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| Kainaz. My rock through highs and lows |
I got a viral attack just before Christmas. In a moment of self-pity, I thought that this year had been all about one health attack after another. I did try to take them on with the grit of a Gavaskar facing the West Indies bowling attack on a bouncy pitch in the 70s. Did anything good happen this year, I asked myself. Succumbing to what is called the ‘recency’ effect in market research.
I saw a slew of folks listing highs (and lows) of the year on Instagram. As we would during year-end review meetings during my market research days. Is this not too personal to put out there? Then again why not? We are solo operators. Or self-made and self-run brands. Companies and governments take out full-spread ads listing their achievements (never their lows). So what is wrong here? If we don’t talk about our work, then who will? If nothing else, it serves as a reminder of how the year was. That it was not all about virals and falls and migraines et al.
Next year I am going to keep a monthly note of what happened so that I do not have to scratch my head trying to figure out what happened at the end of the year.
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| Little Nimki takes ‘highs’ rather seriously |
2023 highs (work)
- My blog, finelychopped.net, entered its 16th year. I kept at it and at the end of the year, I won the Blog of the Year Award at the IFBA23 Awards by FBAI and Vikhroli Cuccina making it a 7 time winner in the 7th edition of the awards. I was also felicitated for ‘outstanding contribution to the Indian Culinary Industry at the awards. I am filled with gratitude for the same.
- My podcast #FoodocracyForHer, which celebrates women in the Indian F&B industry, entered its 3rd year. I took a break in the second half of the year but will resume it in January 2024
- I wanted to venture into video this year and produced 5 shows. Chai Mumbai for YouTube. Pulao Mumbai, Moghlai Kolkata and Vadodara FinelyChopped for Reels. We have finished shooting for the 6th, Dal Mumbai, and it is set for a January 2024 release.
- I wrote travel articles for UpperCrust and contributed a story on our cats for the Dogs & More Magazine
- I successfully curated the Home Chef Studio event with UpperCrust for the third time.
- I continued my focus on telling stories of home chefs and small entrepreneurs.
- I presented FinelyChopped Consulting food trend studies for a leading Indian beverages company and an international tobacco company. We do not mention names in the consulting world.
- I contributed insights to the Godrej Food Trends Report ’23.
- I wrapped up the writing of a documentary to be produced by a leading OTT production company.
- I was a judge for the Conde Naste Top 50 Awards. I was a judge for the Food Food Restaurant Awards.
- I contributed a story to the Bloomsbury Handbook of Indian Cuisine.
- I was a speaker at the Jugal’s Mishti Literature Festival in Kolkata.
- I curated a Bandra Food Walk for the second for the Israeli Business Delegation to India
- I inaugurated the Sea Buzz Dadar Festival.
Personal highs. And lows.
2024 Manifestations (work)
- Hit 1.5 lakh Insta followers by the end of the year
- A big low in 2023 was the stalling of my book, The Diary of the Cat Dad, with the publisher shutting down. I will publish the book by 2024 or the first half of 2025. Taking into account how long publishing takes.
- I will raise at least Rs 1,00,000 through the book to support animal/ cat welfare initiatives: feeding, neutering, operations, and foster homes.
- Write 1,000 words a day for 4 days a week.
- Will get sponsors for my video shows and my podcast which take care of production costs and bring in a profit.
- To get commissioned for consulting projects which help bankroll at least 4 FinelyChopped Travels video series.
- To anchor a show on Netflix or Amazon Prime.
- Will become an animal communicator.
Manifestations (health)
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| Baby Loaf makes a note of my manifestations |