Ahmedabad, August 7, 2015

"I travel because it throws things at me that make me happy. I travel because it's the surest way of living in the moment."

Neeraj Narayanan started off his career tracing the beaten path. He was just another face in the milling crowd of engineers turned IT professionals. But after completing his MBA from MICA and working with a travel website, he embarked on a journey of his dreams. And his dream, was to travel the world.

He quit his 9-5 job, strapped on his backpack and packed his iPad. Nero had arrived. In over two years, he has travelled through war ravaged towns in Mostar, Bosnia. He has found himself abandoned in a Thailand forest for 3 days, got chased by a wild bear in Croatia, come face to face with a raging bull in Spain,and risked his life deep-sea soloing off the coast of Vietnam. Today Neeraj describes himself as a traveller, writer, and professional trip planner. He has started his own venture,"This Guy's On His Own Trip" and has recently authored his first book. On Thursday, Neeraj came back to where it all began- He returned to MICA. In a fun and engaging lecture to the current batch of students, Neeraj narrated his journey, his inspirations and how he overcame his fear of failure to pursue his passions. Organized by MLS (MICA Lecture Series), a student run committee in MICA, the lecture was attended by a packed auditorium of students.

Neeraj, through his speech that lasted for over an hour, emphasized the importance of sticking to one’s dreams. “I didn’t have a plan. I didn’t have a formula. I just believed in what I love.” However his journey, in his words, “wasn’t a bed of roses.” Recounting the various hurdles he faced while setting up his start-up, Neeraj re-emphasized the power of communication. “How you speak tells the world who you are. Even if your product is half-good, effective communication can go a long way in making it a success.”

Answering questions about entrepreneurship posed to him by the students after the lecture,Neeraj explained the need to have a back-up plan, the necessity to think 5 steps in advance, and never lose track of the bigger picture.The talk presented the students with an opportunity to understand the world of start-ups and gave them an insight into how the travel industry worked.

It left them in splits when he recounted his adventures, made them think when he spoke of his obstacles and left them in awe when he presented his successes, but overall, Neeraj’s lecture struck a chord in the minds of the students and inspired them to dare to think big. About Neeraj Narayanan:

Neeraj Narayanan is an Alumnus of MICA. After quitting his last job as Head of Content & Digital Media for a travel website in July 2013, he set out to travel the world. Since then he has run with the bulls in Spain, been chased by a bear in a Croatian forest, flitted and flirted in the vineyards of Italy, and stared bemused at food menus in Slovenia. He also developed a love for the mountains and was soon huffing and puffing up the Himalayas in Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal and borderline Tibet.

To know more about him, please follow the links below:

https://www.facebook.com/onhisowntrip/info?tab=page_info

https://twitter.com/onhisowntrip

https://www.linkedin.com/pub/neeraj-narayanan/25/251/703

http://garam-samose.blogspot.in/p/blog-page.html

About MLS:

MICA Lecture Series (MLS) is a committee that acts as a conduit between MICAns and renowned speakers from various walks of life. In the past the MLS has invited several eminent personalities such as Mr. Anil Agarwal of the Vedanta Group, Mr. Sushant Dash of Tata Global Beverages and Mr. Jean Christophe Letellier of L’Oreal to interact with the students and give them a realistic view of the industry. It also opens up opportunities for potential recruitment.

About MICA

Established in 1991, MICA is the first residential institute in the country and perhaps in the Asia-Pacific region, dedicated to creating Leadership in Strategic Marketing and Communication.

Its spirit lies in its grasping of contemporariness, addressing the needs of an ever-changing environment. The MICA brand assures effective delivery of Strategic Marketing and Communication solutions to the industry, government and community.

Today, it is the alma mater of professionals serving in leadership positions in some of the best known companies in India and the world, in marketing, brand management, research & analytics, advertising, media, digital and other strategic marketing and communication-driven businesses.