Ravi Dasari's Gray Area Blog

A Will to Win

1/9/2025

I welcome 2025 announcing professional news with significant personal meaning. After three decades of providing volunteer strategic counsel to my alma mater, I have the privilege of formally transitioning Mizzou Athletics to a client to begin the last chapter of my career.

I'll provide growth and brand strategy consulting to Athletics Director Laird Veatch and his senior team to help harness the ever-evolving chaos of college athletics. A world with a chicken-and-egg dynamic in which revenue is essential to winning and winning is paramount to generate revenue.

Laird's vision is to significantly elevate Mizzou's place in college athletics by developing and/or maintaining consistently high-level winning programs.

An 11-year-old little buddy of mine asked me what I'm going to be doing for Mizzou (prompted by her parents, who are Mizzou alumni and close friends). I gave an answer I thought she would understand because she is already a competitor who likes sports: "I will be doing things to help us win more."

On the surface, winning games may seem like a shallow endeavor. Until we see and note how it brings people together every day from all walks of life to create moments that turn into treasured lifetime memories. Winning creates bonds and identities passed on through generations among families and friends. Winning stirs visceral emotions of pride and joy and leads to transcendent individual and communal experiences.

Winning is also a proven elixir to develop a magnetic brand for a university to attract more talented students and faculty, as well as increase support from alumni, businesses, and institutions for research and partnerships that positively impact people's lives.

I've always believed sport, like music, art, and other passions, is a meaningful distraction from life's existential needs and stresses. My goal is to help Mizzou Athletics make that distraction exponentially more meaningful to our students, alumni, and fans. hashtag#WillToWin

Leadership for All

3/28/2024

Many people are leaders and may not realize it themselves or are not recognized for it. Leaders don’t have to head a department at a company or be a quarterback in the NFL. Parents, coaches, teachers, dance instructors, volunteers, mentors, social workers and on and on lead people simply by trying to help them be better at something, or many things.

I have a passion for leadership and mentoring people both professionally (strategy, branding, marketing communications) and personally (personal finance, career development, personal development). I’ve led teams at companies/organizations but I also love helping people individually.

Recently, a good friend and former colleague was promoted to Vice President at her Fortune 500 company. When we worked together early in her career, she proactively asked if I would provide her formal leadership training even though it meant extra time and work for her beyond the scope of her role. I had a well-considered leadership philosophy before that, but in order to make that training valuable and robust, I developed a personalized leadership program for the first time.

This infographic includes some of my notes from the initial program along with observations, thoughts and discussions I've had about leadership with others since. I believe the principles apply whether you're a leader in an organization or company or you lead individuals. Leadership is a broad discipline and these principles are by no means are all-encompassing. I do think they provide a strong foundation from which to lead. I hope they add perspective to help the people or person you are leading.

A Crisis of Accountability

1/25/2024

Trust is the backbone of any relationship – with individuals such as a spouse/partner, friend or even a financial planner, doctor, or your kid’s teacher or coach. More broadly, trust in institutions such as corporations, small businesses, government or media is essential for society to thrive and function with collective peace of mind.

Trust has been in decline worldwide for some time now. The 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, an annual global survey in 28 counties including the United States, China, Germany, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Argentina, Sweden and more – a potpourri of cultures, political systems, religions and economic power – reveals a decrease in trust of corporations, and individual leaders in business, government and the media.

Small Acts of Kindness Reveal Character & Commitment

11/13/2023

Today is World Kindness Day, and people show kindness through volunteerism, donations and grand gestures periodically. However, on top of those, simple acts of kindness everyday can uplift each other, nurture friendships and deepen bonds. I want to recount a couple of such acts of kindness over the weekend that took extra intent and effort, and revealed each person's strong commitment and character.

Last Friday I attended the University of Missouri's college basketball game against the University of Memphis. The athletic director for Memphis, Laird Veatch, is a long-time friend. Laird and I developed a strong friendship when he was in the athletic department at Mizzou. We texted the week of the game and said let's "catch up."

It was a bit of a passive text that many people send each other as a polite gesture. The words sound good and check off a box. But knowing an AD's duties on a short, same-day road trip, we both knew meeting would be difficult. Especially because I had plans for dinner before the game with a group of friends coming to the game.

All Three Thriving Five Years In!

9/12/2023

Five years ago today, I was re-born, thanks to my wonderful friends Ryan and Traci Ferguson.

They gave me a priceless gift of a kidney transplant on Sept. 12, 2018. They put their lives and careers on hold for six weeks to help me overcome life-altering daily physical and mental fatigue and uncertainty about my future caused by end-stage kidney disease. Their grand act of selflessness and sacrifice progressively allowed me to return to a life with energy, passion and purpose each day since. And just as importantly, if not more, both Ryan and Traci have continued to touch the lives of others.

