At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring meaningful and powerful stories from India and around the world to empower and motivate our growing community. As part of this endeavour, we invited Ritu Bararia for an exclusive interview with us. She is an award-winning Woman Leader, Author, Communicator, Mentor, Change Enabler. Let’s learn more about her incredible journey, her background, and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Ritu:
Could you please talk us through your background and your journey?
My background (educational) is very different from the profession that I have chosen. I have been a History scholar having studied in the premier institutes of India – Lady Shriram College (Delhi University) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (Delhi) spanned over late 80s till mid-90s.
Though ambitious and career-oriented, I was sort of clueless about what was it that I wished to pursue as a career of choice especially when the career choices way back in those vintage, if I may say so, years were limited.
While still trying to figure out where I ultimately envisioned myself, or, that one profession which would bring me contentment and a sense of achievement, I went ahead with the obvious choices and tried my hand at teaching, writing, publishing, editing.
While I did enjoy doing all that, there was a lack of passion and belongingness. All these were varied learning experiences which were paying me alright. However, something was still amiss.
How did you discover your passion?
My passion was discovered incidentally. I turned into a journalist when I joined hands with a very senior journalist who was transitioning from a very senior position at a leading newspaper to a publisher.
They were launching a trade magazine for the Aviation and Travel industry and I was asked to be the face of that publication and to run it on their behalf. That was indeed a great experience in terms of getting the right recognition and networking.
From there, I got on board the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) to head their Aviation and Tourism segment. I got further inroads into the top corporate world and merged well. That was my Eureka moment!”
I realized I was good at networking, at communicating, dealing with media and crises, and that I could be a successful publicist. I found my passion – Public Relations/ Corporate Communications!
There has been no looking back since then. Over the two decades that I have spent in hardcore corporate roles at the helm of affairs in organisations like Kingfisher Airlines, The Park Hotels, Amadeus India/ Bird Group, I have learned tremendously, I have given back a lot and I have achieved a lot.
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
It would be wrong to say it’s been a cakewalk. No, it has NOT been and it can’t be. There have been many times when I did break down because of the corporate pressures and challenges. What has kept me going is my approach towards things.
And most importantly, my strong belief in myself. I emphasize a lot on integrity, ethics and self-respect and that’s how I deal with situations. I face the challenges head-on but with a non-confrontational attitude.”
But I wasn’t always like this super sorted and super cool leader. I was also short-tempered, had my own low downs, sometimes temperamental but with time I have evolved into a better professional. What drives me is my passion towards my work and my positive outlook.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
There are so many motivating factors/ people all around you, motivation and inspiration can come from anywhere and not necessarily from well-placed and well-known people.
However, my motivation doesn’t come from a person or any individual. It comes from the kind of readings I do which include a lot of spiritual and life-altering books (of course, besides the regular fiction). I understand life, people and situations better now.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
I think I have already answered this in the previous couple of questions. I do not have a strategy in place.
What has helped me grow as a person is my belief in my own self, belief in the divine, better understanding of situations and people around me, a better and positive outlook. My being a certified energy worker and my spiritual learning has helped me tremendously in gaining a better perspective of life.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
Being true to yourself, believing in yourself, being a constant learner, practising ethics and integrity in a professional realm (as a person too), being hardworking and sincere, being a go-getter and giving your best shot. At the same time, do not compromise on your self-respect.
What advice would you give to our readers?
Be passionate, whether in life or in profession. Let your passion drive you. I think, that’s the mantra for success and to achieve great heights. And of course, I have been harping upon ethics, integrity, self-respect, sincerity and hard work. There will be huge challenges and struggles along the way, but if you have some of the above traits, I am sure you can sail through the rough waters.
My professional advice to the ones who wish to undertake Public Relations/ Communications as a career is that firstly it is a great industry to be in. I think it is one of the most creative and innovative professions which is always buzzing with a lot of activity.”
There is a lot of learning happening there on a regular basis as you end up becoming a part of varied sectors. You need to be a great networker, a great listener, a great communicator, confident & aggressive yet humble, a great writer, so on and so forth.
Do note that PR/ Communications is a ‘round the clock’ profile so be prepared for that. You can’t ‘not’ be available. Contrary to the general view that PR is a ‘glamour’ job only, trust me when I say it is NOT totally. There is a lot of hard work that goes into it. But as I mentioned, it’s a great profession to be a part of. Be true to yourself. Believe in yourself.
Last but not least, what about your journey makes it satisfying/exciting?
Satisfaction comes when my media friends call me the best ‘PR and Comms resource’ in the Indian Aviation space in my heydays. From the fact that I was seen as the best spokesperson who always went that extra mile to fetch the correct information.
From the recognition that the Aviation/ Hospitality/ Travel industry has given me. From the fact that now I am in a position to contribute to the PR & Comms industry with the affiliation that I have now with the School of Communications & Reputation (SCoRe), India’s leading institute for PR & Comms offering a PG Diploma.
What excites me is that I have been acknowledged as an inspiration and a Power Woman Leader in 2023.
Excitement and satisfaction comes from the fact that I have managed to author and publish my first book ‘Little Joys of Communication’. Also exciting is the fact that I have been recently elected as the National President for WICCI Public Relations & Digital Marketing Council. Maybe I am doing something right somewhere afterall!
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
