Kunal's 2,335th day at Amazon | Day 1 of Squirrel's Granola Co.

Some brief context before the main post:
For almost two years, I was reticent about sharing my personal journey to build a small batch granola business with my wife Zahra because it could be viewed as frivolous and self absorbed - and ultimately, would anyone really care? The words "just shut up and sell some granola!" played in an endless loop in my mind. But, based on the incredible volume and intensity of support I've gotten from colleagues, customers and friends when I recently made the decision to leave my corporate life to pursue this dream, I've changed my mind.

Hi, I'm Kunal and on this blog you'll find Zahra (co-founder and life partner) & I sharing our journey (both ups & downs) of building our small batch local food brand from scratch, life advice from our cumulative 78 years of existence (31+ years in corporations across 6 industries, growing up in 4 different countries) and general musings about our lived experience. If this blog brings you any measure of value to your life, please consider subscribing to our email list or bookmarking this page. 

Below is a note that I sent to the Amazon team on my last day.

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On this last “day 1” of my 2,335 day journey, there are just three things that I’d like to share in my final note as an Amazonian. 

Gratitude. While the persistent fog of emails, slack alerts, quip notifications and chime calls will fade from memory as soon as I wipe my computer of all things Amazon, I will always be grateful for how this team and this experience has changed my life. I’ve made lifelong friends, laughed a ton, accessed thousands of brand new experiences and places, met so many genuinely wonderful people, learned a lot about human behaviour, and how being focused on others instead of yourself is the best way to live (and win trust). I’ve also learned how to pack for a business trip like a ninja (<15 min!) and the importance of hydration (see: kidney stone on a plane). A special shout out to my beloved team: building and leading "Team Hive" has been the most challenging and rewarding experience of my professional life and I’m so thankful to each of you. Finally, to those who gave me an opportunity to come to Amazon in the first place, to my colleagues and mentors who helped me find my voice, and to those who had the courage to openly challenge me to do/be better: thank you.

Identity. As a (now ex) bar raiser, I’ve had more than my fair share of interview experiences to know we hire ambitious, high achieving, talented people who tend to immerse themselves completely in the pursuit of excellence and due to this, their work inevitably enmeshes with their identity. I’ve felt this myself and in case you need to hear it from someone who is starting to notice new grey hairs at a rapid pace: your work, accolades, level, title, compensation are a notable but very incomplete part of your identity. Set boundaries, never let anyone belittle you, invest in your passions, make time for relationships, prioritize yourself, and most importantly, be kind often.

Adventure. This is anything that puts us outside our comfort zone. For me, being at Amazon Ads has never been about selling media but is instead “a head fake” (1:14:50) for finding out about how to persuade people to change – and what a wild adventure that has been. Since I’m a perennial adventure junkie and have decided to lean into my early mid-life crisis to chase my dream, my wife Zahra & I have embarked on a new adventure that you can learn about here.

Be well,

Kunal.

 

Ps: This blog post has been edited for concision, relevance and to protect confidentiality. //  Image: u/TheCreativeNick