Obvi

Chief Marketing Officer

Junglee Inc.

Advisor

AfterSell by Rokt

Ambassador

PrettyDamnQuick

GrapevineAI

Elevar

Gorgias

Proxima

Ghost3Media

Co-Founder

Mohawk Group, Inc.

Senior Marketing Analyst

CMO and Co-Founder at Obvi

Ashvin Melwani

Every CRO test I run at Obvi makes me nervous.

New landing page layout = Could tank conversion rate. Different hero image = Might hurt engagement. Adjust the pricing display = Could hurt profit per visitor.

Your hypothesis might be wrong. And you won't know until you've already lost money.

But this new add-on we’re testing is different. It's the rare CRO move with zero downside risk.

We just implemented ROKT Pay+, a new product from Aftersell by Rokt.  

It’s super simple. 

When customers hit your payment page, they see a banner offering cashback or rewards for selecting Apple Pay or PayPal.

Apple and PayPal then pay YOU when customers choose their wallet.

That's it. No behavior change required. No new friction added.

Your customers were already using these payment methods. Now you just get paid when they use them. Bonus: Apple Pay and PayPal come with payment processing fees anyway. ROKT Pay+ helps offset those costs.

Here’s why this is literally no-risk → 

-Already extensively A/B tested by Aftersell

-Zero negative impact on conversion (some brands see lift)

-Integrates natively with your existing checkout

-Banner designed to match your site's look and feel

-Customers already trust Apple Pay and PayPal

Aftersell is reporting ~$20-25 cents added per order from early launches.

We've been running Rokt Thanks awhile, and it adds $10k/month to our bottom line. That’s $120k+/year in pure profit.  

So when they told us about Pay+, it was an easy yes.

Look, I test landing pages weekly. I test new offers constantly. I'm always looking for ways to improve profit per session.

But those tests come with risk. This doesn't.

This is the closest thing I've found to free money in DTC:

-No operational lift

-No conversion risk (extensively tested)

-No new products to manage

-Premium brand association

We just started testing this, so I'll share our Obvi numbers once we have enough data.

But if you're running CRO tests and want something with actual upside and zero downside, this is worth looking at.

#ROKTpartner

CTV is either your next growth channel or your biggest budget black hole.

The difference comes down to one thing: whether you're buying real inventory or paying bots to watch your ads.

Here's the reality: Most CTV platforms operate like black boxes. Fragmented ID systems lose signal across devices. First-party data can't connect to reach controls. 

Your dashboard shows results, but you can't verify who actually watched.

Vibe.co just dropped their 2026 CTV Performance Playbook. It's not another "CTV is the future" think piece. It's a technical breakdown of what's broken and how to fix it.

What you'll get:

-How to retarget your existing customers and site visitors on streaming TV with the same precision as Meta

-How to use AI to test narrative, pacing, and offers at scale, then tie those tests directly to site sessions and purchases

-How over 20% of Vibe.co ads were AI-generated using Vibe Studio (and tips on best practices)

-Real incrementality data showing how brands achieve 55% lower CAC on CTV vs paid social

If you've been treating CTV like a brand awareness play because "it doesn't convert," this will change your perspective.

Click the link in the comments to get the full guide. 

#Vibepartner

Growth in 2026 comes down to one thing: getting more out of what you're already doing.

CPMs aren't coming down. Competition isn't slowing down. Which means the only real lever is optimization: using the customer feedback you're already collecting, tightening up underperforming flows, stacking 2% improvements until they compound into real growth.

That's what I'm covering December 9th at 11 AM ET along with some of the sharpest operators in DTC. Maestra.io is hosting this one-hour session where we're each breaking down the small wins that are actually moving the needle right now.

We're not talking theory here. Every tactic comes with real numbers from brands that have already run it. Battle-tested plays you can actually use.

I'll be walking through the exact AI prompts I use to turn customer data into high-performing creative. Plus you'll hear from:

→ Tamanna Bawa – Tech Partner Manager at Triple Whale (analytics platform trusted by 45,000+ brands)

→ Kyle Cannon – Marketing Manager at Furniture Fair (9-figure revenue, 13 stores + online, 20+ years in retail)

→ Jonathan Cairo – Head of Solutions & Integrations at CustomersAI (5 years in event data & identity tracking for Skims, Netflix, Adidas, Unilever)

→ Andrei Rebrov 🚀 – Co-founder at Finsi, ex-Scentbird (scaled to 500K paying subscribers)

5 speakers, 15 proven plays, 1 hour.

You'll walk away with something you can implement immediately. And if none of the tactics fit your brand, Maestra will audit your funnel and map three fixes for you.

Forget the typical webinar format. This one's cameras on, live questions, real conversation. The kind where someone drops a tactic and three other people immediately jump in with how they'd tweak it for their brand.

