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Dreams Do Come True - International Book Tour

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It was March 2020 when I started writing a book about my eventful career journey and the philosophy I chose to apply as I made decisions along my professional pathway. It was the early days of the pandemic, and my wife and I were staying at a friend’s beautiful farmhouse in Lonavala – a quaint hill station two hours’ drive from Mumbai. During those days, I would wake up early, exercise, chant while walking in nature, make a cup of coffee, sit in one of the comfy chairs facing a nearby mountain, pull out my laptop, put on my headphones, turn on my favourite tunes and start typing.  I relished the process of taking the memories, beliefs, insights and lived wisdom that resided in my head and heart and excitedly placing them onto the Microsoft Word document. It was therapeutic, exhilarating and addicting – creating something that did not exist before. Thanks to the online Masterclass course on how to write non-fiction led by renown author Malcolm Gladwell that my wife purchased for me for
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Will Long-form Writing Become a Lost Art?

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I love writing. It is my meditation. It is my escape from the external world and path into my internal one. It is the medium by which I process my thoughts, experiences, aspirations and dreams. It is how I can authentically express my appreciation, gratitude and love for others exactly as it is written on my heart. The lined paper in a fresh journal and the blank Microsoft Word page serve as my canvas, and when my hand moves the pen to the paper or my fingers begin typing, I honestly do not know what will happen next. What words will flow through my head, heart and soul and onto the paper or screen? It is a beautiful experience, a ‘creative act’, as Rick Rubin calls it.  I never thought that, in my lifetime, the majestic art of writing would come under attack. I accepted that SMS and WhatsApp have made the art of letter and long-form email writing somewhat archaic. It has been difficult to witness as I feel the essence of communication is challenging to connect with when delivered in q
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Only Original Action

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One of my favorite quotes is, “There is no such thing as original thought, there is only original action.”  I have expressed this statement several times over the past two decades and still do not have any idea who originally said this. Even after multiple online searches, the closest thing I could find was this quote from Mark Twain,  “There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.”  While I subscribe to Mr. Twain’s sentiment, I also understand that it differs from the quote mentioned at the top.   It is only now, while writing this piece, that I have become aware of the irony of this situation: I am struggling to find the original owner of a quote that communicates that new thou
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Remembering How to Expand My Edges

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I fondly remember my maiden trip to India back in 2006. I arrived in Delhi from New York City and spent three weeks backpacking – partly alone and partly with my best friend Phil, who joined me from Sydney halfway through my ‘holiday.’ I ventured through Delhi, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Mt. Abu, Udaipur, Jaisalmer and Jaipur on that trip. For most of it, I was a grimy backpacker dressed in torn jeans, faded t-shirts and worn-out Converse All-Star sneakers. We travelled by train, bus, taxi, scooter, auto, bike rickshaw and foot, walking alongside the wall to avoid getting hit by the several vehicles and animals zooming through the crowded lanes. It was exhilarating, nerve-racking and scary all at once. I loved every second of the experience as travelling through India made me feel alive – it pushed me well beyond my fairly wide comfort zone.     During that three-week adventure, I scheduled meetings with representatives of the Indian sports industry so that I could learn more about the
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What’s the Purpose of Purpose?

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Thought I would share a few thoughts around purpose for those looking to work within the sports industry.  As you embark on a career in sports management, you may be drawn to the excitement, glamour, and prestige of working in the sports industry. However, to truly succeed and find fulfilment in this field, it is essential to understand your purpose and values. Your purpose is your reason for being, your unique contribution to the world. It is what drives you, motivates you, and inspires you to make a difference. Without a clear sense of purpose, you may feel lost, unfulfilled, or directionless in your career. In sports management, your purpose can take many forms. You may be driven by a passion for sports and a desire to promote sportsmanship, fair play, and healthy competition. You may be inspired by a vision of using sports as a tool for social change, community development, or global diplomacy. You may be motivated by a desire to help athletes achieve their full potential on and of
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Lit Fest Fever!

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Several years ago, in 2014, I attended my first-ever Literature festival (‘Lit Fest’). It was the renowned Jaipur Literature Festival, and it was overwhelming and exhilarating. Thousands of people spread out across a massive garden venue, imbibing knowledge, networking, flirting, drinking, eating or furiously running to catch a session before it ends. It felt a bit like Lollapalooza for cool nerds.  After two days of attending countless talks, I was hooked. I was exhausted. I was inspired.   On the long drive back to my home in Delhi from Jaipur, I imagined what it would be like to be one of the festival speakers. To get flown into Jaipur by the festival organisers. To chill in the speakers' lounge drinking white wine and discussing all things life with some of the brightest minds and talented writers in the country and abroad. To sit on stage and speak about my book, my life, my passions in front of hundreds of people in attendance. To see queues of people lining up to buy my book
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Action = The Necessary Ingredient in the Creation of Anything Worthwhile

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Time flies. It feels like just yesterday Gaurav Modwel and I were standing in the lobby of the St. Regis Hotel in Mumbai, talking about how sports management education in the country needs a drastic improvement. That was February 2017. It is now November 2022, and we have not only successfully established India’s first industry-designed sports management education institute, but we also recently kicked off our fifth year of the program. Global industry stakeholders have applauded GISB for its innovation in education, and the institute has helped over one hundred individuals create careers within the sports industry, among other accolades.     I am so grateful that I chose to act on that conversation in 2017 versus letting it be another interesting discussion that dies upon the goodbye. My work on and association with GISB has transformed my life. It has given my sense of purpose, decades of industry experience and expansive network a place to live and play. It has connected me with som
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