“We are a young and ambitious company, so working hours can be sporadic and long. Exercise allows me to disconnect for a short time. I make it a point not to have my phone with me when I am train.”
Note to readers: Fit to lead is a series of interviews with business leaders on their approach to fitness, leadership and navigating the new normal.
The pandemic has been a difficult but also exciting time for Vidur Gupta, co-founder of Third Eye Distillery, makers of Stranger & Sons gin. It was around this time that he and his team created two special edition gins, including one that was a collaboration with Australian gin maker Four Pillars for which six people sat down in Australia and India trying to explain the complexities and nuances of each botanical using words. and gestures during video calls.
Gupta, 30, grew up between Mumbai and Goa – he continues to spend time in both places because of his liquor business. He studied economics and management at the University of St Andrews in Edinburgh. Gupta’s first job was selling hotel rooms during the summer as a teenager and upon graduation he took on the challenge of growing his mother’s one-kitchen food business into a pan operation. -Indian under the brand Gauri’s Goodies. As someone living overseas, Gupta had noticed that there was no Brand India in bars around the world and that was a gap he wanted to fill. Lately, there has been a real craft gin revolution in India and Indian gins, including Stranger & Sons, have won international awards. Stranger & Sons is now available in 14 countries across five continents.
Even though Gupta’s job involves quite a bit of travel, he has managed to embrace an active lifestyle and enjoys kickboxing and Crossfit-style HIIT workouts. Her love for fitness started at her boarding school in Kodaikanal. “I was always involved in sports in school and simultaneously started going to the gym to lose weight and gain strength when I was 15. But it was rowing in high school that got me in shape and opened my eyes to the potential of my body,” he says. Edited excerpts from an interview:
Your fitness program…
If I’m in Mumbai or Goa, it’s usually a mix of kick boxing, HIIT and strength training in the morning Monday to Friday for around 60-90 minutes. I run 3 to 8 km three times a week in the evening. I take weekends off. When traveling, I have 15-30 minute workout routines that I can do in any hotel room.
Favorite physical activity…
During confinement, I discovered and really took kick boxing. I like the fact that it has so many skills: agility, reflex, strength and endurance.
The hardest?
Endurance-based activities are something I need to work on. I’m good at exercises that require short bursts of energy, but I’ve worked on longer runs and swims when I get the chance.
The new normal for you…
For me things are pretty much back to the pre-Covid days and work is starting to get in the way of my desired fitness routine as all business has picked up at a brisk pace for us. But I try to schedule it as much as possible.
Has your fitness routine helped you overcome the uncertainties lately?
It’s definitely my go-to space to disconnect and it helps me focus because the pieces are constantly moving and you’re always adapting. It’s a great constant to have.
Also read: Stranger & Sons backed Johri & Sons and 22 more restaurants and bars to try in 2023
Leadership lessons in your fitness journey…
Consistency. Your consistency with your training will define your level of fitness and I believe the same consistency of work ethic should be applied at work to lead by example.
Has being fit helped you become a better leader and a better version of yourself?
I believe that fitness is a personal journey and a choice for everyone. I like it and it really helps me center myself and in turn be a better person to other people I guess.
Your leadership style…
We are quite a dynamic team with varied thinking and creative processes and for me it is imperative to provide a platform and direction for everyone to reach their optimum potential. Thus, inclusivity and autonomy are definitely two values that are close to my heart.
Read also: Best Of | Goa Craft Liquor: 15 unique, new and limited-edition spirits to bring home
How to reconcile professional and private life?
Exercising is the only thing helping me balance my work life right now. We are a young and ambitious company so working hours can be sporadic and long. The exercise allows me to disconnect for a short time. I make it a point not to have my phone with me when I train.
Goals and challenges for next year…
Well, I haven’t had a great year fitness-wise, so I’m trying pretty hard to hit my 2021 levels first and would love to try my hand at an amateur kickboxing match someday.
Also Read: Stranger & Sons Gin Maker: Wanted to Make Sure Any Brand We Launch Advances Cocktail Culture in India