Mumbai: IndianTelevision moves on to the next in its series of informal, fun snippets that peek into the mind of corporate executives - akin to a virtual water cooler chat. An attempt to get to know the person behind the title a little better, by having them share their nuggets on life and their mantras to deal with the curveballs that life throws - not necessarily revolving around work life - and sometimes going beyond work.

This week, we have on the hot seat White Rivers Media Co-founder & Ceo Shrenik Gandhi. A zealous entrepreneur, Gandhi cofounded White Rivers Media in 2012. Since then, the agency has featured in Deloitte Tech Fast 50's ranking- a benchmark of fast-growing tech companies worldwide- five years in a row. Gandhi is also a regular speaker at digital and entrepreneurship summits, including TedX.  

So here goes...

ü  Your mantra for life:  My mantra for life is very straightforward- Give joy and pay it forward, always.

ü  A book you are currently reading or planning to read: 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear is a book that has truly moved me.

ü  Your fitness mantra, especially during the pandemic: My fitness routine has always been quite simple. It's basically, getting a cardio workout by 7:30 am and dinner before 6:30 am.

ü  Your comfort food:  I'm a big fan of Indian cuisine. So, any Indian meal is my comfort food.

ü  When the chips are down a quote/ philosophy that keeps you going:    When the odds are not in our favour, it’s important to have faith in yourself and believe that things will get better. So my go-to quote in tough times has to be: ‘Believe. Believe in a better tomorrow, always’.

ü  Your guilty pleasure: Binging on my favourite ice cream from NOTO would probably be it.

ü When was the last time you tried something new?  I believe I am a curious learner by nature and someone open to new experiences. Last week I tried polishing my table tennis skills, while this week I'm going to try my hand at golf.

ü  If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?  For the longest time, I was afraid of failing. But if I could give my younger self a piece of advice, I’d say, “fail faster” because failure is what leads to growth.

ü  What gets you excited about life?  Every day, I get excited about the next day, because every tomorrow has the potential to be extraordinary.

ü  What’s on top of your bucket list?  Well, I have a long due vacation to Iceland, so it’s fair to say that backpacking in Iceland tops my bucket list.

ü  A life lesson you learnt the hard way: Again, just two words- Fail fast

ü  One thing you would most like to change about the world: The world is in desperate need of empathy, and it’s about time this changes. Apart from that, on a more practical note, more financial prudence is the need of the hour.

ü  An activity that keeps you motivated / charged during tough times: Yoga is something that keeps me charged throughout the day, especially on challenging days.

ü  What lifts your spirits when life gets you down?  I think meditation works magically when life gets you down. It helps me clear my head which eventually leads me to come up with solutions.

ü  Your go-to stress buster: As cliche as it may sound, getting some cardio done at the gym helps clear my mind, and it’s my go-to stress buster.