Superwomen 2022: Bureaucracy is one of the major issues in our industry says Deepa Menon

Deepa Menon of PVR Nest talks about how maintaining balance between family and work can be hectic, the importance of mental well being, and the need of the industry to look beyond bureaucracy.

Deepa Menon, Founder at PVR Nest and winner of Social Samosa Superwomen 2022, talks about work-life balance, and other industry trends.

Edited Excerpts:

What  do you think it means to be a superwoman in the New Normal? 

In my opinion, in the new normal, Superwoman is the one who is able to juggle between both, personal and professional life with grace and dignity. It is not, out of reach to say, that the effort behind maintaining the balance between the family and work is exhausting and more power to all the women who are always striving and showing resilience, even during such tough times.

Also Read: #SS40Under40 In the era of digital assets, quantity seems to be taking over quality, says Sumit Chaurasia

A big part of success is mental health & work-life balance - how do you ensure to create work-life balance for yourself & those around you? 

I am a vocal advocate of mental health and believe in the age-old concept, “In a  sound body, resides a sound mind”. I find it is my responsibility to ensure that all the people who I work with, should not be stressed by the workload. For myself and the people around me, I make sure that we finish off most of our work in the office, so that, we can take a whole version of ourselves, back to our homes, not a lost version. 

While a lot has changed for the better in the A&M industry, what kind of challenges continue to exist for women? Especially with the whole WFH & hybrid work situation.

Though the convenience to regulate the work from any corner of the world, is the biggest blessing during these times, one of the major challenges, which exist for the women in our industry is Odd-working hours ethics. Such ethics, usually don’t take into consideration the personal lives of women; the phones and notifications ring at any time of the night for work and might also subject them to virtual abuse in the confines of their homes. There should be a rudimentary understanding of when women should be approached for work, keeping in mind their health and private life.

What in your opinion, helped you excel in your career?

All the people, I have collaborated with, have been the driving force behind me, excelling in my career. My glorious mentors at Katha and Ashoka University, helped me dip my toes in the CSR industry, being there as a safety net; providing knowledge and guidance. My skilled PVR NEST team, provided me, with the much-needed back support, to bounce off ideas and bring their execution to life.

One Superwoman you look up to & why? 

I cannot pin down a singular woman, who I may consider a Superwoman and look up to but I am immensely inspired by all the women, especially from our yester generations who either out of curiosity or necessity, have put in their earnest efforts to learn computers; become tech-savvy. This helped them to escalate their potential and sustain their families, which is a beautiful sight to see.

One thing you would like to change about this industry.

Bureaucracy is one of the major issues in our industry. It wastes time and efficiency to pan out the work. There must be loosening in bureaucracy. I believe, it will be a productive change.

One thing that this industry desperately needs. 

Better communication among the heads and the employees. Healthy transparency among them, regarding the work, can be very instrumental for successful results.

One tip for all aspiring A&M professionals out there.

As my mentors allowed me to explore and learn about the industry, I would like the up-and-coming A&M professionals to find people who guide them, in the right direction and also, be a sponge in the world, absorb as much knowledge as you can and always be willing and curious to learn.