The shoot last week made me realise this... I was in Mumbai last week for an ad film shoot: 14 hours straight — 7 AM to 9 PM — with a team of about 200 people. We shot 5 ad films. It wasn’t my first shoot, but each time inspires me. This time, I realised something: to the experts on the team — stylists, makeup artists, photographers — I’m not Ankur Warikoo or even a person. I’m what their work demands. As soon as I reached my hotel room, the styling team was waiting for me. In the next 60...
8 days ago • 3 min read
3 realisations from last week's team offsite Our team works remotely. So, we go for 4 offsites a year! We just returned from our 14th offsite; 4 days in Shillong filled with travel, food, laughter, and relaxation! In our team meeting, I shared 3 key points for everyone - not just businesses, but individuals too. 1/This year marks our 5th anniversary. We began in March 2020 with 6 people, aiming to create accessible, helpful content and courses. In 5 years, we’ve: - Gained 15M+ social media...
15 days ago • 3 min read
Priorities of life On YouTube, I run a series called Money Matters, where I speak to people from all walks of life, trying to understand their financial situation and helping them if I can. Yesterday, I spoke with Akanksha, who is 21 years old. Graduated last year. Family of 4 - father (who is paralysed), mother (who is a homemaker), younger sister (in school) and herself. The sole earner of the family. She earns Rs 26,800 per month. Pays a rent of 7,500.Medical expenses of Rs. 2,000Sister's...
22 days ago • 4 min read
That email changed my life Exactly 20 years back, I received an email announcing the start of an important year. A year that changed my life. I had dropped out of my PhD program a year back (in 2004), came back to India from the US after giving up on what was a dream life - 100% scholarship, a generous stipend, top of my class, on a fast track to complete my PhD.Everyone was devastated. Disappointed in me. I was disappointed in me! Everyone around me (well intentioned) kept saying only one...
29 days ago • 4 min read
Why are expensive cars expensive? What makes a Mercedes so expensive, or a Ferrari even more expensive? It is not the leather seating, the fancy music system, the cool sunroof, or the large display. Of course, these things do add to the cost, but if you truly cared about these things and went about adding them separately on your own, you would be able to do it. And you would realize that their cost is not significantly huge as a percentage of overall cost. What makes a car expensive, then?The...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Struggling in your 20s? Why are your 20s so challenging? Because the four pillars of life feel like they’re all in flux: Relationships Old-school friendships fade. New college bonds aren’t fully formed. Work friendships feel untrustworthy. Romantic relationships are confusing because we don’t yet understand ourselves. Family ties become strained because they don’t fully understand us. CareerConstantly unsure of our paths. Everyone else seems to be doing better. We don’t love our jobs. We...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
3 things a vacation with parents taught me Last week, I went on a vacation with my parents. This was the first time when just the 3 of us had gone for a holiday, and the idea of it was quite exciting. It turned out to be an awesome experience - much better than I had thought. Upon my return, the next day as I was meditating, I reflected on the 4 days, asking myself if there was anything new I figured about myself or them. Here they are:1. No amount of material success, social validation,...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
3 questions I ask every successful person I meet What do you do in your free time? What tasks/activities make you forget about time? What problems do you enjoy solving the most? First, who do I find successful? Anyone who is in control of their life. Anyone who owns their time, peace, and work more than others controlling their time, peace, or work. As you will notice, this definition isn't about money, title, or fame. By this definition, many people who might not be called successful on...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
We think we know who we are, but we don't Let me ask you the most important question of all time:Who are you? Well, you could reply - I am my name. But then, if I change your name, does that change you? Not quite. So then, who are you? Well, you could say - I am my body. But then, if I cut your hands or gave you a liver transplant, would that change you? Not quite (and not that I would cut your hands, Thakur!) So then, who are you? Well, you could say - I am my family, friends, and...
2 months ago • 3 min read