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Celebrating the contributions of women in the PR sector, exchange4media PR & Corp Comm is running a 'Women Achievers Series'. It features the journey, success, and achievements of some of the top women leaders from the Public Relations and Corporate Communications fraternity.

Todays series features Pooja Trehan, Director, Marketing Communications, SugarBox Networks. Trehan comes with over 16 years of experience in the field of Communications and has previously worked with such reputed names as Colgate-Palmolive, Castrol India, Bennett & Coleman and Genesis BCW. She also successfully ran her own venture PRestaurants a specialised consultancy for F&B brands.

Excerpts from the interview:

Now that the industry is opening up workplaces and resuming operations from the office, what are the initiatives, measures and precautions that should be adapted/ taken to ensure a smooth transition?

We are all returning to what was called normal life for decades. So, this transition should not be as tough as we make it out to be. However, whats essential is to stay mindful of the hardships these last two years have bestowed upon the planet, and thus, be careful about our personal safety, continue to invest in our health, be kind to ourselves and others around us, stay cautious (sanitise, wear a mask), dont burnout (revenge work) and lastly bring back the joy of meeting people! Many understand that the transition will be slow, hence companies are beginning with hybrid work options that are partly remote so as to give enough heads up to head to physical office. Similarly, the focus on being future-forward for productive deliverables has been a conscious decision of all the managers.

The last 20 months have been trying for every professional, especially with the hybrid working model. How did you strike a balance between office work and household duties?

How we dealt with this pandemic era has been written about more than we ever expected to. Surprisingly, for once, everybody had to find their customised solutions to deal with the aftermath that this virus caused. So, its tricky when someone says that they managed home and work balance. Because, for most part of the year, all of us were struggling to find solutions and dealing with much more than just work and home pressures. It was eventually all about acceptance to change, being honest about our capabilities, not participating in a rat race anymore and being aware to walk through our own journey. And this is what balance meant for me.

Women have been carving a niche for themselves and paving the way in the communications industry for the next generation of women leaders to follow. Tell us about your achievements and your contribution to the fraternity.

Awards and recognition are the north star benchmarks for all of us to realise and learn that we are moving in the direction of growth. And Im thankful to the industry for acknowledging my efforts across all my roles PR agency, Corporate Communications, my entrepreneurial venture PRestaurants and now at SugarBox Networks. These recognitions and decades spent in the communications industry have on crystal clear messaging emphasised on never stop learning and keep upskilling! Keeping that in mind, my contributions back to the industry have been focused on how one should bridge the gap of theoretical and practical knowledge. This is crucial for an industry that has to keep evolving faster than change. And thus, my associations with PRPOI (Public Relations Professionals of India), WICCI PR and Digital.

With PRPOI, our (of the founders) focus is to create a knowledge repository to upskill, by learning from the veterans within the industry. This naturally creates a pool of mentors for professionals growing within or just joining the communications ecosystem. We have also been the pioneers in introducing the concept of #PRforPR that is to create visibility for behind-the-scenes storytellers and build effective content marketing across various social media platforms.

At WICCI council, the focus of the immensely talented team is to evaluate how best we could create opportunities for women professionals to grow in this fraternity. Apart from extending opportunities through mentoring, the council has chartered various programmes to highlight problems that exist and solutions that could lessen those concerns.

What are the roadblocks that you have had to overcome to reach where you are today? What, according to you, are the makings of a leader?

Stereotypes. Bias. Unconscious Bias. Deep-rooted culture. These are not mere words but behaviours that continue to co-exist even today. We dont need to delve anymore on why and how these exist, but the fact that any change to happen even today, still takes the effort of more than a village or tribe. And these have been the typical roadblocks throughout personal and professional growth. Even today, being a woman, the barrage of barriers to be fought are no less, especially when one challenges the status quo to be part of the big boys club. Fortunately, these were endured along with the guidance of mentors and great teammates (internal and external). But the realisation that this is far from over and hardships should be looked like new opportunities, is what separates a leader from the herd. The higher up you walk, although clearer the view, its also a platform for the universe to judge you on invisible scorecards. So, stay humble, sit out the storms and always gear up to perform the best. Keep repeating until you become pro-change!