It doesn’t seem much of a coincidence that Ryan and my birthdays are just one day apart – August 20th and 21st. Not only are Ryan and I both Leos, but I like to believe the three of us share even more important things in common such as drive, competitiveness, compassion and empathy. Their remarkable blessing alone is a lifetime of evidence of the latter two traits.

All three of us are thriving! To show how lives can flourish for both the organ donor and recipient, here’s just a few things we’ve done in words and photos, together and apart, the past five years.

Within a year after the transplant, Ryan and Traci built and moved into a new home in Ft. Collins. Colo. just before I built and moved into a new home in Leawood, Kan., where my Mom lives with me now after my Dad passed and my Brother moved from California to be close to us.

Each of our careers have given us professional purpose. Ryan continues his career as an Associate Partner of IBM’s Cloud Hybrid Services Group and Traci hers as a Park Planner for the City of Commerce City, Colo. I transitioned from full-time to branding and marketing consulting for companies in healthcare technology (Cerner, WellSky and now Amwell), financial services (Edelman Financial Engines) and scientific innovation enablement (CAS).

Ryan followed a passion to fly and earned his pilot's license this year. My passion for mentorship has led my two most recent mentees to morph into two incredible friends-like-family whom I’m eager to watch blossom throughout their lives.

We've all traveled extensively for fun. I've been to the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean twice each, in addition to Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Denver, South Carolina, North Carolina and Oregon. I was honored to see where our nation's Declaration of Independence was conceived and signed, where the Liberty Bell rang, and where a young Sylvester Stallone ran up the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum in “Rocky.” I went to see two iconic sports rivalries: Duke v. North Carolina at Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke (my Blue Devils won!) and Yankees v. Red Sox in Fenway Park.

Ryan and Traci combined international travel including to the Bahamas (five weeks after the transplant), Barcelona, Madagascar (bucket list!) with trips in the States including to New Hampshire/Vermont/Maine, Louisiana, Hawaii, Chicago, and camped at Glacier National Park (Montana), Yellowstone and all over Wyoming/Idaho/Colorado.

They regularly go to Red Rocks, which I got to visit with them. They’ve seen concerts including the Avett Brothers, Ben Folds, Jack Johnson and Pearl Jam. They also attend the WinterWonderGrass, a bluegrass festival in Steamboat Springs. They camp and float at Lake of the Ozarks, Lake Wappapello, Elephant Rocks State Park and Johnson Shut-Ins and go back to Missouri regularly to see their families in Camdenton and Adrian.

Of course, plenty of our journeys have been to see our Mizzou Tigers. Between the three of us, we’ve traveled to road games at Universities of Georgia, Boston College, Auburn, Kansas State, and Wyoming to rep our Tigers in addition to coming "home" frequently to cheer for Ol' Mizzou in Columbia!

Ryan and Traci obviously love music, but they love playing it too. Traci played guitar and Ryan played banjo at a dear friend's wedding. I joined my Mom and Brother to see my nephew get married in California. All of us continue to deepen our bonds with family and friends and develop new friendships.

Suffice to say, we’ve all kept moving, thinking, working, playing, connecting, learning and observing. We're all in a state of perpetual curiosity. An existential crisis like needing a transplant is an opportunity to think about what’s next. Whether you've had a health crisis or not, don't think too long. Start moving. Do things. Go places. Just thrive!

Human Vibes Create Best Work Cultures

7/23/2023

People work to live the life they want. Some get the luxury of work not feeling like work at all. Some reasons include fair compensation, perks and benefits, flexibility, and formal platforms that connect, include and value each employee. But in the best cultures, there’s more.

They’re invisible. They’re not anything people “get.” In fact, they are something everyone from top to bottom can “give:” The most human of vibes that come from emotional intelligence.

Curiosity: A catalyst for a more informed, understanding world

4/20/2023

I’ve always been a dog person. They love unconditionally and always give and want attention. Cats are different. They love you when they feel like it – usually when they want to land the trifecta: food, attention or affection. Other than that, they are often indifferent.

Then I met my friends Clara’s and Vic’s cat Chester. Beyond his cuteness and cuddliness-on-demand - his demand - there is something special about him.

Chester certainly is interested in food, attention and affection, and so, so much more. He is never indifferent. His curiosity is endless. He is interested in chasing his tail as if it’s a separate living being and not an appendage. In climbing the Christmas tree to see what treasures or treats might lurk in the branches only to get stuck and meow for assistance. In pawing at every bag and box wondering if it contains food or toys, or something that he can turn into either. In every nook and cranny that leads him to get stuck in the three-inch space between the refrigerator and counter. In the photo above he’s finding wonder in a moment of either self-recognition or self-reflection staring at a portrait of him and his big sister Chunky.

