MxMIndia

Tag: Stay@Home

  • On Day 21 of the 40-day National Lockdown, we get up, close and personal with Julie Bramham, Chief Marketing Officer, Diageo India

    Stay@Home with Julie Bramham: 5 Things to Ask Yourself

    As Chief Marketing Officer, Diageo India, Julie Bramham leads the Marketing function at the beverages major and is also a member of its Executive Committee. She oversees marketing and innovation for Diageo’s award-winning beverage alcohol portfolio.  Prior to joining Diageo in India, Bramham was part of Diageo Europe for nearly two decades.  On Day 21 of the 40-day National Lockdown, we get up, close and personal with Julie Bramham:

     

    On Life After the Crisis and Personal Life Changes one will Make: The gravity of living amidst a global pandemic is heavy but at the same time it throws up unexpected opportunities. I’d like to believe that this global pandemic has left a us with a great opportunity to learn, change and evolve. I think we will see the world and our attitudes in ‘befores and afters’ with a greater sense of what’s important and what’s not, being much more choiceful about how and where we spend our time and resources, why and when we travel, more frugality especially around food

     

    So how will your social life change?: We are in the middle of the pandemic and have no choice but to embrace what comes with it and prioritise our safety. What we can plan for is the aftermath of this pandemic, as we emerge from the tunnel of isolation, I plan to spend more time enjoying the value of ‘real’ connections, of taking it a bit slow and prioritizing seeing and spending time with friends and family.  It is easy in our busy lives to go too long without seeing and spending meaningful time with those important to us.

     

    Do you really take care of yourself?: I think being forced into a different pace and completely different way of living will help us all to think differently, and find hacks to look after ourselves. Taking care of ourselves in body and mind is even more critical at the moment I am a big believer in wellness.  I am normally a keen runner, so looking forward to running longer distances again soon, in the meantime I’m doing some YouTube training, following ‘Joe Wicks’, also enjoying doing ‘PE with Joe’ on YouTube with my kids.  I highly recommend it for getting kids exercising whilst stuck at home.

     

    Have you ticked off a book from your never-ending list of Books to Read?: I have a laundry list of books on my ‘To Read’ note to self, which I am happy to be ticking off 1 week at a time.  I’m about halfway through ‘What Happened?:  Hillary Clinton’ and once I have finished will be moving on to; ‘21 lessons for the 21st Century: Yuval Harari’ and then I am really looking forward to completing the ‘Seth Godin’ collection, I have read a few of his books and will now find the time to read the rest.

    I’m also completing the ‘David Walliams’ collection with my youngest son, Ted and ‘Charlotte’s Web’ with my eldest son, Sam.

     

    Acceptance?: This crisis has the power to fundamentally reframe how we live in and contribute to communities.  Let’s embrace that!

     

  • We are on Day 7 of the national lockdown, and the response we’ve received to our ‘Stay@Home’ series has been overwhelming. On Day 7, we have Sulajja Firodia Motwani, Founder and CEO of Kinetic Green. In this article, the leading lady of Indian electric vehicles industry writes on: 5 Things to Ask Yourself.

    Lockdown Day 7: Stay@Home with Sulajja Firodia Motwani: 5 Things to Ask Yourself

    We are on Day 7 of the national lockdown, and the response we’ve received to our ‘Stay@Home’ series has been overwhelming. On Day 7, we have Sulajja Firodia Motwani, Founder and CEO of Kinetic Green. In this article, the leading lady of Indian electric vehicles industry writes on: 5 Things to Ask Yourself.

     

    By Sulajja Firodia Motwani

     

    1. First, can you keep a positive mindset?

    In this lockdown, all we have been asked to do is stay at home. I see so many negative Whatsapps about how it’s a painful thing to do and how bored people are at home… To all of them, I want to ask: “Can you please keep a positive mindset?”

     

    There are health workers, police, and so many others who are risking their lives and working tirelessly to help all of us overcome this menace. In comparison to that, isn’t staying at home with your family much easier? So I say, we have to ask ourselves if we can start with a positive mindset and make the most of the situation. Certainly, this time can be used to enjoy many things we never get time to do! There are  certainly going to be some repercussions of this lockdown, but we all are in the same boat and if you are healthy at this time, that’s more important than anything else. So I think its most important to stay positive and then, I am sure this “extra” time we are getting due to homestay can, in fact, be enjoyable and memorable!

     

    2. isn’t time with your loved ones a boon?