What would be your advice to the young generation?

Adapt and grow, sustainably. Understand the talent that everyone brings to the table and evaluate which piece fits where. Keep your growth journey slow but focussed on basics and fundamentals. Never undermine the importance of collaborating with a team and learning from mentors early on in your career. Read and write. Yes, basics, but do them as often as you can. As communication professionals, be aware that the trick is more about dialogue, so choose apt words for your storytelling and your narrative will create an impact.

Remember relative speed? Just moving is not enough. You could be moving fast but things in the external environment would still be outpacing. Alternatively, your speed might be average, but yet outpacing the external environment. So, it is important to be mindful of how you are pacing with real-time changes.

People dont buy what you do, they buy why you do it and what you do simply proves what you believe Simon Sinek.

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Be ordinary but rebuild with meaningful momentum: Pooja Trehan - Exchange4Media

In todays edition of the Womens Day special series, we speak with Kamolika Peres, Director - Enterprise, Midmarket, SAARC, Google Cloud India, on this year's theme Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow.' She shares with us her thoughts on a gender-equal workforce and how men and women are contributing to building this for their organizations and the next generation. According to her, leaders play a crucial role in creating an environment where gender equality is championed, celebrated, and achieved.

Read the edited excerpts here:

What are your thoughts on this years International Womens Day theme Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow? According to you, how can women leaders and workers in the formal space create a sustainable future?

Gender equality is important not only for today but in creating the workplaces of tomorrow. Very often, the conversation on gender equity in an organization centers around the immediate benefits of it. This theme focuses on the longer-term positive dividend of a gender-equal workforce, which is more sustainable in the longer run, according to me. It also focuses on the contribution of men and women who are working to build this, for their organizations and the next generation.

Also, the tagline on the IWD website this year, #BreakTheBias, which I think has been more evocative and has been taken up across social media. At Google, we had a great conversation on the nature of bias and how we encounter it every day, from minor conversations within families to larger decisions on promotions in the workplace. Learning to recognize and call out our own biases is a huge step towards creating gender equity.

Very often the responsibility of creating a sustainable future falls on women's shoulders themselves, whether as leaders who are expected to substantially lead diversity efforts or as women who are supposed to pull themselves up, show up, speak more, gain more skills, to be more effective in the workplace. This couldn't be further from the truth. It is the job of leadership, irrespective of the gender they identify with, to create a gender-equal workplace. Leadership has to be responsible for creating an environment where gender equality is championed, celebrated, and achieved. It has to be a common vision and a passionately held one. Only then can we achieve gender equality in the workplace and can move towards a sustainable future.

What is your idea of a gender-just workplace? Please draw from your own experiences to share how a supportive work environment helped you attain your goals?

To understand the idea of a gender-just workplace, we have to understand the concept of gender equity. What is Gender Equity? In a nutshell, it's the creation of a level playing field, by compensating for the inherent factors that hold womens participation back. For instance, by creating bathrooms for girl students in a rural primary school, you are creating a level playing field for her to attend school everyday. By providing childcare support, you are creating a level playing field for a young mother to operate without anxieties and worries in the workplace. When we focus on equity, it eventually leads to equality.

Sharing an instance from my personal life; in my line of work, there is a lot of travelling involved. Women in sales, just like their male counterparts, need to often travel across the country and they may quite frequently find themselves in an unknown city just after a late night flight, worrying about their safety and how to find their hotel without mishap. A worry like this can hold them back from travelling and doing their job to the fullest. At Google, there is a fantastic system to look out for women who may be travelling late and they are assigned a security guard and a known and reliable driver who are there to pick up the woman travelers from the airport. It is great to see that measures like these are becoming common across organizations.

Who (among women) have been your strongest supporters and role models both personally and professionally?

