2025 – October 2024 to March 2025 – My Accidental Presidency: Leading Odyssey. Again

September 12, 2024.

That date will forever etch itself into my memory. My family and I were enjoying a blissful holiday in Nagarhole at the beautiful Machaan Resort. The following day, Friday the 13th, the team was set to announce Abhay as the new President of Odyssey. However, a sudden turn of events shifted everything. Abhay, facing an unexpected court case, couldn’t take on the role. I received his voice message late on Wednesday, September 11th, due to poor network, and it set off a chain reaction.

An Unforeseen Twist: The Presidential Coercion

Upon my return home on Thursday, September 12th, an emergency nurturers’ meeting immediately convened. One by one, everyone offered compelling reasons why they couldn’t assume the presidential mantle. Everyone, that is, except me. I found myself coerced, convinced, or perhaps even conned, into taking on the role.

Mihir anticipated his first child in December, Williams navigated a whirlwind of business issues, and Harinath immersed himself in a major project. Raddhika’s demanding exams or course consumed all her time, and I had, for months, tried to bridge the distance that had grown in our friendship, only to be met with her genuine lack of availability.

Our “Golmaal” Team Takes the Helm

Appropriately, Friday the 13th brought the official announcement. With a mix of excitement and a flutter of butterflies, Adithya, Vinutha, and I walked into the meeting for the first time as a team. Warm applause and genuine warmth from all existing members greeted us.

We had just one day to meet, assign roles, and convince all role coordinators to attend the crucial trainings starting on the 14th. Fortunately, Adithya and Vinutha already had their lists prepared, requiring only a few suggestions from my end. We collectively agreed to be flexible with roles, allowing changes if members couldn’t fully commit due to time or energy constraints. Our vision was clear: groom new or relatively new members for plum roles, while seasoned members offered support or took on tasks that typically demanded more of our time. The “silver lining” of my forced presidency? I faced no rejections when assigning roles to our seniors!

Powering Through: A Dynamic Team in Action

Abhay truly went above and beyond as our education coordinator. Mihir, with Manish’s help, spearheaded the Feature Presentation. Williams contributed across various fronts. Ganesh and Harinath pushed the envelope on numerous initiatives, and the rest of Odyssey embraced both planned and spontaneous activities throughout the term. We initially assigned Prem to work with Swetha on application reviews. Once Swetha confidently handled things, we reassigned Prem as the mentor coordinator, stepping in for Praful, who was recovering from a back injury.

Adithya and Vinutha initially wanted Raddhika to take on a more substantial role like Community Builder. However, knowing her time constraints, I felt a lighter, yet impactful, role would be best. I made her the social media coordinator alongside Bhavana, a decision I unfortunately saw validated by her minimal presence from our first meeting to the last. My personal guiding star, whose “approval” kept my ship on course, seemed to vanish after almost every meeting.

We collectively searched for a name for our WhatsApp group. Adithya shared that their previous group called themselves “3 Idiots.” Keeping with that playful tradition, we decided we would be “Golmaal!”

Building Community: Innovation and Engagement

October marked our first month, and our focus remained firmly on building Odyssey into a true community.

We introduced a “Odyssey Always” pin for all members, presenting them on our Vision-Mission day. We also initiated the “Odyssey Pledge,” which members recited after the National Anthem. Furthermore, we reintroduced opening quotes paired with member photos, a relevant quote for each picture, which became a much-anticipated segment at the start of every meeting. To appreciate their efforts and motivate them, we began recognizing various role coordinators weekly as “RocStars.” We streamlined the official BNI script, removing unnecessary jargon and excessive BNI advertising, and changed the closing line to a more community-focused “next week meeting starts with….. How can I help you.”

Sailing Strong: Growth and Milestones

Three months in, our ship sailed steadily. We saw a healthy flow of inputs from everyone, leading to strong inductions and significant business generation. We had initially pegged Naquia as the Social Coordinator, under Raddhika’s mentorship. However, a month into her role, Naquia had to leave Odyssey to focus on her family and businesses. Ashok, a fresh new member in Corporate Events, enthusiastically stepped up, volunteering to be the social coordinator. He also provided tremendous support in the Visitor Host role, always radiating his cheerfully optimistic energy.

