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In a day and age when businesses are facing all kinds of uncertainties due to the ups and downs of the market, Indian <keyword id="44779" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="SMEs">SMEs</keyword> remain hopeful of their near future. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in India are highly optimistic about domestic economic growth in the next 12 months and are confident about their business performance in 2017, according to the <keyword id="4613360" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="american-express-global-sme-pulse">American Express Global SME Pulse</keyword>2 2017, a new survey commissioned by <keyword id="91294" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="American-Express">American Express</keyword> and carried out by <keyword id="637984" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Oxford-Economics">Oxford Economics</keyword>. The survey was carried out among senior executives and decision-makers across 15 countries, with the purpose of understanding the priorities and aspirations of the SME community. Companies surveyed form part of India’s mid-market organizations having revenues of up to $90mn, including SMEs. According to the survey, Indian SMEs are more positive about the domestic economy over the next 12 months than their Asian counterparts. Indian led with 71% followed by <keyword id="6355311" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Japan">Japan</keyword> at 62%, China at 54%, and <keyword id="6356662" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Singapore">Singapore</keyword> at 26%. Interestingly, the confidence of Asian countries is substantially higher than the global average of 45%. In terms of global economic outlook, SMEs in India have higher optimism at 65% than Asian counterparts with Japan at 58%, China at 47% and Singapore at 20%. 

 

 

 

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Healthy optimism about profitability SMEs in India are confident about their ability to deliver increased revenues and profitability. According to the survey, 76% of the Indian SMEs surveyed expect revenue growth of at least 4% in 2017. In terms of profitability, Indian SMEs are similarly upbeat with 45% forecasting a profit of 8% per annum by 2020. This is in excess of the global findings which show 27% of SMEs forecasting net profits of 8% over the same period. While SMEs in India are optimistic about the economy and their own business, they cite domestic policies, uncertain laws and regulations as major concerns over the next year. Optimistic about recent political changes for businesses’ prospects SMEs in India see positive light among the government’s recent initiatives and support to boost the sector. 69% of them feel that barriers to entry are coming down and providing business opportunities. As revealed through the survey, 73% of Indian SMEs responded that recent political changes in the country make them optimistic about their businesses’ prospects. 

 

 

 

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Aim to smoothen business operations through funding options Amongst various sources of funds, Indian SMEs expressed that existing working capital (at 88%) and bank loans (at 77%) are the most readily available; whereas the funds they actually put to use are bank loans (at 62%) and existing working capital (at 49%). Over the next year, Indian SMEs plan to source funds through public equity markets (at 50%) and bank loans (at 46%). In order to streamline their future business financing options, Indian SMEs ranked flexible lending and repayment options (at 37%) as the most important factor and high interest rates (at 49%) as the biggest pain point when applying for business finance. Focus on expansion and sales growth to drive financial performance Indian SMEs are focusing on growth and expansion strategies to improve their financial performance. The survey revealed that 38% of Indian SMEs feel that expansion into new domestic market segments will be a top priority for their business over the next three years. They are also pushing for sales growth with over 35% looking to grow their current market share.

 

 

 

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 Increasing exports part of the growth push Exporting is a core pillar of many SMEs’ growth strategies globally and India is no exception. Almost 32% of SMEs surveyed said they recognize expansion into new international markets as a pathway to improved financial performance over the next three years. Indian SMEs are confident they are ready for export growth, with a sizeable 68% strongly believing their company has the right plans to increase export sales. An overwhelming majority (73%) agree it is easier to access new export markets than it was three years ago. Also, 37% of Indian SMEs said they will be looking at increasing operational efficiency as another key priority for driving financial performance. 

 

 

 

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 Technological investment is the most important priority area According to the research, the majority of Indian SMEs understands the growing importance of technology and wants to make investments in the same. 77% of Indian SMEs felt the importance of applying the latest technology in their businesses over the next three years. Another 71% said that they are developing and implementing innovation to business models, products and services and ways of working. About 62% said they are prioritizing on quickly responding to changing business demands. Understanding the need of being on track with technological advancements, 75% of Indian SMEs plan to use more scalable technology, like cloud based solutions in the next three years. Look beyond the short term As part of the research, top executives in Indian SMEs were asked about the long-term goals of the business. While profit margin growth (51%) and revenue growth (44%) are identified as the number one and two objectives, well over a quarter (29%) state that both sustaining the business for future generations and building company reputation (28%) are important long-term goals.

Indian SMEs confident about their growth in 2017, according to this American Express Survey

