Detangle by Kinjal
Detangle is a podcast created by health psychologist and writer, Dr Kinjal Goyal. Each episode is a conversation with an expert in their field, as they dive deep into their journerys and experiences. The conversations are full of insight and a great way to hear, first hand, how the mind plays a pivotal role in almost everything that we do. The guests range from doctors, to writers, to those in entertainment and of course, those from mental health fields.
Detangle by Kinjal
Detangle with Andre Timmins
Join us as we sit down with Andre Timmins, a trailblazer in the world of event management, who takes us on a captivating journey from his early days as a DJ to masterminding some of the most iconic events in the history of entertainment. Andre's story is one of passion, creativity, and unyielding dedication, as he recounts his experiences as a DJ and the launch of his first nightclub, Xanadu. Through his inspiring narrative, listeners will uncover the pivotal moments that shaped his career and gain insights into his relentless drive to create magical experiences.
The episode offers a special treat with Andre's vivid recollection of bringing the legendary Michael Jackson to India in 1996. The excitement of receiving Jackson's initial interest, the whirlwind meeting in Los Angeles, and the groundbreaking concert that followed are all shared through Andre's eyes. This remarkable chapter not only highlights the complexity of event planning on a global scale but also underscores the profound impact of Jackson's visit on India's entertainment landscape.
Finally, tune in as we explore the powerful intersection of event management and psychology. Discover how the art of understanding human emotions and desires can transform events into unforgettable experiences. With insights about maintaining positivity and building lasting relationships, this episode provides a well-rounded perspective for anyone looking to thrive in the dynamic world of events. Whether you're an industry veteran or just getting started, Andre's wisdom and stories will leave you inspired and motivated.
Welcome to Detangle, where we untangle the complexities of life one conversation at a time. I'm your host, dr Kinjal Goel, a psychologist and a writer. We have with us today Mr Andre Timmins, the co-founder and director at IFA and Wiscraft. I'm so happy to have you on my show today, andre. Welcome to Detangle.
Speaker 2:Oh, thank you so much. You got me onto the show at last.
Speaker 1:I know it's been fun.
Speaker 2:No, no, but I'm extremely thrilled to be on the show and I'm extremely happy as to what you're trying to. You know with the show, send message out to the right kind of people. You know the younger lot of India and what you want to do in the. You know mental wellness space of people and the young a lot. So I think it's a great show that you've got and keep going.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much, andre. There's so much that I have to ask you, because your field is so interesting and you have so much experience behind the same kind of work you've been doing for decades. I simply can't wait to get started.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much.
Speaker 1:Well, so here goes To begin with, Andre, tell us what inspired you to pursue event management as a career. I mean, did you have a certain person or event who inspired you?
Speaker 2:Well, I think, kinjal, I think you know I'll just take you back probably when I started my career. I started as a DJ right at the age of 17. And I played for about three years in a place called Airport Plaza, which used to be that time. It's now called the Orchid Hotel, near the airport, and I loved.
Speaker 2:First of all, our family is very musical. We had a band and you know we were very much into music and I, you know, finished school and then my father said Listen, you know, I got to go out and work and DJing was kind of an inbuilt in our family, music and everything. So when I went to dj there, I remember that time in 80, 82 I think, it was 83 it was my salary was 700 rupees right now and probably I had to spend more money because I used to love it. You know, for us it was a, it was a four-star hotel. Working there, you're meeting all the right people, and so I started my career there as a DJ and then that's actually that's where I understood, you know, what is it to connect with people, what is it the people want? You know, and you know my previous boss that was DJing with me, you know, at that time DJs used to be kind of the hot shots, right, you know, in 82, 83, 84. At that period DJs were very kind of in right, music was in and people would come and ask for requests and he would say, okay, I'll play it, and then not play it for one hour. What I did is, when anybody came to me, the first thing I did I from that time is, when anybody came to me, the first thing I did, I from that time I always wanted people to be happy. I always wanted people to feel good. You know, and people come and say, can I pray a request? Right, you know, can you play me this song, that song, and I would play it, like in the next minute or next song would be their song. They would be thrilled. And that's where I saw that. You know the connection. The relationship started way back in 82, right, 83. And from there we opened.
Speaker 2:I worked for three years and then I opened my first nightclub called Xanadu in Hotel Horizon in 86. And while we opened a club, the idea was that we saw that we had to bring in people, we had to do certain amount of things. So at that time fashion was very big Dancing was very big. What you see today, in today's day of dance shows. We were doing it way back in 80, 86, 85, 86, you know, but they were more.