Ashok masterfully ensured our first social event was a resounding success. We completely booked the Scottish pub, also known as Noon Wines, and everyone enjoyed more than just a gala time. What was supposed to end by 4 PM stretched until 11 PM for some of us! (You can read all about it here – https://hashergraphy.in/2024-nov-retro-brunch-party-odyssey/)

Adithya took complete ownership of organizing Odyssey Premier League 2.0. We had immense fun auctioning every member into various teams, despite some lopsided rules and initially ill-conceived points. Teams devised inventive names, and we reciprocated with equally inventive point systems. For fairness, we deliberately excluded ourselves from all teams, as we served as judge and jury for most of the games.

Innovation in Print: The Magazine-Style Roster

By the second month, we aimed for a personalized roster, envisioning it as a magazine. We presented the idea to Manish, and he immediately showcased proposed concepts that were spot on. The magazine cover featured a headshot of each member, while the inside contained an editorial reflecting on the past month and looking forward to the next. We dedicated the entire first month to diligently designing the roster, unveiling it to members in the second month’s inaugural meeting. The reactions were phenomenal; everyone absolutely adored the design. The magazine-style roster even went viral across BNI at the Leadership Team Round Table!

Strengthening the Core: Addressing Challenges

While we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, we did encounter some lagging areas. The crucial Community Builder Role (or Chapter Growth Coordinator) wasn’t reaching its full potential, with Pranav struggling in the position. We needed that role to be energized, and I could only think of Raddhika to assist Pranav.

What a formidable combination they proved to be! Within one or two meetings, discussions around visitors’ days gained momentum, initiatives to encourage networking with alumni emerged, and countless other small yet significant ways she breathed new life into the Membership Committee.

I firmly believe a truly effective MC constantly chats, talks, and debates every point. This ensures meticulous due diligence for inductions, provides the right impetus and direction for any slacking initiative or role, and fosters a sense of equality among all members. Adithya, our superb leader, ensured every team member felt heard and cared for.

Creating Memories: Festive Fun and Team Building

In November, we celebrated Children’s Day by gifting each member a small bag of chocolates from the 1980s. While some millennials didn’t grasp the significance, most other members were instantly transported back to their childhoods by these nostalgic candies.

The OPL teams themselves began meeting, enjoying small, meaningful get-togethers over dinner and drinks. One team even took their members (and me!) paintballing! We saw excellent turnouts for member office “darshans,” meticulously organized by Harinath, as well as for new office or home inaugurations and a superb attendance at weddings and other life events!

December is a month when many are off for their holidays. We anticipated many substitutes and few visitors for the last meeting of 2024. Instead of 2 regular 8-minute sessions, we planned a fun round of “mad-ads.” The mad-ads session was a massive hit, transporting everyone back to their college days and filling the room with laughter and cheer to end the year!

Reaching New Heights: Regional Recognition and Innovation

By February, we proudly became the number one chapter in the region and number four in Bangalore. We experimented with an unusual weekly presentation theme: “The Unusual Power Buddy.” We assigned unconventional or obscure “power buddies” to each member, prompting them to brainstorm ways they could support each other. This led to wonderfully creative presentations illustrating how a constable, a vegetable seller, or an auto-driver could be excellent power buddies to a photographer, a real estate agent, or a wedding planner. This innovative theme also served as a precursor to our Visitors Day, planned for the end of February.

Pranav and Raddhika collaborated seamlessly, ensuring a superb Visitors Day on February 21st! Ganesh dedicated significant effort, and we organized a “Business Beyond Boundaries” session with another BNI Dignity Chapter in Salem. Many of us left directly after Visitors Day, heading to Salem in various cars.

We introduced the incoming team—Raddhika as President, Mihir as Vice-President, and Vaishak as Treasurer—with great fanfare. We surprised them with the announcement to Odyssey, even arranging for their families to be present.

Camaraderie and Celebrations: Yercaud and Cricket

We encouraged members to join the networking session at Salem, and with some last-minute persuasion, 25 of us gathered in Yercaud. We enjoyed a night full of fun, letting our hair down, and listening to music until the early hours of February 23rd.