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">PepsiCoTodd Kaplan, Pepsi's VP of Marketing</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Pepsi is finding a way around soda's image problem by diversifying its portfolio to products like Bubly and adopting a challenger mindset, said its VP of marketing Todd Kaplan. </li><li>Kaplan told Business Insider said the brand was taking a page from Burger King and Domino's playbooks in being disruptive.</li><li>He also said Pepsi learned from its Kendall Jenner ad fiasco of 2017 by working more closely with its agencies.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul>As people seek out healthier drinks, sugary soda is battling an image problem.Pepsi is fighting back by diversifying its product portfolio, adopting a challenger mindset, and doing more consumer-led marketing, said its vp of marketing Todd Kaplan. Pepsi's beverage <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/17/pepsico-q1-2019-earnings.html">unit grew sales 2%</a> in the first quarter of 2017.Business Insider caught up with Kaplan as Pepsi gets ready to launch its latest summer-themed campaign. Here's an edited version of the conversation.Tanya Dua: You've had various roles during your career at PepsiCo, from leading incubation brands to global innovation and insights. How has that prepared you for your current role?Todd Kaplan: Starting new brands like Lifewtr and Bubly has its own challenges. But going on to an established brand like Pepsi is a very different conundrum. When you look at Pepsi, it's not that it has an awareness issue, or a penetration issue, or a trial issue. It's really about brand relevance, and how people connect with the brands and interact with it. And so that's where I've put my focus: On being consumer-led and making sure that we have our finger on the pulse of culture.Dua: How are you doing that? Kaplan: We're trying to take a bit of a challenger mindset to the Pepsi brand and rethink some of the conventions. So whether it's innovation and things like Nitro Pepsi or having a splash of real fruit juice in Pepsi, or in culture like really addressing the question "Is Pepsi OK?" head on in the Super Bowl and doing it in a fun and culturally relevant way with Cardi B. No matter what brand or product, the key is being consumer-led and paying attention to what's happening in culture and letting that be a guide.Being a challenger is more of a mindset than anything else. It all starts with really truly understanding who you are as a brand and what's your point of view and outlook on the world. We're maniacally focused on connecting with consumers in culture, and doing it in a way that is always true to who we are. There are a bunch of brands that have adopted this mindset and are constantly disrupting the space while continuing to scale their businesses, like Burger King and Domino's.Dua: Your category is struggling, with people not drinking soda beverages like before. How do you deliver on the challenger brand mindset?Kaplan: You have got to question category norms and think about where the pockets of growth are. Brand Pepsi is back in growth. We're growing 4% - the fastest we've had in the past seven years. And we're seeing growth across all our core sublines. There's definitely growth, it's just the question of how you get it and where do you get it, subject to kind of the strategies that you employ. You can go after share, but then there's also opportunities to go after new occasions and rethink what soda is and what cola means to the next generation of consumers with new propositions. You don't have to accept the norms as they've been handed to you. Dua: There are <a href="https://www.thedrum.com/news/2019/05/14/pepsico-building-house-media-and-data-team-shape-its-adtech-agenda">reports</a> that you are looking to invest in an in-house data, media-planning and analytics team. What is the importance of having data and analytics close? Kaplan: It is critically important. Between mobile devices, and everything's tracked and stored everything in between, there's a lot of rich insights that can come from that. As marketing strategies get more fragmented and custom-tailored, data, and analytics are a great conduit to help marketers become more effective in that journey. Dua: How does that focus on data and analytics help as you look to ramp up e-commerce? Kaplan: E-commerce is a critical growth opportunity for Pepsi and just the broader beverage space. It is an area that has been obviously exploding in recent years. We need to look at all the different channels of business and where we sell our products.Dua: You're rolling out a new summer campaign with AR lenses, QR codes and Instagram. What's the strategy there? Kaplan: Summer is obviously a critical time for cola, and social media usage tends to spike around the summertime, which also makes sense as people are out and about with their phones. Instagram was a great platform for us for our big summer program, given it is where this user behavior already exists. "Pepsi Summergrams" has hundreds of custom AR filters that you can activate by scanning QR codes you can find across 200 million bottles and 30 million fountain cups. We think it's a really fun way to connect with fans during key summer moments.Dua: The Kendall Jenner ad happened before your time, but how has that affected how closely you work with agencies now?Kaplan: Creativity is at a premium today, and we need to make sure we're getting the most creative, consumer-minded, and really culturally relevant ideas out there. And so we're constantly working with our agency partners as critical pieces of our teams across all disciplines. It's important, given how, omni-channel marketing has become across all different mediums and different formats. There's people internally we work with on a variety of different things. But on our core creative capabilities and model, we're working with a variety of different agencies. Dua: Why is it important for marketing and innovation to go hand and hand? And how do they influence each other? Kaplan: You have to evolve not only how you market, how you talk to people, and what kind of creative you use, but also know how consumer preferences and the channels of commerce are changing. You need to constantly make sure that the product that you're selling and offering is going to be relevant to the consumers that you're trying to talk to. At the same time, you need to make sure that your messaging is contextually relevant to the right people, the right place in the right time. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-express-cmo-elizabeth-rutledge-talks-about-importance-of-talent-2019-5">American Express' CMO Elizabeth Rutledge: 'It's really important for us to market the marketing'</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Americans are ditching fizzy, sugary sodas more than ever before. Pepsi's marketing head is adopting a challenger mindset to survive.