Speaker 2:At that time, you know, of course, we didn't have social media, we didn't have such, you know, communication, and that's where we did a dancing championship, we did a fashion show, and that's the time we realized that listen, you know, there's a need to probably build a kind of a thing in the entertainment space because people need services in that space. And while we were in, while I was working in takeoff and came to Xanadu, owned my own club, the good part was that we met a lot of influential people, business people. You know what I mean. At that time, clubs was very upmarket, you know what I mean. And that's where I made all my connections, relations. And then, when we did the Dancing Championship and we organized it because it's part of promoting our club, zanadu, right, that's when we realized that, you know, there is a need in this space.
Speaker 2:And in 88, that's when we I Virav, my partner, was with me at Xanadu, and Sabas, who's my partner now. You know like I'll go on to say more about the three of us also. We then decided Sabas was working with the Daily and Afternoon newspaper and he came to do an interview with us regarding, you know, being the youngest nightclub owners and doing so many events and everything, and then, post that, we decided that, listen, you know, there's a need for this, why don't we actually do something called A to Z in entertainment? And we kept mulling over the idea, mulling over the idea, and we kind of while I was doing, me and Veera for working and owning this club, sabas was there we came up with this idea of what should we name it, what should we do and it was at an entertainment that time was doing birthday parties, singing, telegrams, you know various things where, let's say, the household would not do, we could do.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean. You know, at that time, in a house, you would kind of do a birthday party for your children or whatever you. You would just bring stuff over and do it, right, you know, there was no organizing involved. Basically, that's when we decided what do we collect? What do we do? And then we, you know, came up with goblins, witchcraft and all, and ultimately we came up with a name called Wizcraft. Wow, and it really stuck no.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it stuck. And so in 88, we launched Whizcraft the three of us and at that time it was, you know, called A to Z in entertainment and that time dancing was very big. So if you look at the current dancers today, or you look at the dancers that we used that time was people like Farah Khan, who's now a big director, right, we used that time was people like Farah Khan, who's now a big director, right. Harshad Vasi, who's also an actor, right, okay, so a lot of people that we use. Akbar Sami, who's a big DJ today, right. So at that time we had a lot of dancers. Sajid Khan, who's Farah's brother also. So we used dancing was a big thing at that period. So we used to do like on 31st night, we used to do like 10 shows. We used to all be in a Maruti van and keep running around, right, you know, from this show to this show, this show to this show. So that's pretty interesting. But the challenge was at that time was to get manpower.
Speaker 1:Right. Because not many people working in this zone.
Speaker 2:Not many people working in this zone and many uh parents wanted their kids to work uh late nights or on weekends and, uh, you know, they all thought that this was some shady business. You know that uh entertainment thing. You know, at that time there was no event management right. It was all about uh something that we were kind of trying. We were still doing our jobs, I was still owning the club, sabas was still learning, so we took about close to about eight to nine months and then we decided listen, you know, let's quit what we are doing, let's just focus on with craft and do it. And that's how with craft was born how beautiful is that?
Speaker 1:so what I pick up in this conversation so far is that you A had the same partner since you began, and, b you actually knew what people want, which is exactly what we are trying to find out from every field of work that we interact with. What do people want? So let me get to these two points eventually, starting off with my next question. Tell me about that, zenith Andre. When you were able to bring Michael Jackson to India when he was at the top, how was that for you? How monumentally did that change everything in your zone of this craft?
Speaker 2:Well, I'm getting goosebumps while you're asking me this question. I don't know. I don't think many people know the background of bringing Michael Jackson to India in 96, which was, you know, extremely early thing was bringing international concerts and we were talking to a lot of artists internationally to come to India and suddenly we got a fact from London and LA saying that listen, michael Jackson wants to come to India, he wants to do a couple of music videos and he's always been enamored by India and he wants to, of course, go to the Taj Mahal, he wanted to meet Mother Teresa and these were all his wishes, that you know. He just wanted to come to India, right. And when we got this fax we thought it was a joke. You know, there was, yeah, because there were fax machines, right. So we got this fax saying we thought it was a joke, you know, because there were fax machines, right. So we got this fax saying Michael Jackson wants to come to India. So we thought then we thought it was a prank, we called up the agent and called up the agency and they said no, no, we are very keen to bring him here and he's very keen to come, so let's start our discussions. And at that time we were very concerned about because you know how do we do it, you know how do we make this work. It's so big, we are still so young, you know.
