<p>By the time she was nine, she had changed close to 14 schools, owing to her father's career in the Indian Navy. A Chevening scholar, her foray into the radio industry was a 'happy accident'. She travels 28 days in a month, but likes to view her itinerary as a stress buster in itself. Nisha Narayanan carries with her an infectious amount of energy that will leave you grinning from ear to ear at the end of a conversation with her. <br /><br /></p>.<p>As the COO of Red FM, she has plenty of instances that highlight her eventful life thus far. Coming from a family that has no connection to the media world whatsoever, her entrance to journalism was completely accidental. <br /><br />"I was studying for my Economics exam. And I was bored. The radio was playing in the background. All India Radio was calling candidates for an audition. And I just ended up going there. All they asked me to do was speak behind a microphone and I didn't want to say no. And the next thing I know, they want me!" Nisha says of her first experience with the mike.<br /><br />And it has been a fun ride ever since. There were no formal training sessions. Everything had to be learnt through observation and one had to have a keen eye for detail, she says. Radio is her first love, she professes, although she has been extensively involved with television, documentary films making, among other things. <br /><br />This love was probably why she got back to radio, ultimately. The mike and the camera, Nisha avers, are two very different experiences. On the radio, you're just a voice, but you can connect to people well; it's a different feeling altogether. "I got to meet a diverse set of people. I was constantly learning and facing new challenges and opportunities. Where there's a willingness to learn, there's nothing that can beat you," she asserts.<br /><br />Considering how Nisha has always liked to stay away from the limelight and preferred a backend job, she has had quite a colourful ride with RJing. So what does it feel like to talk to hundreds of people everyday and engage an entire city with powerful conversations? “It's a different world out there. We have helped people during the times of floods. We have reconnected long-lost friends. We have had callers saying they wanted to end their lives and we've had to convince them otherwise. It's so hard to pinpoint what I would choose as an unforgettable moment,” she says.<br /><br />Moving ahead<br /><br />Her transition into the corporate role was smooth, almost organic. "I joined RED FM as a Project Manager. I was involved in setting up radio stations across the country," recalls Nisha. But doesn't it ever get tiring, travelling constantly, I ask. "It does. I end up having breakfast and lunch in different cities, but sometimes travelling itself works as a stress buster. Moreover, if you love what you do, there's nothing really that can tire you out," she quips.<br /><br />You might wonder, isn't all this a tad too much to handle, especially as a woman. "Not really. Sometimes, people may assume that you are not a hard bargainer. They may have pre-conceived notions about you; but you need to learn to break those stereotypes. I, for one, have never felt that I shouldn't do something just because I am a woman," she explains.<br /><br />What about balancing personal and professional lives, is it a precarious act? "I've never felt like I've had to do that. You know how people say you need to switch off for a while to spend time with family? I don't think that works. Figuring out how you'll manage both of them is a natural process. You need to know how to integrate it. You can't be stuck in a meeting and keep thinking about picking up a report card. It doesn't work that way," she the mother of a teenaged son.<br /><br />A thorough juggler of roles, Nisha is happy that she is able to do some kind of service by virtue of a medium. "Dissemination of information to the masses is a very needful thing to do. I'm glad to be part of this industry where I'm able to do my bit. There is a dearth of radio professionals in our country. There is an untapped talent pool. We need to identify such people and offer them jobs that would make a satisfying experience for both them and us," she reckons.<br /><br />Nisha has a message for those who say they don't like their jobs. Know your interests first, she emphasises; there are enough jobs for everyone out there. Find a job that excites you. Not only will this make you happy, it will also stimulate you intellectually, she adds. <br /><br />It is this funda that is probably helping her conquer new heights. Learning to manage people, thinking out-of-the-box and having the courage to correct something wrong, instead of getting upset about it...these are some of the things that make it a worthwhile experience for Nisha. She takes everything with a pinch of salt, that makes things easier. While this may sound almost incredible to most, Nisha has a rather easy explanation. "The art is in prioritising," she puts it simply.</p>
