Chandramohan Mehra, chief marketing officer of Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, writes about the work and life lessons he gathered as a marathon runner
As a child, I could not complete 200 meters in school during the pre-Sports’ Day audition. But now, I am a beginner, having run marathons for the last 15 years across different cities around the world, including New York, Berlin, Mumbai, Boston, Chicago, London, Amsterdam, and Delhi. Over the years, my Personal Best (PB) finish time improved from 4:42 to 3:33 (Hour: Minutes). And a PB of half marathon at sub-100 minutes. I have gone through terrible long-lasting injuries and some epic failures. In the last marathon, at Rotterdam in April 2022, I did not finish. This is the second time I did not finish a marathon race.
The injuries and failures have taught me as much as my PBs. I draw learnings from every marathon experience which could be relevant to my career, business, and life in general.
Chandramohan Mehra is the chief marketing officer of Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance. Views expressed are personal. Note to readers: Storyboard18’s new Month In Focus initiative spotlights themes and topics that are pushing marketers to reshape and rethink how brands interact with today’s customers. Our first theme is Just Sports, a special spotlight on sports marketing presented by Sports18. We bring to you stories of how marketers are harnessing the power of technology, innovation and creativity in sports to create powerful storytelling in campaigns that increase affinity and loyalty with audiences. From traditional sports platforms around cricket to emerging games and the rise of esports, we get leading voices from the marketing and sports worlds to give us sharp and fast insights into future-facing marketing practices. Also, tune in for analyses which will surface ideas and strategies that are helping brands to level up experiences and storytelling with authentic collaborations. So watch this space for Just Sports.