Speaker 2:Next thing we knew we were on a flight to meet Michael Jackson. Because what we said to the management, that if we don't meet him right, because Michael Jackson had cancelled the show previously twice, right, okay. So we said if we don't meet him personally, right, ask him face to face, right. That's the confidence we want, because you know, at the end of the day we are living in India, we can't do something and then it gets cancelled. It's not going to be good. So they said, okay, fine, why don't you come to Los Angeles? We can discuss the contract, you can meet Michael Jackson and he himself will tell you that he's keen to come to India.
Speaker 2:And that's when we kind of got first. We got our act together here. We met first with Raj Thackeray, bal Thackeray, because they were running the government, because, naturally, bringing Michael Jackson here, we needed the whole support of the government in Maharashtra, right? And of course there was absolutely no doubt at that time, also in their mind, that it will be good for Maharashtra, you know, because we'll get international exposure and thanks to them, that we actually it was all you know Bala Sahib's blessings and Raj Thackeray's consistent to support us, to make sure, because he needed security, he needed proper kind of I would say uh assurance yeah yeah, so that's what we got.
Speaker 2:And then we went to la and uh, uh, when we went to la to meet him because we were, unfortunately we dressed up in indian outfits you'll get the picture of the net, I'll send it to you. It was a great meeting with Michael Jackson. We went in, we were made to sit down. We had gone to a hangar, right, okay, there was a hangar where he was rehearsing and we were called there. We kind of landed there and they put us in one sitting area in a room for about 45 minutes, and then they took us to another room where Michael Jackson would meet you and we were like literally, uh, shivering, right, you know what I mean, you know uh, what a star he was.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, uh, you know, uh, and then, uh, we um, waited, uh, and us, you know, ganpati, because it's Lakshmi and we're taking Natraj, right, you know, to present to him. And suddenly when he walked in, right with his whole setup, right, you know, because we were just, we were just numb, right, you know, we kind of stood up, said Hello. He said sit down. And I have to say one thing we spent with him, I think, close to about 30 minutes, right, and I have to say one thing to you that Michael Jackson, he is, first of all, a great human being, very intelligent, knows the world. He spoke when we spoke about India and we spoke about the culture. He knew everything when we, when he spoke about Mother Teresa, he spoke about Taj Mahal, he spoke about what he wants to do in India in the charity field. He wants to, he wanted to kind of, you know, bridge the culture, do something for the community, bring in a large part of entertainment into India in the future. And he was so excited and we handed over both the things to him. He knew exactly what the Ganpati was because he said I have one big one in my home, right, and I collect a lot of these things in my house because I kind of, if I'm working with a country, I need to know more in my house, because I kind of, if I'm working with the country, I need to know more.
Speaker 2:And that meeting was historical for us, you know, meeting Michael Jackson in person, and of course we got him to do a video right, which we kind of took 15 minutes to train him in saying that, you know, you know, because we said, if we don't get a video, how will we go back and tell the people that you're coming? So actually he did a video for us right, okay. And when he said, yes, I'm going to come, and then we got this video, we came back. Everybody was so excited. Now the question is now we are back, michael Jackson is on it. Now, the question is now we are back, michael Jackson is on, he wants to do it. Now, how do we kind of get the infrastructure right? Because we had to do local infrastructure and all his equipment was coming down and everything. And that's why we kind of bumped into Bharat Shah, you know, at that time was he's still a great human being and he said no problem, you know, if it's Michael Jackson, I'm willing to. You know, support and help and to bring him stage.
Speaker 2:We had to work with the Michael Jackson management right as to what they want and how do we work with the Indian sentiments, right of what they want and how do we do this. And the one thing we told Michael Jackson when you come down here, you know you need to do a press conference, you need to meet people. You know we need to do a press conference, you need to meet people. You know we need to do some charity, we need to, we need to kind of, you know, be more, because Michael Jackson would never do a press conference. You know he would come into a country, into a city, perform and go away, right, yeah, so we got him to do all these things and but putting the show together but putting the show together, you know what I mean was extremely, extremely stressful.