(Oh, and Maestra's sending everyone a $10 Starbucks card when you register. Might as well grab that coffee.)

This is one hour you don't want to miss if you're trying to break through your current growth ceiling.

See you there. 

Register using the link in comments 👇

Junior's Brands Private Limited

Director of Sales

National Sales Head

Uniform Junction

• Led business operations in Rajasthan, focusing on B2B sales and marketing with a specialization in the education sector.
• Developed and implemented high-impact sales strategies, marketing campaigns, and event initiatives to enhance brand visibility and drive revenue growth.
• Oversaw third-party collaborations and B2B partner acquisitions, expanding market reach and strengthening industry presence.

Manager - Business Development

EDPRIME

• Structured and optimized the sales team for enhanced performance.
• Managed digital marketing (paid promotions, PPC, SEO, SEM, Google Ads) to boost visibility and lead
generation.
• Led B2B sales & marketing for education institutes, events, and campaigns.
• Built strategic partnerships through third-party associations and product demos.
• Oversaw key projects, including CRM development, website, and knowledge base creation.

Handling Sales

The King's Breakfast

• Entrepreneurial Leadership – Expertise in P&L management and organizational planning for sustainable growth.
• Marketing & Branding – Led digital marketing (paid ads, SEO, SEM), outdoor advertising, print media, and events, ensuring strong brand positioning.
• Sales & Business Development – Focused on customer acquisition, B2B client management, and revenue generation to drive profitability.
• Creative Strategy – Oversaw the creation of marketing materials to enhance brand visibility and engagement.

Co-Founder & CMO

Idea Cellular Ltd

• Managed the entire portfolio for Idea Money, the M-Commerce division of Idea Cellular Ltd., for the
Jabalpur Zone.
• Led marketing initiatives, including ATL & BTL campaigns, product launches, and event management to drive brand growth.
• Drove sales and business development, overseeing team management, distribution networks, customer acquisition, and revenue generation for sustained success.

Business Development Manager (M Commerce)

Paytm

• Led business development, driving growth through strategic planning and execution.
• Managed merchant sourcing and direct sales, expanding market reach.
• Oversaw customer acquisition and key account management, ensuring satisfaction and revenue growth.

Business Development - Marketplace

Intec Capital Limited

• Led direct sales and marketing to drive business growth.
• Managed customer acquisition and relationship management for enhanced retention.
• Handled key clients, ensuring satisfaction & repeat business.

Relationship Manager

Grasim Industries Ltd. (Aditya Birla Group)

Intern

Entrepreneurial Sales & Marketing Leader with 11+ years of delivering measurable business growth, breaking into new markets, and building high-performance teams across B2B and B2C landscapes. I thrive at the intersection of strategy and execution — turning ambitious targets into tangible results.

💼 Proven expertise in:

Market Expansion & New Business Setup – Entered untapped territories, built sales networks from the ground up, and scaled teams.

High-Value B2B Sales – Closed multi-crore contracts across education, luxury retail, and F&B sectors.

Project & P&L Management – Steered large-scale initiatives to timely, profitable completion.

Digital & Performance Marketing – Launched integrated GTM strategies blending SEO, SEM, social, and offline channels for measurable ROI.

🌍 Internationally agile — experienced in managing diverse stakeholders across India, the Middle East, and global markets. Known for blending data-driven decision-making with a storytelling-led brand approach to accelerate sales and build lasting market presence.

Aadhar Chaturvedi

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞 — 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

Okay, maybe that’s dramatic. 😛 

But the moment I saw the 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞 3𝐀, I knew this wasn’t just another device on the shelf.

🔸 I wasn’t looking for just specs.
🔸 I wasn’t chasing just brand names.
🔸 I wanted something that felt… 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭.

Amid the usual recommendations from friends and countless online reviews, the 3A stood out — not just for what it does, but how it does it.

And honestly? It’s been a vibe. 🧊

👉 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐥𝐲𝐩𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 — It’s not just lights. It’s an experience. From call alerts to charging status, these subtle cues make interactions feel alive.

👉 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 — a distraction-free mode, helps focus on what truly matters.

👉 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 — sleek, minimal, and refreshing in a world of lookalike phones.

👉 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐎𝐒 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 — No bloatware. Just smooth, intentional, and distraction-free usage.

👉 𝐌𝐢𝐝-𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐠, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 — That sweet spot of functionality + flair.

It’s rare to find a device that doesn’t just work but also reflects who you are.

And for me, the 3A checked that box effortlessly.

Sometimes, the best tech decisions are the ones that go beyond specs — and speak to your style.

Huge Shoutout to Nothing & Carl Pei. 👏 

Have you ever picked a product just because it felt right? 

