Brand New Start: Fast-Start your Career with the Power of Personal Branding was born out of mentoring conversations the author had with young people whose careers were impacted in the early days of the COVID lockdowns. As Dhar began chatting with them, helping someone with their resume, helping someone else prepare for an interview, or helping someone choose between different career options, he found himself repeating common themes- the importance of doing something because it's a good fit for you versus chasing someone else's definition of success; learning how to differentiate yourself versus just depending on labels of degrees and designations; and how to be more intentional in showing up at key 'moments of truth'. Dhar began asking himself a question, "Wouldn't it be more helpful to more people if I could pull these thoughts together in the form of a book, which helped people, especially those early in their careers, realise how important it was to be more intentional about building an authentic, differentiated and compelling personal brand as a cornerstone of their career success?"
Bloomsbury India published brand New Start in early 2021, and Dhar was delighted at the response from readers. "Every time I hear from a reader who has thought differently about his or her career or felt like they were better equipped to choose by reading Brand New Start, I feel like the book has served its purpose."
Besides becoming an Amazon bestseller, the book went on to win accolades on the international stage. It won Gold at the Non-Fiction Awards, hosted by the Non-Fiction Author's Association in the United States in the Self-Help category, and Bronze in the Readers Favourite Awards in the United States. Dhar says, "I don't write for awards, though they do serve as a welcome source of encouragement. What matters is making a positive impact on readers through my ideas and books."
Dhar is a unique combination of a bestselling novelist with over twenty books to his credit and a seasoned corporate leader- an alumnus of IIM-Ahmedabad, with twenty-five years of experience in blue-chip multinationals, and currently the CEO for India & South Asia with a leading MNC. That interesting mix of the deep leadership insights of a CEO and engaging storytelling of a veteran raconteur is what makes Brand New Start a refreshing and unique read.