People say restlessness is bad. But for me, that’s 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 skill, but this constant quest of trying everything gave me one of the most important aspects of my life: much broader PERSPECTIVE! You do different things, travel to different locations, and meet a diverse set of people, and what you gain is the perspective. It changes the way you look at things and eventually makes you more aware, much 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 the top 5 companies which are coming to the campus. I got placed with the 1st company that visited the campus. The company was a dream company for many; one of the biggest names in the consumer durable industry, LG Electronics India.

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

One year in the company, and I realised that being in a product-based organization, where the end consumer deals only with channel partners, my conversations, and hence thought exchanges, will mostly be limited to internal customers. The future learning will be of adding different layers to what I know previously, but the same will largely be from the same domain. So, more years into this, and I might limit myself to one specific zone.

What did I do ??

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

1st company to hit the campus. Got selected from 400 odd students. Celebrated with friends and family. Overjoyed. All that happened. But the fact is, 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 strength was different, the thing in which I find enjoyment was different, my calling was different. I wanted something which can provide me an opportunity to get knowledge about different industries, from varied people with varied backgrounds and experiences. I was looking for a media, advertising agency, or consultancy work, as these were the only profiles which could have given me a chance to interact with a diverse set of people and understand things from their perspectives, eventually adding value in whatever little I know. After giving a lot of thought, I jumped into an ocean called ‘RADIO’.

RADIO : Theater of Mind

2007 – Radio was taking shape to become one of the biggest media forces in the broadcast industry. Many new stations were getting launched, and I was fortunate to get a chance to work with a station which was going to be the first private FM station of that location. Though I was an entry-level executive, my inquisitiveness & keenness to learn helped me to understand the bigger picture. Since then, it’s been more than 15 years of radio.

The medium fascinates me with the kind of possibilities it has. This probably is the only medium which talks to many but can have an intimate conversation with each one of them at the same time. It’s personal, non-intrusive & something which has the power to influence. For any brand communicating to its TG, the environment in which content is getting consumed is of utmost importance. Radio’s inherent nature of being local provides that familiar environment wherein the probability of responding to a partnering brand’s message is the highest. So, the medium works for both advertisers and content consumers.

I have had different encounters with this medium. Got an opportunity to work with three of the biggest names in the radio space (Radio Mirchi – TOI Group, Red FM – Sun Networks & My FM – Dainik Bhaskar Group). Working in different locations, exploring new territories, meeting new people from different industries, and providing them varied radio solutions is what I am driving passionately. The overall stint is filled with tasks, ranging from amplifying the impact of an existing setup to completely creating a new structure and putting in efforts so that it thrives irrespective of market conditions or any external environment. The profile gives me an opportunity to engage with a diverse set of people, including direct teams, cross-functional resources, decision makers, customers, and partners. And I enjoy every bit of it. Building something or creating something new is what I am passionate about, and I always look forward to that. The journey is still on.

People call me workaholic, but this is what I love doing, and will keep doing till the time I become:

“The Next Best Version of Me!”