New data shows that young voters are growing disillusioned with the party for failing to deliver on major policy promises.November's midterms heralded a new force in American politics: Gen Z voters. Turnout for people ages 18 to 29 hit its second-highest level in the past 30 years — and those young voters overwhelmingly cast their ballots for Democrats. Given the narrow margins and the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/young-voters-boosted-warnock-georgia-runoff-gen-z-millennials-turnout-2022-12">Democrats' ability to retain the Senate</a> despite historical precedent, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2022/11/16/gen-z-vote-made-difference-midterm-elections/10692155002/">commentators</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/student-loan-forgiveness-brought-gen-z-to-polls-midterms-2022-11">analysts declared</a> that Gen Z <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/11/11/gen-z-midterms-2022-voting/">helped Democrats</a> thwart a Republican wave.But underneath this back-patting and sense of demographic inevitably is a flashing-red warning sign for Democrats. Recent polls suggest the young voters who helped turn the Democrats' fortunes in 2022 are also growing disillusioned with a party that has failed to deliver major legislation on civil rights, income inequality, or abortion. And Gen Z has little loyalty to a Democratic Party that remains disorganized, internally ideologically conflicted, and full of varied ideas about change but little concrete action.<h2>Gen Z isn't sold on the whole 'party' thing</h2>Americans are increasingly unhappy with the two-party system. They are frustrated by the partisan divisions that prevent progress on major policy issues. Nearly 40% of Americans surveyed by Pew last summer said they "<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2022/08/09/as-partisan-hostility-grows-signs-of-frustration-with-the-two-party-system/">wish there were more political parties to choose from in this country</a>." Young voters are especially fed up with the lack of options — 47% said they wished there were more political parties with viable candidates for elected office in the United States, compared with 23% of those 65 and older who said the same. Democratic voters were almost twice as likely to wish for more political parties as their Republican counterparts (38% to 21%). Young Democrats are particularly interested in a more progressive party that reflects their hopes for major policy reforms, which are continually stymied by mainstream Democrats and Republicans.These responses partly explain why young citizens are less enthusiastic than their older counterparts about voting in contemporary elections. Despite the headlines heralding the power of Gen Z voters, only 27% of people ages 18 to 29 voted in November, well below the 47% turnout rate for all Americans and <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/11/16/students-helped-drive-high-youth-turnout-midterms">below the same cohort's turnout</a> rate in 2018. According to the latest Future of Politics Survey, a joint survey of 1,500 undergraduate students at 91 colleges and universities we helped craft for the University of Texas at Austin with the help of the youth-focused polling and data firm CollegePulse, these lower turnout rates reflect higher frustration with the limited choices of the two-party system.The Democratic Party, which relies more heavily on younger supporters to make up razor-thin margins, shouldn't assume Gen Z college students will support the party enthusiastically in elections. Any slip in turnout among Gen Z could have serious consequences for the party.<h2>Gen Z is not impressed</h2>Despite having a White House and Congress for the past two years whose control by Democrats allowed the party to pass major legislation, young people's assessment of the Democratic Party hasn't improved. In fact, it has gotten worse. About half of the college students we surveyed said they had a less favorable view of the Democratic Party than they did a year ago, and only 12% had a more favorable outlook for the party than in the recent past. While the GOP did only marginally better among young people — 43% had less favorable views of the party than they did a year ago, while 19% had more favorable views — Republicans haven't been the party in power for the past two years and have had less opportunity to make good on their promises. And this worsening view of Democrats may be starting to show up in elections. While the party held a still-sizable 12-percentage-point advantage in November's elections, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-politics-pennsylvania-state-government-a42e61b5a9fa590dabd1e61762fac31b">Associated Press' VoteCast exit polls</a>, that was down from their 25-point edge in 2020 and Democrats' 30-point margin in 2018. But beyond the souring among Gen Z generally, the most worrying stat for Democrats is that students who are predisposed to support the party are much less enthusiastic than their more conservative counterparts.While 68% of Republican-identifying students in the College Pulse survey said they believed the Republican Party was acting in the nation's best interests, just 48% of Democratic-identifying students said the same about the Democratic Party. Most threatening for Democrats: A quarter of Democratic-identifying students asserted that the party was actually not acting in the nation's best interests.When asked about whether the parties were making progress, almost identical proportions of students said they believed that both the Republican Party (52%) and the Democratic Party (53%) were moving in the wrong direction. Predictably, 84% of Democratic students said they believed the Republican Party was moving in the wrong direction, while 84% of Republicans said they thought the Democratic Party was moving in the wrong direction. But while Republican students expressed faith in their own party — 62% of those surveyed said the GOP was moving in the correct direction — just 41% of Democratic students said the Democratic Party was moving in the correct direction, and 25% of Democratic students said the party was actually moving in the wrong direction.Simply put, Democratic Party leaders should be worried: Many of their youngest and most progressive voters are unimpressed by their handling of the party.Looking at the entire picture, a plurality of students (43%) said neither party was ready and capable to lead the country, while about a quarter of students said the Republican Party (24%) was best suited to lead, and another quarter said the Democratic Party (23%) was best suited to lead. Fifty-three percent of Democratic students said they believed their party could lead, compared with 63% among Republicans students who said the same of the GOP.Trust and support within both parties are low, but the survey makes clear that the Democrats' base of young voters is less allegiant to the party. These disaffected young people may be more willing to walk away from the party — or simply stay home in future elections.<h2>Democrats can't rest</h2>The favorable results for Democrats in the midterm elections, especially among young people, should not encourage confidence or complacency among Democrats. If anything, the results are a rejection of Republican extremism, not an embrace of the Democratic Party's positions and leadership. Throughout Donald Trump's presidency and reelection campaign, Gen Z politically engaged to disrupt Trump and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/21/style/tiktok-trump-rally-tulsa.html">his various events</a>, but they were <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/11/gen-z-vote-2020-trump-biden-424571">not enthusiastic for nor supportive of</a> the Democratic Party.Given these circumstances, Democrats shouldn't take the political loyalty of Gen Z voters for granted. It's not as if a gradual generational shift hasn't happened before. Baby boomers were once solidly Democratic, but over time the generation has shifted more and more toward the GOP. In 1979, when boomers were in their 20s and 30s, Democrats had a <a href="https://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-xpm-2011-sep-12-la-oe-bowman-baby-boomers-more-conservative-20110912-story.html">nearly 30-percentage-point advantage</a> over the GOP among the cohort. By 2009 that had shrunk to just over 10 points, <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/118285/democrats-best-among-generation-baby-boomers.aspx">according to Gallup</a>, and in 2022 it flipped, as <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/397241/millennials-gen-clinging-independent-party.aspx">more boomers identified</a> as Republicans than Democrats.What the Democratic Party needs is a serious soul-searching about how it can better address the needs of young voters, as well as various other groups in the party's often unwieldy coalition. College affordability, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/science/2021/05/26/gen-z-millennials-stand-out-for-climate-change-activism-social-media-engagement-with-issue/">the climate crisis</a>, and <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2020/06/08/the-nations-racial-justice-protests-are-a-pivotal-moment-for-millennials-and-gen-z/">civil rights</a> are winning issues, but young voters want concrete progress, not continued platitudes. They are a pragmatic generation that <a href="https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-01-30/generation-z-politics-optimism-activism">accepts compromises</a>, so long as they perceive real change in the process. Partisan gridlock, even if partially caused by Republicans, will not endear the Democratic Party to impatient young voters.Leadership also matters. For the past four years the leaders of the Democratic Party have been even older than their Republican counterparts. A passing of party leadership generation is overdue, and that has begun in the House of Representatives with Speaker Nancy Pelosi's announcement that she'd step down from her longtime position as the most powerful Democrat in Congress. Her successors must show that their younger, more diverse faces mean a change in the behavior of the party. The issues and politicians that young people identify with must be more prominent in Democratic legislation and campaigns. The new leadership of the party must have a presence on college campuses and in the evolving workplaces and social spaces that Gen Z voters populate. The form and substance of Democratic politics must change fundamentally.All these suggestions apply to the Republican Party as well. Our survey of young voters found similar weaknesses for Republicans, but they rely less on young voters than their Democratic counterparts. If, however, the Republican Party wishes to do better in future elections than they did in the midterms, it will have to not only escape the unpopular hold of Trump but appeal in new ways to voters who are less partisan. Both parties have incentives to find pragmatic compromises around the most controversial issues if they want to compete for votes in what is an emerging young majority.Despite assumptions about their left leanings, members of Gen Z are not firmly behind the Democratic Party, President Joe Biden, or many other well-known Democrats. Many are disillusioned and frustrated. Many are uncertain and confused. This is an opportunity for fresh voices that can promise hope, reform, and real problem-solving, not more of the same stale ideology. The party must work harder to address their concerns and win their votes.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/samuel-abrams">Samuel J. Abrams</a> is a professor of politics at Sarah Lawrence College and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/jeremi-suri">Jeremi Suri</a> is the Mack Brown distinguished chair for leadership in global affairs and a professor of public affairs and history at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of the recent book "<a href="https://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/titles/jeremi-suri/civil-war-by-other-means/9781541758544/">Civil War by Other Means: America's Long and Unfinished Fight for Democracy</a>."

