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By:

Divyaa Advaani 

2 November 2024 at 3:28:38 am

The Price of Presence

In a world where wealth often speaks louder than wisdom, the quiet ones are rarely heard. We live in times where confidence can be mistaken for competence, and money can masquerade as merit. I’ve often observed two kinds of people — those who silently observe and add value in subtle ways, and those who walk into the room believing their wealth gives them the right to dictate its energy. The truth is uncomfortable, but undeniable: power dynamics often overshadow potential. Opportunities are...

The Price of Presence

In a world where wealth often speaks louder than wisdom, the quiet ones are rarely heard. We live in times where confidence can be mistaken for competence, and money can masquerade as merit. I’ve often observed two kinds of people — those who silently observe and add value in subtle ways, and those who walk into the room believing their wealth gives them the right to dictate its energy.
The truth is uncomfortable, but undeniable: power dynamics often overshadow potential. Opportunities are lost not because someone lacked talent, but because they lacked the perceived stature to stand beside the powerful. Relationships, too, are often dictated by who can afford to take control — emotionally or financially. It’s unfair, yes. But it’s also reality. Yet, there’s a powerful equalizer that doesn’t require deep pockets — it requires presence. Your personal brandis the bridge between how the world sees you and how you deserve to be seen. In boardrooms, at business dinners, or even across social media platforms, perception often becomes your greatest currency. The quiet observer, when strategically positioned, can outshine even the loudest voice in the room — because credibility, once built, cannot be bought. Personal branding is not about pretending to be rich or powerful.It’s about communicating your value so clearly that people feel your influence even before you speak. It’s about creating an aura of assurance — that mix of confidence, clarity, and authenticity that makes people stop and pay attention. Think of it this way: If money buys luxury, presence earns loyalty. If wealth opens doors, branding makes people hold them open for you. In the business world, many talented founders and professionals lose visibility simply because they underestimate the power of perception. They believe results should speak for themselves — but results need a microphone, and that microphone is your brand. I’ve worked with business owners who had remarkable ideas but struggled to attract investors, partners, or clients. Not because their work lacked substance — but because their presence didn’t reflect their potential. Once they refined their personal brand — their communication, digital footprint, and executive presence — things shifted almost instantly. Suddenly, they were seen, heard, and remembered. That’s the true price of presence — it demands intentionality, but it rewards you exponentially. Because in today’s world, the question is no longer “What do you do?” but “Why should we listen to you?” And that answer lies in your brand — how you show up, how you carry yourself, and how you communicate your worth. Money may give temporary advantage, but your presence gives you permanent influence. If you’ve ever felt overlooked, undervalued, or overshadowed — it’s not a lack of capability, it’s a lack of clarity in how your value is positioned. And that’s something you can change starting today. After all, people don’t pay for what you do. They pay for who you are when you do it. Many successful business owners I’ve worked with have realised that building a strong personal brand isn’t vanity — it’s strategy. If you’re ready to stop blending in and start standing out, now’s the time to act. Book a free discovery call with me today and discover how a powerful personal brand can help you attract clients, build authority, and open doors that money alone never could. Because in business, your brand is the one investment that pays dividends long after the deal is done — it’s the smartest business strategy you can invest in. In order for you to book your free discovery call, you could type the following link in your browser and select an available time slot. The link is mentioned below: https://sprect.com/pro/divyaaadvaani (The author is a personal branding expert. She has clients from 14+ countries. Views personal.)

Is the NCP (SP) thawing its Maratha party image?

Pawar’s party reaching out to various communities to break the Mahayuti vote

NCP

Mumbai: Sharad Pawar’s election war room is buzzing with data on caste formations, equations and numbers. His selection of candidates reflects just that—the party’s shrewd strategy to reach out to communities and castes that have, until now, viewed the NCP (SP) as a party of the Marathas. Uttaramrao Jankar’s presence during Pawar’s tours also cannot be missed; he’s a prominent face of the Dhangar community that is currently expressing its discontentment. The party’s new approach aims to address the changing political landscape in Maharashtra, where various communities seek representation.


The long-standing Maratha reservation agitation and the demand of Dhangars to be included under the Scheduled Tribes list have upset the caste arithmetic of most parties. “We are ensuring that we are not anathema to any community,” says an NCP (SP) leader. He says that the party is trying to wean away at least a slice of the pie that constitutes the MADHAV grouping, which the BJP, for long, has relied on. The grouping including the Mali, Dhangar and Vanjari communities.


A notable example of how the party is selecting its candidates to balance its caste outreach is Sandeep Kshirsagar. The 43-year-old OBC leader has been fielded from Beed, once again, despite the region being on the boil with the Manoj Jarange-Patil’s Maratha reservation agitation.


Kshirsagar’s house was set on fire allegedly by Maratha protestors earlier and only a few months ago, Pankaja Munde, an OBC leader, had lost to her Maratha opponent. Two days ago, Kshirsagar called on Jarange-Patil, promising to take up the cause. “Sandeep is young and an OBC and could be groomed to be the next Chhagan Bhujbal, the party’s OBC face,” says a party leader.


Similarly, the party has picked UttamraoJankar from Malshiras to appeal to the Dhangars that are reportedly upset with the government for ignoring its demands. For long, the OBCs, as a chunk, relied on the BJP, thanks to Gopinath Munde who rose to become the party’s most prominent OBC leader, a legacy that cousins Pankaja and Dhananjay are competing to claim. “The community has so far looked at the BJP to rely on. But we want to convince them that we aren’t a bad alternative,” says an NCP (SP) leader. With a Maratha leading the Mahayuti government, the BJP’s claims of being OBC-friendly have started diminishing. To add to their woes, the Maratha community is moving farther away from the party. “The BJP has relied on the MADHAV formula which we are trying to break. While it may not greatly benefit us, preventing these communities from voting as a block will also be helpful,” he says.


While Muslim have traditionally opted for the Congress and the NCP almost en masse, the NCP (SP) is projecting Fahad Ahmad as a young, urban, vocal Muslim face to replace Nawab Mallik whose appeal among the youth was fast diminishing anyway.


By w.elcoming leaders from different backgrounds, Pawar is looking to create a more inclusive party that can resonate with diverse voter groups. This move also helps in countering the influence of other regional and national parties, particularly in areas such as Beed and Marathwada where non-Maratha communities are significant.

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