According to Anamika Singh, marketing director, Cogoport, a trade tech platform, the role of marketing is very diverse, and so it calls for understanding every aspect of business. She said, “For example, what is the role of a CFO? What is the role of a CEO? How can you contribute well to growing the company?”
In a conversation with Storyboard18, Singh touched upon the influencers she follows, the content and books she reads, her piece of wisdom, and a lot more. Edited excerpts:
The creator economy has taken the world by storm. Which influencers and trends are you following?
I’m very active on Instagram. If you talk about influencers and micro-influencers, there is an abundance across different verticals. There are influencers across investments and businesses.
So when it comes to business wisdom, there’s an influencer that I follow who is a business growth mentor. This influencer talks a lot about investing and business.
Then, when it comes to other information, for example, travel-related, there’s a very famous influencer named Curly Tales. So for travel, I typically follow Curly Tales.
I am new to Gurugram, and I’ve started following some of the local influencers who talk very creatively about the restaurants here, the lifestyles of the malls, and all that is available in and around Gurugram.
I follow some of the new-age stand-up comedians. I think they do a fabulous job of bringing honest comedy to the table.
What marketing-related content do you consume in your free time?
When it comes to marketing specifically, I feel that there has been a notion that marketing has always been a very specialised function.
But I think the role of marketing is much more diverse because your work cuts across all the lines of businesses. So, it’s not just about one thing that one follows in marketing. It is necessary to understand every aspect of business. For example, what is the role of a CFO? What is the role of a CEO? How can you contribute well to help the company grow?
When it comes to consuming content, I typically don’t look for marketing-specific content; I seek out business-related content. One of the renowned business content producers is Harvard Business Review (HBR).
I also follow the McKinsey Podcast. Digital marketing is a very big component these days. I read their blogs to understand the new products and services and how they help. And of course, I try out these products.
LinkedIn has become a very good source of information these days. I follow some of my fellow marketers. It’s always very relevant information that you get from them.
There is a lot of talk going on around burnout, workplace toxicity, and hustle culture. What steps have you taken to avoid the adverse impact of the always-on culture on yourself and your colleagues? And what advice would you give to your peers, colleagues, and next-gen marketers on these aspects?
I think there are two parts to this question. The first part is, How do you deal with stress? I graduated from IIT Bombay, and then I was part of Abbott Laboratories (a medical device company). Then, I graduated from Harvard Business School. Then, I joined a startup. Working in those environments is like sailing through a storm.
Either you sink or you sail. But these environments create the best captains because rough seas create the best captains, as they say.
A dear friend advised me that not all days are stormy. So you can chill, relax, and unwind when there is no stress.
But when it’s stressful, it’s okay to be stressed out. For example, on Friday, when you know you’re relaxing over the weekend, it’s very important to leave work behind and just be in the moment.
As a marketer, it’s very important to stay happy and stay creative. This involves letting go of stress. So, what you do to unwind again is very crucial for you to be able to take the stress when it comes. That’s how I feel.
And as advice, when it comes to managing stress, what I can say is to devote 100 percent of your time to work. I feel that, as Indians, we do not follow many of the timelines and schedules when it comes to work.
But I feel you should come in the morning and finish your work by the evening, giving 100 percent so that you do not have to take work back home.
That is how you’ll be able to enjoy the time that you’re not devoting to work.
Is there any sport or fitness routine you practice during the week to steal a few minutes of me-time for yourself and keep the momentum going?
Absolutely. Your body is like an engine. You have to start it every single day. It needs a warm-up before it starts running completely.
When I was younger, I never practiced it. But now, I wake up in the morning and try to walk and run sometimes. Then I come back and do meditation with light music. That is how I start my day. I do a bit of stretching and yoga. Even 30 minutes taken out of a day gives you a very good head start for the rest of the day.
What does your weekend look like?
Over the weekend, I try to meet my old friends and visit a family member. Re-initiating those contacts is a great source of happiness in my life.
I typically spend my weekends with friends, try to reconnect with them and go back to the times when we were at school. I find it quite refreshing.
Share one work hack and one life hack you swear by.
When you give your 100 percent to something, your mind finds a way to get it. This is the mantra that I’ve always followed.
What are you watching or streaming this weekend?
I refrain from watching dark content, which is very prevalent on Netflix or Amazon. I like to watch comedy serials or movies.
What are you reading, and are there any recommendations?
I read a lot of international media, for example, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg.
Because of the nature of the industry that I’m part of, which is international trade, one impact here can have an enormous effect on the other part of the business. So, it’s very important to keep following what’s happening around the world to understand when things are going right or when they aren’t. And then be able to predict it.
I am a lot into self-help books or books that teach financial education. I was recently reading The 5 AM Club (by Robin Sharma). Another book is Rich Dad, Poor Dad (by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter), which is very good to read and understand. Then, I’m into philosophy. Those are typically the things that I am reading.
A piece of wisdom you would like to share.
The work around me has always been stressful. And the environment, at times, gets very stressful. The best any one of us can do is be good to others. Small acts of kindness can create a very beautiful environment around you.
When you meet your colleagues, a nice, humble good morning can have a very important effect on the vibes around you. Appreciate somebody for their work that you like. Approach and ask your boss how the day was, or indulge in a small interaction.
I think those are the small things that add up to creating a very beautiful environment in your life or the workplaces around you.