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Celebrating womanhood

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Nisha Narayanan, COO, 93.5 RED FM, who is the Central Nervous System of the brand ‘93.5 RED FM’, voiced her opinion on various aspects concerning women in the society.

Women’s Day: is it just a day in the calendar, or something beyond? What would the COO say? 
I believe every day is a woman’s day, except for a bad hair day! (laughs) On a serious note, it is good to have a special day where not just women but everyone can celebrate the contributions of women in their lives.

Woman: The word ends with a man. Do we actually need a man to complete a woman?
Well, I am yet to meet a complete man! I think both men and women need each other as equalisers. I assume it would be quite boring to live in a world of all women; a little spice in life is always good.

From AIR to the brand RED FM, what are the challenges that you had to face and how did you overcome them?
Well there were a couple of challenges; biggest being maintaining a work life balance as the climb upwards gradually became tougher. But I have learned not to beat myself up for little things like missing a PTM or a class trip with my kid. In between work, life gradually happens.

Secondly, being a woman in a man’s world, it was not easy to break the stereotypical mind-set. It’s a constant challenge. I wouldn’t have been the COO if I hadn’t taken chances to assert myself. 

‘With great power comes great responsibility’… Does power lead to pride too? What is your secret behind modesty?
‘Keeping it real’ and not taking things too seriously is the philosophy that I follow in everything I do. Success and power are transient; keeping a great attitude is what keeps me going. 

Who is the woman in your life who has influenced you as a person?
My Mother-in-law, as she has been my greatest strength. Her progressive attitude has really propelled my journey in this tough corporate world!

Do you feel that competition, comparison, jealousy, gossips are only supposed to be women issues. RED FM has many women in key roles… How do you handle the women in your teams?
I think it’s a myth. RED FM has the best team of professionals comprising both the men and women in the industry. This is a creative, aggressive and a performance-led team that believes in the brand and the brand philosophy. We hire talented people –many of them happen to be women at RED FM, which is only coincidental. Also, while hiring someone, over and above fitment with the role and competencies, we look for spunk, creativity and overall-a great attitude. On a lighter note … who says men don’t gossip! (winks)

With more than two decades in media, which are the areas where women need to improve on, according to you? 
Firstly, not to take the gender differentiation too seriously. Ability and capability should be attributes of a person and need not be necessarily divided based on sex. Second, would be to pursue your dreams with a vengeance. Keep criticism as a close enemy and prove yourself.

Do you ever wish to do TV again? 
No. Radio is my first love and will always remain so.

If you were to go back and change one thing about your past what would that be and why?
It’s been perfect! The journey so far with all the trials and tribulation has made me what I am today.
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