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Hi, my name is George Abraham and welcome to this edition of Eyeway Conversations. My guest today is Siddharth Sharma, a Public Relations professional, a fitness buff, and a man of style. Welcome Siddharth. Hi, George, great to be on your show. So Siddharth, I was reading somewhere that you are the first blind Public Relations professional in Asia.
Well, that's true. George you know, I started my public relations career when I was with you, at the first World Cup Cricket for the Blind way back in '98. And soon after that, I started working with Public Relations agency called Connections, which was a great agency of its time. And after a few years of working with them, I realized that you know, growth in a PR agency might be slightly restricted. So therefore, I said, Okay, let's take the plunge, and go the entrepreneurial route. And that's when I decided to form Foundations PR, which was in 2002. So keeping that in mind, I mean, when I started off, there was nobody, absolutely nobody in the country who I could, you know, even talk to, from my field. I mean, when I say talk to I mean, visually impaired people, because there were none. Yes, today, I mean, I have successfully been running this Public Relations agency called Foundations PR, for, well, 19 years now. And I do happen to be Asia's first self employed Public Relations professional.
You started your career with the agency, Connections. And this was probably your first foray into employment as a visually impaired or blind person. So talk us through some of the initial experiences, some of the thoughts that might have been crossing your mind some of the apprehensions that you might have been having?
Well, as you know, I mean, I lost my eyesight at the age of 24 and a half, thanks to a motorbike accident. And for many years, I mean, I didn't really do anything structured in the form of a job, and so on. But when the World Cup came up, and you gave me the opportunity at that time to work on the public relations aspect of things, I suddenly realized that PR is something that suits my style suits, my, you know, intellectual capabilities, and so on. And so I settled into this job with a sense of apprehension, a, because it was a large corporate house, it was the Dalmiya Group. And I didn't know how I was going to fit into a corporate environment, I guess, that didn't turn out to be too much of an issue. I got into my role with the ease, slowly started realizing that all my experience from the past, because I was into counting sports and stuff like that, before my accident, and the things that I had done. I mean, I was a Commerce graduate, I soon realized that business development and, you know, the marketing aspect of things, the operational aspect of the agency was something that I was, you know, very comfortable with. And soon, I started bringing in business, to the organization, which, at that point of time was a huge sense of achievement, not only for me, but also for the organization, because suddenly, I mean, we were bringing in marquee accounts, they were good accounts that were coming in. And that gave me a sense of confidence that okay, even though I mean, I have this visual impairment, when I go out into the big wide world, people take you seriously.
Public relations, the way we all know it is a lot of connections and interactions with people in the media. And the media is a huge group. There are different kinds of people in the media, whether it is print, whether it's electronic, or whether it's even the these days even in the digital space. So why don't you share with us, some of the initial challenges that you might have had.
Public relations is a very, very vast field. I mean, honestly speaking, public relations is a direct marketing tool that is utilized by corporates, brands, individuals, NGOs, I mean, you name it public relations is a very important aspect of marketing, which most people do not realize they think PR is more about hobnobbing and schmoozing around with people, which is, which it is to a degree, but you need to be extremely well informed about your subject. And what I did over a period of time was, I realized that the lifestyle and luxury space was the space that I was most comfortable working within. And I concentrated on bringing in luxury brands and lifestyle brands to my PR firm Foundations PR. And during this process, I mean, you know, you get to know people in the media across the board, I mean, who deal on these subjects. And of course, I mean, there's a lot of corporate media involved as well. It's not just lifestyle and luxury media, there's a lot of corporate media, also that you're in touch with all the time, because you're always getting your clients who are basically Managing Directors of companies, Chairmans of companies, Marketing Directors, you're getting them interviewed in the pink papers, business magazines, CNBC, you know, so on and so forth. And then on the other hand, I mean, when you're working with world class iconic luxury brands, then you're looking at the media that looks into luxury. So I mean, and lifestyle. So it's been, it's been developing these contacts over well, so many years now. That just, it's kind of become part of my DNA.
No, as a visually impaired person, you know, I have experienced that when you deal with people initially on the phone, and when you meet them face to face. Very often, the the responses are very, very different. And sometimes there are very, very comic situations which you laugh about later on. Do you recall any of such experiences during your journey?
