Invincibelle Profile
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The Beginnings
Growing up, what were some of the things that shaped you into what you are today?
One of the principles that I have used often in my life dates from when I was seven. My parents took me to a party held by the Indian consulate in Sydney. The High Commissioner and his wife looked very grand and I wanted my father to introduce me to them. He however said that if I wanted something I should just go up and ask for it myself. I did, and the High Commissioner was very nice and his wife fussed over me.
This taught me that often you get what you want if you take the direct approach and ask.
Later on this helped me get the course of my choice in engineering, expand my role and even find my current job! All my jobs have been through direct requests not through a placement firm.
Did you have any setbacks and what kept you going?
I think setbacks are in the mind. If you decide it is a big setback, then it is. I have a pragmatic approach and if an obstacle can’t be overcome then it is best to go around it. There are bound to be some issues in any workplace, but the trick is not to get overcome too early. It is easy to avoid your problems by taking another job or role, but that is not necessarily the best thing for your career. One of my earliest bosses taught me that you should always leave a role when YOU want to, not when someone else is trying to push you out.
You can either look up at people who are better off than you and think you got a raw deal, or look down and realize that you are luckier than many. Satisfaction is often just a matter of perspective.
What is the one thing you wish someone told you about a lot sooner in life?
“Control your variables”. This was something I learned from one of my bosses after I’d been working for around 6 years. It is a very useful way to look at a project or personal issue and see what is in your control and needs to be managed, and what cannot be controlled and needs to be planned for. He also taught me that the whole point of moving up the corporate ladder was to bring more variables under your control, until finally, you were responsible for your own destiny.
The Present
What are your current personal & professional pursuits?
I decided to specialize in marketing and am currently trying to develop a deeper knowledge of new media like Twitter and YouTube. I run a by-invitation-only Roundtable for CMOs on LinkedIn and am trying to see how I can make that a richer experience. I also run my own blog at www.jessiepaul.com.
There are not too many well-written books on the Indian context of services marketing, and I have authored a professional book on that topic titled “No Money Marketing”. That will be published by McGraw-Hill India in August this year.
I am interested in enhancing diversity in the workplace and this year have taken up an active role in my company’s Diversity Council. I am also active on the gender panels of Indian trade associations.
What are your hobbies? How do you relax? Are you able to manage work life balance?
I play Scrabble, though I do find it hard to remember the meanings of the more esoteric words that are permitted! I read fiction of all kinds, at least half an hour before bed – a childhood habit which I retain.
We have a weekend cottage, in the coffee-growing part of the State. It’s a five hour drive from Bangalore and has no cellphone coverage or broadband. We don’t have a TV by choice. The weekends are great for recharging and we also get to grow our own rain-fed pesticide-free coffee and pepper there!
What are some of the things that you are proud to have accomplished?
I pursued services marketing at a time when everyone told me that I should shift to sales as that’s where the money was. I am glad I stuck it out as even in a country as large as India I now have a specialized skillset that is rare. I am proud of the book that I am writing – it is my way of giving back to the next generation of marketers. Hopefully, they will not have to reinvent the wheel.
It has been great to have been part of the leadership journey of the Indian IT industry. In ten years we have moved the needle on brand awareness and respect, and marketing played a role in that. In the future, I would like to do something that will help India create more international brands. As a country, we have a lot of potential in a number of industries – couture, food, hospitality, technology, pharma, education, healthcare – and I would like to help realize that through better marketing, positioning and packaging.
What is a little-known fact about you?
Grew up in a small town called Nazareth, in the deep south of India.
The Future
What is next in your life?
Connecting people – whether through LinkedIn, events, or associations is something I enjoy. People buy stuff from people they like. So building relationships is the first step towards building businesses. I’d like to build on that theme and put more of these structures in place in countries that are still on the learning curve of marketing. Branding helps command a premium for their goods, and until they master this art the companies from BRICs countries are bound to be low.
