Nitin Kalra started his career at the age of fifteen as a journalist back in Mumbai, India, and for the last twenty-six years has been working in varied fields of journalism, public relations, digital content, and brand licensing & now as a qualified Logotherapist in the field of mental wellness.
You started working very early in life. Were you pushed into working so early?
Well, I actually earned my first revenue when I was all 11. I was always interested in writing, and back in my school days, I used to write poems and short stories, which my grandfather asked me to send over to a local newspaper. I did, and it got published, and I received a small sum as a token of encouragement from the newspaper.
It motivated me, and I started writing more to the extent that I would make small pocket money each month. I felt this was good, and when I was about to go to college, I simply walked into a newly launched newspaper’s office in Mumbai that had advertised for young writers to join their team of freelancers and asked them to give me an assignment. They told me to do a series of articles on the Olympic Games (this was in 1996 when the Atlanta Olympics were happening).
All three articles were published, and I continued getting more work and pocket money! It boosted my confidence to the extent that I started writing for top-notch newspapers in India, such as The Times of India, Indian Express, The Statesman, Deccan Chronicle, The Pioneer and more. I got busy and never looked back until I finished college and realized I wanted to do much more than simply report!
And then began your entrepreneurship journey, isn’t it?
Yes, I started my own PR agency, which helped me tremendously – I was 21 when I started the business, so I had to learn everything from the ground up. The business helped me get on-the-job training, and I ended up being reasonably successful to the extent that I ended up buying my own car at 22 and my own apartment at 23 in Mumbai! I was extremely fortunate to find the right kind of opportunities early in my life.
All the learning helped me much later when I gave up on my business and joined the exciting world of digital content in 2005, followed by brand licensing & merchandising in 2007. I have been extremely lucky to have spent the last 15 years of my career as a brand licensing professional, having worked with companies like Star TV, managing brands like The Simpsons, Ice Age, Alvin & Chipmunks, Star Parivaar, Channel V, etc. and then as a business head for Doraemon in India from 2010 to 2020.
You still continue to be part of the brand licensing business, correct?
Yes, at the moment, I run my own Brand Licensing Consultancy based in Dubai, where I manage brands like Charlie Chaplin, Albert Einstein, and Mohd. Ali and many more. I work with fashion brands and do some exciting work in NFTs and Digital Content.
Besides this, I also now teach Brand Licensing to management students both in India and UAE with the sole objective of preparing the new generation to join the fascinating world of Brand Licensing.
From Brand Licensing to Mental Wellness – tell us about the transition; how did it happen?
I have always been an avid reader, and books have always given me the answers I am looking for. So in 2018, when I had a soul-stirring experience, I started searching for the meaning of life and why things were happening in my life. Why was I going through so much pain and suffering?
I found my answers in a book called “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Dr Viktor Frankl, which focuses on Logotherapy – a school of psychology that aims to help discover the meaning of life. It is a small book and can be easily read in a couple of days, and I was so intrigued by it that I read it three times a week! It helped me to understand who I really was, and I started bringing about changes in my life, which helped me become a better individual.
When Covid came, I took it as an opportunity and enrolled on a Post Graduate course in Logotherapy and Existential Analysis from the Viktor Frankl Institute in Dublin. I finished the course, became a certified Logotherapist, and started working as a Life Coach in Dubai and India.
What made you take mental wellness as a career?
As part of my research project during my course, I started doing Meet-Ups in Dubai, inviting people from varied backgrounds to discuss Logotherapy. As I interacted with everyone, I realized that each of us is going through a journey involving suffering and pain at different levels. I could relate to many of these myself, so I decided to start helping people.
Through the Meet Ups, I started getting clients who wanted one on one counselling and through that, I created a 13-weeks program, which helps bring about sustainable life-changing experiences in life. This life coaching program is purely based on Logotherapy.
Gradually I started getting invited to come and speak to students and corporate teams on Logotherapy, and the word started to spread.
I recently launched my YouTube Channel, which focuses on introducing people to Logotherapy with real-life stories, book reviews and concepts that people can simply relate to.
So will this now be your full-time career?
A lot of people have asked me this. The reply really is, “I never say never”. I never thought of being a Life Coach, but today I am. Just like I started my career at the age of 15, and opportunities kept coming, and I kept lapping them, I will do so in the future as well. If the Universe has planned to make me a Coach to help people, I trust and believe there is a larger plan. I am not eager to know it. I will just go with the flow.
For now, both my Brand Licensing Consultancy and Life Coaching business continue to grow, and I am happy about it.
So what’s next for you in 2023?
I hope it will be an exciting year as I launch my first book, “Heartbeats – Every Heart Beats for a Reason”, in the first half of the year. This book is my journey into Logotherapy.
I also plan to grow my YouTube Channel with the launch of my interview formats on the channel, where I would talk to ordinary people to get insights into how Logotherapy has played a role in their life (yes, it’s very simple, everyone experiences it, yet not many people know of it). My idea is to spread awareness of Mental Wellness and make people start talking about the same.
Describe yourself.
A man in search of meaning!
Your favourite quote.
“Today is the tomorrow you were worried about yesterday” by Dale Carnegie
Your “Go To” book.
“Come be my Light” by Mother Teresa