Democrats have a Gen Z problem

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ayurveda is a traditional Indian medical practice dating back 5,000 years.</li><li>Ayurveda is growing in popularity among American <keyword id="12046488" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wellness" source="Orion">wellness</keyword> celebrities, and demand for its services could reach $6 billion by 2026.</li></ul>The wellness industry is becoming inundated with products marketed as having roots in Ayurveda, a traditional medical practice originated and established in Indian.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/kourtney-kardashian-recently-tried-a-sex-fast-and-said-it-felt-crazy-to-forego-orgasms-but-it-made-everything-better-in-the-long-run/articleshow/89978695.cms">Kourtney Kardashian</a> and <a href="https://www.insider.com/gwyneth-paltrow-shares-lockdown-wellness-routine-gemstone-mat-sex-oil-2020-7">Gwyneth Paltrow</a> have said they practiced certain Ayurvedic treatments, including a multi-day cleanse and eating foods meant to restore the body's imbalances. The two sell products linked to Ayurvedic <keyword id="12037532" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="medicine" source="Orion">medicine</keyword> — including a <a href="https://shop.poosh.com/products/sustainable-ayurvedic-oral-care-set">tongue scraper</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out?u=https%3A%2F%2Fgoop.com%2Fwellness%2Fhealth%2Fmetabolism-boosting-superpowder%2F">basil supplements</a> — on their respective wellness sites, Poosh and Goop.American celebrities bringing the practice to their audiences depicts the growing demand for Ayurvedic treatments and services. French market research firm <a href="https://www.reportlinker.com/p06208015/Global-Ayurveda-Market.html?utm_source=GNW">ReportLinker</a> estimates the global Ayurveda market <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/now/global-ayurveda-market-expected-grow-110300562.html">could grow by $6.81 billion</a> between 2022 and 2026. The World <keyword id="11894571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health" source="Orion">Health</keyword> Organization announced in 2020 plans for a <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/who-to-set-up-centre-for-traditional-medicine-in-india/article33091388.ece">global center</a> dedicated to studying and teaching Ayurveda in <keyword id="11892747" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>.According to two practitioners who obtained Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery degrees from schools in India, interest in Ayurveda has ballooned in the last decade, but misconceptions about the practice remain widespread in the US.Here's what you need to know about the practice:<h2>The two words that underpin Ayurvedic principles, and what they mean</h2>Ayurveda is a traditional Indian medicine practice that dates back 5,000 years. The main principle of Ayurveda is restoring a person's prakruti, or their body's original state at the time of birth, said <a href="https://www.coloradoayurveda.org/bharat-vaidya.html">Dr. Bharat Vaidya</a>, a Colorado-based practitioner with both a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery degree from India and a medical degree from Catholic University in Belgium. Vaidya said a person's prakruti can become unbalanced by unhealthy diet and <keyword id="11893304" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lifestyle" source="Orion">lifestyle</keyword> choices. The Ayurvedic doctor's job is to locate where the imbalances lie and offer treatments bring the body back to its original state.Ayurveda views human beings as a microcosm of the universe, said <a href="https://ayurvedaforhealing.com/aboutus/">Ashlesha Raut</a>, an Illinois-based practitioner with a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery who has served as an executive on the <a href="https://www.aapna.org/">Association of Ayurvedic Practitioners of North America</a>.Raut said the framework of viewing humans as part of the universe means the elements we use to analyze the outside environment — fire, wind, and water — should be applied internally to humans. The "bioenergies," or the elements of fire, wind, and water that exist within the body, are called doshas.In Ayurveda, doshas comprise a person's entire physiology. "As you move, whatever happens to your body is because of these three doshas, and that is the whole basis of Ayurveda," Raut said.An Ayurvedic doctor's job is to study their patient's doshas and determine which ones are out of alignment, causing an imbalanced prakruti. The Ayurvedic doctor restores the balance by prescribing herbal remedies and changes to diet and lifestyle.Vaidya said modern medicine has added context to Ayurvedic's reliance on diet and lifestyle treatments. For example, evidence that eating poorly disrupts the <a href="https://www.insider.com/microbiome-based-drugs-in-development-seres-second-genome-2018-2">microbiome</a>, or the assortment of microorganisms that live in our gut, contributes to our understand of balance in the body. <keyword id="12602488" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gut-bacteria" source="Orion">Gut bacteria</keyword> manufactures most of the body's <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-increase-serotonin">serotonin</a>, a chemical that aids in motor skills, cognition, mood, healing, and a variety of other functions. He also pointed to the fact that studies have repeatedly shown eating more vegetables and exercising can <a href="https://www.insider.com/plant-based-diet">prevent against diseases</a> and <a href="https://www.insider.com/less-exercise-linked-to-higher-risk-of-depression-anxiety-study-2020-11">improve mental wellbeing</a>."Restoration of the balance of mind and body is the key line of treatment in Ayurveda," Vaidya said.<h2>Ayurvedic doctors have adapted to work within Western medicine</h2>Raut said she assess a patient by observing their body and emotions by interviewing them during an initial consultation. She then runs physical tests to check a patient's pulse, tongue, nails, skin, facial expressions to determine the body's imbalances.After getting an assessment from the patient, Ayurvedic doctors will suggest changes to their diet, lifestyle, and "thought process," Vaidya said. Many vaidyas, or Ayurvedic doctors, practicing in the US work within allopathic medicine, meaning they do not ask patients discontinue using pharmaceutical drugs and other modern treatments, Vaidya said. He said he makes recommendations within Western diets and does not tell his patients to stop eating meat, even though traditional Ayurveda suggests following a <keyword id="13368749" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="vegetarian-diet" source="Orion">vegetarian diet</keyword>.<h2>Ayurveda is not religious</h2>Furthermore, Vaidya said Ayurveda is not bound to any religion, and he treats clients of many different faiths.Raut said a common misconception about Ayurveda is that it's a "folk medicine," which implies something passed on by word of mouth. Ayurvedic doctors have documented their practices for centuries, she said, and written their findings in reference books.Raut said people who have obtained a Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery from an accredited school in South Asia must spend eight to 10 years after graduating high school to learn the entire curriculum. After graduating, Raut then spent years in residency learning from other Ayurvedic doctors."One has to understand that this is a complete, defined science," Raut said. "People many times just think, 'Oh, it's some folk medicine from India.' It is really not like that."

Ayurvedic medicine is taking the wellness industry by storm. Here's what you need to know about the traditional Indian practice.

