First Time For The Last Time

‘When Was The Last Time You Did Something For The First Time?’

I love asking this question. People love answering it. It gets them to take a step back and reflect on their life in a safe and fun way. It sparks a conversation in one of two ways

1 - Oh! I recently tried this workout or food or activity. They’ll go into a lot of detail about it too.

2 - Hmmm, I can’t think of anything off the top of my head. Wow I really can’t think of anything at all.

I aim always to be part of Group 1. If no one asks you this question, ask yourself ‘When was the last time you did something for the first time?’ If you can’t think of an answer, do something to change that :)

There will come a time, when we will do something first time for the last time. Not today though.

Post 17/30

What's Your Super Power?

Over the past week, I messaged a few of my friends asking them 2 questions -

1 - What do you think is my superpower?

2 - What do you think is your superpower?

The answers ranged from invisibility to time travel. I had to clarify - what do they believe is an existing skill they and I have that’d qualify as a superpower?

They answered very quickly about me but had to take some time to think of an answer for themselves. Either they were being humble or genuinely didn’t know. I had an answer for what I thought was their superpower.

Most people discount themselves way too much. As an exercise, ask your friends what they think is your superpower. You might learn a thing or two about yourself :)

Post 16/30

The House Always Wins

I remember reading an earnings report from P&G that shaving razor sales were down drastically due to changing preferences in men’s grooming - More men are growing their beards vs shaving regularly.

Last winter, I decided to grow a full beard just to see how far I can go. To grow a big beard, you need to use certain products to keep it healthy and protect your skin.

I go shopping and there's all kinds of beard care products - oils, washes, moisturizers! Whatever you can think of (and not think of) are all on the shelves. Guess who's selling them? Gillette. They turned their division around to cater to the changing grooming market. Whether you're team beard or team clean-shaven, Gillette is selling to you.

This is impressive, adjusting the business with the times, especially at P&G’s scale. It also reminds me of a casino. The house always wins.

Post 15/30

Behind The Mic - My Observations From Podcasting

The TLDR on why I started podcasting is simply because I could.

I’m a big believer in pursuing side-quests - doing things that bring you joy and energize you. I started it without a real plan but now we’re 7 episodes in (8th coming out this week) and I’ve begun to enjoy it.

I’m lucky enough to know people that are doing amazing things. Most people, inherently don’t believe they are awesome. I wanted to use the podcast to highlight their stories. Hence the name - Stories with Shomik

In the process of making this podcast, I learned a few things :

Starting a podcast is easier than you think

Just hop on a Zoom call with your guest, and hit record. Make sure to use airpods/earphones. The mic on your laptop is good enough for the first episode.

Editing can take a while if you do it yourself the first time, or pay someone to do it on fiverr/freelancer.com.

Publishing an episode is free using platforms like Spotify and Youtube.

You can always upgrade your setup with mics and software but that is not necessary on day 1.

People are supportive

Most people will be delighted to come to your podcast. You’re making them feel important and think highly of them to be on your show. PS: This is a good way to build relationships with people you admire but haven’t had a chance to meet/talk.

enjoy the process

If you start off expecting to be the next Joe Rogan, that dream will come crashing down REAL QUICK. Enjoy the journey of figuring this thing out. I operate on the assumption that 4 people will listen to it. Every play after that is a bonus. It’s nice to be pleasantly surprised every single time.

Perception

People are watching, even if they’re not listening. Not everyone listens to podcasts, but they will see you posting about it. It contributes to other parts of your life that wouldn’t have happened before. For eg: After posting the first episode, I got an opportunity to host a fireside chat with a senior exec at my workplace. I happily took it. Later, I asked my colleague who had recommended me if they’d heard my episode and they sheepishly said “No but if you have a podcast you must be good at it.”

The way I look at it, there is no downside to trying something new. Worst case, you realize it’s not for you and you move on. Best case, you find something you enjoy with unforeseen upsides!

You can listen to my podcast here

Post 13/30

Nathan Kennedy - New Money Narratives - Episode 6

In the first episode of 2024 of ‘Stories with Shomik’ - I spoke to Nathan Kennedy, AKA Nate New Money. Our conversations ranged from Nate's insightful TikTok content on personal finance to the nuances of careers.

I loved his journey and how we went from working corporate to being a full-time content creator. One of the things that stood out to me was that I kept hearing from content creators (typically with fewer followers than Nate) about how the algorithm keeps changing and how they depend on the platforms. I asked him about his opinion and he said something interesting - “A banger is a banger is a banger. If you are creating authentic content that resonates with your audience, you will get engagement.”

The basics remain the same. Create good meaningful content and the audience will follow. I loved the conversation and I hope you enjoy it too!

You can listen to the full episode here

Check out Nate’s content on his channels - Instagram Tiktok LinkedIN Youtube

Post 12/30