Let’s hear your story down in the comments.👇 

LinkedIn | LinkedIn for Marketing | LinkedIn Guide to Creating | LinkedIn for Sales 

#NothingPhone3A #TechWithStyle #Minimalism #Smartphones #DesignMatters #ProductExperience #UserCentricDesign #BrandDifferentiation #LinkedInCreators #Marketing

Strategic Marketer | Brand & Performance Growth | Delivering Measurable ROI Worldwide

LinkedIn can feel like a place where everyone is winning except you.


and it is not jealousy.
it is not competition.
it is that quiet punch in the gut feeling of
“why is nothing landing for me?”

you show up.
you try.
you post something you genuinely cared about,
and 14 minutes later, it’s gone.
no likes.
no comments.
not even the polite “this is nice” from the usual people.

you send a message you rewrote five times,
and it just sits there,
unseen, unopened, unnoticed.

you see opportunities everywhere,
but somehow they slide past you
like you are standing behind a glass wall
and no one realises you’re there.

and the worst part?
you start thinking maybe you’re not good enough.
maybe you are not interesting.
maybe you don’t matter in the way you hoped you did.

that’s a different kind of loneliness.
not the silence itself
but what the silence whispers to you.

and I wish I had some grand, motivational ending.
but honestly?

some days,
it just hurts.

some days, it’s hard to keep believing.
some days, you start questioning everything.

but I am still here.
showing up anyway.
with the doubt, the noise, the loneliness 
all of it.

because somewhere inside,
there is a small, stubborn part of me
that still believes someone out there
is actually meant to see me.

and maybe that’s enough for today.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 “𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞” 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐲


We assume customers compare everything.
Features, prices, reviews, offers.

But in reality?
Most choices happen in two seconds, not two hours.

And the winner is not always the “best.”

It is the one that feels effortless to choose
✅ easy to defend,
✅ easy to explain,
✅ easy to feel right about.

That is the Effortless Choice.
_________________________________________________________

When Ravi Kabra and Anuja Kabra started Skippi,
they were not trying to build a novelty product.
They were solving a quiet, emotional friction every parent felt.

For decades, ice pops carried hidden frictions
“Is this safe?”
“Is this made cleanly?”
“Is this even real fruit?”
“Should I let my kids have this?”

Nostalgia was high,
but trust was low.

Skippi removed that friction,
with one simple, effortless promise

𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧, 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞, 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐩𝐬.

❌ sketchy colours.
❌ unbranded plastic.
❌ questionable syrups.

Skippi reinvented ice pops by making them simple, and safe, to trust again.

Just a neat pack, clear ingredients, and a product parents could justify in one sentence,

“𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦.”

The moment justification becomes that simple,
the choice becomes effortless.
Skippi grew not because it was new
but because it made nostalgia feel trustworthy again.
________________________________________________________

💬 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬
People love nostalgia.
But they need permission,
to feel good about choosing it.

When you remove
guilt,
doubt,
confusion,
risk,
hesitation,
you remove the effort needed to choose.

And suddenly, your brand becomes the default.
_________________________________________________________

💡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧
If customers struggle to justify your product,
they won’t pick it.

🔸 Make your value effortless to explain.
🔸 Make your promise effortless to trust.
🔸 Make your choice effortless to choose.

Because the brand that wins,
are not the one with the most features,
they are the ones with the least friction
and the clearest justification.

Image Credit - Skippi's Official Website

LinkedIn | LinkedIn for Marketing | LinkedIn Guide to Creating

#MarketingStrategy #BrandStorytelling #ConsumerPsychology #BrandBuilding #SkippiIcePops #D2C #GrowthMindset #EffortlessChoice

It has been months since I last had an official title.
But truthfully, the work never really stopped.

I have spent this time doing what I love the most:
 
"𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭."

I have been consulting on a few projects, working with some wonderful founders,
Rethinking old ideas.
Quietly reminding myself why I fell in love with this craft in the first place.

Because marketing, at its best, is not about selling.
 
👉 It is about making people care.
👉 It is about building something that moves hearts, before it moves numbers.

𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬,
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞.

If you come across something that sounds like me, I would love to hear about it.

Because stories deserve to be told well.
And I have spent the last decade learning how to do just that.

#marketing #branding #storytelling #growth #opentowork #growthmindset

𝐓𝐡𝐞 “𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐯𝐬. 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰” 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞.

Most marketing campaigns fail for one simple reason, they are written as a mirror, not a window.

"𝘔𝘪𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶.
𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮."

And great brands know the difference.

When your content only talks about your journey, your milestones, your products,
you are holding up a 𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫.

But when you tell stories that help your audience see themselves in your message
that’s a 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰.
and this is where connection happens.
___________________________________________________________

When Dove (Unilever) launched its “𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲” campaign, it didn’t talk about soap, fragrance, or skincare science.

