If time management were a collector’s item, Jagdish Chaturvedi would probably have a treasure chest full of it. An ENT surgeon by profession, Chaturvedi rose to fame as a comedian through his YouTube channel and has never looked back since. A true testament to multitasking, he has managed to not only juggle all his careers satisfactorily but has successfully excelled in them too!
An overview of his impressive achievements is proof of the same – He was listed in the 35 innovators under the age of 35 in 2016 by MIT Technology Review and has co-invented 18 medical devices that are affordable. He is the Founder and CEO of HiiiH Innovations Private Limited, a company that brings all medical innovation services under one roof. As a clinical doctor, he works at Bangalore’s Fortis Hospital in the capacity of a visiting consultant of ear, nose and throat surgery. Phew, right? But that’s not all!
Dr. Chaturvedi has also starred in the web-series, ‘Starting Troubles’ which was released right here on BuddyBits. You’ll be amazed to know that the web-series is based on one of Chaturvedi’s books titled, ‘Inventing Medical Devices – A perspective from India.’ The web series is a reflection of his awe-inspiring life – a medical student passionate about comedy and acting who must learn to balance his passions with work, all the while navigating the politics that erupt as a consequence of his medical innovations. It is recommended by BuddyBits as a must watch for anyone wanting to head down a similar path, and gain insight and courage to take the plunge, surprisingly, from real life events!
He has played parts in heartfelt yet poignant productions like, ‘Who would you believe?’, a short film on sexual harassment in hospitals and ‘A heart to heart’, a play on empathy in the healthcare industry. Merging medical facts and aspects for the layman with his stand-up acts in hilarious ways is what characterizes his content as unique.
Other notable books by Mr. Funny-Bones are, ‘One Year of Stand-up Comedy’ and ‘The Benefits of Failing Successfully.’ Along with writing books, articles and cracking rib-tickling jokes (pun intended) on his YouTube channel that boasts 1.28 lac subscribers, he has also delivered many TEDx talks and speeches.
One thing we found amusing about Dr. Jagdish was his unique combination of Focus and Versatility. So, we went ahead and asked him which is more important according to him. To which, he replied –
“Versatility, because being versatile has made me more adaptable and less vulnerable to stress. I always have multiple options to pursue and fall back to. Also, I don’t imply that being versatile means not having a focus. I think being versatile means giving the right amount of focus to different activities. That right amount may be more for something like a surgery and much lesser for something like comedy. It doesn’t mean that it cannot be done at all.”
What a perfectly articulated answer, no? We also asked how he manages to do so many things simultaneously and to that, he replied with a rather interesting answer. He said that he works with teams and that’s the only way it can be done. According to him – alone, he might burn out and fade away but with a team, he remains solid. Moreover, he also pointed out the importance of respecting his team’s time and efforts. He does not believe in micro-management and prefers to trust his team members on most occasions.
A very important lesson to be learnt from Jagdish Chaturvedi is to never settle. Side hustles, projects and coveted career fields CAN change into full-time, revenue generating portals not only to a better life, but a fulfilled life. The multitudes of his talent thrived because he never gave up. He certainly substantiated the phrase, ‘The only limit is your imagination.’