All these observations made me realize what’s so special about Chester. He is perpetually curious. A lifetime learner. There are lessons in that for all of us humans.

Angels in Southwest's Travel Hell

1/3/2023

Figuring Christmas night would an easier night to travel rather than fight the masses the day after, and appreciating paying less than half the cost, I booked Southwest Airlines flights from Greenville, South Carolina through Atlanta back home to Kansas City. You probably can guess the travel hell I had entered...but lucky for so many of us who dared to fly that night, there were also angels in that hell.

My flight got delayed two hours in Greenville, but the gate agent there said our connecting flight in Atlanta was also delayed so they would likely hold it for the 11 people connecting to Kansas City. Upon landing in Atlanta, we rushed to the connecting gate only to find out that our flight went from “delayed” to “cancelled.” And from the looks of lines about 40 deep at each gate of Terminal C in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the world’s busiest, so had nearly every other Southwest flight.

A Loss is a Chance to Learn

11/21/2022

The biggest opportunities always seem larger than life. A college application to your No. 1 choice. The bar exam. The perfect job. A health scare. A championship game. The outcome elicits visceral joy or profound heartbreak. Nothing much in between. You win or lose.

But it doesn’t have to be so black and white. At least beyond the moment.

The Paradox of Proximity

10/26/2022

I have a friend who has been a flight attendant her entire career. She has traveled the world for American Airlines and I can see considers it much more than a job. Rather than just make a living, she lives life. And always in a perpetual state of curiosity. I can see her passion for experiencing different cultures, histories and people. She certainly amplifies the saying “Do something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”

The best part is she shares her travels with all of her friends and family by posting photos and videos, and even more importantly, describing the experiences, interactions with and observations of the people of each culture.

Her curiosity allows her to learn and experience, but also share what she observes and absorbs with many who may not have ever been or ever be within close proximity of the many people with whom she crosses paths.

Paying forward a priceless gift

9/12/2022

Four years ago I received the blessing of a lifetime from my friends Ryan and Traci Ferguson. On September 12, 2018, one of Ryan’s kidneys was transplanted to me after my kidney disease had reached an inflection point that sapped my energy and prevented me from living a normal life, including working full-time. Both Ryan and Traci had volunteered to donate.

I fought the urge to make grand gestures to thank them, knowing anything I do would be inequivalence of infinite proportion. More to the point, I know both of them are so grounded that they would never want anything in return expect for me to make the most of my life. I decided the best way to do that was to use my strengths to help others.

I’m writing this to show how deeply an organ donation impacts not only the recipient like me, but others I know and don’t know, most with exponential degrees of separation.

"The Extra Mile" is Open Road

8/20/2022

“Go the extra mile. It’s not crowded.”

I can’t remember exactly where I saw that quote but it was likely shared by one of the many budding philosophers on Facebook or Instagram. However, in today’s world where everyone is “soooo busy” that many struggle to make adequate effort even for simple gestures, the extra mile is indeed a road less traveled.

Cheers to those who take the road. They set a higher standard and lift others up.

The Nuance of Competitiveness

7/9/2022

Competitiveness is a highly valued trait in most circles because it’s often the fuel to success and achievement. Having been in the business world after university and having played sports ever since I was in elementary school, I’ve been around the aura of competitiveness nearly all my life. In those settings, I’ve heard many people, including myself, describe themselves as highly competitive.

Netflix's "Ozark" culture key to show's exceptional success

5/15/2022

The wildly popular Netflix series Ozark recently finished its five-year run as one of the most-watched, binged and acclaimed streaming series in history. With veteran actors Jason Bateman (Marty Byrd) and Laura Linney (Wendy Byrd) anchoring the cast, and the meteoric rise of Julie Garner (Ruth Langmore), talent was certainly one foundation to the show’s success.

Let's Re-Humanize Each Other

4/24/2022

In our personal lives, especially those of us who communicate using technology or social media regularly, we are accustomed to nomenclature such as “followers,” “viewers,” or those who “liked” or “shared” something we thought was valuable.

"Come With Solutions"

11/15/2021

The world has always had – and will always have - problems and challenges. Fortunately, the world has also always had optimistic, industrious, curious and relentless people who choose to focus on solutions instead of those problems and challenges.

Solutions for every walk of life. For example, our health (life expectancy has increased from about 50 to about 80 the past 150 years); our ability to connect physically (planes, trains and automobiles, etc.) or virtually (Facetime, Teams, Zoom, Duo, smartphones, etc.); or moral evolution (more opportunities for all people no matter their ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.).

Lead From the Middle

10/22/2021

I wrote a post earlier this year called “Leaders Need No Crown,” to underscore that one doesn’t need to have a title or be the head of any group of people to be a leader. Flipping that into a positive, the post implied that people without titles like director, manager, coach, pastor, CEO, quarterback, professor, president, etc. can be just as valuable as leaders, if not more, if they exhibit certain character traits, inherent or learned, and turn them into desired actions.

Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can't Lose.

9/30/2021

In the fictional, five-season TV drama series Friday Night Lights (now of Netflix), which was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 2011, when Dillon (Texas) High School Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) went to visit his recently paralyzed all-American quarterback Jason Street (Scott Porter), he found his former QB1 understandably wallowing in self-pity and self-doubt about what his future would be, not just in football, but in life, since he couldn’t move his legs or arms. The two had a brief, subdued interaction as the coach did most of the talking. However, as he turned to leave, Street said to his coach: “Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can’t Lose.”

Gift of a Lifetime

9/12/2021

I’ve always had passion for leadership. Leadership is essential to making the world better in an infinite number of ways. Some leaders are visionary and can see solutions before problems even exist. Some leaders have the ability to be a calming or inspirational presence even without being present. The best leaders have a common tenant – rather than for power, glory or ego, their motivation to lead is to serve others.

Sacrificing for the Greater Good

8/23/2021

Weaved into the fabric of America is sacrificing for the common good to preserve and advance our collective freedom.

Americans united and sacrificed during World War I and World War II not only by going to war across the oceans as a soldier, medic, nurse or cook, but in so many others ways right here in the United States.

Who should you trust for "news?"

7/17/2021

It’s a common refrain: “I don’t know what to believe and what news to trust.” No wonder people feel that way with the proliferation of cable channels, streaming networks, podcasts, radio shows and social media during the past 15 years.

According to a Pew Research Center study from September 2020, 88% get their news from their smartphone, tablet or computer. Another 68% get at least part of their news from TV sources, 50% percent from radio and 32% from newspaper/magazines (print and digital).

It’s not far-fetched to say many only watch the networks that reinforce their beliefs and assumptions. And it’s even less of a leap to say that the most-watched cable news networks such as CNN, FOX and MSNBC certainly skew their presentation of “news” – sometimes under the guise of “entertainment” and sometimes bordering on “propaganda.” That’s not to say there aren’t outstanding, objective journalists at all three networks who are diligent and present facts. But as the evening wears on, the line becomes blurred between news, entertainment and pure opinion, often not based on facts.

Find Your Middle "C"

6/20/2021

For all of my life, I have loved nearly every type of music. I have a playlist called “Decades” with hundreds of songs I started populating in my car on Amazon Music on a long, solo round-trip. I asked Alexa to play the top songs of each year, and if I liked it, I simply said “Alexa, add to playlist ‘Decades,’” which includes my favorite songs ranging from the 18th Century through 2020. When I say “Alexa shuffle ‘Decades,’” someone with me may wonder if I’ve lost my organizational acumen as a variety of seemingly random genres including classical, rock, alternative, pop, rap and more sound off.

Differences Enrich Our Lives

6/13/2021

It’s conventional thinking to assume you should have a lot in common with someone to enable you to become friends or develop any kind of relationship. There’s no doubt that common interests can be the foundation for conversation that flows easier. The topics are familiar to both people and there are common points of references to ponder, laugh about or even debate.

However, differences I have with some of my family and friends add texture and value to my life. Differences offer an opportunity to learn from each other and expand our horizons. They lead to experiences we may never have considered whether they are as adventurous as skydiving or as cerebral as learning to play music.

Leaders Need No Crown

5/31/2021

The pandemic has tested everyone’s will and resolve. It has been a battle against the invisible, so much so that unless someone had experienced it or knew of someone who had fallen victim to it, some considered it imaginary. But it was indescribably real to so many who contracted the Covid virus. And the reality was experienced in spades by those who had to heal the afflicted.

Healthcare workers have been justifiably lauded as heroes during the past year-plus. They have shown incredible courage, determination and an ability to stare adversity in the face daily, and never back down. Some of them may have been inspired by the top medical or nursing officer at their hospital or clinic. But ultimately, they had to reach into their own hearts and souls to answer the bell. Even knowing the risks to themselves and their families, they still rose to help so many others they did not even know.

Music to My Ears

5/23/2021

My fourth-grade music teacher required each of us to stand in front of the class and sing. Not as a group, so I could quietly let others who actually like to be heard carry the harmony. Solo. Impromptu. I don’t think it was intended to teach us music as much as it was to test our courage. I failed miserably on both counts.

Those who know me know that I’m an introvert and generally one of the quieter people in the room. But even as an introvert, I’m comfortable speaking in front of groups, making points and raising questions in meetings, making presentations and engaging with conviction as long as I am saying something meaningful rather than making small talk. In fourth grade, describing me as an introvert would have been a gross understatement. I was painfully shy and just getting me to TALK in a group was hard enough, but singing a spontaneous solo in front of my classmates? I froze. Mark me down for an “F” on the experiment.

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