It talked about women.

About self-image, confidence, and the quiet insecurity that lives behind every mirror.

That campaign wasn’t selling soap, it was showing women a window to how beautiful they already were.

And that changed everything.
___________________________________________________________

In one of my past campaigns, we once replaced every product shot with user stories,
real people, raw voices.

Engagement went up 4×.

Because people don’t want to see you.
They want to see themselves through you.
___________________________________________________________

💡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧
✅ Use mirrors to build credibility.
✅ Use windows to build connection.
✅ And know when to switch between them.

Because a good brand tells its story.
A great brand helps people find their story in it.

#BrandStorytelling #MarketingStrategy #AuthenticMarketing #BrandBuilding #ContentMarketing #DoveRealBeauty #Storytelling #GrowthMindset

𝐓𝐡𝐞 “𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐆𝐚𝐩” 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞


Every brand makes promises.

Some subtle.
Some loud.
Some emotional.
Some functional.

But the real danger is not in the promise.
It is in the gap between what you promise,
and what people actually experience.

That tiny gap,
a delay,
a mismatch,
a broken expectation,
is where trust quietly erodes.

And once trust slips,
no amount of marketing can pull it back.

That’s the Expectation Gap.
____________________________________________________

When Pritesh Asher and Megha Desai Asher created Juicy Chemistry
the beauty market was full of bold claims,
organic, natural, chemical-free.

But customers had one silent frustration

“None of this feels real.”

The category was drowning in promises,
that collapsed the moment someone read the ingredients.

Juicy Chemistry closed that expectation gap completely

✅ certified organic
✅ transparent sourcing
✅ short, clean ingredient lists
✅ functional packaging
✅ zero shortcuts

What you saw on the label,
is exactly what you got in the jar.

❌ poetry.
❌ overclaiming.
❌ glossy marketing to hide inconsistencies.

𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘺 → 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 → 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘢𝘵.

Juicy Chemistry did not grow by shouting louder.
They grew by never letting the promise outrun the experience.
________________________________________________________

💬 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬

People don’t remember your ad.
They remember how your product made them feel.

If the promise is big,
and the delivery is small,
disappointment hits harder than silence.

𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘎𝘢𝘱 = 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵.
𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘎𝘢𝘱 = 𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘺.
 
It is that simple,
and that difficult.

_________________________________________________________

💡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧
Your brand promise sets the height.
Your experience must reach it,
every time.

Because customers do not churn randomly.
They churn when the Expectation Gap widens.

And customers do not stay, just out of habit.
They stay because the brand does,
exactly what it said it would do.

🔸 Close the gap.
🔸 Keep the promise.
🔸 Earn the trust.

LinkedIn | LinkedIn for Marketing | LinkedIn Guide to Creating

#MarketingStrategy #BrandStorytelling #ConsumerPsychology #BrandBuilding #JuicyChemistry #D2C #ExpectationGap #GrowthMindset

𝐓𝐡𝐞 “𝐄𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐨𝐚𝐭”

Most brands chase visibility.
The great ones build moats,
not made of money, but of meaning.

An 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐚𝐭 protects a brand when products look alike, prices match, and algorithms flatten everything.

That’s what makes people choose you 
not out of logic, but out of feeling.
___________________________________________________________

Nappa Dori doesn’t just sells leather goods.
It sells craft.

Every stitch, every buckle, every grain tells a story of patience.
Their design language is quiet, no flashy logos, no loud messaging, no urgency to “go viral.”

They built a brand around slowness, simplicity, and sincerity.

Founded by Gautam Sinha, Nappa Dori is an expression of Indian craftsmanship told through a global lens
𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥.

Step inside any of their store, and you will notice, it doesn’t feel like a shop.
It feels like a museum of moments.

✅ You are not just buying a product.
✅ You are inheriting a piece of someone’s craftsmanship.

That’s Nappa Dori’s moat.

In a world obsessed with speed, they made stillness desirable.
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘨.
𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘢 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦.
___________________________________________________________

💬 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬
An emotional moat isn’t built through marketing spend.
It’s built through meaningful repetition.

When every touchpoint,
tone, texture, and space, reflects the same emotion,

You don’t attract customers.
You attract believers.

That’s when a brand stops being seen
and starts being felt.
___________________________________________________________

💡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧
✅ Products build transactions.
✅ Stories build relationships.
✅ Feelings build moats.

So don’t just build for attention.
Build for affection.

Because meaning compounds.
And that’s the only ROI that never devalues.

