au revoir Radio Mirchi

Couple of weeks back, I moved from Radio Mirchi (ENIL) to Brand Capital business of Bennett & Coleman. It was a long association of more than twelve years. I sent out a mail to my colleagues. This is what I wrote:

Dear All

It was the best of times, it was the worst of the times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair,…

From A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

In love, it is possible to hold seemingly contradictory thoughts in our head. Now at this stage, at the time to say – au revoir, I could summon courage to admit that it was a love affair with Mirchi – full of highs and lows; full of all sorts of contradictions. I had no option but to summon Dickens to capture my mood. 

In these days and times, of 140 character and easy Likes, twelve plus years would look like a life time but that’s what passed between ENIL and yours truly. At the outset, I would like to apologise to many, many people with whom I may have behaved in the most obnoxious manner. If it had not been for Sujata and Sarvi, I would have never realised this dark side of my personality. 

Mirchi gave me an opportunity to grow as an individual, as a professional, as a human being… And I am truly grateful for this. I enjoyed the generosity of countless colleagues in this journey.

I would make every effort not to make this a squeamish, nostalgic trip down-memory-lane rigmarole. Let me talk about ONLY two things - my biggest successes and my dreadful failure. 

In Ahmedabad, where I joined ENIL, I felt like the West Indies captain of yore, Clive Lloyd. I had the best team in the world and we could have conquered the world. In that assignment, after some 8-9 months of follow-up and hundreds of creative iteration, we got business worth 5 lakhs  from GSDMA (Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority headed by a guy who I admired a great deal, Thiru) and in the last few years I consider SpellBee as the best work that I was involved with… 

Why would I mention this? It’s important that we keep an inventory of our achievements that we feel proud of.  There will always be a difference between the way world sees us as successful and the way we know ourselves. These successes might not come on my CV but would surely be part of my epitaph.

To talk about failures, I tried to introduce this concept of Learning Monday few years back. I wish I had persevered some more in convincing team members on the benefit of continuous learning.

And this is where I would wear my didactic hat (will seek your indulgence). Mirchi is a unique place because of the programming (creative) team. That’s what makes it a different place. In our zealousness of chasing revenue numbers we might forget the importance of Programming function. For revenue achievement, we could have as well sold tyres. Because of Programming team, I had the privilege of meeting some truly, remarkable creative people. Thanks guys…

Would take this opportunity to showcase one more example of Mirchi culture. I was made COO in the beginning of 2011. Most of you might not be aware that Prashant and I didn’t enjoy the best of relationship in those days. He didn’t let it come between us and decided to recommend my name. Thanks Prashant… Would always remember this as an outstanding example of professionalism.

In last few years, you would have seen me as fitness fanatic and/or keen running enthusiast. Nothing could be farther from truth. I had to struggle every single day to keep it going. Sometime back, I realised that my life was adrift and to get it under control, I turned to sports and meditation. I read somewhere - nothing worth doing is ever easy. I am still seeking a higher form of discipline and that voyage is an on–going journey. In Latin they say – Fortitudine Vincimus – by endurance we conquer! This search for discipline has helped me a great deal and I wish I can turn more people to it. 

Now, here, when I embark on a new journey, I am reminded of a beautiful song from the movie Lion King, Circle of Life…

From the day we arrive on the planet

And blinking, step into the sun

There’s more to see than can ever be seen

More to do than can ever be done

There’s far too much to take in here

More to find than can ever be found

But the sun rolling high

Through the sapphire sky

Keeps great and small on the endless round

It’s the circle of life

It’s the wheel of fortune

It’s the leap of faith

It’s the band of hope

Till we find our place

On the path unwinding

In the circle, the circle of life

So, on this unwinding path of professional life I seek a new journey; in a quest to find my place (Inshallah!). I am moving to the Brand Capital part of Bennett & Coleman. It is not what I thought of; or planned but that’s what life has in store for me and that’s what I will do. 

And to end let me borrow from Roman Stoic Philosopher, Seneca: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”

Friends and fellow Mirchites, sayonara matane…

Cheers

Hitesh