Image: Nayantara with her team at PlayRight
PlayRight holds the niche position of being the country's only PR and Communications firm dedicated to sports. Today we have in focus Nayantara Pani, the Business Head of this PR firm. She believes that we should all do something we love and we agree with her! Read on to know more about her journey and thoughts,
What line of work are you in?
I am the Business Head at PlayRight, India’s only PR and Communications firm solely dedicated to the sports vertical. PlayRight was started in October 2010 and through the years we have stuck to our vision of communicating sports to the communities through and on various media platforms. In short, I am a publicist for sports.
Why the idea of choosing this field of work?
I started my career in 2003 as a Public Relations professional and moved to Singapore in 2005 to work in internal communications at DHL Express, I then moved onto work on events and conferences in the country/city of Singapore, before moving back to India in March 2010. I have always enjoyed being a Public Relations professional and when I was introduced to the world of sport, the combination seemed perfect – a profession I love in an industry that is very nascent and filled with very ‘real’ people. I have also always wanted to be an entrepreneur and when the opportunity arose, I jumped at it.
What challenges do you face at the workplace?
I am the first to admit that given the strong team that I have built around me, there are very few challenges in the workplace – however, I must admit that it has been a challenge working in such a niche market, such as sport which is still at a very nascent stage. Given our specialization, we work within a very limited market and while that may not make the best ‘Business Sense’, knowing that we love what we are doing every single day is also reassuring. Also, given that I am extremely focussed on providing quality service at all times, we often do not become the ‘big firm'. This hinders a few business prospects, but it assures me that everything we deliver is always contributing qualitatively to our clients Business objectives.
What keeps you propelling forward in your professional journey?
Apart from the energy I get from a very brilliant core team, I believe that PlayRight has a very definitive vision for sport in India and knowing that I am part of a team that is working towards accomplishing that mission is strength in itself.
What advice would you give other women entrepreneurs?
Always do something you love.
Be proud of being a woman leader, yes, there may be more emotional decisions and emotional team moments but that in itself is a woman’s core strength and it is nothing to be ashamed about.
Build around yourself an extremely strong team that brings in positivity to your daily work schedule while also sharing your vision for your entrepreneurial journey.