It’s 11:06 a.m.
This is the second entry.
I write for accountability & introspection.
And, this month went by so fast that if I didn’t pause right now, I’d lose some very important lessons.
If this month had a theme, it would be peak ambiguity. I think July has been one of the most rewarding months lately. Despite a lot of misses. In fact, I may not even be able to attribute it to one win or one award. But, if you opened my mind to observe the activity, you’d see a lot of movement. In good directions and intensity (read: sensible science vocab that fits).
In this note, I will try to articulate why. In order, of course – where I’m at with my goals, work updates, and some things I read.
My Top Goals
TL;DR – I defaulted with a lot of these. In different capacities. And, no matter how hard I think about it, the answer to it all is quite simple: ruthless consistency, progress > perfection, and strictness with time.
A/ Personal Brand –
I was not as active on LinkedIn as I would’ve liked to be. I just needed to sit and write. For some time in between, I didn’t know what to write about. I felt that I had put out everything I knew. But, I know better. I know that if I would’ve forced myself to think, I would’ve figured it out.
Going forward, I plan on writing about all that I read. Zero analysis paralysis. Just action.
B/ Building a network for C4E –
The goal – open doors. Meet more people. Learn about their problems. In July, I did some bit of this. In August and September, I will do more + record my conversations for the world. So, you will see more of that.
C/ Projects –
Part of what I do is work on building side projects at C4E. In July, I did not move the needle with the self-love subscription box I’m trying to build. I have listed out all that I need to do to reach a conclusive stage with this project. I spent the last month speaking to some people and I think I have answers.
(Boardroom) Presentations and People
If I didn’t spend enough time on my top goals, where did it all go? When I said July was the month of peak ambiguity, it was because a lot of things I worked on didn’t have immediate ROI.
Each was new. Each needed me to trust the process. And each was for the future.
First, pitches. We’ve got 5 open leads (out of the 7 that came in July). For branding, communication, SMM, and the likes. But I want to talk about one particular presentation.
SG and I went to the office of a chain of family-run businesses to pitch to the founder. I had worked with him on the deck. And had presented it to one of the people online. I’m comfortable with that. Been on multiple calls and led some myself too. But, never offline. Never in a boardroom.
For this one, I let SG decide. Told him that if he felt the room was right, I would be prepared to present. And so, that was my first boardroom presentation.
How did it go? I don’t know! We will find out. But, here’s what I know – I was quite nervous, made sure to remain calm, and took my 100% to that room.
The second half of that meeting was even more interesting. My lessons –
1/ Marketers who have a wide knowledge of people, businesses, and all things in the world will have an advantage over others. A large part of our conversation rested on insights we’ve gathered by observation. No blogpost / kitaab can teach you that. Only curiosity and a keen eye can.
2/ READ THE ROOM. It is the most underrated skill. In this particular one, I was able to spot when I lost their attention but struggled to think on my feet and tweak my presentation. Must practise.
3/ Some personality traits are refreshing to people. Honesty – for example. If these come naturally to you, you’re at an advantage. While this was a pitch and we had to sell ourselves, we were super honest about what we could NOT do. And had conviction in what we could.
Finally, I think I left that room really energised (there was a spring in my steps!) and grateful for the rooms C4E puts me in. I know it’s not the default case out there.
The Weekend Workshop
Some of us at C4E spent one of July’s weekends in Alibaug. To figure out what India’s next big idea could be. And if we could take a shot at it. Two days. Locked in a villa. Zero distractions.
I came back with two thoughts –
1/ Preparation is not a one-time act.
I’ll give an example first. If I decide to run a marathon 1 week from now, there’s only so much I can learn / practice in these 7 days. Apart from this 7-day preparation, my life and habits (small and big things) make all the difference. If I eat clean + walk 10K steps every day, I’m better prepared for my (marathon) preparation. The same goes for work. What I bring to the table for one discussion doesn’t just depend on my preparation for that discussion. It is a result of all my actions, leading up to that moment.
The days leading up to these were important because I wanted to add value to the discussion. To the people who decided to hear me out. So, that.
2/ Killing ideas and pointing out flaws is VERY easy.
We all know why something wouldn’t work. But, the tougher, more interesting part is to build. And add value.
Finally, some lessons July reaffirmed for me –
High-energy people will always have an advantage.
If you can be calm in high-stress situations, you will go far.
Young people must find good mentors and spend 5 years with them. Wish I had the ability to articulate and emphasise this.
You don’t need more intensity. You need more consistency. Intensity impresses; consistency transforms. (Credit: Farnam Street).
That was all. This letter had been in the archives for 2 weeks. It would’ve been counterintuitive to skip it; after all, the whole idea is to do better by being honest.
If you’ve read this, I need nothing more, just your feedback and thoughts to help me do better.