March marked the final month of our term. It was also the season for Cricket and 3CT. Guru Rajesh and Niranjan Jayan donned their “captain/vice-captain” hats, leading a ragtag team of Odyssians into the matches. Ankit, with his Evospace, sponsored the team, and Swaroop, with Buloke Realty, sponsored the entire event. I even got roped in as the 12th man, solely to anchor the team!

Despite minimal practice, we came, we saw, and we were conquered in all the matches. While our team’s performance wasn’t stellar, it fostered incredible team bonding during our one night at the venue. We crashed out spectacularly, but not before witnessing Revanna score some fantastic shots, and yours truly remained the only “not out” player in the last match!

A Bittersweet Farewell: Weddings and Handover Planning

March finally arrived, and despite all my “advice,” Adithya wouldn’t listen; he married Manaswi! We attended his wedding en masse. Just two weeks later, Adithya returned to fulfill his duty to Odyssey, conducting his last meeting as VP and effectively handing over to the new incoming team. It was quite a coincidence that we began the term celebrating the wedding of Arjun and Sarayu, and ended it with the wedding of Adithya and Manaswi!

We shared a unified vision for our handover: it had to involve Odyssey members and their families. Recognitions would be customized and personalized. I’ve always believed handover gifts should be unique, something not readily available in the market, and cherished for years to come. In my first presidential term, our team created custom water bottles printed with all the activities, words, and mishaps from those six months. To this day, those bottles remain highly coveted! (Check out: https://hashergraphy.in/2022-bni-the-3-monkeys-handover-party/)

We planned the Handover party for April 13th at the Rotary House of Friendship on Lavelle Road, as it was the only date Adithya was available post-wedding. The venue was centrally located and relatively inexpensive. However, on a very somber note, we tragically lost one of our most jovial and kind members, Mr. Nagaraj, to a persistent lung infection on April 1st, 2025. We decided to postpone the handover until after his 13th-day prayer meeting.

We concluded the term by continuing the tradition Ganesh had started: a day of gratitude, this time to our customers. Every member was encouraged to invite a customer who had significantly impacted their business. I invited Mr. Venkatachala Sharma, one of my oldest customers, honoring him with a shawl and a certificate. His message later that day, thanking me for the honour and stating that no one had recognised him this way in his entire career, truly made my day!

A Grand Finale: The Farmhouse Handover

Finding a suitable date proved challenging due to Adithya’s schedule and the unavailability of other venues in the city. Pubs and hotels quoted unacceptable prices of Rs 2000-3000 per member.

Then, Siddarth Javali, who had rejoined Odyssey under the Virtual CFO category, offered a solution. A chance conversation led to him offering to host the handover at his farmhouse. We did a recce of his charming house, and the lawn proved perfect for hosting 50-60 people.

We decided to hold the event at Siddharth’s farmhouse, near the Art of Living Ashram. We planned a beautiful day, with many members bringing their families and kids. My entire family attended the event, which was filled with fun, delicious food, and a bartender, courtesy of Ashok, who expertly crafted superb mocktails and handed out chilled beers. Despite not being able to attend himself, Ashok sent two of his runners who helped with many of the arrangements.

We held another round of Mad Ads, splitting the audience into teams after a quick auction of new members! We decided to honor all members randomly throughout the Mad Ads event, rather than by their specific roles. In a clandestine move, Vinutha and I conspired to present Adithya and Manaswi with their long-overdue wedding gift, and even made them cut the cake (which we, once again, didn’t get to eat!).

Keeping with the Children’s Day theme, and with the creative genius of Manish Gupta, we created superhero-stylized photos of each member with a unique tagline. We gave most attendees their gifts immediately during the handover. I even learned a YouTube tutorial to create a backdrop featuring photos from various groups, stamped with an “Odyssey Always” logo – the effort was well worth it! We also used the same “opening quotes” to decorate the venue.

We had also planned a second, more serious gift: a play on the original roster idea of a magazine cover page, stylized like a Forbes Magazine headshot, complete with a suitable cover page line to mimic global recognition for their contributions in their chosen profession or business category. This second gift took some time to finish, and we ended up distributing them to members over two weeks of meetings.

All in all, it was a superb six to seven months leading Odyssey. With the unwavering help of Adithya and Vinutha, we successfully pulled off an exciting six months, experiencing far more highs than lows!

Pictures from the Handover showcasing the fun we had follow.