Image Courtesy - Nappa Dori

#BrandStorytelling #MarketingStrategy #EmotionalBranding #AuthenticMarketing #BrandBuilding #ContentMarketing #NappaDori #Storytelling #GrowthMindset

𝐓𝐡𝐞 “1% 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞”


Most brands try to say everything.
Features. Values. Purpose. Vision.
 
Too much noise.
Too many messages.

But the brands people remember?
They usually get one thing right,
just 1% of the story.

𝘈 𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩.
𝘈 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.
𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺
𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘺.
_______________________________________________

When Vivek Prabhakar, Shubhra Chadda & Alicia Souza started Chumbak Design Pvt. Ltd.,
they were not trying to build a “products brand.”
They were building a feeling.

Chumbak wasn’t designing products,
it was designing delight.

At a time when most Indian brands played safe with muted palettes and formal tones,
Chumbak chose colour, quirk, and everyday joy.

Their 1% truth was simple:
“𝘔𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘯.”

Walk into a Chumbak store and you feel it instantly,
bright patterns, playful illustrations, little characters winking at you.
From mugs, notebooks, bags, cushions, everything.

It didn’t matter what the product was.
The feeling was the same.
And that consistency is what built recall.
That’s the 1% Story Rule.

One small emotional idea,
told with clarity and protected with obsession.
_______________________________________________

💬 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬
If you try to tell people everything,
they remember nothing.

But if you tell them one thing,
clearly, emotionally, repeatedly,
it becomes your anchor.

Your recall.
Your meaning.

Every great brand is built on a small truth.
Not a big campaign.
_______________________________________________

💡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧
✅ Find your 1% truth. 
✅ Build every message around it.
✅ Protect it with obsession.

Because in a crowded world,
complexity gets ignored,
but clarity gets remembered.

That’s the 1% Story Rule.

LinkedIn Guide to Creating | LinkedIn for Marketing | LinkedIn News | LinkedIn 

#BrandStorytelling #MarketingStrategy #BrandBuilding #ContentMarketing #Storytelling #Chumbak #DesignThinking #MarketingInsights #Founders #GrowthMindset #BrandsThatMatter

I came across Upliance 2.0 (upliance.ai) yesterday,
and I will be honest, I was not expecting to get this intrigued by a kitchen gadget.

But here we are.

The team behind it, Mahek Mody⤴️ and Mohit Sharma, are not positioning this just as an appliance.

They are basically saying - “𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘐 𝘤𝘰-𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘵.”

And that’s what pulled me in.

I genuinely love cooking food and the whole idea of tech meeting flavour makes me extra curious.

What instantly made me pause:
🔸 One device that chops, stirs, sautés, weighs, cooks
🔸 750+ Indian recipes with actual step-by-step guidance
🔸 A “virtual flame” lid that looks like sci-fi met tadka
🔸 And an overall vibe that feels more smart assistant than blender 2.0

And now I really want to try it myself, get hands-on and see if the hype survives real kitchen chaos.

If you have actually used Upliance 2.0:
🔹 Does it save time or is it another countertop showpiece?
🔹 How is the tadka?
🔹 Smooth experience or app drama?
🔹 And does it fit into a regular Indian kitchen, or only the aesthetic Instagram ones?


Let’s just say, my curiosity levels are off the charts right now.

Picture Credit - upliance.ai

LinkedIn | LinkedIn for Marketing | LinkedIn Guide to Creating

#Upliance #IndianInnovation #FoodMeetsTech #StoryOfAProduct #CuriousMarketer #MadeForIndia #KitchenReimagined #TasteAndTech #BrandStory #GrowthMindset

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭? 
𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫?

That question led me to something unexpected,

The Generative AI Foundations Certificate Program with Microsoft and upGrad. 🎓

But it wasn’t just another course.
It was a mindset shift.

🔸 I learned how AI can amplify imagination instead of replacing it.
🔸 How prompt design can become the new creative brief, and 
🔸 How the next era of marketing and storytelling will belong to those who know how to think with AI. 💡

This journey wasn’t about earning a badge.

It was about rediscovering what it means to create in an age of algorithms and realizing that the future still needs the human touch more than ever.

Here’s to lifelong learning, curiosity, and building what’s next. 🌍✨

#GenerativeAI #Microsoft #upGrad #AageKiSoch #AIForCreativity #Storytelling #GrowthMindset

“𝐀𝐈 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬.”


Let’s stop sugar-coating it.
AI didn’t create a new creative class.

It exposed the old one.

This year alone, almost every major creative tool, 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐛𝐞, 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐯𝐚, 𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐦𝐚, even 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦, rolled out AI features.
Overnight, the playing field became equal.

So what actually separates people now?

1️⃣ Taste.
2️⃣ Thinking.
3️⃣ Originality.

And that’s where the real divide showed up.

Because the uncomfortable truth is:
𝘈𝘐 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳,
𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.

