Shilpi Kapoor, chief marketing officer, Airtel Payments Bank, never schedules calls on weekends or after office hours. “There’s a window (of time) in which I have calls with my teams. I encourage them to spend time with their families.’’
She said that like we need to have a calendar for our meetings, we should have a calendar for our personal time out.
Storyboard18 spoke to Kapoor on the above and a host of other topics. Edited excerpts below.
The creator economy has taken the world by storm. Which are the influencers and trends you are currently following?
Since I am in the fintech industry, I closely follow what is happening globally in fintech, because we are still evolving. So I follow Simon Taylor. He’s an influencer who talks about things which are evolving in fintech, new technology, etc.
I also follow Ankur Warikoo. He really simplifies finance. There’s so much I’ve learned from him, not just about finance, but also about how you can make your storytelling so simple and compelling that regular people can follow.
I also follow a lot of women leaders, because I think that balancing between the professional and the personal is something that very few people have spoken of, especially women. So I follow Michelle Obama very closely, and quote her quite often. I also follow Indra Nooyi.
What marketing related content do you consume in your free time?
In my free time I try to keep myself updated, and the kind of content I consume is mostly around what is happening in the AI space with respect to marketing. We’ve been seeing a lot of AI and CGI related advertising, which is very compelling.
Additionally, I also keep a close tab on what is happening in consumer research, because I think things have really evolved in the last two years.
There is a lot of talk about 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? What advice would you give to your peers and next gen marketers?
If you run too fast, the road is going to end soon. Everybody keeps talking about working 18 hours a day and putting in 100 percent. But I firmly believe that you have to take out time for yourself, in order to have a work-life balance. I’ve also said this to my team.
So, I never schedule calls over the weekends or after office hours. And there’s a window (of time) in which I have calls with my teams. I encourage them to spend time with their families.
We have informal team-building meetings once every quarter, where we have fun and share ideas. That really infuses a lot of positivity in the team and motivates them.
Like you need to have a calendar for your meetings, you need to have a calendar for your personal time out.
Is there any sport or fitness routine you practice?
I do a lot of yoga now. I joined a bunch of online classes for yoga as well as meditation because I needed the flexibility of being able to do all that from the comfort of my home.
What does your weekend look like?
Mondays to Fridays are all about work. But on weekends I ensure that I spend enough time with my family and my kids. We meet either their friends, or my friends, or we just go out. I also keep aside time for reading or to watch something new.
Anything you’re watching or streaming?
I watched The Crown. I’ve been enamoured by Princess Diana’s life. The series is very gripping.
What are you reading? Any book recommendations?
If one needs to pick up a book, it should be Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results, by James Clear.
This book has changed my outlook in terms of fitness and the way I approach things at work. The book says that if you want to start something, you can start small. Another thing it says is that if you don’t feel motivated enough in the morning to go for a run, place the shoes and running gear in the centre of the room. That would likely result in a sprint.
The book is something which I really practice.
Any work or life hack you swear by?
You should completely unplug and recharge. I’d like to quote Arianna Huffington (Huffington Post founder) here. She says that when our phone batteries are at 10-15 percent, we run around looking for chargers. But when we ourselves are running out of charge, whether emotionally or physically, we never take time out to recharge ourselves. I think unplugging and recharging should be a mantra you live by, so that you come back stronger and better with greater energy and ideas.
A piece of wisdom you would like to share.
I tell my team and people in my circle that in this world of hashtags and filters, you should just try and be real.