Studies show that Elon Musk's new tech can bend your mind in strange and troubling waysElon Musk wants to put a computer chip in your brain. Well, maybe not in your brain, but in the brain of some human somewhere. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk">Musk's</a> neurotech startup, Neuralink, has been working toward implanting its skull-embedded brain chip in a human since it was founded in 2016. After years of testing on animal subjects, Musk <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/neuralink-elon-musk-microchips-brains-ai-2021-2">announced</a> last December that the company planned to initiate human trials within six months. This <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/tech-neuralink-musk/musks-neuralink-venture-promises-to-reveal-a-working-brain-computer-device-idINL8N2FT7EL" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wasn't the first time</a> he'd said these trials were on the horizon, but in September, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/interest-neuralink-human-trial-patient-elon-musk-brain-implant-report-2023-11">Neuralink began recruiting for human trials</a>, and now thousands of people say they are interested in Musk's brain implant.Neuralink has spent over half a decade figuring out how to translate brain signals into digital outputs — imagine being able to move a cursor, send a text message, or type in a word processor with just a thought. While the initial focus is on medical use cases, such as helping paralyzed people communicate, Musk has aspired to take Neuralink's chips mainstream — to, as he's said, put a "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/watch-elon-musks-big-neuralink-announcement-2020-8">Fitbit in your skull</a>." Musk's company is far from the only group working on brain-computer interfaces, or systems to facilitate direct communication between human brains and external computers. Other researchers have been looking into using BCIs to restore lost senses and control prosthetic limbs, among other applications. While these technologies are still in their infancy, they've been around long enough for researchers to increasingly get a sense of how neural implants interact with our minds. As Anna Wexler, an assistant professor of philosophy in the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, put it: "Of course it causes changes. The question is what kinds of changes does it cause, and how much do those changes matter?"Intervening in the delicate operation of a human brain is a sticky business, and the effects are not always desirable or intended. People using BCIs can feel a profound sense of dependency on the devices, or as though their sense of self has been altered. Before we reach the point where people are lining up to get a smartphone implanted in their brain, it's important to grapple with their dangers and unique ethical pitfalls.<h2>From science fiction to a billion-dollar industry</h2>In the 1974 film "The Terminal Man," a man gets an invasive brain implant to help with his seizures. While the operation initially seems to be a success, things go awry when sustained exposure to the chip sends him on a psychotic rampage. As is typically the case in sci-fi movies, a scientist warns of the disaster early in the story by comparing the implants to the lobotomies of the 1940s and 1950s. "They created an unknown number of human vegetables," he says. "Those operations were carried out by physicians who were too eager to act."While humans have yet to produce flying cars, man missions to Mars, or engineer convincing <a href="https://www.thewrap.com/blade-runner-2049-how-replicants-work/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replicants</a>, BCIs may be the most significant technology to not only catch up to but in some cases surpass their early sci-fi depictions. More than 200,000 people around the world already use some kind of BCI, mostly for medical reasons. Perhaps the best-known use case is cochlear implants, which enable deaf people to, in a sense, <a href="https://time.com/41427/watch-the-emotional-moment-a-40-year-old-deaf-woman-hears-for-the-first-time/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hear</a>. Another preeminient use case is in epileptic-seizure prevention: Existing devices can monitor brain-signal activity to predict seizures and warn the person so that they can avoid certain activities or take preventive medication. Some researchers have <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21096670/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed</a> systems that would not only detect but preempt seizures with electrical stimulation, almost exactly the mechanism depicted in "The Terminal Man." Implants for people with Parkinson's disease, depression, OCD, and epilepsy have been in human trials for years.Recent improvements in artificial intelligence and neural-probing materials have made the devices less invasive and more scalable, which has naturally attracted a wave of private and military funding. <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/paradromics-raises-20mm-in-seed-funding-led-by-prime-movers-lab-to-advance-brain-computer-interfaces-301338989.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paradromics</a>, <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blackrock-neurotech-reveals-neuralace-10-000-channel-next-gen-bci-301679826.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blackrock Neurotech</a>, and <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230106005449/en/Synchron-Announces-Publication-of-Brain-Computer-Interface-Clinical-Trial-in-JAMA-Neurology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Synchron</a> are just a few venture-backed competitors working on devices for paralyzed people. Last November, a startup called Science <a href="https://science.xyz/news/announcing-the-science-eye/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unveiled</a> a concept for a bioelectric interface to help treat blindness. And last September, Magnus Medical got <a href="https://www.magnusmed.com/press-releases/magnus-medical-receives-fda-clearance-for-the-saint-neuromodulation-system/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approval from the Food and Drug Administration</a> for a targeted brain-stimulation therapy for major depressive disorder. Neuralink, meanwhile, has been dogged by a <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/why-experts-are-skeptical-of-elon-musks-brain-implants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">history</a> of overhyped promises — <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8662975/Elon-Musks-brain-chip-Neuralink-plagued-turmoil-rushed-timelines-former-employees-claim.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failing</a> to deliver on timelines, for example, and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/musks-neuralink-faces-federal-probe-employee-backlash-over-animal-tests-2022-12-05/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> triggering a federal investigation into claims of animal-welfare violations. The market-intelligence firm Grand View Research valued the global brain-implants market at $4.9 billion in 2021, and other firms have <a href="https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/brain-implant-market-outlook" target="_blank" rel="noopener">projected</a> that the figure could double by 2030. For now BCIs are constrained to the medical domain, but a vast array of nonmedical uses have been proposed for the technology. <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0204566" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Research</a> published in 2018 described participants using BCIs to interface with numerous apps on an Android tablet, including typing, messaging, and searching the web just by imagining relevant movements. More speculative applications include playing video games, manipulating virtual reality, or even receiving data inputs like text messages or videos directly, bypassing the need for a monitor. These may sound like science fiction, but the reality is that we've reached a point where the cultural and ethical barriers to this kind of tech have begun to outpace technical ones. And despite the fictional nature of "The Terminal Man," its disastrous turn raises real questions about unintentional effects of BCIs.