The people who depended on templates are panicking.
The people who depended on imagination are thriving.

AI didn’t kill creativity.

It killed copy-paste creativity.
It killed “I will figure it out later.”
It killed the comfort of hiding behind slow processes and big teams.

Now, your ideas are naked.
Your taste is visible.
Your thinking is out in the open.

And that’s why this moment is so powerful.

For the first time ever,
you rise because of your mind, not your tools.

AI can amplify you.
But it cannot invent you.

And if that scares someone,
maybe it should.

#AI #Creativity #LinkedInNews #FutureOfWork #Creators

no one warns you that being “reliable”,
can become the slowest way to disappear in your own career.

𝐀 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇

Sometimes you are not stuck because you are incapable.
You are stuck because you are too useful where you are.

They depend on you.
They trust you.
They know you will deliver.

And without anyone saying it aloud,
you become the person who keeps things running,
not the person who gets to rise.

What no one admits,
being appreciated and being advanced,
are two completely different careers.

Your consistency becomes your cage.
Your reliability becomes your ceiling.
Your competence becomes the reason no one asks.

“What’s next for you?”

The worst part?
You don’t notice it happening.
You just start feeling,
under-challenged, unseen, under-grown,
while doing everything right.

Here is the truth I finally learned,
the environments that depend on you staying the same,
will never help you become more.

So if your growth feels missing,
check the room,
not your talent.

#CareerGrowth #WorkCulture #MidCareer #LeadershipMindset #ProfessionalDevelopment #CorporateLife #CareerTruths

𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐩 1% 𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧,


if they tracked mental stability gained by sitting in the sun for 3 minutes.

I found myself on a stone path between two pools,
not chasing clarity,
not solving anything,

just, pausing.

I thought, I was meditating.

In truth, I was letting my mind settle
after running too fast for too long.

The sun was warm.
The breeze gentle.
And for once, my thoughts were not trying to outrun me.

For a moment, I felt like one of those hyper-optimised humans
with perfect routines and perfect mornings.
 
Then a leaf landed on me
and the universe quietly reminded me to slow down.

But in that tiny interruption, something shifted.
I stopped trying to perfect the moment.
Stopped turning stillness into a task.
Stopped measuring peace in productivity terms.

I simply sat.
𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵.
𝘜𝘯𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥.
𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯.

And somewhere in that simplicity,
it felt like the universe whispered,

 “𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐞.”

#Mindset #WorkLife #RealTalk #FindingBalance #SelfReflection #EverydayStories #LifeInProgress

𝐓𝐡𝐞 “𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧” 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞.

Most brands obsess over the big things
the campaign,
the positioning,
the messaging,
the design.

But customers do not leave because of the big things.
They leave because of the tiny things.

A hesitation.
A pause.
A moment of “Umm… maybe later.”

That is Invisible Frictionl
the small feeling that quietly pushes people away,
long before you even notice.
_______________________________________________

When Taran Chhabra & Amar Preet Singh founded Neeman's, they spotted an unspoken truth in footwear,

"Comfort did not feel desirable."

For years, “comfortable shoes” came with a hidden friction
They did not look good.
Comfortable meant bulky.
Supportive meant boring.
Soft meant unstylish.

The unspoken friction was emotional
“I want comfort… but I do not want to look uncool.”

Neeman’s removed that friction, Completely.

They built shoes from wool, eucalyptus, and sleek design.
Lightweight silhouettes.
Minimal logos.
Style without compromise.

Suddenly, comfort didn’t feel like a concession.
It felt cool.

Neeman’s did not win by adding features.
They won by removing a tiny barrier
that every customer felt
but no brand cared to solve.
_______________________________________________

💬 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬

Invisible friction never appears in surveys.
It never shows up in dashboards.
It never becomes a complaint.

Customers do not say

“This product made me second-guess.”
 or
“This experience felt slightly heavy.”

They just quietly drift away.

Most brands misdiagnose this as a “marketing problem.”
It is not.
It is a friction problem.
_______________________________________________

💡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧

Before you ask,

“How do we grow?”
 
ask,

“What’s causing the tiny pause?”

Growth does not always come from addition.
Sometimes it comes from subtraction.

The brands that win today, 
are not the ones shouting the loudest.

They are the ones removing the obstacles,
their customers don’t have the words for.

That is the Invisible Friction Principle.

LinkedIn | LinkedIn for Marketing | LinkedIn Guide to Creating 

#BrandStorytelling #MarketingStrategy #ConsumerPsychology #BrandBuilding #Neeman’s #D2C #GrowthMindset #InvisibleFriction #BrandStrategy #BusinessLessons

𝐓𝐡𝐞 “𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭”


Most brands think people are confused because they do not have “enough information.”

But confusion rarely comes from lack of information.

