I send a monthly letter to a few people that have helped me grow in my career. This is a slightly edited version of this. If you want me to add you to this list, please do let me know.
Hello, September!
Hi!
This is Saurabh and this is the September version of my monthly emails to people who care 🙂 In case you forgot what I wrote in August, it’s archived here.
August was long and yet it flew away faster than the fastest Bullet Train that has been promised to us Indians. August was faster than you can blink. I mean I couldn’t even read and respond to your emails and the month had gone by!
I will talk about what I did in August, but before anything else, thank you!
Really.
Thank you!
For helping me when I was in a soup.
For tolerating these emails.
Even if you don’t read these, the thought that you are reading these emails keeps me going. You know, Eklavya?
So, in August, I had said I’d do the following…
a. Finish Show Bible for my second book
No, I did not do it.
I tried. I could not.
It is taking longer than I expected. I did put in the effort and yet it is far from the finish. It is taking me longer. I will work on this in September as well.
b. Lose 1 inch from my waist.
I did this one.
Yay!
Thanks to a combination of a lot of things – sleep, tracking what I eat, mindful snacking, a 3-day fast to get into the healthy habit and walking more than what I would typically walk. And a lot of effort from BR on helping me understand the importance of food.
I want to lose another inch this month. Even though I am on the road a lot this month, I am hoping to add running / brisk walk to my fitness regimen this month on. More on this in a bit.
c. The other notable things that happened in the month of August 2019 are…
- #tnks (my first book) got shortlisted at the South Asian Film Market at Singapore South Asian International Film Festival. Was a big deal for me. I hope it gets picked up and gets converted into a film. If it does, it will be a step closer to where I want to be as a writer. Also, when I was in Singapore, I understood how much harder and smarter I need to work to be able to reach where I want to be! I learned a lot and I was left humbled. I even wrote a short post on it. If you are curious, you may read it here.
- Bin Bulaye, the first short-film I co-produced with a couple of people is now ready for release. This officially makes me a filmmaker that has shipped some content and marks the start of my career as a filmmaker. The next step is another short and then after a series of such steps, someday, an actual feature. Oh, for the next short, I am raising money. In case you know people who want to fund indie, short films, do connect. Please note that “investing” in a short film does not give any returns per se – so these are risky “assets” (the largest return you’d get is bragging rights). And if you want an esoteric answer, as a filmmaker (or a creative individual), you do these things and put your life and money and effort and blood and toil and everything else into the art to be able to open the eyes of people who’ve shut them tight. Indie films allow you to do that.
- Launched Hop197.com. Hop197.com will chronicle the journey of a dear friend Sujoy and his wife as they attempt to become the most-traveled couple from India. So far they’ve been to 120+ countries. I am helping them put the website and a partner in the online piece. Let’s see how it goes.
- Gave my first paid-for talk on a stage to an audience of 100 odd people. On branding and storytelling. And oh boy, what a bad job I did there! I need to work hard on my presentation skills. I am thinking I will join some acting school or something to improve how I talk and how I conduct myself on stage. Thankfully the presentation I made at Singapore about my book was pretty cool. Phew!
So, September.
In this month, I plan to work on the following…
a. Show Bible for the second book
Been on this since August 19.
It is taking longer and from what I’ve seen, it will take more than just a month 🙁
So, even though I will gun for a finish in September, it may stretch into October. Let’s see.
b. Start running
Not walking, not jogging. Running.
This means that I need to be able to 4 kilometers in 30 minutes.
I know it is not fast. But that is what I hope to do. To start with.
If I can do this, in October, I will add weights to my training regimen.
c. Get saurabhgarg.com up and running
I’ve always wanted to have a home for all that I do and think and play with and all that.
I’ve had the domain name for a while but never cared to work on a website.
In Sep, I will.
And along with the website, I will stop underselling myself and start marketing myself.
No, I don’t want to go overboard but I want to be known a tad more. After all the size of opportunities you get is a function of the number of people you know! This thing about being known more has got reinforced after the trip to Singapore. In fact, I ran an experimental survey where I asked people to tell me what they think of me and this is what they had to say. Not really in the zone that I want people’s perception to be about me, but it is a great starting point.
d. Do a one-month reading deep-dive into one specific topic
I plan to read about one topic in as much depth as I can. And then try to put a blog post about it. For example, can I read A LOT about whatever Warren Buffet has said (and see all his videos) and then catalog them into a nice note that can be a primer for others? Much like what Tim Urban is attempting about “everything“. Or what Julian did for writing, muscle, and growth. And of course, I will continue to read about a wide range of things, apart from this one thing. I just need to find a subject. If not Warren, then maybe I’d read about crypto. Or about what Jeff has said? What do you think will be in demand in times to come?
e. Work towards creating a business that takes me beyond India
The intent is to go global and have reduced dependency on the motherland for my survival and growth.
And why would I do that? Long story. I’d write a post about it someday.
But help me. I can straddle between digital marketing, events, and strategic marketing. If you know of opportunities, would love to pitch in. And apart from that, please do tell me what other things could be done that take me beyond the borders. I’ve been meeting people and I have some ideas but I need more help.
That’s it. That’s how September is going to be. And no, these are not too many things.
So that’s about it.
Thanks again for your patience.
And all the help.
Hope you have a good day and a good month ahead.
Please do let me know if I could be of any service to you.
Gratitude and Respect,
–
Saurabh Garg
@saurabh
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Updates from previous months – 0819
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