit working for him.

Of course, with time, life moved on. But at each workplace I have been to since I have merely applied things that Raj and team taught me. Raj gave me the best foundation that I could expect to get and I merely built on top of that. Gravity allowed me to learn from practical experience. Social Wavelength added another dimension to what I knew. VISCOMM / C4E gave me, as Redbull will say, wings. But all of it started with interactions with Raj and CLA.

If not for Raj, I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing right now. Life would have taken a different trajectory for sure – I don’t know for good or bad.

As I end this, I think I was extremely lucky to have met Raj at a time when I needed someone to take an active interest in me and help me grow as an individual. Raj did exactly that. I am thankful and indebted to him for this. In fact, each day I try to pay it forward by trying to find some young people that I can mentor. Are you one? Lemme know and let’s talk 🙂

Lastly, I think the greatest compliment that I can give Raj (or anyone else for that matter is), if I could turn back time, I would not quit Raj.

Thank you, Raj. Good luck with everything you do.

Others posts in this series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

PS: Lately Raj hasn’t been in the news for the right reasons. I am not sure how to comment on it but the respect I have for his work ethic and ambition remain intact.

Thank you, Rana Sir!

Post 5 of #sg100peopleToThank. More about this series is here.

Thank you, Rana Sir!
I don’t know how to introduce Rana Sir. Apart from his work, he is a mentor and a bounding board to I think at least a 100 people. I am lucky to be one of those 100. Lucky would be an understatement. There is no one else who’s opinion I hold higher.

Here’s a story from my first EVER meeting with him. First ever. He did not know who I was and what I was capable of. And he definitely did not know if he’d meet me again. I met him at Oberoi Mall for a coffee or something. I was trying to get my startup to work, I had this book (which became The Nidhi Kapoor Story) and I was going through this really tough time personally and professionally. I needed a guardian to tell me that things would be alright and I just needed to continue to walk.

And sir did exactly that. Without me telling him that I was seeking an answer like that. In fact, he was so good, such great at making conversations that it felt as if I was the only one talking. I think, in the meeting that lasted an hour or so, I would have spoken for about 58 minutes. The other 2 were Rana Sir asking me questions that I was trying to respond to.

Ok, I am digressing.

At some point, he asked me what I was up to. This is how that thread went on…

RB: So what do you do when you are not worrying, young man (till date, he calls me a young man).

SG: Sir, am trying to write a book!

RB: Book! Wow! What kind of book is it?

SG: Sir, it’s a Bollywood crime fiction. An actress gets murdered and there are these cops that are trying to chase the killers.

RB: Sounds interesting. Is it done?

SG: No sir. I am at some 35K words and I need at least 55K more to go.

RB: And when do you plan to get those done?

SG: Um… I am not sure. I am at that phase in the book where I am not sure if I want to work on it. I am thinking I will quit it midway and think of something else.

RB (without missing a beat): Ok, and how much do you want to price it at?

SG: Sir, I think 99 bucks. That’s what most first time writers get for their books.

Again, without missing a beat, he flipped his wallet out. Took a 100 rupee note, handed it to me and said, “Young man, you will finish the book and then you will get me the first copy of the book. This is the advance”

And tears welled in my eyes when that happened.

He did this to me in our first meeting. It dawned onto me that he is special and I MUST get him to spend more time with me. And I did whatever it took to get him to give me his time. To date, I continue to hound him for his time and often he can’t respond. But whenever he can, he is generous and affectionate.

Can I also say that Rana Sir is one of those few people that has made this hard city of Mumbai a tad more tolerable? And just for that, I can’t stop thanking him! And I can safely say that if not for Rana Bawa, the book would NOT have happened. And I would have been a far different person than what I am right now.

Thank you, Rana Sir. For your time. And for your advance. And for all the support. As promised I will do whatever it takes to get to MCA, 100 crores and 120 years!

Others posts in this series: 1, 2, 3, 4

PS: Fast forward a few months (after the first meeting with Rana Sir). I actually finished writing the book and got it published. And when I got the first preview copies, I went to his office at midnight and delivered the copy that he had ordered.

And, here is a page from the acknowledgements part of #tnks.

Shot from my first book, The Nidhi Kapoor Story (website)

In life, if you meet some guy called Rana Bawa (its a very uncommon name), please get him on your side. Over and out for the day.

Thank you, Tim!

Post 4 of #sg100peopleToThank. More about this series is here.

Thank you, Tim Ferriss!
Of course, you know who Tim is. Apart from the 4-hour series (work, body, chef and I don’t know what all), he is more famous for his blog and podcast. I don’t know when I first heard about him but I do know that I was amazed at his ability to get past the gatekeepers and get access to some of the busiest and most difficult to reach people in the world. And not just access, he had and continues to have a ringside seat as these people do wonders. He is an early investor in companies like Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Evernote, and Uber and others. To be able to put money there, you don’t need access to just capital but to deals when they are being structured and even thought of.