    In today’s world of stress and of nuclear families, time with your loved ones is a precious commodity. Especially for me, as a working mother, this time with my son, Sidhant, is a special treat. I mean how often is your teenage son stays at home all day, too? Sidhant is studying in the US and I consider that I am lucky that he could come home well in time, and that he is safe and in good health. I am making the most of this lockdown by spending time with him and its most precious! Most people’s regret in life is not spending enough time with their children or their loved ones: Well, here is a chance to do exactly that!

     

    3. “Staycations” can be better than vacations, sometimes?

     

    For working professionals and businessmen/women like me, work involves long hours at the office or a lot of travel. Sometimes going away on a vacation: catching another flight, staying in hotels, eating outside food, is so tiring that I feel like I need a vacation from the vacation! So I am trying to make the most of this staycation… staying put in one place, waking up late, working at my pace, listening to music I like, watching movies, reading books, trying my hand at cooking Sidhant’s favorite dishes, attempting to keep fit with Yoga and Nike Training APP at home and using the time to do some thinking, too! This staycation is quite relaxing, in fact!

     

    4. Can you try to lend a helping hand? It’s much more gratifying.

    There are many who are less fortunate than us, who need help and are struggling to make ends meet in this difficult time. Can you try to help whoever you can in your own way? As Chairperson of FICCI Maharashtra, I am doing my best to reach out to the policymakers at the State and Centre and conveying feedback from various people about their difficulties and issues. We are trying to help with movement of essential goods, policies to help workers who lost their wages, to help MSMEs who are unable to meet their obligations, and many such issues. There are many ways you can help, too. May be provide essentials to the elderly in your society or send them home made meals, provide money and ration to needy around you etc. etc. I am sure all of us can make a difference and help those who could use a helping hand.

     

    5. Have you used this time to introspect?

    We all lead busy lives and our lives are getting busier and more stressful by the day. We are just running from one task or commitment to another. Can we use this time to just take a pause, just slow down a bit and think? Listen to the sound of the birds from your balcony, sip a cup of tea, enjoy some solitude and introspection? It can be meditative, I think. Of course, if you like to meditate, there is no better opportunity than this!

     

    So just use this time to slow down a bit, the days seem longer and time is passing more slowly. Use that precious time to connect with yourself, your loved ones, with nature and with your hobbies!

     

    Sulajja Firodia Motwani is Founder and CEO of Kinetic Green Energy and Power Solutions Limited, a pioneer in electric vehicles in India. She is also Vice Chairperson, Kinetic Engineering. She is associated with several industry associations and is currently Chairperson for FICCI – Maharashtra.

     

  • It’s Day 6 of the National Lockdown and we bring to you our all-new all-new series called ‘Stay@Home’ that we introduced last Thursday. Today, we have with Neelima Burra, Co-founder and Board of Directors, Ganymede Business Ventures Pvt Ltd, telling us about five things to ask oneself

    Lockdown Day 6: Stay@Home with Neelima Burra: 5 Things to Ask Yourself

    It’s Day 6 of the National Lockdown and we bring to you our all-new all-new series called ‘Stay@Home’ that we introduced last Thursday. Today, we have with Neelima Burra, Co-founder and Board of Directors, Ganymede Business Ventures Pvt Ltd, telling us about five things to ask oneself. Read on…

     

    5 Things to Ask Yourself

     

    My ‘to-finish’ roster had an avalanche of projects ranging from getting better organised, to home makeover, to having a social life, to the entrepreneurial (so many business ideas, etc, etc, etc!). I felt like I was drowning in the sea of things I wanted to do versus the time I had to do them. I knew I needed a system to get myself in the right state of mind to efficiently and consistently create.

    Not to mention, occasionally, you do need a kick on your back to rethink and re-reinvent yourself. If I don’t get these occasional wakeup calls, it’s so easy for me to fall into the trap of replicating how others are doing the thing I want to do, rather than just putting in the minutes and hours doing it myself.

    The Lockdown is helping me create time and space for getting in the flow state. These are the 5 things I found most relevant to start with.

     

    1. Declutter your everyday living. Be Minimalistic. Simplify your lifestyle:

    After all, as a former shopaholic and workaholic, my life was one big cluttered mess! I was already so busy and decluttering just seemed like another item on my already overwhelming to-do list. With the supply of commodities shrinking up, this is a good time to revaluate what you should consider ‘essentials’. Most of us have acquired too many belongings that complicate our life. Trying to maintain them and keep track of them, we feel stressed and irritated. It sounds like an extreme privilege, but it’s true. Try and figure out what you really need and what you don’t. This is a good time to do some trimming and lighten up. Rest assured, the experience will help you gain a completely different perspective on your life. You will realise the number of things you take for granted in your day-to-day life, and the few that you really need.