My mother was my strongest support, early in my career. She wasnt a working woman herself and chose to devote her time to her children and family. She instilled the purpose in me of staying true to my potential and giving back to the world. She believed that every woman needs to have, at a bare minimum, her financial independence to be able to make her own choices. Apart from her, there have been many role models in the course of my career - both men and women. Interestingly enough, I find that my role models are drawn from the youth, people who have joined the workforce after me, yet who are making an impact with their work, their voice and their authenticity. I also find women entrepreneurs hugely inspirational as they chart out to build their businesses with the hard work and dedication that it requires. Our world is changing so fast that definitions of leadership are ever changing, but if there are three qualities that I think define a leader, it would be that of having a higher purpose, possessing clarity of thought, and being authentic.

How are women in the tech industry reshaping the course of the industry? How do you see women's representation in the tech industry?

Womens representation in tech has been historically poor and much can be done to improve it. I think a lot of the problems start right at the school level. With a career in technology not being the first choice for female students and a lot more needs to be done in advocating for a change. However, there are green shoots that are very heartening to see. The steady rise in the percentage of women in tech overall, at entry-level, and the greater consciousness towards hiring for a gender-equal workforce, have been great positive forces for change. Closer home, we have some fantastic women helming tech companies in India - from Arundhati Bhattacharya heading Sales Force to Prativa Mohapatra leading Adobe, these are leaders who inspire many more women to tread that path. While we have a distance to go, I think each such victory is to be applauded and celebrated as a step in the right direction.

What is your advice to the young women who are either working in or planning to join your industry?

I would like to begin by advocating that the technology sector is a great place to be in. Being an economics graduate, I did not set out to build a career in technology but the field of tech is so vast, impactful, and constantly changing, it needs a diverse set of skills and experiences. It is a great place for aspiring young women to grow in their careers.

Secondly, careers do not always move point to point with precision - so dont obsess about moving upwards, but instead, focus on learning your craft and building your credibility. Aspire to be the best at what you do. Put your hands up for cross-functional initiatives and contribute to special projects beyond the job definition. The credibility and goodwill you generate will be the biggest impetus in your career.

Finally, and it may sound strange if I say this - but a career in technology is all about working with people. You may be working on an internal tech project or a large transformation program with a large customer, but your success will depend on your interactions with people. Being a true collaborator, a valued team member, and a person who can be trusted to help in a pinch - these things are immensely important in any leadership journey.

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'Tech is a great space for aspiring young women to grow in their careers' - Exchange4Media

Boiling crawfish, barbecued meats, and samples of smoked everything was on the menu at How to BBQ Right/Malcoms Shop in Hernando.

The grilling and barbecue retail business celebrated its one year anniversary today on location from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Business owner Malcom Reed said March signifies grilling and barbecue season has begun.

Grilling season in Mississippi pretty much lasts from March through Thanksgiving, according to Reed. After January and February are over, people are ready to get outside. Its my favorite time of year, springtime.

Reed and his wife Rachelle opened up their store-front last year after running a successful online trade. The COVID-19 pandemic affected their online sales in a good way.

The store opened up in the middle of the pandemic and people started cooking at home, Reed said. We had a big influence with people watching our cooking videos and then wanting to buy our products online.

Reed is the owner and visionary behind How to BBQ Right, his passion project-turned-side hustle-turned-full-time career. Reed is known locally for his new storefront in Hernando, Malcoms Shop, which he describes as a store for the cooking man. But hes also recognized worldwide in airports, restaurants and barbecue competitions alike for his successful Youtube channel, which has garnered over 1 million subscribers.

The Reeds started reaching their online audience in 2010 with a newsletter that Rachelle helped develop with her internet marketing background. Malcom competed in barbecue competitions with his team, The Killer Hogs, and wanted to document the teams success. After the How to BBQ Right newsletter amassed 100,000 readers, they made the move to Youtube. The Killer Hogs traveled all across the country competing in barbecue competitions and winning almost every one.

Reed was greeting guests Saturday while volunteers passed out hotdogs for everybody.