This insider access is what I crave the most. And not because I want to be famous. But because I believe it allows you to grow as an individual. And why would you want to grow? To be able to serve! The way Tim is. With his blog, podcast and other appearances.

While I’ve never met Tim, I have an Eklavyasque relationship with him. I never had access to his time but I do have access to what he’s taught. And from a distance. That’s the beauty of the Internet. It allows you to literally reach anyone, anytime and on any device. You no longer have to go through the grind to reach these teachers. In fact, Tim’s work reduces friction all the more. And that is what I would want to do as well. The SoG series attempts to do just that (educate, inform, spark a debate/conversation and other things).

With the remote access that I had to Tim, I have been able to learn so much about so many things. Definitely more than all the schools, colleges and other places that I have been to. You know, if I were in my 20s right now, I would spend all my time chasing content on Tim’s blog. And touch nothing else. That body of work itself will allow me to get ahead. And fast. Tim has done the hard work on extracting the greatest lessons from the greatest lives already.

Thanks to him, his life and his work, I know that what I aspire to do (make a billion dollars and inspire a billion people to do better) is not impossible. Of course its tough af but what fun will it be if it weren’t tough ;P

I will do a Tim Ferriss with my career. I mean I love talking to people. I love listening to their stories. I love to tell these stories in my own language and I love to add whatever colour I can add on top. Someday (soon, hopefully in 2019), I will start talking to inspiring, amazing people that Tim has been able to talk to. And tell their stories from my lens! Wish me luck 🙂

And, for the umpteenth time, thank you, Tim!

Oh, random trivia. Tim is one of those few people who’s website comes up higher than their Wikipedia page on Google!

Others posts in this series: 1, 2, 3

Thank you, Ashima

Post 3 of #sg100peopleToThank. More about this series is here.

Thank you, Ashima!

I went to MDI with Ashima. Among all the 150 odd people that were in the batch, Ashima was one of those that ignored my ignorance and tolerated me. And continues to tolerate me after all these years. And even though it’s been almost 14 years, she remains my shrink, my doctor, my advisor, my bounding board and my fitness consultant. Every time I have a thing that requires me to goto a doc, I just call Ashi (that’s what I call her) and get help. And it works every time. I think, in one line, I can say that she’s an integral part of my support system!

What makes Ashi amazing is that she is one of those few people that had the guts to take the tougher path (I wish I could write more about this – this is a public platform) and choose her fitness, her life over everything else.

I don’t really have too many words (I wish I could write more) but I do have mad respect for what she stands for and what she does for me. Ashima has taught me what amounts to being friends. She has been like a rock that has stood by me through thick and thin. And for that, and for more that I cant write about here, Thank you, Ashi.

Others posts in this series: 1, 2

Thank you, Harshit

I started a new project yesterday. Each day, I plan to write a post acknowledging people that have helped me become who I am. This idea has been inspired by Shatrujeet‘s series, a100peopletothank. This is post 2 in the series. My series has the tag #sg100peopleToThank.

Thank you, Harshit.

I first met Harshit (Instagram) some 3-4 years ago (I don’t recall how we connected but I do remember it was about a startup he was planning) at Starbucks, Powai (where else?). When we met, I am not sure if I were impressed by him but I did realise that he has this, unbound, ambition. I do remember that I tried to poach him. But he did not fall into my glibness and he said no.

We lost touch for a while and then out of the blues, he asked me to meet him.

Of course, I never say no to meeting new people (as long as meet me in a 3 KM radius of where I live). He volunteered to come to the office and we sat and talked and talked. Yet again, I did not think much of him.

Among other things, in this meeting, he talked to me about his admiration for Shahrukh Khan. And anyone that loves SRK is automatically a blood relative! Harshit went so far as to narrate word-to-word SRK’s now famous speech (video, text) where he equates poverty with failure. SRK said, “I equated poverty with failure. I just didn’t want to be poor.” I take inspiration from this piece. And so does Harshit! And we could’ve left that meeting on this shared ~~fandom~~ obsession for SRK, but no.

While parting, Harshit asked me about things that I needed help on. I told him that I needed someone to do tech for an idea I was working on at the time and I needed someone to help me with growing business at C4E.

And without expecting anything in return, he connected me to Abhinav (who has now become a close collaborator on most projects). And he helped me meet a few potential clients (I could not convert any – not his problem).

As things moved along, we started meeting frequently and I realised that he is one heck of a conversationalist! To a point that I started sharing my deepest secrets with him. And instead of making fun of me or something, he started to offer help. He started to badger me to do more. And like a great pupil, I would continue to ignore. He became this persistent voice at the back of my head that would not leave me alone if I did not deliver!

Then one day he called and said that he wants to throw me (and some others) a challenge to do 100 pushups over the next 30 days. I said I can’t do anything to do with fitness and I volunteered that I’d rather write 1000 words a day. He agreed and asked me to write a 1000 words and post them on a public forum.