<h2>A changed mind</h2>There have been no confirmed cases of "Terminal Man"-style violent rampages caused by BCIs, but compelling evidence suggests the devices can cause cognitive changes beyond the scope of their intended applications.Some of these changes have been positive; after all, BCIs are intended to change certain things about their users. Wexler, the University of Pennsylvania philosophy professor, <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/cambridge-quarterly-of-healthcare-ethics/article/abs/trading-vulnerabilities-living-with-parkinsons-disease-before-and-after-deep-brain-stimulation/76009826E7C1951306806C0422E3614B" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interviewed</a> people with Parkinson's who were undergoing deep-brain stimulation, a surgical treatment that involves implanting thin metal wires that send electrical pulses to the brain to help abate motor symptoms, and found that many had lost their sense of self before undergoing treatment. "Many felt that the disease had robbed them, in some ways, of who they were," she told me. "It really impacts your identity, your sense of self, if you can't do the things that you think of yourself as being able to do." In these instances, BCIs helped the people feel like they were returning to themselves by helping treat the underlying disease.<div type="image" title="deep brain stimulation brain surgery" height="2378" width="3171" msid="97948528" hostid="261"></div>Eran Klein and Sara Goering, researchers at the University of Washington, have similarly noticed positive changes in personality and self-perception among people using BCIs. In a 2016 <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2326263X.2016.1207497" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paper</a> on attitudes and ethical considerations surrounding DBS, they reported that study participants often felt that the treatment helped them recapture an "authentic" self that had been worn away by depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder. "I've begun to wonder what's me, and what's the depression, and what's the stimulator," one patient said. In a <a href="https://utswmed-ir.tdl.org/handle/2152.5/9996" target="_blank" rel="noopener">talk</a> in late 2022 on similar research, the neuropsychologist Cynthia Kubu described a heightened sense of control and autonomy among patients she'd interviewed.But not all the changes that researchers have found are beneficial. In interviews with people who've had BCIs, Frederic Gilbert, a philosophy professor at the University of Tasmania specializing in applied neuroethics, has noticed some odd effects. "The notions of personality, identity, agency, authenticity, autonomy, and self — these are very compact, obscure, and opaque dimensions," Gilbert told me. "Nobody really agrees on what they mean, but we have cases where it's clear that BCIs have induced changes in personality or expression of sexuality."Across numerous interview studies, Gilbert has noticed patients report feelings of not recognizing themselves, or what is typically referred to as "estrangement" in the research. "They know that they are themselves, but it's not like it was prior to the implantation," he said. Some expressed feelings of having new capacities unrelated to their implants, such as a woman in her late 50s who hurt herself while attempting to lift a pool table she'd thought she could move on her own. While some estrangement could be beneficial — if it results in a healthy sense of self-esteem, for example — negative instances, known as deteriorative estrangement, can be quite vexing. "It has led to <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12152-013-9178-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extreme cases</a> where there has been attempted suicide," Gilbert said.For people using BCIs to help with a significant medical limitation, it makes sense that the treatment would have a positive psychological effect. But when it comes to considering brain chips for popular use, there's much more concern about downsides.<h2>A smartphone in your brain</h2>As the technology improves, we get closer to Musk's "Fitbit in your skull" vision. But there's reason to be cautious. After all, if it's easy to get addicted to your phone, just think how much more addicting it could be if it were wired directly into your brain. Gilbert told me about one patient he had interviewed who developed a kind of decision paralysis, eventually feeling as if they couldn't go out or decide what to eat without first consulting the device that showed what was going on in their brain. "There is nothing wrong with having a device that is completing a decision," Gilbert said, "but at the end, the device was kind of supplanting the person in the decision, kicking them out of the loop."Sometimes a patient can come to rely so much on their device that they feel like they can't function without it. Gilbert has <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/DkEZsbExRs8SefAZmQjP/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">encountered</a> many study participants who have fallen into depression upon losing support for their devices and having them removed, often simply because a given trial expired or ran out of funding. "You grow gradually into it and get used to it," an anonymous <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=aca60807e7423516e613fe7c85cbd91b3454c661443acdc7ebdf80e7c9ad62f7&amp;postID=63e56a88386467098d48ce89&amp;postSlug=brain-chips-elon-musk-neuralink-change-personality-behavior-computer-tech-2023-2&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fd41586-019-02214-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> participant who'd received a device to detect signs of epileptic activity said in an interview. "It became me."This kind of dependence is further complicated by the fact that BCIs are difficult to support financially and maintain, often requiring invasive brain surgery to remove and reimplant them. Since BCIs are largely still in the trial phase, there's a lack of universal standards or stable financial support, and many devices are at risk of abruptly losing funding. Early adopters could have their sense of self disrupted by supply-chain issues, hardware updates, or a company's bankruptcy.There are also privacy concerns that come with a computer getting access to your brain waves. "If you get a device to help you move your prosthetic arm, for instance, that device will pick up other sources of noise that you may not want to be out of your brain," Gilbert said. "There is a lot of background noise, and that background noise can be deciphered. That noise is necessarily converted, sitting somewhere on the cloud." Someone could learn a lot by studying your brain waves, and if a hacker managed to access your data, they could read your mind, in a sense, by looking for specific expressions of brain-signal activity.Since BCIs are still mainly constrained to the medical field, most early adopters are happy to make these kinds of trade-offs. "If someone has a disability that makes it so that they can't communicate," Wexler said, they're "generally pretty happy if there's a technology that then allows them to do so." But, putting aside the idea that nonmedical BCIs would likely introduce a host of new problems, it's less clear that the trade-offs would be worth it just to have a Fitbit in your head.While we're still a long way away from the cyborgian future of electronically interconnected minds prophesied by people like Elon Musk, the industry's accelerating growth compounds the urgency of ethical considerations once constrained to science fiction. If a brain chip can change key parts of your personality, companies should not be rushing to put them in people's heads. Wexler told me that while most people in the industry aren't that open to using BCIs as a consumer product, they still think it's likely to happen. If it does, she said, "the whole risk-benefit trade-off changes."<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/evan-malmgren" rel="">Evan Malmgren</a> is a writer who covers power and infrastructure and is currently working on a book about American off-gridders.This story was originally published in February 2023, and has been updated to reflect recent news about Neuralink human trials.