We wanted to do hotdogs for the kids but I think everyone is eating them, Reed said. Weve got pellet grill demos, crawfish boil demos, ribs being cooked by championship teams, ribeye steak demos, kids games and samples for everybody.

The challenges of running a small business have not deterred the Reeds from creating a flavorful presence in the barbecue industry.

Small business is always tough, I dont care where you are, Reed said. Were learning as we go, this was new to us. Weve been doing online retail for twelve years. Once we bought a building here in Hernando, we really needed the office space to run our online business. We had enough room up front to open up a small retail space, so we decided to go for it. Its been a learning experience. Its been good, the community loves it and we call it kind of a mans boutique. You can come get the man in your life a cool gift, especially if he loves to cook outside.

Harley Smith, sales representative with Traeger Wood Fired Grills, was handing out samples of skirt steak to hungry guests.

It took about twelve minutes to finish off after we smoked it for about thirty-five minutes, Smith explained. We smoked it first to about an internal temperature of 105, 110 degrees, we turned the grill up to about 375, then seared it on each side for twelve minutes.

Smith said he cooks outside often at home with the weather now improving. He wanted to support Reed as one of his best dealers for the grills.

(Reed) is definitely a great representation of the brand Traeger and what people can do with grills, Smith said. My favorite thing to cook is probably brisket, ribs, or pulled pork.

Barbecue enthusiasts Rob and Lauren Cook traveled from Olive Branch Saturday to support the Reeds business.

We follow Malcom on Youtube and Mark Williams (of Swine Life BBQ in Hernando), Robb said. We use their recipes a lot. We wanted to support him and enjoy the community atmosphere.

Rob and Lauren have both a pellet and charcoal at their home they use to cook outdoors. The pair often frequent Malcoms store for supplies and seasonings.

He likes to do a lot of pork butts, hes done ribs a few times, Lauren said.

HowToBBQRight Malcom's Shop is located at 496 Whitfield Dr., Hernando and can be reached at 662-912-9947.

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Outdoor cooking celebrated at business' one-year anniversary - DeSoto Times-Tribune

Rob McMillan is one of the top wine-business analysts in the United States and the author of Silicon Valley Banks highly regarded annualState of the Wine Industry Report. He is a prominent speaker, both domestically and internationally, and he is extensively quoted in national, regional, and trade press. He has been named several times as one of the Top 50 Most Influential People in the US wine industry.

Outside of the wine industry, McMillan is a father of five. He enjoys the outdoors, travel and golf and takes any opportunity to play percussion and drums in live settings.

Editors Note: This interview has been edited for cohesion and clarity.

_______________________________________________________________________

How did you become a wine industry analyst?

Thats a little bit of a long story. Lets start with Silicon Valley Bank. I joined the bank in 1990 and the goal at that point was to start business verticals. Im a creative person; a musician, but also love math and economics. Its a rare combination of talents but just what is needed for strategic thinking.

I was given the opportunity to find new businesses for the bank so started writing industry plans in 1991. The wine business was the second business plan I wrote the first being mortuaries which is a long story but that didnt turn out. The wine industry plan was approved however, and the industry group launched in 1994.

That first year I had a board presentation due that required current industry information. While theres plenty of information on the industry as a whole, it was impossible to get things like data on inventory, sales, and depletions by winery size, region, or sales channels. That is when I decided to do the first Silicon Valley Bank survey and used the best technology available, a fax machine.

People filled it out and faxed it back. I got the information I needed for the board report but then thought I should give the information to the people that participated. That was the beginning of the State of the Industry Report and the start of my analyst career.

By the mid-2000s the wine business plan was fully executed and was proven successful. With the Division at 35 people on staff, I handed off management responsibilities and started focusing full time on producing content and analytics.

Did you meet any industry resistance when you started the business?

I thought I might get some resistance just because of the banks name, Silicon Valley Bank. We did get the occasional person questioning what we were doing in agriculture at first, but there was no real resistance and for that matter and that was because there was no real bank competition for new business when we started.