<p>By the time she was nine, she had changed close to 14 schools, owing to her father's career in the Indian Navy. A Chevening scholar, her foray into the radio industry was a 'happy accident'. She travels 28 days in a month, but likes to view her itinerary as a stress buster in itself. Nisha Narayanan carries with her an infectious amount of energy that will leave you grinning from ear to ear at the end of a conversation with her. <br /><br /></p>.<p>As the COO of Red FM, she has plenty of instances that highlight her eventful life thus far. Coming from a family that has no connection to the media world whatsoever, her entrance to journalism was completely accidental. <br /><br />"I was studying for my Economics exam. And I was bored. The radio was playing in the background. All India Radio was calling candidates for an audition. And I just ended up going there. All they asked me to do was speak behind a microphone and I didn't want to say no. And the next thing I know, they want me!" Nisha says of her first experience with the mike.<br /><br />And it has been a fun ride ever since. There were no formal training sessions. Everything had to be learnt through observation and one had to have a keen eye for detail, she says. Radio is her first love, she professes, although she has been extensively involved with television, documentary films making, among other things. <br /><br />This love was probably why she got back to radio, ultimately. The mike and the camera, Nisha avers, are two very different experiences. On the radio, you're just a voice, but you can connect to people well; it's a different feeling altogether. "I got to meet a diverse set of people. I was constantly learning and facing new challenges and opportunities. Where there's a willingness to learn, there's nothing that can beat you," she asserts.<br /><br />Considering how Nisha has always liked to stay away from the limelight and preferred a backend job, she has had quite a colourful ride with RJing. So what does it feel like to talk to hundreds of people everyday and engage an entire city with powerful conversations? “It's a different world out there. We have helped people during the times of floods. We have reconnected long-lost friends. We have had callers saying they wanted to end their lives and we've had to convince them otherwise. It's so hard to pinpoint what I would choose as an unforgettable moment,” she says.<br /><br />Moving ahead<br /><br />Her transition into the corporate role was smooth, almost organic. "I joined RED FM as a Project Manager. I was involved in setting up radio stations across the country," recalls Nisha. But doesn't it ever get tiring, travelling constantly, I ask. "It does. I end up having breakfast and lunch in different cities, but sometimes travelling itself works as a stress buster. Moreover, if you love what you do, there's nothing really that can tire you out," she quips.<br /><br />You might wonder, isn't all this a tad too much to handle, especially as a woman. "Not really. Sometimes, people may assume that you are not a hard bargainer. They may have pre-conceived notions about you; but you need to learn to break those stereotypes. I, for one, have never felt that I shouldn't do something just because I am a woman," she explains.<br /><br />What about balancing personal and professional lives, is it a precarious act? "I've never felt like I've had to do that. You know how people say you need to switch off for a while to spend time with family? I don't think that works. Figuring out how you'll manage both of them is a natural process. You need to know how to integrate it. You can't be stuck in a meeting and keep thinking about picking up a report card. It doesn't work that way," she the mother of a teenaged son.<br /><br />A thorough juggler of roles, Nisha is happy that she is able to do some kind of service by virtue of a medium. "Dissemination of information to the masses is a very needful thing to do. I'm glad to be part of this industry where I'm able to do my bit. There is a dearth of radio professionals in our country. There is an untapped talent pool. We need to identify such people and offer them jobs that would make a satisfying experience for both them and us," she reckons.<br /><br />Nisha has a message for those who say they don't like their jobs. Know your interests first, she emphasises; there are enough jobs for everyone out there. Find a job that excites you. Not only will this make you happy, it will also stimulate you intellectually, she adds. <br /><br />It is this funda that is probably helping her conquer new heights. Learning to manage people, thinking out-of-the-box and having the courage to correct something wrong, instead of getting upset about it...these are some of the things that make it a worthwhile experience for Nisha. She takes everything with a pinch of salt, that makes things easier. While this may sound almost incredible to most, Nisha has a rather easy explanation. "The art is in prioritising," she puts it simply.</p>
