You Need to Build Your Own Brand, to be Successful in Today’s World: Walter Mascarenhas
~ Mascarenhas also said that it is important to never stop learning and not give in to the fear of trying something new.
Panaji, January 2026: When you want to be rich, you also have to build your brand, according to Walter Mascarenhas, a corporate trainer, motivational speaker, life coach, former aeronautical engineer and squadron leader (retd) in the Indian Air Force, and a certified neuro-linguistic programming practitioner. Walter, during his talk titled ‘Ask and be Rich’, held as part of Clube Tennis de Gaspar Dias’ ongoing centenary lecture series in Panaji, also said that people need to learn how to be in demand.
“Each of us should have a reputation for honesty, kindness, discipline and sincerity. If you have this, you will automatically get business. Always learn to be in demand,” he said.
Further speaking on how to attain success, Mascarenhas shared a three-pronged approach of ASK: attitude, skills and knowledge. “Soft skills are as important in today’s world. Communication, interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, decision-making, stress and time management, critical and creative thinking are needed often, and these are not taught in schools and colleges, unlike hard skills,” he said.
Further explaining the approach, he stated that facts, information, awareness, education and experience encompass knowledge. “You can make informed decisions and improve lives with innovation if you have enough of it. And attitude is how we think, how we feel or how we behave,” he said.
He further elucidated that having a rich life requires one to work on the mind and the body. It also encompasses mind control and the use of neuro-linguistic programming. “It’s up to each of us to decide that we can be happy 95 per cent of the time. I will be happy. And just maybe 5 per cent, I will not be, or I will be less happy. This is how neuro-linguistic programming affects your mind,” said Mascarenhas.
He further stated that to be successful, one needs to take care of the body, be it through diet, exercise or maintaining a positive attitude. “We don’t need to fear failure. Let go of it. Instead, you should have persistence, consistency and patience. You also need to do a little every day, not just think about what you want to do,” the former IAF officer said.
Drawing from his diverse experiences of skydiving, scuba diving and his corporate career, Mascarenhas said one should never stop learning. “I like to be a learner and a student for life. Do whatever you want, keep learning and keep getting better. Earlier, I used to be quite scared of snorkelling and scuba diving. But now I am a pro,” he said.
