30 on 30_For both life and business

30 lessons
I have learnt
as i turn 30
for both life and business
BY SMRITHI AMARENDRAN April 2020

Hi!
My name in Smrithi
Amarendran. I currently
run an advertising agency
in Chennai, heading the
art department with my
business partner

'The'
Our ad agency is called
'THE’and is now 5 years old.
I am going to share my
journey that led to
starting this company.
Sayhello!

PEOPLE WE WORK WITH
PS: This is a plug.

ROUND THE BLOCK
Ran a
theatre company
and directed
eleven plays
Was a
storyteller
Did design and
marketing for brands
like Tuscana, Subway,
Fresco, Kryptos,
Burgundys and B Bar

ROUND THE BLOCK
Was marketing
manager for
Nandos Chennai
Client Servicing in
an advertising
agency
Started my own
advertising agency w ith
my colleague
THE

...
So here it is - 30 lessons
I have learnt from all my
past experiences that apply
in running my life and
business today

LESSON 1
FAILURE IS PART OF THE CURVE

I started my theatre company 'Caricatture
Productions’when I was all of 20. I was
fresh, raw and eager to do everything. Our
first play 'Whole Lotta Love’, a 70’s rom
com worked reasonably well. We had positive
reviews, sponsors were happy...and most
importantly we broke even!

So naturally we rushed into our second proj-
ect. With adrenaline pumping, we blindly dived
into a vast market that was still unkown.
'Addams Family’was a large production. We
did the most we could but still lost out on
money, people, energy and more MONEY.

And got a terrible review to boot... *eye roll*

Fresh out of college, it took
us another two years to make
money to pay off dues.
Families and friends pitched in
to clear our debts and we
created a community out of
this failure and soon in 2013
came back with another
production.

LESSON 2
SHOW ME THE MONEY

After losing money we were a lot more
careful managing it the next time...
...In addition to daily jobs
we did part-time jobs like photography
assignments, tuition for children,
pamphlet distributions etc to make some
extra money to aid this passion

Always always keep aside money for a rainy day.
Save when you can, splurge when you must.
Never know when you w ill require a little extra...
My mother and life have taught me this...
...not the best student. But i try.
what is a priority buy?

LESSON 3
PICK UP SKILLS

New skills = New avenues of imagination
These can be used as life hacks or even
solutions to business problems...
You never know when tik-tok videos, dancing,
excel sheets or even changing a car tire can
come handy...

LEARN new things.
Competition is stiff...stay relevant.
YOUR UNIQUENESS
makes you stand out and shine

LESSON 4
TIME IS YOUR BEST FRIEND

We have 24 hours in a day
Even if we untangle earphones and scroll through
Instagram and Facebook for 2 hours... the other 5 ?
7 hours - sleep
10 hours - work
7 hours

As I work from a home office, it is
very easy to waste time. Set hours
systematically for things that are
important to you.
After work I like to run, read
or watch a movie.
Wake up early and sleep early. It really helps.

When I was working in Nandos, I had shifts
from 11am to 1am on some days.
I was stressed and overworked and even
ran my car into a tree as I fell asleep
behind the wheel.

Be realistic with
what you can do
and how much.
Always allot ME
time. Your soul
needs it more than
you know it.

LESSON 5
STAIRS ARE NOT THE ENEMY

When I was working w ith
restaurants, I had access to unlimited
food and drink. And I binged....

Without my knowledge I had put on
about 20 kilos of stress and fatigue
until a kind relative commented and made me
realise that I had to take action. I cried of
course, and then took action.

I was 84 kilos. I started running in 2015.
and joined a small gym. Began working
out and running whenever I had time.
I completed five 10Ks along the way.

Climbed a 9000mts mountain in 4feet snow.

Lost my 20 kilos and now it has become
a form of 'me’ time. Exercise (even just
walking for 30 minutes) really gives you
an abundance of energy and clarity.
Your health is truly your wealth. Trust me...

LESSON 6
THE BROWNIE ENVIRONMENT

There is an industry tradition in advertising
where the creative deparment will never listen/
agree w ith the client servicing department
My then boss told me to create an
environment that works for both of us

My art directors had a sweet-tooth and my
copywriters liked words of encouragement.
So I baked brownies and spent time with all
of them individually to create
a personal connect

When they are happy, their work is 100x
better and that makes the client happier =
happy non-fussy billing.
There are plenty of brownie recipes online.
it is all about the management.

