Q&A with Raman Sehgal

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

Coffee and my journal! I use the five-minute journal technique that focuses on gratitude and visualising how you will make your day great. Some people might be a tad sceptical about this kind of thing, but I find the process of reflection enables you to learn a great deal about yourself. For example, what motivates you, good and bad habits, concerns, what makes you happy, etc. Through this you can grow on both a personal and professional level.

What’s the best thing about working in healthcare comms?

Being able to communicate technological advances, business growth and interesting content that helps drive the drug development sector forward.

What’s the worst thing about working in healthcare comms?

Confidentiality! We often see and hear some amazing things going on with clients that we simply can’t bring to the market. It’s a real shame but is commercially sensible.

What’s your favourite bar or eatery?

Café 21 and Broad Chare in Newcastle. I love Parish Café in Boston (pictured) – the beer selection is incredible and the food is excellent.

Which book/film would you recommend above all others and why?

Two books I would recommend are Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy and/or The One Thing by Gary Keller. Learning how to focus on the important stuff (not your social notifications) and work on a single task at a time will propel you ahead of your counterparts.

A film I would recommend that I saw recently is Bohemian Rhapsody – I thought it was amazing. Among the emotion and music, it also shows the value of thinking big and teamwork.

What buzzwords/office-jargon get on your nerves?

Having just moved to the US, people here love to use the phrase ‘struggling with bandwidth’, when they are struggling for time/resource. It’ll make its way to the UK soon, no doubt.

Which person, living or dead, do you admire the most and why?

I really admire elite athletes who reach the top of their game yet continue to work tirelessly to stay there. Roger Federer is the best example of this. And even though I’m very much in the Messi camp, I have to admit Ronaldo ticks this box too.

Who’s your healthcare comms hero/heroine?

I can’t say I really have one, to be honest, but I do admire Lisa Bradley who founded Pegasus.

What has been your career highlight to date?

We recently won a global account for one of the biggest names in the pharma sector against nine other agencies. That was pretty great and felt like the culmination of ten years’ worth of blood, sweat and tears.

What’s your golden rule/piece of advice for someone starting a career in healthcare comms?

Shut off your notifications. Focus hard on a single task, produce quality work and you’ll fly. And always be nice to people.