'It became me': Studies show that revolutionary new brain chips may bend your mind in strange and troubling ways

New Delhi, Apr 9 () Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) exporters will be impacted more by the current lockdown on account of Covid-19 pandemic as the sector accounts for over 45 per cent in the country's total outbound shipments, according to trade experts. They said that the magnitude of the impact on MSME exporters can be gauged from the statement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) which has projected that global trade in goods is set to decline steeply between 13 per cent and 32 per cent in 2020 as countries across the world are battling with the Covid-19 pandemic.The sector also contributes about 25 per cent to the country's GDP (gross domestic product) from service activities and over 33 per cent to the manufacturing output of India.Biswajit Dhar, a professor of economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, said the government should immediately come out with an incentive package for exporters as the current crisis will severely hit the MSME sector."India will suffer very badly as the biggest impact will be on the MSME exporters. They will also face issues in calling back their workers as several of them have migrated to their villages and towns," he said.Expressing concern, he said several countries including the US, Japan and Germany have announced incentive packages but India has yet to roll out support measures for exporters."Incentives will help exporters to resume work immediately after things start getting normal, otherwise they will not be able to restore their global buyers," Dhar said.Professor at Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) Rakesh Mohan Joshi said the outbreak of COVID 19 pandemic has put the economies across the world on a virtual standstill. "India's major exports items such as petrochemicals, gems and jewelry, automobiles and auto-components, cotton-yarns and textiles, apparels, marine products, bovine meat among others are likely to receive a jolt primarily due to slump in demand in its major markets and disruption of supply chains which are integrated across countries," he said.When asked about any numbers, he said estimating any figures of drop seems unrealistic as it would largely depend upon the virus rather than government incentives "as to how long, a quarter, six months, a year or still longer, it takes to emerge out of the virus and damage it inflicts on the human health and lives".However, he added that the pandemic has opened up enormous opportunities in sectors such as pharmaceuticals wherein India has been the largest supplier of generic medicines which are highly competitive in European and American markets. Besides, Joshi said the virus outbreak that emanated from China, has transformed the outlook of multinationals manufacturing in China and they are actively scouting for alternative destinations for investment to either to shift their manufacturing or making new investments. "This is the time India should transform this calamity into an unprecedented opportunity to make India the manufacturing hub and realise its make in India objective in real sense," he added.Assistant Professor and expert on agriculture economics Chirala Shankar Rao said there is a need to give special focus on MSME exporters who are engaged in agri products as there is a surge in demand for food products in global markets due to the coronavirus outbreak.Sharing similar views, Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) Chairman Mohit Singla said more than 100 per cent spike has been registered in demand for essential commodities such as rice, wheat and pulses in the current crisis. There will definitely be rebalancing of trade due to the current pressing situation where there is contraction of demand and consequently supply also getting disrupted. Due to the continued lockdown in several countries, supply has suffered and the extent of damage will depend on the number of days lockdown persists, he added.' Global trade growth is expected to plummet by up to a third in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the WTO on Wednesday has said while warning that the numbers would be "ugly". "World trade is expected to fall by between 13 percent and 32 percent in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts normal economic activity and life around the world," the WTO had said in a statement. RR SHWSHW

Covid-19 pandemic to hit MSME exporters more: Trade experts

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Reuters / Arnd Wiegmann</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Tom Naratil, UBS's president of the Americas and co-president of the firm's US wealth management division, says recent stock market volatility should have investors reconsidering their geographic allocations.</li><li>He makes the case for stocks outside the US, and urges investors to consider making their holdings more globally diversified.</li></ul>The sudden bout of weakness in the US stock market should serve as a wakeup call for investors who had started to see their domestic market as the only place to be.For most of this year, US stocks forged ahead while markets in the rest of the world struggled. Yet, with the US market recently succumbing to the worries plaguing other markets around the world, now is a great time to rebalance US portfolios to ensure that international stocks and other assets have a proper allocation. Given that the US has already had such a strong run, a globally diversified investment approach is likely to produce even better results over the longer term.To be clear, despite October's sell-off, individual US investors are still upbeat about the prospects for stocks. According to a UBS Investor Watch Pulse survey conducted after the midterm elections on November 9-14, just 14% of US high net worth investors believe it's time to get out of the market, compared with 22% pre-election. Furthermore, US business owners who responded to the survey also grew even more positive on the robust 12-month economic outlook, with 73% expressing optimism compared with 67% pre-election.However, our advice to American clients is to translate that enthusiasm into global equities, rather than sticking solely to the US. Over the five years to November 23, US stocks gained 60.1% as measured by the Russell 1000 index, compared to just 8.0% for emerging market stocks and 9.4% for developed market equities excluding the US as measured by MSCI. Although 2017 saw international equities outperform US peers, 2018 has so far seen a return of this trend. As a result, many US investors have come to feel that there is no place like home, and have been inclined to shy away from international exposure. However, we still believe that investing globally is one of the best long-term strategies for a number of reasons. First, it is unlikely that any market can outperform all the time. US stocks drastically lagged emerging and non-US developed markets from 2002 to 2007, with MSCI Emerging Markets gaining 353% and MSCI EAFE (developed non-US) returning 129%, versus just 43% for the S&amp;P 500. Since 1999, the US has only topped the ranks of countries' equity markets once, while emerging markets have come out in the lead in nine years. The growing maturity of some emerging markets may also increase their potential. For example, Warren Buffett, who has long been cautious about India's stock market, this summer invested in the country's maturing fintech sector for the first time. Second, the conditions that produced the recent US outperformance show signs of fading. The earnings boost from the 2017 US tax cuts, which has propelled stock returns this year, will likely ebb over the coming year. Additionally, profit margins for US companies are close to their historic highs, whereas they are still depressed in both emerging and other developed markets. Valuations in the technology sector, which has been responsible for much of the US outperformance, are also no longer as appealing as they were a few years ago. Third, other regions look to offer more compelling long-term value. As of November 23, as a multiple of future earnings estimates, the US stock market was valued in line with its 30-year average. In contrast, emerging markets, whose economies are growing faster than the US, were trading at an 18% discount to their three decade average, while non-US developed market stocks are at a 23% discount. Furthermore, because the US economic and earnings cycles are more advanced than other regions, other markets are likely to outperform in the coming years.Our chief investment office's market models now assume non-US equities will produce annual returns between 1-2 percentage points more than US stocks over coming years. Over the next market cycle, excluding international equities could result in a drag of greater than 1 percentage point on portfolio returns-a hefty cost in an environment where forward-looking returns have become precious.Today, an understanding of economic conditions and trends in all markets is essential to optimizing any sophisticated investor's decision-making process. According to financial theory, allocating too much of an equity portfolio to a single country increases risk - through higher volatility and more painful losses - without leading to better returns. A globally diversified approach should lead to a better risk-adjusted rate of return and likely a more comfortable investor experience.Harry Markowitz, the father of Modern Portfolio Theory, once called diversification "the only true free lunch in investing." In today's environment, investors who look for opportunity and value both at home and abroad are the likely to be the ones to sustain and grow their portfolios in the long run. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/things-you-shouldnt-buy-on-black-friday-2016-11">7 things you shouldn't buy on Black Friday</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

