Leaders

Home gardening has become quite popular in the recent times owing to the fast-changing lifestyles worldwide. It is therapeutic and one of the best hobbies to have and a few organizations such as Altifarm Enverde assist more and more people to start home gardening and farming and contribute to the environment along with transforming their own lives for the good.

In conversation with Suparna Deshpande, CMO, Altifarm Enverde who envisions a future wherein she can bring a lush gardening and homegrown farming experience to every home, without the need for routine watering, sunlight, or recurring subscriptions.

Altifarm Enverde has shipped their products to over 130+ countries and set records in global crowdfunding. They make growing and plant-parenting accessible to all.

What are the major facets about your expertise as a marketing leader?

I was one of the early converts who realized the power of ecommerce and digital marketing and how it would edge out traditional marketing processes. I enjoyed the fact that I could focus on my target audience or rather pinpoint my target audience. I used my skills effectively during my tenure as a Business Head at "Repeat Purchase". I could understand and glean audience requirements, effectively address them by offering customized alternatives or solutions. Digital Marketing took me to the next level of understanding buyer's needs & requirements at a micro level & designing strategies with the power of data through various tools.

Take us through your early education and priory industry experience that you bring to the table.

I completed my graduation in Arts from Fergusson College in Pune, later went on to pursue Post Graduation in International Trade at IMDR, Pune and an MBA in Marketing. After completing my post-graduation from IMDR, I did a few stints with a couple of highly reputed multinational organizations like, Lufthansa Cargo, Garware Wall Ropes Ltd, and DHL Global Forwarding where I traversed through various profiles in `Sales, Marketing and customer service' functions. Towards the end of 2014, I took up a job at Repeat Purchase, a startup engaged into online marketplace for magazine subscriptions and put my knowledge of digital marketing, e-Commerce to make the brand `IndiaMags', the largest online Magazine subscription portal in India in a matter of three years. During this time, I grew from a Business manager to Director.

My hands on experience in diverse fields of sales & marketing, customer service, logistics as well as coaching over the past 15+ years comes handy in my current job as a `CMO' of Altifarm Enverde and makes me a highly regarded leader for my entrepreneurial and path breaking initiatives. One of the biggest contributors of my success is my courage to move out of my comfort zone and explore new ideas and fields all throughout my career.

Throw some light on the approach you took while designing the brand philosophy for Altifarm.

Altifarm Enverde is engaged into the field of urban farming with its path breaking product line and a customer base across USA, Europe and exports to 130 countries.

Our products are innovative, designed & conceptualized by the founder himself Arun Raj. We envision a future wherein we can bring a lush gardening and homegrown farming experience to every home, without the need for routine watering, sunlight, or recurring subscriptions. We plan to build a plant parenting community and contribute in the green revolution. Bring to table the goodness of home-grown food and joy of planting with no hassles and maximum productivity.

“I am a people's person and firmly believe that leader-ship is a way of thinking, a way of acting, a way of communicating. It is a choice i have made to provide empathy, growth, means, protection, and care to people whom i lead”

What are some core philosophies that define your leadership style

I am a people's person and firmly believe that leadership is a way of thinking, a way of acting, a way of communicating. It is not a rank. It is not a designation. It is a choice I have made to provide empathy, growth, means, protection, and care to people whom I lead.

My Philosophy of Leadership is to surround myself with good people, who have ability, judgment, and knowledge, but above all, a passion for delivering their best. I believe that with all the experience and learning that I have gathered, needs to be given back to the young entrepreneurs and professional's and mentor them so that are better prepared with the challenges.

What would your words of advice be for women aspiring to be foray into the field of digital marketing?

It isn't easy out there, while I am a strong promoter of gender equality and look at people as people and not men and women, I would like to say the women have tougher time to strike a work life balance. Women folks out there - Remember that you will encounter obstacles along the way but remind yourself that you are the best. A little faith, and a strong work ethic, you can work wonders. And more importantly- enjoy the journey!

Suparna Deshpande, CMO, Altifarm Enverde

Currently the CMO at Altifarm Enverde, Suparna completed her graduation in Arts from Fergusson College in Pune and later went-on to pursue Post Graduation in International Trade at IMDR, Pune and an MBA in Marketing. She has worked with highly reputed multinational organizations and also startups and hence has hands-on experience in diverse fields of e-business, sales & marketing, customer service, logistics as well as coaching experience of over the past 15+ years.