I don't know about the comic experiences, but yeah, I mean, there is definitely a sense of bewilderment and a sense of shock, when you suddenly meet up with a person who you've been speaking to, per se, maybe two years on the phone. Or for example, I mean, you're speaking to somebody who's in Bombay. Yeah. And you'll be speaking to them from Delhi over the phone for the past two, three years. And then suddenly, you'll end up in Bombay, for event or, you know, store launch, or launch party, or whatever it may be, and you meet face to face. I mean, for a few minutes. I mean, they're, they're completely taken, you know, they're taken up by surprise. I mean, that I mean, they can't understand, I mean, who's this guy's talking to dark glasses. But I mean, I think I had a knack of putting people at ease.
Awareness and advertising and, you know, are probably critical to marketing, as you yourself said earlier on in our conversation. But very often, when something like a financial crunch or economic downturn, or now in our country, like the pandemic has happened, as a serious impact on the PR and advertising industry, how has it treated you?
Totally. I mean, it was, it hit our industry like a sledgehammer. Because as you rightly said, I mean, spends on advertising, public relations, promotions, events, these are the first things that get sliced off. I mean, because these are considered frivolous expenses when people are trying to cut costs. I mean, how can people cut costs? I mean, overhead costs are very difficult to cut. I mean, you can't throw out all your employees. You might, the pandemic helped people not to invest in real estate and get their people to work from home. But I mean, expenses, such as PR, advertising, so on and so forth are considered frivolous. So in the bargain, I mean, before I knew it, I mean, I had kind of lost 70% of my business, which was not a great thing to live with.
Did it hit your business in the way that you probably run your business?Did it affect the holding onto your team? I mean, how did it affect Foundations PR per se apart from the 70% loss of business?
George, to be very honest with you, I mean, obviously when your revenue streams are cut, then I mean you had no option but to I mean, think of trimming salaries of your employees. Anyway, we are a boutique PR firm, we're not a large PR company with hundreds of people on board. We are a boutique PR firm. But still, I mean, you need money to pay overheads, salaries, so on and so forth. I didn't let anybody leave their job. I mean, I mean, I kept everybody on, I retained everybody. But I mean, we did have to go through with a few minor salary cuts here and there. But by the end of the day, I mean, what was actually more of a jolt to me was sometime in the month of August, because I was told by my partner that he doesn't want to carry on with the business no more. And that was a bit, I mean, it was something that I needed to digest, because he and I had been running this partnership firm for over 18 years. And he was more of an infrastructure partner. And so the office and so on and so forth was part of his deal. Running the agency, executing day to day operations, bringing in business was my part of the deal. And suddenly, I realized that I wouldn't have an office and him. So that game is a bit of a shock, surprise, but you know, I had to deal with it. As they say, I really like the proverbial saying, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. So I decided that I was going to retain this company, I was going to keep the Foundations PR brand alive. And I was going to ensure that come what may, I will go through this pandemic, and make sure that my company still exists and doesn't go around like many others that were going down. So I bought out my partner's share, and I bought our own share. Today I have a company that belongs entirely to me. And honestly speaking, if you ask me, George, I think it's opened up a whole new horizon. Today, I say that I've managed to, you know, sail through the difficult portion of this entire one and a half years. And now there's an opportunity for me to bring in actual investors, or an angel investor or a partner who could actually help digitize my business. Because you know, I mean, by the end of the day, as we all know, everything's digitalising. And the world is going digital. Before you can say it, I mean, something new has happened in the digital world. And then similarly is the case with the PR firm or an advertising firm or any other firm for that matter. Tomorrow, I mean, a technology partner could come in. Anybody else could come in, I mean, who brings value to the table.
Now you talked about the tough getting going, and you you are a fitness buff, and I remember you and I had gone to Pakistan a few years ago, maybe many years ago, and we were one evening walking with the legendary fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar. And then I was kind of feeling his biceps and your biceps. And I found that, you know, am I am I touching a guy who was a fast bowler who didn't become a fast bowler?
So that's true, my biceps, my arms were bigger than Shoaib's, and they were more, they were more ripped at that point of time. I still remember that. In fact, that was a fantastic trip. That was a lovely trip. I mean, and the interactions that we had with all those legends of the game. Yeah, I mean, who we hung out with. In fact, I used to remember training at the Pakistan Cricket Academy with Ramiz Raja and Shoaib at times. And a couple of others, Waqar or somebody used to cover them, but it was great fun.
So tell me, how did you get interested in gyming? And what is your routine? How do you find time for it in the midst of your busy business schedule?