UBS Americas president: Recent market turbulence should be a 'wake-up call' for stock investors - and they should start looking outside the US

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image">Michael Yarish / AMC</div></div>It was 1986 and I was on the fast track: 28 years old and a newly minted corporate officer, Vice President/Director Financial Analysis at The Ogilvy Group, Inc. ("TOG" - then the NASDAQ and London Stock Exchange listed parent company of the most renown advertising agency in the world, Ogilvy &amp; Mather, and several other advertising agency networks, as well as a few sizeable enterprises specializing in alternate marketing disciplines). With 321 offices, in 49 countries and a blue-chip client roster to die for (Unilever, American Express, Shell, Seagram, Boeing, etc.) there was billions of dollars annually running through TOG's bank accounts.
My main job responsibilities were to plan and manage TOG's global cash position, bank relationships, and credit facilities, as well as perform and coherently distill in-depth analysis of our competitors; not to gloss over special projects frequently tossed my way by mentor, Chairman/CEO, Bill Phillips.
A typical workday, by choice, was 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., in a cramped, windowless, and roughly 12-by-12-foot office, located in TOG's World HQ, at 2 East 48 St. in New York City.
One evening, a bit past 7 p.m., I had just put the final touches on a report promised to John Gill for the next morning. John was TOG's CFO, the boss who hired me into the company two years earlier and about as fine a gentleman as you will ever meet. I knew he had long since headed home to his family, and I'd likely beat him in the next morning but just in case this was going into his in-tray right now.
By my calculation, I had about 20 minutes to race the mile from 48 Street and Fifth Avenue to the Port Authority (42 Street and Eighth Avenue), to catch the next bus heading toward my New Jersey apartment. If I missed that one, I'd have to wait another 40 minutes or so for the next, exploding my evening ritual of a quick five-mile run, late meal, 11 p.m. TV news, sleep, repeat. An outdoor period of solitude and endorphins would be forfeited to an indoor one of masses and impatience.
I threw on my overcoat, grabbed the report, picked up my briefcase and darted out of my office in the direction of the in-tray on the desk of John's secretary, to be followed by a sprint to the elevator. Three steps into a full head of steam and WHAM!!! I collided, chest-to-chest, with another human being.
Remorse and athletic reflex were set off immediately. Simultaneous to thoughts of "oh no, I'm an idiot, hope I didn't hurt this person," I dropped both the report and briefcase, seized fistfuls of shirt and yanked. Fortunately, I prevented the final descent to the floor but in view of the body slam, violent levitation, and replanting, I was not expecting gratitude.
Winded, disheveled and six inches from my nose, the victim's face came into focus. Panic joined contrition. Standing in front of me, tucking in his shirt and giving me the "are you insane" stare, was our founder, the name the office doors around the globe, David Ogilvy. Gulp!
I'm thinking, "This cannot be happening … man lives in a castle in France ... he hates to fly … never met him and this is howdy-do … oh good lord, pack up Jim, you're done…" At the same time I'm trying to apologize. An initial bout of the "um, er, ums" was mercifully replaced by a chorus of "I'm so sorry." To my amazement, equilibrium regained, he smiled, stuck his right hand out and said "I'm David Ogilvy. Pleased to run into you."
I took his hand and shook it, not too firmly, and said something like, "I know who you are…I'm really sorry…wasn't expecting anyone to be coming around the corner...you all right…" He kept smiling and responded that he was fine and glad to see such vigor late in the day. Then asked my name. I replied, "Jim Treacy."
Then the most amazing thing happened. His response even more unexpected than his incredible graciousness, "The remarkable young fellow who authors those excellent cash papers … let's sit in your office and chat a bit, if you have time." I'll never forget it and happily complied.
For roughly 45 minutes, David Ogilvy and I sat in my tiny office chewing the fat. He insisted I sit in my desk chair. He sat in a guest chair, wedged in the four, or so, feet of space between the front of my desk and an office wall. Here are some of the topics we discussed:
<ul>
<li>He demonstrated that he knew my career background and asked about my upbringing, education, personal life, etc. Warned me that the quest for work-life balance is challenging.</li>
<li>The importance of cash flow in a business: I commented that it is the lifeblood of a company, know it and know the state of the business. He retorted something like, "let's see if this board director knows what he needs to." He peppered me with questions on some issues from my most recent papers for the board. He'd read them, closely!</li>
<li>He saw my surprise and said I should return the favor by reading his book "Ogilvy On Advertising." Feeling comfortable, I told him I had read all three of his books ("Blood, Brains &amp; Beer" and "Confessions of an Advertising Man"). The quiz began, and thankfully I passed. "Well done. You know, not enough of our account and creative people have read those, and if they did you've outscored most of them," he said. My chest swelled. Aside: "Ogilvy On Advertising" is one of the great business books of all time, particularly Chapter Four on leadership and hiring.</li>
<li>Then he told me in his heyday running the company he would occasionally roam the halls in the evening, to see who was still around, what they were working on, sit and talk with them a bit, etc. He said it helped him keep a pulse on the business and in fact that was what he was doing this evening "when you nearly killed me."</li>
</ul>
With that he looked at his watch and said, "This was fun but I must be going. I'm due for late supper at Bill's (CEO, Phillips) place and am afraid you've put me a bit behind. Do you know where he lives? If not too inconvenient, perhaps you could walk me there? I get all jumbled up sometimes and it's been a while since I've been in New York…" 
Happy compliance continued. Bill lived in Museum Tower (15 West 53 St., just off Fifth Avenue), a short walk, no matter; at that point I'd have accompanied David Ogilvy to the ends of the earth if he needed a guide.
On the way he baited me, asking my view on an issue I fortunately was aware he and Bill disagreed on. I told him, "No dice…I know you disagree with Bill on that one. If I agree with you he'll hear about it at dinner and I'll be in big trouble, and if I agree with him you'll be more likely to tell him about the dolt who nearly pancaked you." He belly laughed, "Good for you, well played."
With that we were in front of Museum Tower. He thanked me and I him, adding a "Good night, Mr. Ogilvy." He said I could call him "David," but I was never able to do that.
The next morning, sometime around 8 a.m., Bill stuck his head into my office and told me, "David, enjoyed his time with you last evening. Thanks for that and for walking him over to my place." The CEO came out of his way to thank me for something that was 100% my pleasure, amazing! The Ogilvy company culture of civility was inspiring.

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