     

    2. Connect with Family, Create new memories, Relive childhood :

    With busy work schedules, it’s often the family and friends who take a backseat in life. It’s time to strengthen your inner circle of bonding and create a larger outer circle of influence. There are at least half a dozen people, at any given point of time that you need to call back. Parents, that slightly touchy friend, or a former colleague — you really meant to call them back, but you know how it is. This is a good time to find out how your friends and family are doing; if the elders among them are coping up well.

    Once you are done with your work-from-home time, you can sit with the family every evening for a round or two. Relive your childhood as you play with your children. Ludo, Scrabble, Monopoly, and many other games accumulating dust in a corner of your house. Bring it back and get playing with your family. Relive memories and create new memories for future with your kids and family, cooking together, eating together, reading, watching movies, listening to songs, flipping old albums and pictures and many more, you always wanted to do, but never had the time to.

     

    3. Feed your mind… READ, READ, READ:

    This can be a great use of your me-time, simply because you will enhance your knowledge of people, society, history and culture. It’s a no brainer.  Reading books keeps you smarter and more empathetic. Five books to read for sure –

     

    a. Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life Kindle Edition by Joshua Fields Millburn(Author), Ryan Nicodemus  (Author) : Minimalism is the thing that gets us past the things so we can make room for life’s most important things—which actually aren’t things at all.

    b. Deep Work by Cal Newport :  One of the most valuable skills in our economy is becoming increasingly rare. If you master this skill, you’ll achieve extraordinary results

    c. Gen Z Effect: The Six Forces Shaping the Future of BusinessBook by Dan Keldsen and Tom Koulopoulos : In this revolutionary new book, the authors delve into a vision of the future where disruptive invention and reinvention is the acknowledged norm, touching almost every aspect of how we work, live and play.

    d. Radical Candor: How to Get What You Want by Saying What You Mean

    Book by Kim Scott – Radical Candor is the sweet spot between managers who are obnoxiously aggressive on the one side and ruinously empathetic on the other. It is about providing guidance, which involves a mix of praise as well as criticism – delivered to produce better results and help your employees develop their skills and increase success.

    e. Nothingness: The Science Of Empty Space

    Book by Henning Genz : Nothingness addresses one of the most puzzling problems of physics and philosophy: Does empty space have an existence independent of the matter within it? Is “empty space” really empty, or is it an ocean seething with the creation and destruction of virtual matter?

     

    4. Be your most Awesome Self, Create a new Body, Mind and Soul:

    In our stress – ridden and hectic lives, we often found ourselves in a hurry to do and achieve so many things – trying to balance career, families, side hustles, social lives, workouts and more leaving us with a feeling for lack of a better word – drained. It can be considered somewhat of a recent phenomenon for people to feel dissatisfied if we’re not experiencing complete happiness & fulfilment in every aspect of our lives.

     

    If you have been thinking of getting fitter, take up yoga or pilates, or join a functional workout class from home. Many yoga and fitness trainers are offering classes online at this time—follow them on their social media pages to find the best option. What’s more, the fitness and aerobics videos on YouTube can be real fun! Set your wellness goal, draw a plan and create a routine to follow.

    1. Start with your food you eat

    2. Give yourself time to rest

    3. Pamper yourself – create a spa at home comfort

    4. Disconnect from technology

    5. Yoga, Meditate and Chant

     

    5. Skill up and Prepare Yourself for Post Lockdown :

    Introspect, analyse and work on improving your strengths and managing your weaknesses. Make your wish list for post lockdown and likely scenarios. Three weeks is a long time, but know that this too shall pass. Make a list of all the things you want to do once the lockdown is lifted. Plan for reboot and relaunch.

    Work on a skill you always wanted to acquire. Maybe you could simply start with an online course, webinars, online tutorials or simply practice something new. 21 days of practice would be good enough to make it a habit.

     

    Neelima Burra is a Co-founder and is on the Board of Directors, Ganymede Business Ventures Pvt Ltd. She is a senior marketer having worked with HP Inc, Cargill Global Edible Oils and Foods, Usha International Ltd, Whirlpool of India, Britannia Industries and HLL Lifecare.