Even though I accepted the challenge, I kept dilly-dallying. And he did not stop her badgering and pushing me. I hated him from the bottom of my heart. And I felt miserable about not being able to work. Here is one snippet from my notes about a meeting with him…

This is from my notes. I started writing the SoG series from the 27th of Oct, right after this note! Guess I’ve had enough of Harshit and Krishna chasing me!

Eventually, I gave in and I started to write a 1000 words a day. Those words took shape of Shoulders of Giants (#SoG), a series of letters to select friends where I would share whatever I learnt in the day gone by.

I sent the first letter on the 27th of Oct 2018 (a copy is located here). Since then I have written a few (archived here). Oh, I can’t write about SoG and not write about Krishna. While Harshit gave me the push, it was Krishna that helped me give shape to the thoughts and idea behind the letters. More on these some other time.

As I end this, I HAVE to say that the thing that I relate most to him, and what I’ve learnt from him, and what I respect him for is perseverance. He has this maaaaad perseverance of an obsessive, maniacal person. If he sets his eyes onto something, he gets it. Case in point? His Crossfit training. Since he moved to Lucknow, he is doing whatever it takes to become super fit and compete in the Crossfit games. He wakes up before 4:30 (which is inhuman), goes to the gym and sends one inspiring quote EVERY day! Every day! An archive is on his Instagram feed. That’s some consistency and commitment. If I had that kind of commitment, I would reach my lifeGoals faster and sooner!

Oh, and Harshit is a clear example of a connection that I would’ve never made if I did not go out of my way and told the Universe that I wanted to meet more people. And it wouldn’t happen if Harshit wasn’t the same! Apart from being a friend, Harshit is superconnector (has connected me to some really interesting people) and a believer in me.

Lesson for me? And others? Go out, meet more people. And while you are at it, see this TED talk that talks about what makes a good life. Like they say, it helps to hustle 🙂

In the end, thank you, Harshit. For inspiring me to push myself harder. And specifically for nudging me to create SoG. I sincerely wish you were in Mumbai. I would’ve loved to spend more time with him. Maybe sometime in future. I remain hopeful 🙂

Others posts in this series: April 1

Thank you, Shatrujeet!

I am starting a new project today. Each day, for the next 100 days, I will write a post acknowledging people that have helped me become who I am. I got inspired by Shatrujeet‘s series, a100peopletothank.

So, the first one is, N Shatrujeet! Who else?

I first met Shatru (I call him that) when I was at Creativeland (CLA). This is 2008 or 9. Don’t remember the exact year. While I was part of the planning function, he was there to develop some original content for some division at CLA (I don’t recall the specifics). My interactions with him were limited, but for some reason, I knew that he is among the more interesting ones there. I had this instant liking for him. Or maybe because he was the only other person in the office that was not fancy?

So at work, while we kept to our respective teams and reporting managers (he sat at a different area, I had my things to work on), we would often hang out together. Often, not frequent.

Mid of 2009, I moved on from CLA. So did he (dunno when).

Years later when I was with Gravity, Shatru had partnered with Gaurrav Dhar (who was also at CLA briefly, though my interactions were very limited) to work on some content ideas. For one of the projects, he needed someone with expertise in event management. He got in touch with me and we did work on some really interesting ideas.

Apart from what we were working on, this was the time when I think Shatru was writing The Karachi Deception (writing, not published mind you). And this was the first time ever when I realised what writing a book could entail. He would often talk about the progress on the story and the challenges he was facing with it. I even got to read a preview copy (my claim to fame till date)!

Those interactions with Shatru probably watered the seed that was planted in my head since I was a kid! If #tnks has happened, it is because I was fortunate to have spent time with Shatru.

So, thank you, Shatru. For all that you’ve taught me while we were working together. And now, as life has become increasingly busy for both you and me, from a distance. Case in point? I read that you’ve now reached a point where you can do a plank for 5 minutes. Which is tough but manageable with time, grit, patience and practise.

But you know what is tougher? Quitting smoking! You’ve quit smoking. Shatru, it’s the biggest change you’ve made. Biggest and tallest than them Sequoia trees! You loved your smokes so much that even now I can’t picture you without one. I mean I do NOT have a single memory of you where you aren’t holding onto a cigarette. You loved them like I love the tap-tap that the keyboard makes when I am writing something. And yet you quit. And I am so so proud and stoked. And I am inspired.

Shatru, if you can quit smoking and do those planks, I can too.

Inspired by you (and others), this April onwards, I will make my health my priority. I will stop with the Coke. And I will carry my protein shakes and almonds and others. I will not put anything in my system that fucks with it. Really. As I write this, it’s almost the end of the but. But you’d be glad to know, I started today!

In the end, Thank you, Shatru! For teaching me how to tell great stories. And for inspiring me to become better with each passing day. You are a mentor, a guru and on top of everything else, a friend, Shatru.

Good luck with Vikram and all other adventures you concoct.