"I have done all of those things, I am more interested in transformation in people and transformation in teams and transformation of brands and that really comes through teaching and mentorship. I think being a mentor ends up being like a natural progression when you work in the industry for a considerable amount of time. So, in my roles as lead designer and creative director for a number of businesses and leading teams trying to get the best out of teams, natural ability to mentor also surfaces to get the best out of a person too."
“I think being a mentor is seeing transformation in people and teams. You really see a transformation that is not comparable to financial gain. You know the financial gain is always grey and you can have a particular lifestyle. I have seen transformations in people that stay with them for the rest of their lives. So the best part of mentorship is seeing transformation and the thing that I say is to help people and support people to touch their dreams. People often seek a mentor for multiple reasons but they often have a hope or dream in mind and they need some help or support to do that. So the best part is seeing that transformation that stays with the person and that person does for someone else and that's the beauty and the best part of mentorship.”
“My greatest inspiration is my late father. He instilled some values in me that continued to inspire me and the biggest one is always to be somebody with honour and what honour means to you. He always said it meant that you do your best and it meant to trust life. That life presented things to trust and go with them and not overthink them and that informed acted as an inspiration. I think it's his legacy to me and he always said never say you can’t do anything and say that I will give it my best shot and see what happens. So, I try to instil the same in people that I meet. So, my core inspiration comes from the legacy of my parents and to love for what I do.”
“If I had to choose an alternative career, I’d like to be an Intergalactic Astronaut. I think there are so many things to explore the limitations of what we know. So I try to do that through creative writing and then artistic work that I put out there. I truly aim to fulfil this ‘cos I like to leave part of a community that empowers disadvantaged young people to explore creativity to meet their challenges. So If there’s anyone out there who’s interested in the idea that they want to help young disadvantaged people to explore creativity, to meet their challenges and the challenges that the community face, they should reach out to me on Linkedin.”
“My message to students or people just seeking any form of guidance is that often the answer is within yourself you just don’t realise. But be courageous and come to the edge of your comfort zone ‘cos that’s the way you truly develop and that’s the way you grow. So what I find with a lot of students is that they have quite often been through a lot of conditioning or schooling or education and it’s all about limitation and result. They don’t necessarily push themselves above the limitations that they have been informed about. At the moment because of a lot of uncertainty in the world, uncertainty in economics, uncertainty about career directions, and business directions, ppl aren’t courageous ‘cos they are thinking the worst, they aren’t thinking what the best could come out of it. So, be courageous. And does it always have to finance and can it not be I am a better person? That would be my guidance to any person.”
We can’t let Sanjeev go without honouring him with some heartfelt messages from his ex-students.
Happy Teacher’s Day Sanjeev Davidson!
“Sanjeev has to be one of the kindest people I have ever met. As a teacher, he has so much empathy, he is committed to your growth which is rare to find in today’s world”- Neha Sood, Brand Head, Merlinbrands.
“Sanjeev is not just a great teacher and mentor, but also a great human being. One of the many things that truly set him apart is his ability to make each and everyone feel important and included.”- Aanchal Bansal, Mompreneur.