Rejection is not a topic I’d have thought of: Ambi Parameswaran on his new book

Ambi Parameswaran, who along with being a branding and marketing expert, is also a well-regarded author, recently launched his book, ‘Spring: Bouncing Back From Rejection’, targeting primarily millennials.
The book for focuses on rejections, challenges and failures and how, just like success, they are a major part of life. Through this book, Parameswaran urges people to face rejection in a positive way and always make a learning process out of it.

In conversation with Adgully, Ambi Parameswaran talks about the idea behind his latest book, why it is especially significant during the pandemic period, his key learnings & takeaways, and his thoughts on writing his next book.

Also read:  Ambi Parameswaran presents learnings from clients in new book – Sponge

How did you come about with an idea for this book? What was the process like?

Rejection is not a topic I would have thought of, but for the question I got asked at Jagran Lake University. That triggered a new train of thoughts. I tested the concept at IIM Calcutta as a part of my acceptance speech [IIMC DAA] and realised that there was a latent demand to know more about the subject. My friend and literary agent thought it was a good idea. Westland greenlighted the project almost two years ago. Then came the research, reading and writing.

What kind of audience was in your mind when you started writing this book? Who would you like to read this book and any particular target audience who will benefit a lot from this book? 

I don’t have a specific target size, rejection is something all of us face irrespective of age. But if I were to pick one cohort, it will be the 20-35 year old. They have lived in a rapidly growing economy and hence, are a little spoilt for choice. This book will hopefully help them strengthen their internal spring.
Handling rejection is an extremely important aspect of life, which the younger generation generally fails to understand.

What would are the 3 key aspects of rejection that you would like everyone to keep in mind? 

When hit by rejection, don’t get into a shell. Get out and face it. Then process the rejection, if required with someone who can give you honest advice. Then comes the most important part, figure out what you can learn from the rejection. Then you are ready to bounce back.

Do you think this book finds more relevance during the lockdown as the pandemic has made rejection quite obvious in the society? 

I think it was just my lucky or unlucky break that the book is reaching book stores during the pandemic. I did not even in my wildest dreams expect this to happen when I was writing this book a year ago.

How important is it to have a mentor in today’s times? What are the key aspects a mentor should ingrain in a protege? 

Having a mentor or a coach is an absolute necessity in these challenging times. It could be a good friend or a colleague or even a former colleague. You need a support system that can help you when you are down.

While you have given a lot of information and insights through this book, what are your key learnings and experiences after finishing the book? 

Finishing the book is in itself a big task. I am not sure why I ended it where I did. But it seemed complete, so I put a full stop. Now thinking back, I am happy that I stopped when I did. If Sridhar has said that ‘This is my best, yet’, that is high praise indeed.

As an author, your energy levels are still high and you have been consistently writing and publishing some exciting books. Have you thought about your next book? 

When you have written several books, you are always worried that you may be getting stale. So, I have kept the FCB Ulka stories to the bare minimum in this book. And happy to hear positive reviews from friends and total strangers.