  • It’s Day 3 of the National Lockdown and while there are some who are getting bored and feeling restless there are some others who are looking at using this opportunity to do stuff that they never really got the time to do. Our all-new all-new series called ‘Stay@Home’ that we introduced yesterday received tremendous response. We were overwhelmed. On Day 3, we have with Mainak Dhar, Region Vice President, Asia, Middle East, Africa (AMEA); Member, Global Marketing Council at General Mills and bestselling author, telling us about how to stay positive. Read on…

    Lockdown Day 3: Stay@Home with Mainak Dhar: 5 Ways to Stay Positive During the Lockdown

    It’s Day 3 of the National Lockdown and while there are some who are getting bored and feeling restless there are some others who are looking at using this opportunity to do stuff that they never really got the time to do. Our all-new all-new series called ‘Stay@Home’ that we introduced yesterday received tremendous response. On Day 3, we have with Mainak Dhar, Region Vice President, Asia, Middle East, Africa (AMEA); Member, Global Marketing Council at General Mills, telling us about how to stay positive.

     

    5 Things to Ask Yourself

    We are living through unprecedented times, the likes of which most of us have never seen in our lifetimes. To put it bluntly, we are at war, a war against an unseen and deadly enemy, a war that affects every nation. A war being fought on the frontlines by healthcare workers, law enforcement personnel, and others providing essential services like transportation, sanitation and retail. For the rest of us, the ‘civilians’ in this war, our lives have been changed in dramatic ways. A large part of the world’s population is living in conditions of restricted movement and in India we have entered a phase of total lockdown. In such a situation, anxiety is to be expected –  anxiety about our health, about the safety of our loved ones, and about what the future holds. As with any crisis we face in our professional or personal lives, I believe the best way to deal with whatever curveball life throws our way is to focus not on what we cannot control, but on what we can-  how we feel and the energy we give off. Here are five thoughts on how we can all try and stay positive and keep those around us positive during the lockdown.

     

    1. Plan, don’t panic: 

    Don’t be the guy lugging a suitcase to the grocery store to hoard essentials that others need. The first step in avoiding panic is to take a level-headed, objective assessment of things. So do the maths- how much do you actually need of what? What do you really need and what is just nice to have? You may be surprised by how many things we hoarded or bought are actually not essential at all, and how little we can get by with. Second, plan your days. Yes, I’m not going to office and I have a lot more time at home, but I use my calendar to plan what I’ll do (including paying bills, household chores, writing etc). Planning makes your actions more thoughtful, gives you small bite-sized chunks you can be in control of versus giving into blind panic about what is happening around us.

     

    2. Keep fit:

    One of the best ways of getting positive energy is to get regular exercise. Don’t let the lockdown be an excuse not to exercise. My regular routine is to wake up very early and jog for two hours every morning, and I’m still doing that even though I’m in the house (hint- put on music you love, plug in earphones and run around the dining table!). The dojo is closed but my son and I are practising Karate every alternate day so we don’t get rusty. Whatever form of exercise you enjoy – skipping, jogging, yoga – do it, and do it everyday. It’s the best start you can give your day in uncertain and anxious times. It helps not just keep you fit but helps calm your mind.

     

    3. Keep busy:

    They say an idle mind is the devil’s workshop, and it’s never truer than at a time like this. If all you do is watch the news on TV or scroll social media, you’re going to amplify anxieties, and the various rumours and quackery that seem to proliferate on social media only make things worse. So get off your backside and get busy. Some of us are working from home, but that still leaves a lot more time at home than we’d normally have (eg. Time we’d use for commutes). Pick up a hobby you wanted to, and spend some time on the things you’d say you never get around to because you’re ‘too busy’. I’m working on a new novel and writing about triple the amount each day than I’d do in ‘normal times’. Gain renewed appreciation for how much hard work goes into running a home, and help out at home by dividing chores. I’m the designated laundryman, dishwasher and while my cooking skills are not a patch on my wife’s, I’m cutting vegetables, helping prepare meals and also brushing up my own cooking skills (I made a veg biryani which seemed to have passed the ‘wife test’). Doing things together not just keeps you busy but brings the family closer (see point 5).

     

    4. Support and seek support:

    We are all human and it’s natural to feel stressed at a time like this. If you see someone among your family or friends stressed or anxious, offer words of comfort or a hug (a virtual one if it’s a friend in the age of lockdowns!). Importantly, be vulnerable. Ask for help when you need it, let family and friends know when you’re troubled by something. We’re all in this together, literally every single person on this planet- so don’t let your fears gnaw away at you alone.

