Ashiish V Patil is the Chief Storyteller, CEO, and Co-founder of Isspeshal StratCon LLP. Over the course of his career, he has amassed a wealth of experience that spans across various facets of business, marketing, and leadership. His journey has not been without its challenges, but it is precisely through those challenges that Ashiish has learned some of the most invaluable lessons that have shaped his professional life. His journey, much like his career, is defined by his ability to adapt, learn, and grow with the ever-evolving business landscape.
Ashiish V Patil’s story is one of transformation, both in terms of his professional trajectory and his approach to leadership. His experience at SSC&B Lintas in 1995 stands as one of his defining moments. The story he shares about his early days at the agency, managing the Allwyn refrigerators account, reveals much about his early understanding of the demands of advertising. In his words, it was a “throw-in at the deep end” experience, with high stakes and little room for error. This was the moment when Ashiish learned that success in business is not just about having the right tools, but about adapting to people, processes, and the challenges of the moment.
Ashiish V Patil’s first major task was handling a massive multi-media campaign for Allwyn refrigerators. The scope of the project was immense, with over 600 artworks in production, each requiring careful management across multiple departments. It was in this environment that Ashiish first came face-to-face with the complexities of large-scale production, where deadlines were tight, and precision was crucial. To manage this, he created what he thought was the perfect system: a giant Excel sheet to track every artwork’s progress. The sheer size of the document was a testament to his determination to create an efficient solution. Ashiish’s Excel sheet was so large that it needed its own table in the canteen, and it became the centerpiece of his strategy for keeping everything on track.
However, as with many great ideas, reality soon proved to be more complicated. It was during this time that Ashiish V Patil received one of the most important lessons of his career. His boss, Rajesh Tahil, someone Ashiish considered both a mentor and a lifelong friend, taught him a valuable lesson: It wasn’t the Excel sheet or the technology that would ensure success, but rather the people behind the process. Rajesh, through humor and experience, made Ashiish realize that while tools like Excel can help track progress, they could never replace the human element that drives success.
This lesson became a cornerstone of Ashiish V Patil’s approach to leadership. He learned that managing people was far more important than managing paperwork. It was through this realization that Ashiish’s leadership style began to evolve. He understood that to lead a team successfully, you had to know your people well, recognize their strengths, and adapt your approach accordingly. In his early days, this meant understanding how to connect with people on a personal level whether it was knowing that Bengali writers needed a little football banter to meet deadlines or that a simple joke could get an art team moving faster.
Ashiish’s story underscores an essential truth: in business, and in life, success is not achieved by relying solely on systems or technology. Instead, it is achieved through the ability to adapt to people, to build strong relationships, and to manage expectations effectively. His experience with the Allwyn refrigerators campaign, with its 600+ pieces of artwork, was a trial by fire that taught him the value of being resourceful, of leveraging human relationships, and of staying flexible in the face of challenges.
As Ashiish V Patil reflects on those early lessons, he realizes that they remain just as relevant today, especially in a world where artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to play an increasingly important role in business. In his words, the only AI he trusts to get things done is “Ashiish Intelligence.” This clever turn of phrase reflects Ashiish’s deep understanding that, while AI and technology can support our work, they will never replace the critical thinking, adaptability, and human connection that define true leadership.
Throughout his career, Ashiish V Patil has demonstrated the kind of leadership that values people over systems, relationships over processes, and adaptability over rigidity. He is a firm believer in the power of personal connections and the ability to navigate challenges with a flexible mindset. His story is one that should inspire all leaders whether in marketing, business, or any other field to recognize the value of human intelligence, creativity, and perseverance in driving success.
At Isspeshal StratCon LLP, Ashiish continues to apply these lessons in his role as Chief Storyteller and CEO. His ability to connect with people, inspire his team, and navigate the complexities of business with a clear sense of purpose and vision has made him a respected leader in his field. He is a testament to the power of adaptability and the importance of staying grounded in the fundamental lessons learned early in one’s career.
Ashiish V Patil’s journey from a management trainee in 1995 to the CEO and Co-founder of a successful company is a story of growth, resilience, and leadership. It is a reminder that success is not just about the tools we use, but about the people we lead, the relationships we build, and the lessons we learn along the way. His experiences are proof that while technology can assist, it is the human touch that ultimately makes the difference. Through his story, Ashiish teaches us all that true leadership lies in the ability to adapt, connect, and inspire, even in the most challenging of circumstances.