Speaker 2:I think with Michael Jackson coming to India, the best thing for Wiscraft was Wiscraft became a household name. Everybody in the country knew who Wiscraft was and everybody knew what event management was right. They understood that event management has now landed and everybody who's going to be in this business. It's good for people, it's good for a career and that's what scaffolded event management. The term event management came after Michael Jackson left and Vizcar became a household name.
Speaker 1:So while people were practicing psychology behind closed doors, you were living psychology in real time. You were discussing what people wanted so many layers and making it all come together.
Speaker 2:I can say one thing to you, I think, in the course of our discussing, as we go forward, you know you have to have love and passion for what you do, right? You know I mean, and that's what we live, breathe events, Absolutely.
Speaker 1:How lovely. So tell me, andre, now that you've done something so massive, to begin with, and then, of course, your career has been star-studded, so to say. When you started in this industry, it was so different from what it is now. Clients have changed, their demands have changed, stars, and their demands have also changed. So tell us about both. I mean, what evolution do you see?
Speaker 2:Well, I see, when we started off with birthday parties to corporate events, to concerts, and if you look at the requirements that time, a lot of requirements that time was to do with technology, innovation and, I would say, more from on-ground experience, right, okay, clients any clients, even at that time or even now, are demanding, right, okay, in terms of what they want. They want the best, they want something different, give me something different, give me something good, something that nobody else has done. And as we started off our career and got into corporate events and concerts and everything, corporate events is basically, uh, today termed as brand activation and experimental. So the idea was at that time, when we were doing corporate events, it was more to kind of, you know, propagate their brand within their dealers and everything. But that time the demand was more to do with, I would say, more from a point of view of on-ground experience.
Speaker 2:Right, today, it's very different. Today it's all about immersive, it's all about engaging with experiences and audiences and it's all about leveraging technology, social media, reach and everything. So today's demand, you know, especially after COVID, right, is very different, you know. So, if I look at, if I go back in the 90s, right, okay, everything was new to us when we bought lasers. It was new to us when we bought 3D lasers. It was new to us when we bought holographic images. It was new to us, right? So those, all those stages of life. And if you look at it today, today is very different. Today is all about technology, social media, immersive, and people have become more cautious of their brands, right, because the shift to digital is there today, you know. So I would say that's the new dimension to events today. Lovely.
Speaker 1:So what part of all this brings you the most happiness, Andre? What just brings that smile to your face?
Speaker 2:See, you know my love. You know my love and passion for this business has always been there and you got to be. You got to be happy in what you do. You know, and ultimately, if you look at the business, what we love is live business right. Okay, there's no, there's no retake, it's not a movie, right, it's all about life, right.
Speaker 2:And the best thing about as to what I love right and brings me happiness is when the event goes well, the client is happy and he says listen, great, show guys, superb. And that's when you know, because in our business it's all about now, it's all about what event you've done now, right, if you don't do a good event, client doesn't come back to you, right. So you've got to make sure that it's 100% right and the client is happy, and that's the most important thing in our business. Right Is making sure everything is right and well. It comes from a lot of teamwork. You know, the most important thing is teamwork and for me, that's what makes me happy is when the client is happy and he says you know, the event is great, superb.
Speaker 1:And you have so much scope for creative conceptualization. Also, you're able to do so much out of the box thinking. You have, you know, like an open. Do I mean the whole ideas when they start coming? That must be a good time yeah, you know.
Speaker 2:you know I would say just to offshoot this you know, when you say creativity and idea, that's what we live and breathe. For example I'll give you a small example, you can take it forward later is when we did around about 90 I think of 93 or 94, we had done the launch of Samsung in India and we did this launch at the Taj Mahal Okay, just outside, with the backdrop and everything. And the beauty of technology at that time was where the screen opens up and the TV travels on a track in the front. But today it's very different. Today you can do it with immersive, you can do the holographic. You know it's extremely different in terms of creating magical moments for your clients. The important thing is, for us, creativity has no boundaries.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so wonderful. You can just use the best talent there is, the best stage there is and you can just play. This is basically intelligence having fun. That's when creativity comes to the stage.
Speaker 2:Very true, very true, very true.
Speaker 1:So, going to the darker side, what part of this business saddens you the most? Is there anything that you wish you could change?
Speaker 2:Well, you know, in our business, like I said earlier to you, that there's no retakes. It's life. Everything is for now. Right, I think the one thing that our business brings us is both stress and happiness. Right, you can't run away from pressure of delivery, which is the most important thing in our business, right, okay, and the stress comes with it.
