C'est la vie. How many times have we heard this before? The trade-off normally—or rather abnormally—to being forced to live and work within the confines of a perceived lack of personal freedom for the sake of economic stability, may result in a lifelong crisis of unfulfilled ambitions. It takes a free, philosophical mind and spirit, a unique combination of upbringing, education, and other hard to pinpoint yet crucial elements of a person's DNA to break away from the routine. Sourabh Sharma, a serial entrepreneur, marketing prodigy, writer, and avid adventurer, is one of those lucky souls—though for him it is less about luck, rather the perfect cocktail of passion, wit, intellect and serendipity that brought him to this desirable position.
Born in Tanzania, East Africa, to parents with Indian and British roots, he led a cosmopolitan life from a very young age spending most of the time traveling with his family and friends. He also had the privilege of a great education, getting his degrees at the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Business School, and later polishing his business management acumen at The Rotterdam School of Management. The first-rate schooling fell upon very fertile soil, because since childhood Sourabh had a curious disposition, possessed a penchant for learning, and a depth well beyond his years. Blessed with a gift for languages, having been exposed to different linguistic and cultural settings during extensive international travel, Sourabh speaks English, French, Swahili, Hindi, Gujarati, Punjabi, Urdu, and a smattering of Italian and Dutch. As a polyglot he possesses advanced analytical skills and the capability to absorb and digest more information than the average person—which explains his tremendous success in understanding human behavior and how it is simultaneously consumed, altered, and affected by digital means.
Like the troubadours who roamed Medieval France bringing lyrics and romanticism to prosaic laymen making their lives brighter, if only for a brief moment of performance, Sourabh is an acknowledged thought leader in modern-day digital marketing with a particularly strong grasp of Gen Z audiences at topical conferences and events worldwide. His grasp in the field of digital marketing is rooted in FIG or out, which offers a whole package of marketing services ranging from social media and influencer marketing, to paid media and brand content creation. The company views success as a science and delivers results in line with its clever logo. His other project, Dot & Pin helps find the coolest spots based on reviews shared by industry friends and influencers. Sourabh serendipitously spotted an opportunity to "dot" the adventures and "pin" them on the map where others missed the chance. Through his extensive travel, Sourabh is often seen as l'invite d'honneur at various events, galas and fashion shows worldwide, such as Bazaar Icons New York, Cannes Film Festival, Monaco Grand Prix, Sundance Film Festival, and Fashion Weeks in New York, Milan, Paris, and London, collected as candid musings of life on social platforms.
Among his other notable undertakings are Print All Over Me, a print on demand apparel brand with editorial styles and cuts, where as part of the founding team, he has collaborated with numerous runway regulars and prolific artists and platforms, and has been featured in L'Officiel, Vogue, Gayletter, Out Magazine and more. His foray into fragrances came while working with Europerfumes via the route of Histoires de Parfums, of which he is now both creative and marketing head, alongside other scents in the dynamic fragrance house of North America. Sourabh is also a freelance food critic, formerly with Bon Appetit, and as such judged food shows worldwide, focusing primarily on his love for mixology and dessert gastronomy, portrayed on his food site and social media. He is also a prolific travel and lifestyle influencer, primarily for luxury hotels, with his must-read recommendations published on his site 3FS Lifestyle and bylined thereafter.
Sourabh's life is both an adventure and an inspiration for those of us who want to live a happy and fulfilled life. "If you know what you can do well, you can laugh at what you can't do well, but if you don't know what you can do well, then your life becomes a tragic joke," shares Sourabh of his simple yet not easily applied recipe for happiness and success. For not many can acknowledge both their strengths and shortcomings as candidly. May we find inspiration in his unique outlook, and avoid the pitfall of life turning into a tragic joke.