Gyming is something that I've been doing ever since, you know, I mean, before the term gyming came into play, I mean, I was always into training with weights ever since I was a young boy, young man, not a young boy. And because when I was in school, and those days sighted, and even till University level, I mean, I was basically into sports in a big way. I mean, we were always playing sports in school. At one point of time, I used to swim the junior boys stage for Delhi state. So I mean, you know, fitness was something that I mean, came to me naturally and I loved it, and working out had become a part and parcel of life. So even after my accident, I mean, many people had even asked me this question that, you know, I wonder if we'll ever be able to pick up a dumbbell or a barbell again, and I said you better I will. And a couple of months after my accident, I started training again at home and I continue to do that till today, I mean, it's hardcore training with weights, moderate to heavy weights, and that regime continues, which also includes I mean, keeping a track on nutrition, and so on and so forth. So I'm pretty keyed up on the whole health sector, and I keep myself informed.
So you're you're one of those guys whom we would hesitate to meet in a dark alley!
No, no, no, no, no, George. I'm not a WWW sort of person. It's just that I'm athletic and muscular for my age, I guess.And that's it. I mean, and I like the way and I like the whole concept of weight training. I mean, because I mean, the release of endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, all these wonderful things that get excreted from your brain, I mean, not only just keeps you both a nice, healthy, positive attitude, it's good for your brain health. And so there are lots of positives.
You seem to be enjoying having a love for life. Talk us a little bit about what you do and what are your passions? What is it that you most enjoy doing in your spare time? Talk us through that.
George, like you said, I mean, I am somebody who does enjoy life, I mean, to its fullest. I mean, I do everything what anybody else, I mean, in mainstream society would do. I've never restricted myself from staying cooped up at, you know, staying out of the mainstream world, because of the fact that I'm visually impaired, whether it's going to clubs, or pubs or nightclubs, or wherever else it maybe you will find me or you would find me when I was a little younger. But, you know, I mean, and of course, yes. I mean, I have a bunch of very good friends, I mean, with whom we socialize often enough. And so, I mean, life has been, I can't say I have any regrets. Life has been good. I've been out there, I've been out there in the midst of it all. And never once have I ever allowed myself to feel that my visual impairment would be an impediment.
You know Siddharth, I have run into you in some of these concerts, jazz concerts, and so on. And it's evident that you are pretty into music. How did you get interested in music? Are you a musician yourself? Do you sing? Or do you play something or it's just listening to music?
I really wish I could play an instrument. I mean, I honestly wish I could play an instrument. I tried my hand at strumming a guitar, but failed miserably. But unlike you, who's really good at playing the guitar, but music is something that I've always lived with. I mean, it's something that has always been played in the home. I mean, whether it was Indian classical music, or western classical music. So those sort of strains of music were always around me, even when I was a young boy. And then as I grew older, I mean, me, obviously, you start making your own choices towards what you want to listen to. So I started at a very early age I started, you start off with the classic rock, and so on and so forth, which is common stuff, and you do the pop bit as well. But I soon realized that, you know, I love jazz and blues, because it was, you know, that was where you could hear musicians really express themselves with their individual instruments. And that got me really hooked on to both these genres of music. And so, so often on I mean, I keep listening to my jazz, my blues, but that doesn't mean that I mean, I don't have a ear for anything pubbish, or you know, lounge or trance, or whatever else, because I've got a very flexible ear. So music is definitely something that, you know, keeps my soul going.
How do you see maybe the next five to 10 years of your life? What do you see yourself doing?
To be very honest, I hope I can make a success of this new business and have just bought in totality. I mean, because I want to survive in this world. I want to still continue to be a public relations professional of merit. Because I mean, to be very honest with you, I've been the clients that I normally work with, none of them are fly by night operations. There are people who I have worked with some of them, I mean, one of them I've worked with for 16 years, which is a hell of a long time. In today's scenario, I mean, brands tend to shift loyalties from agencies from time to time. And then there are others who have for seven years, eight years, 10 years, so I mean, you know, I mean I've kept so obviously I mean, there's something alright about what I'm delivering. And keeping that in mind, I mean, I hope that I can continue to carry on with this business for the next 5-10 years. And like I said, infuse some new energy, new talent, new partner who knows an angel investor God knows. But the aim is to grow the business and live a happy life.
Thank you very much for this time and wish you the very best.
Thank you George. It's always a pleasure interacting with you.
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