LESSON 7
THAT THING CALLED ETHIC

I had a few friends working w ith me
on productions who did not like the fact
that I pulled them up
We make friends at the workplace.
But your work cannot suffer because your
friends want you to cut them slack

In hindsight, I should have been subtle about
it... which is the best way forward
I would most often yell and tell them off.
Some of them quit. Some stayed back.

Hear people out
be reasonable
talk! talk! talk!
take effective decisions
do not be rude

LESSON 8
TALK! TALK! TALK!

Communication solves all problems.
Talk openly and honestly. It sorts things out.

LESSON 9
BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU ARE
SELLING.

If you are selling something to a customer
believe in it, so will they.

When I was marketing manager at Nandos,
they had this unique structure of having
everyone do everything in batches - I
have waited tables, cleaned tables, cooked,
manned the front desk, organised PR events
in addition to my marketing duties.

That’s where I learnt to believe in what
I was selling. When taking orders, it was
up to me to direct the customers’eye to
the best dishes+best drink + best starter
and finally nudge them to the desserts
+ BIG TIPS!

LESSON 10
ACCEPTANCE OF DISAPPOINTMENT

This is something my dad taught me, when I was
crying my eyes out at Museum Theatre while
my show was happening in a hall of 600 with
just 50 people. He said it was okay to have
spirals and that we must take it head on
and keep trying.
We had 5 shows the same way, everyday.

LESSON 11
GOOD THINGS DONT COME EASY

expectation Vs Reality
worked
hard
100%
LUCK BORROWED
ideas
TALENT
HARD WORK
TIMING
RECOMMENDATION

LESSON 12
DON’T HESITATE WHEN YOU
SHOULD ACT

Turn of events- Boss had to leave town.
We once had a huge presentation for
a cancer-based campaign for Apollo
Hospitals via The Times of India (TOI).
I was to tag along with my boss and two top
management officials from TOI.

Cut to: Large conference room. Mr Reddy,
rows of doctors, cancer specialists, TOI
management and I. I have never sweat through
my clothes and palms so much. I hesitated a lot
before coming in, and some more before
we started.
But boss’s words- “Has to be done”

So I presented 84 slides of material.
Fielded questions. Got patted on my back
for what I do not remember. But it was
exhilirating and I am glad I acted on it.
Do not let fear hold you back.

LESSON 13
SOME WORDS MEAN EVERYTHING

They are truly magic. Just say them when you
feel it is required. Do not think too much.
THANK YOU
SORRY
PLEASEBY SMRITHI AMARENDRAN April 2020

LESSON 14
GOALS CHANGE. Do Not Stress.

This is easier said than done.
goals when we are 6 goals when we are older
BAKER
ASTRONAUT
VETERINARIAN
POET
ZOO KEEPER
ARCHAEOLOGIST
TRAVELLER
TAROT CARD READER
STORYTELLER
DIRECTOR
WRITER
PRODUCTION HEAD
MARKETING MANAGER
DESIGNER
PHOTOGRAPHER
ZOO KEEPER

This is our zoo.BY SMRITHI AMARENDRAN April 2020

We do not know what we want most of
the times. But some introspection of where
we want to go helps you stick to a path
closest to what you want. You w ill meet
your destination in good time.

LESSON 15
EVERY ACTION HAS REACTION

The movies we watch, the books we read,
the people we surround ourselves with,
the time we spend....
How we do things matter because our
mind consumes and reacts accordingly.
Keep a balance as much as possible.

LESSON 16
MARKETING, NETWORKING
ALWAYS NECESSARY

Brands need creative marketing ideas
and strategies that help drive people to
their productBY SMRITHI AMARENDRAN April 2020

Similarly we also need to market and network
our strengths and weaknesses. It is what we put
out there that people w ill notice.
During my production days -
I was shy and withdrawn.BY SMRITHI AMARENDRAN April 2020

So build a solid image that showcases
who you are.
But w ith more experience and responsibility
I got comfortable w ith people
and began talking and networking which helps
me talk about my work today.

LESSON 17
THE RIGHT PEOPLE ARE
WORTH EVERYTHING

My current set-up consists of
both hard and smart workers, w ith a common
goal - we thrive individually and
together as a team.
invest in the right people.