Speaker 2:So the idea here is what we've been doing currently with our employees, with our people, and everything is actually working in a way where there's a balance. You know, because in our business it's you know. You could actually just you know have a lot of issues when you're working, because projects that we do, large projects like the Commonwealth Games, right, or Global Citizen, everything you're working with multiple talents, multiple artists, multiple people, you know, and each compartment that you're working on brings a lot of pressure on you. And you're also working with 1,000 people, 2,000 people across. Somebody is doing stage, sound lights, venue logistics, people coming in, going out, and the most important thing in all these events is also making sure everybody is secured.
Speaker 2:Oh, yes, absolutely. So security of people in which is the least in India, as you see, right? Oh, yes, absolutely. And everything that people come in smoothly, people go smoothly, you know, and that's what I would say, but of course you know what I mean. There's so many other things that you don't account for, or obscene things that you know whether it's commercially or not commercially, but I think for us it's both. I wouldn't say it would sadden me the most, but I would say from a point of view that there is stress and happiness also at the end Agreed.
Speaker 1:So tell me, anjey, when you're working at this scale, you're working with superstars, you're working with super clients, because they are the ones who are spending their money. Now, all of this is stressful. Like you said, there is happiness, but there is a due amount of stress. But how do you take care of yourself personally? Any tips you have for newcomers in this industry, because now a lot of people are in, a lot of people are doing event management. What would you advise them and how do you take care of yourself?
Speaker 2:Well, I think, I think the first thing that we need to do in today's day and age because, as you know that social media is a big, you know, consumption to everybody in the world. For me, my tip to the younger lots is that, and the way I handle my stress is, first of all, always smile.
Speaker 1:I can vouch for that.
Speaker 2:Always smile, be positive, remember that whatever has to happen will happen. You got to give it your best shot. You got to be focused right and you the you should not look back. Dream big, party harder right.
Speaker 2:The idea here is like a plan yeah, that sounds like a plan, but I'm saying that because in our business, when we're working with stars, we're working with people, not necessarily everything goes well right, and especially in the entertainment business, there's always a chance of that.
Speaker 2:Anything can happen, and the one thing that I do is that I never I'm always upfront. This is the problem, this is what is it. Now we need to solve it right, because if you keep, if you don't tell them the truth, right, you're going to be in a big fix. So you got to make sure that, whatever you do, you must be upfront and you must tell them that this is the situation. For example, if I'm doing a show and something happens, or there's no license, or there's a problem, or there's a permission Even with our clients we work with our clients as a team that this is what the issue is, because that will de-stress you, right, okay, okay, and then you work a solution out and go forward. But for me, the way I look at my life and my stress dealing with in the events, business is we always got to be smiling, positive, focused and we got to make sure that this is going to happen.
Speaker 1:I also think that you know one thing this generation is not taking seriously enough is long-term relationships. Like you mentioned at the beginning, you have been with the same partners since the inception of your organization. That is one superpower that you have that most people take for granted. Now They'll fit from person to person. Tell us more about this. You know your relationship with your partners, and how far do you see yourselves going?
Speaker 2:Well, kinjal, like I'm getting goosebumps again. You know, when you talk about relationships, I've lived on relationships from the time I started working at the age of 17,. Right, I have friends who are even now, who I met in 86, 95, 2000,. They're all my friends, and relationships, according to me, is the most important thing in business, also in friendship. What I believe today is that when three partners are together for 36 years Wow, knock on wood for that. Thank you so much.
Speaker 2:Virav Sabas and myself, we've been together. We all have our differences when we work, but the one goal we have is that whatever we do is going to be best for the company or best for that event. Right, and for the youngsters today, what I keep telling them, right, when they come you know we have so many people working in our company I keep telling them listen, you know, don't look short term, look long term. Always, always look at, always look at front end, always look at meeting clients. You know giving your best shot, being straightforward, you know being humble in events is very important. To be humble because that's the most important thing, that the client is king. True is youngsters who are so impatient, right, because let's say they're drawing, let's say 100 rupees here and after six months somebody is giving them 125 rupees, they'll jump.
Speaker 2:And I keep saying yeah, and I keep telling them listen, be patient, grow, and you know this goes with my father. My father worked in the airport for 33 years, you know, and Veera's father worked in Godrej for 30 years. So the idea here is it comes from there, right, and that's why the three of us have been together for 36 years and I think we'll be together for lifetime.