The wine industry was in a downturn in the late 80s and early 90s. The three banks who were in the business back then felt they had too much industry share and were trying to trim their portfolios. They were our greatest referral sources. As a result, we grew faster than we had planned and had the enviable problem of not being able to keep up with staffing.

How would you counsel writers that are serious about covering the industry that may not have the platform youve developed?

I probably would first say, dont quit your day job. What we used to think of as journalism has fallen on hard times and thats unfortunate. There are fewer jobs. All of the media has been disrupted by the internet, but jobs in this little industry make it very difficult. That said, while the internet disrupted traditional media, it does give aspiring writers easier access to an audience through social media and blogging. Thats perhaps the best place to start. If you have something to say, talk to interesting people, find interesting content, and you will find an audience.

For the State of the industry report, we just released the 21st annual report in 2022, and still dont charge for it. So how do I get paid for it? Well, the question about monetization isnt just subscription, so you have to open your mind up a little bit and figure out how somebody might be able to use what youre doing in other ways. And if you can create value, you probably can create a revenue stream.

When people read the state of the industry report from Silicon Valley Bank, it enhances our brand. People recognize were experts at what we do. It puts us in the middle of deals that we might not otherwise see because Silicon Valley Bank is top of everybodys mind. So that is one example of finding a different path to success in journalism.

What industry writers do you follow for leading-edge ideas?

I dont follow many. One of the issues the wine industry has is we talk to each other too much, so we all start to say the same things, have the same buzzwords, and boring strategies.

I try to break out of the pattern and attend conferences that have nothing to do with my subject matter. I keep up on current economic data, watch the business news, and voraciously read all the industry analyses I can, includingNielsen,Wines Vines Analytics, SipSource, and many others.

Can you just describe your approach to research and writing?

Research is really about just being curious and drawing out information from data. You have to always be asking why.

With writing, if I dont have something new to add to the industry conversation, then I generally dont say it. But the other important factor in writing or speaking is finding some way to be entertaining. I dont believe people today will read something boring.

If you go back and read some of the earlier reports that I used to write in the late 90s and 2000s, I would lead by talking about a film, whether it was Field of dreams or Wizard of Oz. I would use that as the canvas to discuss something that was happening in the industry. At first, our marketing department would question me, only because that wasnt the way business writing had been done up to that point. They said nobody would listen to me if I took serious economic and business research and add humor to it. But over time, the view on writing has changed to the point where corporations now prefer to have an individual be the face of a report, versus the companys dry brand.

Will wineries continue to see good conditions in 2022?

The results that we are interpreting thus far for premium sales are solid but belie the fact that as a full industry, we have some long-term headwinds, more than any time since the 90s. Our traditional consumer on ramps, those occasions where consumers could discover wine are failing. Whether restaurants or under $11 wines in grocery, we are giving market share away to the spirits category.

I think 2022 will be a good year in part because of pent-up demand, high consumer savings rates, and business normalization. Wine and hospitality are linked on occasion in larger groups, concerts, sports, travel, cruising, etc. and these will increase through the year and provide new opportunities.

Youve been working on a national marketing organization and feasibility studies with UC Berkeley and McKinsey Group, and now moving into execution phase. How is that progressing?

Its important first that as an industry, we start to acknowledge the issues that will impact our industry for decades to come. For more than two years I and three other analyst colleagues have been meeting with a large representative group of larger wineries and have consensus that there is a demand problem that needs to be addressed. Now we need to take the message out nationally.

Weve gotten through the feasibility studies and announced the formation of WineRAMP (Wine Research and Marketing Project). We did that through the last Silicon Valley Bank videocast. Since then, weve had hundreds of people signing up for more information on theWineRAMP web page. The interim step is to listen to reactions in the industry. If we can find alignment, then the organization will have to be funded and taken over by the industry. Its not an easy task finding agreement in this industry, so I think the odds of success are no better than 50/50, but that is better than two years ago when I put the odds at 100 to 1. To steal a line from a movie, so youre saying I have a chance!