Who are the right people?
Motivators
Inspiratiors
Knowledge bearers
+ve attitude seekers
unique skills set owners

LESSON 18
PERFECtION is TEDIOUS

Nothing is as stressful as the pursuit
of perfection. Sometimes it’s okay to be
a bit cracked. Some of the universe’s
best ideas have come from imperfect minds
Steve JOBS
Sherlock HOLMES
FRIDA KHALO

LESSON 19
DELEGATING IS AN
ART
DoitNOW

I still have the habit of not delegating
and try to do it all on my own.
This is because I think nobody can do
it better than me. As a result I will
burn out and get buried under all the work.
So Delegate before the burial.

LESSON 20
YOu are YOUR own PICASSO

WE like your design.
But we have a small change, the
text needs to change, logo made bigger,
much bigger, text fonts to be changed,
Can we see that in yellow?
Said every client ever...

As an advertising agency, this is my life
almost every day. It took me some time
not to break things and understand that
the client comes in w ith an alternate
perspective as his /her money is on the
line and they are entitled to
opinions.
But take a moment. BREATHE.

LESSON 21
DO ONE THING REALLY WELL

Do not be a jack of all trades
and master of none.
I can cook, write, dance, sing, type 90/min,
run, draw....OK we get it.
You have skills. But what is your USP?

E X P L O R E
Y O U R S E L F
i design and write. Pick one thing.
Smrithi Amarendran

LESSON 22
DO NOT UNDERVALUE
YOURSELF

I have been on both sides of my business.
The client
who w ill bargain
w ith vendors
The vendor
who w ill argue
for sustainability

Take time, weigh options and reach a solution
It is important to know
what
it is
worth
what you
bring to the
table how w illing
you are to
be flexible
how much
the client can
afford

LESSON 23
PEOPLE DO NOT LEAVE COMPANIEs
They leave managements

I quit 6 months later.
One of the companies I worked w ith
used to bully me into attending meetings as
I was the youngest and the only woman
present. I would travel last minute, create
endless reports and presentations only to
sit at the end of the conference table and
be ignored by the village elders.

You know when you know. Trust your gut.
They repeatedly asked me to join again
but never addresssed my concerns of
work compensations and fulfilling ideas
that were part of my marketing agenda.
The company shut a year later.

LESSON 24
RESPECT

Share&
Care
Listen+
respond
Accountable+
support
Helping+
community
When you give respect, you can happily accept
it when it comes your way.

LESSON 25
CRITICISM IS NOT BAD

Remember the article? It only pushes us to
do better after the initial blow. You push so
much that the criticism becomes a positive
thing. Like it should be.

But the idea is to be constructive in your
criticism and not belittle people and make
them feel bad about themselves

LESSON 26
CONFIDENCE HELPS

There is a ritual in theatre where the
director comes and speaks at the end of
the show to the audience irrespective of
how the show went. I used to HATE this.
But I had to do it. And the more I did
I got used to it and it was not so bad.
I can speak publicly if I want to.

I still have sweaty palms. But trust me it helps
when you try something that freaks you out.

LESSON 27
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS
WORK

During one of the productions in 2010, we had
some crazy rains. And we used to rehearse
w ith 22 people on our terrace - music, laptops,
meals, sleep etc. So to go ahead non-stop we
erected a large tarpuline tent so we could
carry on work. It actually worked.
My dad would cook Maggi in large quantities
and serve them on banana leaves to all of us
during rehearsal breaks.
It was a great experience.

Even though the central pole fell on my laptop
and broke it into two. (Accepting disappointment)

LESSON 28
DEALING WITH PEOPLE

We are all different.
Dealing w ith people can’t be
one size fits all.
I learnt that patience, an open-mind and the ability
to listen without judgement goes a long way.

LESSON 29
Deadlines!

And excuses are just unpleasant.
There are no two ways about it.
STICK TO THEM.

LESSON 30
Be motivated to COMMIT.

If you really really believe in what you are
doing, the motivation to give your 100% will
work its way into the mix for you to
stay 100% committed towards your job.

hope these lessons
help ONE way or the other!
Thank YOU!
IG - smrithiamarendran

30 on 30_For both life and business

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