It comes from lack of direction.

People do not want a flood of messages.

They want a handrail,
something steady to hold on to,
as they move from consideration,
to clarity,
to choice.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘌𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵.
 
A brand becomes the handrail when it gives people a simple, reassuring,
repeatable idea that helps them move forward without hesitation.
_____________________________________________________

When Mukesh Bansal and Ankit N. started Cult.Fit (Curefit), they did not try to “educate India about fitness.”
 
They knew the real friction was simpler.
“I want to work out,
but I do not know where to start.”

Gyms felt intimidating.
Diets felt overwhelming.
Routines felt complicated.

So Cult.Fit built a handrail,
a simple emotional guide,
 “Just show up.”

❌ perfect routine.
❌ heavy jargon.
❌ pressure to transform overnight.

𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭
𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰
𝐔𝐩.

In every touchpoint,
the app, the trainers, the communication, the workouts,
that one idea stays consistent,
steady,
reassuring.

And slowly, people begin moving from
“I should work out someday”
 to
“I can start today.”

Not because the brand shouted louder,
but because it guided better.
_________________________________________________________

💬 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬

Confusion is not the enemy.
Uncertainty is.
If people feel unsure,
they pause.
If they pause long enough,
they drop off.

A brand with a handrail gives people the confidence to keep going.
And confidence is the most underrated growth strategy in the world.
__________________________________________________________

💡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧

To reduce friction,
do not add more features.

Add direction.

A brand becomes memorable,
not when it explains everything,
but when it gives people one idea,
they can trust when things feel unclear.

Clarity does not come from volume.
It comes from the Handrail Effect.

LinkedIn | LinkedIn for Marketing | LinkedIn Guide to Creating

#BrandStorytelling #MarketingStrategy #BrandBuilding #ConsumerPsychology #CultFit #GrowthStrategy #MarketingInsights #GrowthMindset #FitIndia

"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐲" ❚█══█❚

Most content looks the same.
Safe. Predictable. Forgettable.

But here’s the truth,
the brands that break through aren’t the ones doing more, they are the ones doing it differently.

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘶𝘮.
 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘻𝘺.”

That’s the essence of the Content Barbell Strategy.
 
A concept borrowed from finance, where you balance low-risk and high-risk bets, and skip the middle.

⚖️ 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐈𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬:

1️⃣ Low-risk content
👉 Educational, evergreen, helpful.
The kind that quietly builds trust and authority.
Think: how-tos, frameworks, breakdowns.

2️⃣ High-risk content
👉 Bold, emotional, experimental.
The kind that sparks conversations and connection.
Think: founder stories, opinions, humor, raw truths.

Everything in between?
That’s the comfort zone and that’s where content dies.

Nike plays both ends perfectly.

🎯 One side — disciplined athlete stories: reliable, trust-building.
🔥 The other — bold campaigns like “You Can’t Stop Us”: emotional, provocative, unforgettable.

That’s why they own both credibility and conversation.

In an age of algorithms and AI, playing safe is the riskiest move you can make.

So build your content barbell.

Train one side with discipline.
And the other with courage.

𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 
𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅.

That’s your balance.

Image Credit :- Sphere Media Technologies Co Ltd

#ContentMarketing #BrandStrategy #MarketingInsights #NikeMarketing #Storytelling #BrandBuilding #GrowthMindset

“𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝.
 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.”

I picked up 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 by Dr. Robert Cialdini after Amrutha Venkatesh ✨ pointed me toward it and it turned out to be exactly the book I needed right now.

This is not a book about persuasion in the “𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘴” sense.

It is a book about human nature,
how people make decisions, 
what shapes trust, 
and why certain ideas travel faster than others.

Here are the ideas that truly stayed with me:

✅ 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐲, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭.
Authority does not come from volume, it comes from credibility.

✅ 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐎𝐌𝐎.
 It is about helping people understand what they stand to lose by delaying.
 Clarity > pressure.

✅ 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐦.
When someone takes the first step voluntarily, the next step becomes natural.

Dr. Cialdini does a brilliant job breaking down the psychology behind compliance, yes-saying, and influence-without-force, 
through experiments, real stories, and timeless principles.

"𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳,
𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘦𝘴."

It is one of those reads that quietly shifts your lens.

You do not finish it with “tactics”, you finish it with awareness.

For marketers, founders, storytellers, salespeople,
honestly, anyone dealing with humans (which is all of us), this book is gold.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐀𝐦𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐚.
this was the nudge I didn’t knew I needed.

👉 If you had to suggest my next read, what would it be? 
One that changed how you understand people?

