Thanks Seth
How Seth Godin helped me fill the post-corporate void
Nearly ten years ago, I left the corporate world, or to put it bluntly, the corporate world showed me the door.
By that time, it had became evident that we weren’t a compatible match. I found it unwise to exhaust myself for someone else’s bonus or dream in exchange for my life, especially when the work held little personal significance.
We were not meant to be together, man!
I was turning 40 and a decade and half of daily “magajhmari” (Bombay slang for “drudgery”) had exhausted me. One day when the former boss, X, pointed out that I needed to wear socks with my shoes in the office; I felt a sense of closure. A boss, Y, had made the same observation early in my career. I didn’t bother explaining to X that wearing socks during Mumbai monsoons, especially when making a sales call on my two-wheeler, would result in an uncomfortable sloshing sound in the client’s office. And hence I avoided them.
In short , the socks cut my corporate life short!
For about 6 months, I grappled with uncertainty about what to do next, feeling adrift like someone stranded in the vast Pacific Ocean.
Almost ready to re-enter corporate life, I discovered Seth Godin. Through his YouTube and podcast interviews, daily mailers, and podcasts, he became a silent friend, philosopher, and guide, steering me towards the nearest port of safety.
Like a pole star he guided me and I started changing my life around his advise.
Guided by Seth, I transformed my life. Despite not being a social media enthusiast, I joined few platforms and began contributing, inspired by Seth’s emphasis on sharing and generosity.
I had started teaching by then. I started posting my lectures on YouTube channels. I had picked up Photography as a hobby so opened an Instagram account and started posting there. For a long time I wanted to be a writer — so started posting on Medium.
In short — I OPENED UP. All under his guidance.
Seth’s most impactful lesson for me was the concept of “Upload (Publish)” — not for a global audience of six billion but for just two people: the first being someone who might find my uploads useful, and the second being myself. By consistently sharing, I improved both professionally and personally over time.
I am certain that a significant part of who I am today wouldn’t exist if I had remained in the corporate world. And like a guru, Seth has played a substantial role in this journey of self-discovery.
Thank you, Seth 🌸🙏🏼.
Here are few useful things I learnt from Seth.
Ship Often: Don’t wait for perfection. Ship your work frequently, learn from feedback, and iterate. Progress comes from continuous action.
Embrace Failure: Embrace it, learn from it, and use it as a stepping stone for growth.
Find Your Tribe: Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who inspire and support you.
Tell Authentic Stories: Connect with others through genuine and authentic storytelling.
Linchpin Mindset: Be the linchpin, the person who adds unique value and can't be easily replaced.
Be Generous: Share your knowledge, ideas, and resources generously. Focus on Generosity over Scarcity
Be Consistent: Establish habits and routines that align with your goals.
☘️Hope you found some value here. Thanks for reading.
PS: I wrote to Mr.Godin about this article and he replied 😱.
What a great guy🤓
