“The days felt shorter, the nights way colder,
As I heard the seconds tick by,
The dreams in a folder, the hopes of beholder,
Unopened, as I kissed them goodbye.”
The year is coming to an end, and when no deadlines or tasks are daunting your active mind, it is not strange that you would ponder over the decisions that you took a year ago as you planned another adventurous episode. The goal of toning the muscles that are still out of shape, the dream of speaking in a foreign tongue that is still foreign to you, a ton of promises to the self, and others dance behind the eyelids within seconds. What happened to the initial outburst of emotions that made us decide those? Or did we dream such a splendid life one that our body continued to be its spectator? We somehow postponed our actions, oblivious to the truth that our time is now.
In conversation with Laeeq Ali whose book Your Time is Now is helping readers put these aspirations to action, giving a framework to their thoughts, molding their dreams, and helping them come out victorious in their battle with their older self.
Tell us about Your Time is Now.
Your time is Now is not just a book, a video, a website, or a social handle. It is a thought. It is a thought that is looking to remind you to make the most of the moment and also encourage you to take that next big leap of faith.
What drove you to write this book and how do you plan to impact your reader with it?
The book happened accidentally. But through the book, Frank & myself, wanted to showcase to the world, the power of collaboration and possibilities.
Tell us about yourself and your co-author. How did you meet each other and decide on collaborating on this book?
Frank Moffatt, is someone who you will not miss in any crowded gathering too. He is a Bruce Willis look-a-like, an international author, and a motivational speaker. I am a passionate brand purpose consultant and a first-generation entrepreneur with multiple business interests. Like I mentioned earlier, we happened to meet accidentally on a flight and both of us being extroverts, immediately struck on a conversation. Both of us quickly figured out that there are so many aspects, which we align on, and there are so many common interests too. Most importantly, I was fascinated by Frank’s life story, the Moffatts band, and decided to keep in touch. One of the key alignment aspects was the ideology of being a go-giver. In our conversation from there on, we figured each other’s life stories and decided that there is so much, we should share with the world.
How has the Brand Strategist in you helped the author you have now become? How has your profession as a Brand Strategist helped you in the process of writing?
What is strategy? It is nothing but a smart plan to reach from A to Z. When it comes to brand strategy, it becomes a collective affair. It is about a group of people who have united to perform to the best of their abilities with the single-minded focus of achieving a larger purpose. The larger purpose will be something that is beyond this lifetime too. In that journey, we have to make sure we carry the employees, customers, suppliers, and all other stakeholders too, are part of the journey. We also need to understand and play to each person’s strengths and weaknesses, within the organization, too.
Frank & myself quickly realized what our strengths and weaknesses were and started the role-play, super quick and seamlessly. From the beginning itself, we were very clear about what our end objective was. It was simply to impact a lot of young minds and give them direction. Whether it was about starting something today, dreaming big, or overcoming limiting beliefs, we wanted to share frameworks, which we have learned from inspiration people around us.
What was the process of writing this book like? What were the hurdles you faced in the process?
Firstly, I never thought I would be an author one day. While my father is a great writer, I never imagined, I could be one like him. This is where the beauty and power of collaboration lies. Frank is a great writer and I am a storyteller. Collectively, we had a lot of learning and stories.
Putting any story together is a cumbersome task and has its own challenges. But having a seasoned author with you makes it a lot easier.
The narrative of the ‘Your Time is Now’ features learning’s from a lot of leaders and visionaries. We have weaved the story in a manner that you will relate to these leaders and stories very easily. You will even keep wondering whether you know any of these fictional characters too. We have also brought in a lot of our friends and acquaintances into the story too, who are actually struggling with life. The story also has a lot of inferences to my wonderful experiences in CII Young Indians too.
How is this book different from other startup and business founder guidance books?
Every book is different and has a different takeaway. We intended to make sure this book gives a well-rounded perspective. So, whether it is about being a millionaire or becoming an entrepreneur or dreaming big, or just leading a purposeful life, this book will give you great frameworks, which can be applied to your everyday life. This book will simplify any daunting task, which has been there in front of you and you have never acted on it. This is literally like a crash course to dreaming big and most importantly achieving them.
How do you describe your writing style?
I will leave that to the reader. But simply said – Engaging & Relatable.
What is the most difficult part about writing for you? Do you have any advice for upcoming authors?
The most difficult part is the start. JUST START. NOW.
Remember, YOUR TIME IS NOW.
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