#Books #Influence #ConsumerPsychology #Marketing #SalesMindset #BehaviouralScience #BrandStrategy #B2BSales #HumanBehaviour #Entrepreneurship #GrowthMindset #BooksILove

𝐦𝐢𝐝-𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐧. 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐠𝐨.


and then comes the silence.
not the peaceful kind,
the identity-crushing, career-questioning silence
that politely asks you:

“𝐬𝐨… 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐨𝐰?”

you wake up suddenly “between roles” 
which is corporate language for
“I have absolutely no idea who I am anymore but thanks for checking.”

and then you start doing the usual mid-career crisis rituals

▫️rewriting your resume 27 times
▫️updating your LinkedIn bio like it is a personality
▫️applying for jobs you secretly hope you don’t get
▫️telling relatives “I needed the break”
▫️googling “is 35 too late to start again?”
▫️and talking about “market conditions” like an economist on caffeine

here is the part nobody admits:

mid-career is sold as the “stable” phase.
but a layoff in your 30s feels like showing up to a group project
where everyone except you got the answer key.

your friends are getting promoted, leading teams, buying houses,
and you are clapping because someone viewed your profile.

the emotional math stops making sense:

10+ 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 = 0 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐭 = 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐭
𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬 = 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬

but here is the gut-punch truth:

a layoff doesn’t reset your career.
𝐢𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞.

mid-career is not a milestone.
𝐢𝐭 i𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝.

and the people who survive it?

they are not the smartest.
not the most connected.
not the most impressive.

they are the ones who keep showing up 
even when their confidence doesn’t.

so if you are stuck in that humiliating, humbling in-between 
you are not failing.

you are just meeting the real you
without the corporate costume.

and honestly?
that version might be the one with real staying power.

#Careers #MidCareer #ProfessionalGrowth #CareerStruggle

Childhood was simple.
Adulthood is just childhood but with bills, burnout, and LinkedIn.

No deadlines.
No KPIs.
No algorithm judging your self-worth.
No pressure to be “relevant”.

just two kids with amazing fashion sense and zero idea,
that adulthood would one day feel like a full-time exam.

back then, the biggest achievement of the day
was finishing homework before Shaktimaan came on TV.

now it is -
“am I doing enough?”
“why is everyone moving faster than me?”
“should I be further in life by now?”
“why does my coffee taste like responsibility?”

Somewhere between those two faces and the person I am now,
I learned how to worry, overthink, compare, rush, and self-doubt.

But I also realised something while looking at this picture:

𝘒𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭.
𝘈𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘥𝘰.

𝘒𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩.
𝘈𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘥𝘰.

𝘒𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨.
𝘈𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘥𝘰.

𝘒𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 ‘𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵’.
𝘈𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘵.

maybe Children’s Day is not for children at all.
maybe it is for the grown-ups
who forgot how fearless they used to be.

so here is to the version of us
who wasn’t scared to start, try, fail, or be seen.

𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲,
to the kid we left behind,
and the one still quietly rooting for us to return.

(this photo reminded me of something I forgot along the way)

#ChildrensDay #LifeLessons #PersonalGrowth #LeadershipMindset #GrowthMindset #Shaktimaan #Baazigar #HappyChildrensDay

Yesterday, something small happened that changed how I look at AI forever.


My house help’s son, a Class 8 kid, came to me with a school project on climate change.

He looked stressed. English was not his strong suit, and he had no idea how to present his research.

Instead of writing it for him, I opened my laptop and showed him how to ask AI the right question.

He didn’t blink.
His eyes softened.
And then he said something I didn’t expect,

“𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦?”

That line hit harder than anything an algorithm could generate.

Someone like me.

A kid who’s grown up believing that knowledge belongs to a different world.

▪️ That English is a barrier.
▪️ That learning comes with conditions.
▪️ That opportunity has a price tag.

In that moment, AI was not a “tool.”
It was a door.

We refined it together,
he adjusted the summary, added examples, and even asked the AI to explain the science “like I am 12.”

Not only he walked out with a solid presentation,
but he walked out with something far bigger.

A tool he can use for the rest of his life.
And here is what hit me.

AI is not replacing adults in offices.
It is reshaping opportunity for kids in small homes.
It is reducing the gap between those who “know” and those who “can learn.”
It is not about being smarter, it is about knowing how to ask better.

One moment of access.
One tiny spark.
One new direction for someone who never imagined he could compete.

That is the real impact of AI
not in boardrooms, but in everyday lives we rarely notice.

But the real question is,
👉 Are you using AI just to finish tasks?
Or to expand what you believe is possible?

LinkedIn | LinkedIn Learning 

#ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfWork #DigitalIndia #Storytelling #PersonalGrowth #LearningRevolution #TechForGood #AIinEducation #Inspiration #LinkedInCommunity

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Aadhar Chaturvedi

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The Battle

Ashvin Melwani

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Ashvin Melwani's LinkedIn Performance

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