Speaker 1:Touch wood again. So tell me, when you all started working together, when you all were, you know, just starting off with your events, was AIFA anywhere in your mind? Was this something? You all started working together when you all were just starting off with your events? Was AIFA anywhere in your mind? Was this something you all planned towards?
Speaker 2:How did this come about, kinjal? We used to execute two events in the 90s. That was Filmfare Awards and Femina Miss India, film Fair Awards and Femina Right, miss India. We used to work with Pradeep Goa at that time, who's unfortunately we lost him. He was also one of my mentors at that time. I learned a lot from him.
Speaker 2:And in the year 2000, 99, 2000,. It was that whole if you know that internet craze, right, you know what I mean, the whole craze that come in the year 2000. And then we decided that while we are doing events for other people, why don't we build our own IP? And it was two things Do we get into cinema or do we get into cricket? Okay, at that time right, because you know, two global IPs from India was, of course, cinema and cricket.
Speaker 2:Right, we choose cinema from a simple perspective, because we found that one is that we were already involved for so many years, we learned so much, we were very much entrenched into the industry and we felt that cinema was something that can go and tell stories to the world. Right, and we wanted to take our stars to the fans. Right, because you know, I mean the second and third generation abroad didn't have a chance? There was no. There was nothing like this abroad. Everything was in India. So that's when IFA gave birth and we started in London, at the Millennium Dome, two and a half thousand people. We got Mr Bachchan, mr Amitabh Bachchan, to be our brand ambassador and I give you know, I give all the credit to AIFA today, of course, is to Mr Bachchan and the film industry that supported us, to, you know, kind of, stay alive for 24 years. This is our 24 years and hopefully in the 2050, we may go back to London.
Speaker 1:Oh, how lovely is that. So you know what you said about stories. I totally believe that every country has a set of soft powers, and one of India's strongest soft power is storytelling. We tell stories like no one else does, and we can control the narrative of the world just through our stories. So well, well done on that part.
Speaker 2:No, no. Thank you so much, and we're very proud of IFA because we feel that IFA today is a brand, and I always tell everybody, kinjal, that you know, if you look at today, if you take two and a half decades right, and if I ask you which are the IPs that have been given birth in these two and a half decades, it will be very difficult. But what comes to my mind is IFA is the formula E. Not many IPs stay alive for so many years. True, and IFA is all about exporting India to the world, and that's why we are very, very proud to be an Indian brand. We are very proud that we've achieved this out of India. I have to tell you one thing what you see on TV and what you see live is two different things altogether. Really, yes, yes. So please come to the next, saifa.
Speaker 1:Done so, andre. On a more serious note, if you have to give a piece of advice to your 20-year-old self, what would it be?
Speaker 2:To give advice to a 20-year-old self. What would it be To give advice to a 20-year-old Andre? Yes, well, I would say, you know, success in the industry doesn't come overnight. Okay, you know they are bound to be challenges, you know what I mean. But if you embrace every learning opportunity and the one thing I would say don't be afraid to take risk. Right, you know what I mean. And go out there and do what you want to do, andre, at 20. Again, building strong relationships and networking and, lastly, be true to your passion and vision, even if it's tough, Especially when it's tough, especially when it's tough.
Speaker 1:Lovely Andrik. Digressing a little bit from the film and TV industry from event management. You've been so active with the National Cardiac Arrest Campaign. We've worked on this together. You've been a tremendous source of support and help to the whole organization. But what drives you towards this social cause?
Speaker 2:Kinjal, I think when you all approached me and, you know, wanted my support in this cardiac arrest campaign you know it's not about something personal. I think you know I always, from the beginning, always wanted to do things in this segment Is to get more awareness to people. You know people should know more about this entire cardiac arrest campaign that you're doing, you know, and the one thing I want to appeal to all the actors and the film industry and celebrities that they all should be part of this campaign, because what you're doing is the awareness nationally. Ok, and I've seen, through my support, how many people have got saved right. Oh, yes, it has been phenomenal.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and in a small way, when I went through small healthcare, I understood, you know, what it means to knowing more right, you know what I mean and in today's day and age, if you don't listen, you won't learn. So I think you know I'm there to support you in whatever I can do in a small way, but I think we are not doing enough. Our industry is not doing enough. We need to do more and that's my promise We'll get more people to spread the word.
