The #ParentGuide

If we’re lucky, we live long enough and well enough to build friendships with our parents.

The humans who birthed you, raised you, nurtured you, challenged you, and protected you are also… humans. Who were one day just like you and facing eerily similar challenges, whether emotional, financial, or professional.

Below you’ll find:

1. Big Lessons I gleaned from 19 days abroad with my Parents

2. Industry News

3. Cannabis Collective Holiday Party

4. Why You Need To Start Using Your Other Hand ASAP

Let’s get into it.

⌛️ Estimated reading time: 5 minutes, 28 seconds

A Nice Pen, Clean Shoes & A Crisp Shirt

This is a line I will never ever forget. It’s emblazed in my mind since I was a kid, Salman Kara’s most simple yet impactful advice.

From November 15 to Dec 4, I embarked on an adventure of a life time- a 19 day trip to Dubai & India. I am a very lucky person to even be writing this sentence.

19 days, 10 flights, 5 different vans, 8 hotels, (10 pounds of weight from all the garlic naan and delicious curries) and 3 of us. Mom, Dad, Son.

The trip was filled with an array of diverse experiences from landing in Dubai after a wonderful experience in The Emirates Business Class Lounge, to drinking High Tea at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai, to cruising down the river in Cochin.

History was abundant, food was delicious, life long friends were met and my mind was constantly spinning with trying to evaluate where the arbitrage for real investment is in both India & Dubai (more on that to come on a Linkedin post this week)

However, t’was not all roses and butterflies.

As a 33 year old who functions independently, runs his own business ventures & is a burgeoning, perennially, on the cusp athlete 🤫, it had its fair share of challenges.

Every day for the most part was non-stop, action packed. 7 Cities in 19 days, more like (16 when you factor the international flights) is a ton.

We were either doing tours, eating, moving to the next city, or sleeping. In the in between times, I was trying to keep up with the 10.5 hour IST time difference (this made made things challenging but genuinely very fun)

There wasn’t much time for much else including socializing, working out… even dare I say it.. chilling?

I’m a different type of traveler in this moment of life and as such, I was getting a little irate, impatient & at times, found myself not understanding the magnitude & the gratitude of the moment.

This is not how I wanted to show up and yet, sometimes, it just was.

In order for us to ensure this trip was fruitful, we had to

A) Embrace vulnerability

B) Communicate our needs clearly

C) Work as a team 

Proud to say we bonded, cemented team values, and re-enforced a strong & renewed culture of love, kindness, empathy, respect, meritocracy, vulnerability, changeability, & overall authenticity.

Why Should I Care?

Travelling with my parents, people I’ve “known” for 33 years made us, together as a unit, re-define & transform, and evolve into the next phase of our relationship: Best Friends.

In your professional setting as a leader, you have close colleagues, Co-Founders, Exec Peers. You may feel you know them, you may feel they know you, yet, right now is the best time of the year to reflect on your own short comings relative to your team, figure out how communication styles need to evolve, and double down on your team culture.

So what does this have to do with you?

Self-Awareness: Before you can ask others to be great for you, or to change for the greater good, you must be willing to confront the pieces of YOURSELF that need refinement & evolution.

I knew the moment I went from a tour in Agra, to a very small car that featured a 6 hour drive, to another early morning tour In Jaipur, I was cranky.

I sat with it, in silence and asked what myself what was the one thing I needed to do to show up better for my parents. I came to the conclusion it was a workout, and I grudgingly walked downstairs to the small gym with no windows and followed a youtube workout.

Happy to say it worked (although the six pack still isn’t anywhere to be found…)

How have you shown up lately to those around you? Has it been the best version of yourself?

Communication style: As we sat at Juha Beach, on the rooftop of a restaurant with a breathtaking view of Mumbai, we learned that the province was in a “Dry Day” for elections, meaning no alcohol was sold that night.

We found ourselves deep in conversation about the meaning of this and how alcohol plays in the the psyche of citizens during elections.

Suddenly, I felt I was able to communicate how I was feeling. We often go through so many different comms styles in our day-to-day that I almost forgot that my parents have always:

1. Listened to me

2. Seeked to understand

3. But also challenged me.

I felt heard, yet my mom still told me that if I needed a workout, or needed some time for myself. I should have just said it or made time to go to the gym- that one pierced right through my soul.

Only moms can bend/make time, doesn’t she know that?!

When you look at communication style with those close to you, focus on how they are receiving information. What used to work…might still work. Simplicity is Sophistication (S/O to the 🐐 Steve Jobs)

Team Work: As we approached the end of our trip, our strength was tested in different ways. In one specific example, we arrived late to Goa, only to find one of the rooms was a smoking room (huh? These still exist?).

We walked in and it smelled awful. How did people ever sit on a plane with smoking? It was late when we go to the hotel & there were no other rooms.

Yet, through our team resourcefulness, patience & communication, we were able to solve the challenge quite rapidly while not losing too much time in the serene, luscious lands of Goa. It was an extremely high performing, team moment.

High performing teams, in addition to various other ingredients, require acute self awareness from everyone & tight communication. Without these two, you have zero hope. Yet, once you do achieve these pieces, there isn’t anything you can’t do with that group of high performing humans.

How powerful can your immediate team be? What are your big hairy audacious goals for 2025 if your team is performing at 110%?

If you remember nothing else

1. Have you practised self awareness lately?

2. How do you need to communicate to your team?

3. What does peak performance look like for your Team?

As a burgeoning, perennially, on the cusp athlete I thought it was only fitting to have a word from NIKE.

Feel Your Best on the Field With Nike Kylian Mbappé Collection.

Discover the Nike Kylian Mbappé collection, crafted for players ready to take their skills to the next level. Featuring standout styles like the Vapor and Superfly, these boots combine cutting-edge technology with eye-catching designs inspired by the pros. Experience the game-changing Air Zoom unit for explosive acceleration and a responsive touch, whether you’re making that perfect through ball or striking from distance. Treat yourself to a fresh pair from the collection and dominate the pitch. You deserve to feel your best on the field.

Shop the Kylian Mbappé Collection.

📆 Upcoming events

Holidays with The Collective 2024

Don’t Miss our last Collective Event of the Year. Details below, tickets will go quickly. As a gentle reminder, if you are an Executive member, your ticket is comped!

🗽 Cannabis Collective!
📆 December 12, 2024 6pm - 10pm
📍Tickets

🧘 Longevity

Boost Your Brainpower — One Hand Switch at a Time 

You can unlock surprising benefits by using your non-dominant hand for everyday tasks.

Research shows that switching hands can reduce stress, improve memory, and enhance focus. This simple challenge stimulates new neural pathways, giving your brain a workout it doesn't usually get.

There is a bonus. An increase in creative thinking and mental flexibility. Whether you're brushing your teeth, writing notes, or eating your breakfast, incorporating a daily "hand swap" engages your mind in fresh ways.

Plus, it can improve your motor skills and ambidexterity.

Next time you reach for your coffee mug or pick up a pen, try and switch it up. You might just find new solutions and ideas flowing more easily. Small changes, big brain gains!!

Full article talking about benefits here.

As the world becomes more complex, it becomes more and more challenging to stay grounded, focused and aligned. Stay ahead by fostering unity, innovation, and trust across your teams and yourself. Don’t miss out on upcoming events and insights that will help shape your success in the months to come.

- SKV