     

    5. Strengthen connections:

    Spending more time at home with family should give us an opportunity to reconnect and strengthen bonds, and at a time of anxiety and uncertainty, take comfort from the one thing that is certain – our love of our families. As a family, we are spending more time having longer conversations, playing board games together which we hadn’t touched for months, and playing our own indoor Cricket league. Whatever you and your family like doing together, use this as an opportunity to reconnect with each other. None of us can control what happens tomorrow, but we can ensure we make the most of today with the ones we love. Also, connect with those around you in the community and strengthen those bonds and support each other. If you have staff working for you, ensure they’re paid in full even if they can’t work, so their families are taken care of. See how you can help support those who are serving at the frontlines of this struggle- donate or just share your appreciation. Help those around you in your community and seek help. In our apartment complex, with our typical fast-paced lifestyles, we’d barely get to know our neighbours, but now I’m amazed at how our WhatsApp group is buzzing with people offering advice to those who need it, sharing ideas and encouraging each other.

     

    We will prevail, and when we do, I hope that these days teach us something. In the days before this crisis, it was fashionable to talk of a ‘connected world’. I hope we now realise that being connected transcends how many Facebook ‘friends’ or Insta ‘likes’ we have. Being connected means that in the face of a worldwide crisis of the sort we face, we realise that we all share more in common than we might have thought. We are very good at dividing ourselves- on the basis of religion, colour, nationality or political affiliation, but this crisis should teach us that we are all more alike than we may have believed. We are all on the same side- against a common enemy. When it comes down to it, all of us are united by our love of life, of our families, of wanting to create a better tomorrow for ourselves and those in the community around us. I hope the legacy of this crisis will not be the memories of anxiety, tragedy and loss that are inevitable, but a putting aside of many of our differences and a renewed appreciation for our shared values, dreams and humanity.

     

    Stay safe, stay healthy and stay positive.

     

    Mainak Dhar is a husband, a father, a bestselling writer, a Black Belt in Karate and also leads the Asia, Middle East & Africa business for General Mills.

     

     

  • Introducing an all-new series called ‘Stay@Home’ with some of the biggies in the advertising, media and marketing fraternity. Hope you enjoy it. We start with Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer, Aditya Birla Capital. . In this article, the veteran marketing services executive writes on: 5 things to ask yourself. Read on…

    NEW SERIES! Lockdown Day 2: Stay@Home with Ajay Kakar: 5 Things to Ask Yourself

    Introducing an all-new series called ‘Stay@Home’ with some of the biggies in the advertising, media and marketing fraternity. Hope you enjoy it. We start with Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer, Aditya Birla Capital. In this article, the veteran marketing services executive writes on: 5 things to ask yourself.

     

    5 Things to Ask Yourself

     

    By Ajay Kakar

    1. Do you have a family album?

    Today, you carry all your pictures on your mobile. But what about the pictures taken in the era when photographs were clicked on a camera, films were developed and prints taken. And stashed somewhere. Your pictures are all over the place. Remember where all they are strewn. Find them. Collate them. Update them. Index them. Create your family album. Update your family album. Enjoy flipping through your memories.

    2. Do you know your roots?

    In today’s fast-pace world and nuclear families, speak to your elders, reach out to your relatives and enjoy creating a family tree that captures your roots. Add photographs to the names. Spend time with your immediate family and run them through your family tree. And familiarise them with their roots.

     

    3. Have you discovered your kitchen?

    Get to YouTube, discover new recipes for old favourites. And time tested
    recipes for new dishes. And try your hand at cooking your favourite dishes. Apne haath se bana hua khaana khaane ka mazaa kuch aur hi he.

     

    4. Have you updated your playlist with your old favourites?

    We all enjoy the “latest hits”, which have a short shelf-life. What about the “oldy-goldies”? Songs you grew up to and have been your all-time favourites? Exchange notes with friends and classmates. Compile a list. Enrich your playlist.

     

    5. Have you looked out of the window?

    We have a fixed routine. A predictable routine. A daily routine. A weekly routine. And our time passes running from one commitment to another. In air conditioned homes, cars and offices. When did you last open a window? Look out of the window? Heard the sound of silence? The sound of birds?

    Yeh mauka na milega dobara. Go for it!