Speaker 1:Well, fingers crossed on that one. Let me ask you one of my favorite questions on the podcast. Three seasons, so many guests and my question remains. We all have a physical first aid box at home. We like to keep things like maybe band-aids, painkillers, you know anything, for those minor cuts and bruises. But what if you were to have a mental first aid box? What would you put inside that that would take care of a bad emotional day? You know, opening something which would just make you so happy.
Speaker 2:Well, I think my first aid box would be of course, you know, it includes moments with my family, friends and, as you know, I'm a DJ, so I'm a big lover of music. For me, when I travel or when I go anywhere, I don't watch movies, I listen to music. So music, music for me. When I travel or when I go anywhere, I don't watch movies, I listen to music. So music, music for me is medicine. It unwinds me, uh, resets me, you know, and also brings me back a lot of memories. Right, because the music that I like, you know. The second thing is I would put in my box is my prayers. Prayers is huge, huge part of me. Starting my day or doing anything, the first thing I do is my prayers, you know. And, of course, you know I want to create a positive impact in work. So I think, for me, my box would be kind of family, friends, music, prayers and, of course, you know, bringing joy to people, you know, providing comfort and motivation in challenging times.
Speaker 1:How lovely. That sounds like a fantastic box. It has some real things, it has some metaphysical things, but it sounds so complete.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much.
Speaker 1:Before we come to a close of the discussion, Anjay, is there any question that you have for me as a psychologist?
Speaker 2:I think what I want to ask you is that you know, with this podcast and what you do, you multitask a lot. I can see that right. What keeps you going? What's your day like and what keeps you going in keeping you so positive, talking to so many people, and what I know of you that you do a lot of things in a day. So what would your day look like and what would make you happy?
Speaker 1:Well, my day is pretty compartmentalized. I consult on certain days of the week. I see patients in person and online. I'm a health psychologist, so that takes priority, that's precedence over everything else. But I realized over time that when I talk to people, I end up having these fascinating discussions. Intellectual stimulation is food for me. And then I just used to feel so bad that I couldn't share these discussions with my friends or with others, so that the inspiration spreads. That's how the podcast came about and I said, ok, there are people doing amazing work out there, and if I can just talk to them and share these conversations, it would bring me so much more joy. And so it started. So I record two or three times a week, depending on when the season is being uploaded. Sometimes there's a break when the season is just done, and that time I'll focus more on my writing. I'm currently writing my fifth book, so that again is food for my soul, because reading and writing are parts of me that I can never give up. So a usual day would be about three to four hours of consulting, maybe an hour of working on the podcast. If recordings are underway, then the days are longer.
Speaker 1:I also have two kids. Both are teens One is 16, one is 14. So I enjoy spending my time with them. I think, all said and done, my biggest joy is when I know that they're looking at me and they are seeing there's so much that we can do in life. They look at me and they don't see somebody who is waiting for things to happen. They see me as a proactive person, and this is the best teaching that I'm giving them. So that is my sense of joy when they see that, ok, you know what, mom, we're going to do this, this and this. We're not afraid to try new things. So that is my biggest win.
Speaker 2:Wow, that's, that's so cool. It sounds exciting and I think, when you, when you encapsulated what you do, I think it kind of I would term it as happiness.
Speaker 1:True, true. It's just pure joy, it's just pure happiness, and you know it's a nice way to be, so I enjoy it.
Speaker 2:Great, great, great Congratulations, Dr Kinjal. Great speaking to you.
Speaker 1:It was lovely speaking to you, Andrey. I mean, a lot of people asked me when you know, my other guests also saw that you were on the list this season. They said really, how does event management and psychology, what synergy do they have? And I said, everything in life is about psychology and this conversation has brought out so much of that in such a beautiful way. Unless you understand what a person wants, unless you understand what a person doesn't want, there is no event happening wants. Unless you understand what a person doesn't want, there is no event happening. And an event is such a beautiful way for us to express ourselves, right from little weddings to large grand celebrations. It's all about expressing us as individuals, as families. So I've had a great time talking to you. I've had a great discussion understanding how everything from djing to michael jackson to wi-fi has come about. But thank you so much for taking this Sunday afternoon off and for being with me on Detangle.
Speaker 2:Andre. No, I'm extremely happy and I've enjoyed myself on this show, and all the best.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you, and all the best to you too, thank you.
