Radhika Duggal

As we begin to close the curtains on 2023, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the unwavering support the LinkedIn community has shown Super.com and me, personally, this year. In reflecting upon everything the Super.com team has accomplished this year, it has been one of the proudest years of my career.

Knowing that, I wanted to share a bit about the three most significant lessons I’ve learned this year: Resilience, Patience and Humanity.

Resilience 🛡️: On the Super.com marketing team, we’ve talked about resilience a lot this year because one of my biggest learnings is that it’s central to almost every aspect of life - from health to family to work. In addition to applying the tactical resilience toolkit that we discussed as a team (control what you can, be adaptable, and be persistent), I’ve focused my learning & development hours on reading about resilience and how others cultivate it. One of the more interesting books on the topic that I’ve found is Embrace the Suck: The Navy SEAL Way to an Extraordinary Life . I challenged myself to read it with an open mind because even the title was off putting and pessimistic - contrary to my outlook. And it turned out to be a great book that offers another simple framework for resilience:

View difficulty as a challenge. Don’t be paralyzed by it. Every difficult event is an opportunity for growth, even if we falter in addressing those events perfectly at first.

Be committed to your own growth. Resilient people have agency to make changes when faced with difficult situations.

Spend your precious mindspace on things you can control. I’ve often talked about this, but what I’ve learned from the book is that this is as much about spending your emotional energy on the things you can truly control (or at least influence) as it is your time.

In addition, the best meeting I, personally, had this year at Super.com was one where many team members shared their own stories of challenges they’ve faced, and tactically, how those challenges have helped build resilience. Not only did I find the tactical instructions on how to be more resilient helpful, but I was struck by the courage and capability of every person who shared their story. I’m so grateful to each team member for being so open to sharing a piece of their lives with us. This is how connections are formed - especially in a company staunchly committed to being remote for life.

Patience ⏳ : Patience has never been my strong suit. As a child, I used to ask “are we there yet?” 5 minutes into a car ride - whether it was a 30 minute trip to the local McDonald’s or a 14 hour car ride for a vacation. I’ve always craved instant outcomes, especially when I have clarity on what that outcome should look like. But this year, I’ve learned the value of patience because I’ve seen that if I’m patient, I can drive change through persuasion. Here are a few tactical ways I’ve tried to cultivate a practice of patience:

Stop and see the situation from others’ perspectives: Using patience as a strength often requires seeing things from all angles - especially angles I don’t personally understand. Stepping back and truly trying to understand others’ perspectives, even if I don’t eventually agree with them, has helped me, week over week, month over month to make persuasive arguments that have driven change. You cannot persuade someone you don’t understand. Taking the time to understand has made a difference.

Ask probing questions with an open, positive mindset: Questions are so often seen as criticism. But I’ve learned that changing the way I ask them can convey my positive intent and help to persuade others. I’ve learned to ask questions with the true intent to learn (and not to ask questions I already know the answers to - that’s just disingenuous) and to convey that intent with my tone and body language. I’ve learned to ask questions slowly and not to rush. And I’ve learned to listen to the answers - really listen. Does this slow down the process? Yes. Does it help me to craft better, more impactful persuasive outcomes? Yes.

Humanity 👥: Everything is all about the people - always. The more challenging moments I’ve experienced this year have far been offset by the positive experiences we've created as a company - filled with respect, laughter, and fun. From virtual walks with many of my teammates to packing meals with Blessings in a Backpack in Chicago to several great off-sites, I’m struck by the fact that this is the smartest, kindest, and bravest team I’ve ever had the privilege of working alongside. I’m humbled to have that opportunity.

When it comes to people, I continue to be inspired by the impact Super.com has daily on our customers. I have the pleasure of speaking with 1-2 customers/week - sometimes through scheduled focus groups, but more often because I just pick up the phone and give folks a call. And every time, I’m blown away by the stories they tell me. Their resilience, their persistence, and most importantly, their action-oriented hope to create a brighter future for themselves and their families inspires me daily.

What’s Next? 🚀

Reflecting on both my team’s tactical accomplishments and the lessons above, I’m beyond proud. But as with everyone who spent 2023 at a startup, we all deserve a restful holiday season so that we can begin 2024 feeling recharged and excited for the year ahead. I intend to do just that - to take the time to fully recharge so I can return to Super.com in January with the drive, focus, and thoughtfulness required to play a small part in building our company for our deserving customers. Happy holidays, everyone! 🌟🎉

Radhika Duggal

New York City Metropolitan Area 6K followers 500+ connections

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Major League Soccer

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Education

Columbia Business School

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