Tell us something that people would be surprised to know about you.

I have diverse interests, so I think many people know at this point that Im a musician, I mention it often. I started playing drums and percussion when I was five. But, Im an outdoorsman as well and like hunting and fishing. Its probably less surprising to know that I like to golf. Imagine that? A banker who golfs?

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Turning the Tables Interviewing the Interviewersis a Q&A series profiling Wine Writers. The objective is to understand and develop working relationships with journaliststhose that help tell our stories, review our wines, and provide media coverageby learning their wine and writing backgrounds, story and personal interests, palate preferences, writing challenges and pet peeves. This is an ongoing Wine Industry Advisor series.

Have suggestions for interviews? Contact[emailprotected]

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Expert EditorialCARL GIAVANTIis a Winery Publicist with a DTC Marketing background. Hes celebrating his 12th year of winery consulting. Carl has been involved in business marketing and public relations for over 25 years; originally in technology, digital marketing and project management, and now as a winery media relations consultant. Clients are or have been in Napa Valley, Willamette Valley, Walla Walla, Columbia Valley and the Columbia Gorge. VisitCarl Giavanti Consulting

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Turning the Tables on Rob McMillanWine Industry Analyst - wineindustryadvisor.com

Your commitment to environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) is a continuous journey. It is not something that you do and immediately achieve (the expected outcome). You have to perpetually keep contributing towards the betterment of environment and society, said Marico Founder & Chairperson Harsh Mariwala.

He was speaking on the topic of why brands should be purposeful in a fireside chat with exchange4media Group Founder & Chairperson Annurag Batra. The duo was discussing the importance of sustainability goals and Maricos commitment to them at the recently concluded Indian Marketing Awards event in Mumbai on Monday.

Speaking about Maricos commitment to the purpose-driven business, Mariwala shared, Marico started pursuing its purpose which is making a difference to all stakeholders including the shareholders, employees, and customers some 10-12 years ago. I was inspired by a book called Firms of Endearment' written by Jagdish Sheth, Raj Sisodia (and David Wolfe) wherein they talked about the power of good business and compared the financial performance of such businesses with those who do not follow the practices benefitting all stakeholders. And since then, we are committed to making each and every stakeholder a proud part of our business.

He added that each employee at Marico is motivated to go beyond what is expected of them to do something that creates a larger impact. We have also been sending members from our agency partners to our trainee programmes at our cost. The kind of motivation and bonding this creates is amazing and great for business growth.

On being asked about his thoughts on sustainability by Batra, Mariwala quipped that it has grown from being a business goal to a requisite.

ESG has been a topic of discussion across all companies board meetings and most boards are demanding (to know) what brands are doing on this front. In fact, even the new employees we have been hiring, their first question to us is about sustainability and what our business is doing towards it. Therefore, I believe that the change should come from within, for each individual. No amount of legal course can make that happen. If all shareholders demand this, all the companies will be forced to make the changes in a more effective manner.

Mariwala continued that while most people might still be looking at ESG as a cost function the paybacks are huge.

The duo also touched upon the growing entrepreneurial spirit in the country and how it will impact the future. Mariwala highlighted that the Indian entrepreneurship sector is growing like never before and the trend will continue with the advancement of technology. I read somewhere that India got more than 40 unicorns in the last year, a number which the country had earlier achieved in more than nine years. And I think we should not be talking about valuations because it is a concept that has been inculcated in the students and entrepreneurs who come from non-business families. Some of these businesses might not succeed too, but the motivation this growth is creating is the most important thing. And now with more mentorship programmes and shows like Shark Tank, I only see the entrepreneurship spirit growing in the country. We might keep complaining about the slow economic growth in the country but ultimately we are responsible for driving this growth. The government can create policies to best support the entrepreneurs but the innovation and ideas have to come from the community.

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If all talk about sustainability, companies will be forced to make changes: Harsh Mariwala - Exchange4Media