Some conversations stay with you long after they end. My recent appearance on Hot Seat – Cool Seat, organised by the Vibrant Networking Forum at Hyatt Centric, Chandigarh, was exactly that kind of evening. No script. No rehearsed answers. Just honest questions and honest responses. Here’s what the experience was really like.
Sitting on the Hot Seat with Navita Sandhu
That format is deceptively simple yet powerful. Until October 2023, one person is on the Hot Seat and responds to quotes in whatever comes our way; the “Cool Seat”, keeps throwing questions. At that moment, Navita Sandhu held the Hot Seat, and it felt more like a mash-up than an interview. Each question challenged me to analyse, self-reflect, and answer truthfully. That sounds easier than it is when nothing is prepared to hide behind.
Why Acting Natural Came Easy
I was asked what made me so calm in high-pressure situations. The reality is way back to my university days. I did quite a bit of acting back then; standing in front of people, thinking on my feet, and being present was something I learned very young. The Hot Seat was so many things, but not a spotlight you had to survive; it was a stage I already knew how to stand on.
My Entrepreneurial Journey: From Actor to Kabir
One that was a bit more personal came through following how I got here, because it hasn’t been anything but a straight shot from A to B. College was where it began; that is when I first entered acting. That led me to Canada, where I became a radio announcer. However, something was still drawing me back home, so I finally came back to India, got into the pharma business, and started pushing that. I also launched my own podcast and created my own show at some point during the journey.
I refer to it as stepping outside the frame, and in this story I’m the main character, just like Kabir. City to city, meeting to meeting, always searching for more. I kept it real that this life had a price to be paid. My family worries. Travelling nonstop is the worst contributor to their tension and staying on that edge of travel disease from any stop, talking about it as a real part of the entrepreneurial journey. Making something that matters requires a shitload from not only you, but also the people who care about you.
Leadership Is About Embracing the Questions
If there is one thing that I was reminded of in this conversation, it goes like this: leadership is not about knowing the answers. It’s about taking every query as an opportunity to educate, empower and motivate: the conversations that shine best are not the ones you make perfect. They are the conversations that you make real.
Gratitude for a Memorable Evening
A heartfelt thank you to Navita Sandhu for hosting such an engaging and thought-provoking conversation and to the Vibrant Networking Forum for building a platform that encourages authentic dialogue and meaningful connections. Thank you to everyone who attended and made the evening so memorable. I’m already looking forward to many more conversations like this one.
