Kalpesh Desai is a luminary in the realm of technology and entrepreneurship, who seamlessly intertwines his passion for poetry with his illustrious career. With a management degree from India’s premier business school and over three decades of experience sculpting successful tech enterprises across diverse sectors, Kalpesh is a stalwart in the global business landscape.
His accolades speak volumes, having been crowned as one of the Top 10 Financial Technology CEOs in 2020 by CEO Insight. That’s not all, his strategic prowess also shines through in INSEAD’s case study of 3i Infotech, where his innovative go-to-market strategies propelled the organic growth of the company and this was highlighted in the same.
Currently presiding as the President and CEO of Agile Financial Technologies, Kalpesh’s influence extends beyond the boardroom. As a mentor on advisory and operating boards, he nurtures budding enterprises toward greatness.
But this is just one side of his personality. Beyond the confines of corporate corridors, Kalpesh finds solace in the realms of poetry and literature. Inspired by literary giants like Rumi, Tagore, and Frost, he utilizes poetry as a medium to unravel his thoughts, breakthroughs, and distinctions.
His debut literary offering, the poetry book, “Jasmines in Her Hair,” epitomizes his profound understanding of love’s myriad shades. From the euphoria of nascent romance to the pangs of heartbreak, Kalpesh’s verses traverse the intricate tapestry of love’s journey.
Reflecting on his literary journey, Kalpesh cherishes the memory of his mother rewarding him with books for academic excellence during his formative years. This nurturing environment fostered his love for reading and writing, leading him to pen down his thoughts with finesse.
When he’s not immersed in the world of words, Kalpesh finds respite in trekking and globetrotting, exploring the vast tapestry of cultures and landscapes.
Readers can engage with Kalpesh’s poetic musings on Instagram (@kalpeshdesai.official), delve into his professional insights on LinkedIn (https://linkedin.com/in/kalpeshdesai), or explore his literary endeavors on his website (kalpeshdesai.com).
We at bookGeeks had a lucky chance to have a candid conversation with the author. Here is what he has to say about his poetry book, ‘Jasmines in Her Hair‘, his love for reading and writing, and other literary pursuits.
| Who is Kalpesh as a person? What are his likes and dislikes? |
| I am an entrepreneur at heart, having successfully run and exited two enterprises. I am currently the President and CEO of Agile Financial Technologies, a global technology firm serving the insurance and asset management sector with a customer base in around 35 countries. I thrive on understanding people and processes. I believe that by virtue of running large corporations, I have developed a high emotional quotient. |
| What inspired you to delve into the world of romantic poetry? |
| Poetry is a very expressive medium and romantic poetry allows us to showcase human experience in a manner that can truly touch people’s souls. Love, or the absence of it, has been experienced by everybody I have met. I have seen stories unfold, including my own. I have seen people expressing pain and expressing their inability to let go. My own introspection led me to the conclusion that the access to letting go of one’s pain lies in one’s ability to express gratitude for the contribution that the ones they loved made to their lives. Even if the experience was painful, we can still be grateful for the learning. This is the underlying theme throughout my romantic poems and the book. |
| What can the readers expect form your debut collection, “Jasmines in Her Hair”? |
| I believe that readers can expect to connect with the poems encased in “Jasmines in Her Hair”, irrespective of the stage of relationship they are into. I have used simple words, metaphors, and rhymes to drive the message of gratitude and reverence across, and I hope that this may help people view how they approach relationships differently. |
| Could you elaborate on the significance of the title "Jasmines in Her Hair" and its connection to the themes explored in your book? |
| In Southern Asia, the jasmine flower holds significant cultural and symbolic importance. It is associated with purity, beauty, love, and spirituality. We adorn deities with jasmine flowers and our women wear these as a decoration. The title of the book signifies that one must revere the one you love as a goddess. It is in that space that gratitude can exist. |
| How does your background as a serial entrepreneur inform your approach to writing poetry and self-expression? |
| This is an interesting question. An early habit that I had developed was to seek distinctions out of situations that I have faced in my life. My experience as a serial entrepreneur informs my approach to writing poetry and self-expression by fostering creativity, resilience, and an ability to think outside the box. I approach poetry with an intent to offer distinctions that readers may not have grappled with earlier, hence leaving them with a unique perspective on the situation they may be facing. I also write inspirational and motivational poetry, and my entrepreneurial journey has provided me with rich material to exploring themes of ambition, risk-taking, and the human experience. My next book is about an entrepreneur’s journey and will be targeted at young leaders, managers and enterprise builders. |
| How do you balance the demands of your professional life with your creative pursuits? |
| Poetry is akin to meditation for me. I seek out the positive message in any situation that I am faced with, be it at work or in my personal life, and poetry helps me to process my thoughts. Hence, I consider poetry to be the fulcrum that balances my professional and personal life, and helps me meet the demand of both. |
| Could you share a bit about your writing process? Do you have any rituals or routines that help you get into the creative zone? |
| I take mental notes during personal interactions – be they with my loved ones, or my clients and associates. It could even be an inflection point that I face in my business or in my personal life. Reflecting on those notes, and then arriving at the distinctions, give me the prompts to write. I do have a ritual. I recount and document those mental notes in my notes app in a section called “Thoughts to ponder”. I then take a few of them during the time I allocate as my me-time, and I would let the words flow. There have been often times that I have crafted poems impromptu during a meeting or a conversation. |
| What advice would you give to aspiring poets who are looking to explore themes of love and self-discovery in their writing? |
| My suggestion to aspiring poets is 1. Be present to inspiration. Keep a notebook handy to jot down ideas or moments of inspiration as they arise. If you find yourself in a very uncomfortable situation – be it at work or in your personal life, consider that it could actually be good fodder for your writing. 2. Be an observer. Listen to your thoughts and learn from your personal experiences. Learn to step away from the event, and look at it as an observer offering insights. 3. Listen. Great poets have been good listeners. When you can remove your listening filters and absorb the experience as-is, without credit or blame, without judgement, you will be able to grasp distinctions that were not available to you before. 4. Read. Please read widely and delve into the thought process of other poets and authors with the intent of understanding their approach to gaining insight and inspiration. 5. Experiment. Delve into different forms and styles – be they haikus, elfchens, free-verse, sonnets. Invest time in understanding these styles to find the ones that best suit your voice and message. 6. Be vulnerable. Share your innermost thoughts and feelings with honesty and sincerity. Nothing else resonates with readers like authenticity. 7. Be open to criticism and feedback. Find a buddy, or mentor, who will give you constructive and authentic feedback. There is no shame in having someone point out that your work needs editing. |
| How do you stay motivated and inspired to continue writing? |
| I consider writing to be the best form of therapy. Conversations are my best inspiration. When you come across a thought or an occurrence that makes you say “this is something to think about”, then that is also something to write about. |
| Can you share a bit about your future projects or upcoming works? |
| “Jasmines In Her Hair” is actually the second book that I have written. My first book has not been published as yet, and that is poetry and prose that would be targeted at young leaders, business leaders and entrepreneurs. I have not yet decided as to whether I want to go ahead with a traditional publisher or self-publish, and my criteria is to see how well my current book finds acceptance. |
| A few words for bookGeeks. |
| I am very impressed with the phenomenal job that BookGeeks is doing in the sphere of promoting new and known voices in the literary field. Your reviews are fair and honest and offer positive criticism which go a long way in terms of offering insights to authors on how to best position their work. |
You can buy ‘Jasmines in Her Hair’ by Kalpesh Desai using the link below.
