'A little madness is a necessary ingredient in dreaming big'

Shaili Chopra is an award-winning business journalist and news presenter. In a journalism career spanning almost 12 years, Chopra has worked with CNBC, NDTV 24x7 and ET Now, where she was Senior Editor and Lead Anchor. In 2012, she won the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence.  A golf enthusiast, Chopra often held interviews with business leaders on golf courses. Her first book Birdies in Business was a collection of 40 such interviews from her show Tee Time With Shaili Chopra.

In 2014, she authored two books- The Big Connect : Politics in the Age of Social Media where she explores how social media is changing the political landscape of India by analysing the election campaigns of Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal during the Lok Sabha elections, and When I Was 25 where she speaks to eminent personalities of India about their journey to success.

In a Twitter chat hosted by dna, Chopra took questions on Twitter on books, golf and writing.

@dna I don't look at it as a move, it's an extension of wanting to tell stories, write a different format, interview people, track leaders — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna A2 books are a great format, they test your story-telling skills, give you a palette of words, you delve intensively into one subject — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna A2 am also a digital entrepreneur now, experimenting with the concepts of the future, so surely very exciting — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna @srcharan I think that's always important. You write so that a certain audience takes back something - lessons, a story, a thought ... — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@devoirtech @dna A3. contd. you want someone to benefit from your writing..in which ever way - philosophical or otherwise — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna A4 hard to say anyone because I imbibe diff things from authors- description from @GhoshAmitav, lucidness from Ian McEwan, so many — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna A4 contd. Enjoyed @barugaru book for its sharpness, loved @sardesairajdeep book for its anecdotal feast - it all influences an author — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna @PreetishT A5. Fascinating lives. Madness. Just their carefree phases. Their journey into the unknown, self discovery, failure, risks — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna a little madness is a necessary ingredient in dreaming big and achieving something, stay experimental and you will win — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna A7 I am not sure I have one single book, journalism cannot be learnt but its more about understanding stories #ZeeJLF — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna A7 But I feel autobiographies make journalists richer - I read Manufacturing Consent by #Chomsky, I read @WalterIsaacson a lot — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna played when I was 5, still need practise, love the idea of fostering a sport that tests your mind, makes you smarter, sharper #ZeeJLF — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna A9 It's an 'action' game, you don't react to oncoming ball - gives you time to think, discuss, chat, walk, engage, gauge, learn #ZeeJLF

— Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna A9 contd. Perfect biz game, converse about deals, business, know how other person react to a bad shot, character-telling #ZEEJLF — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna A10. In one word - Strategy. Both golf, politics are strategic, mental games and that's why so many leaders embrace it #ZeeJLF — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna it already has. My book #TheBigConnect elucidates that if youth are the future, you have to be where they are - which online #ZEEJLF — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna A11 In recent times @thekiranbedi used online/SMS to get inducted into the #BJP - #socialmedia web are transforming politics — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna I am a big supporter of being on social media, if you are writing for an audience,you need to be available to engage with them #ZEEJLF — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna A13 by using #socialmedia for the right comments at the right time and right place and with the right reaction, don't hold back #ZeeJLF — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna @mishra_shani A14 I am inspired by qualities, words, personality traits. I have a host of people who mean a lot to me #ZeeJLF — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna A15. Why should there be a bigger role? journalists should focus on telling their stories fairly / better credibility need of the hour — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna A16. Yes..the minute I get a thought. I write it on a paper napkin, on my phone notepad, scribble on a sheet. Never let it slip me by — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna A few together @sardesairajdeep on Elections, The Reader by Bernhard Schlink for 2nd time, Prison & Chocolate by Nayantara Sahgal — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@dna @punamstweet both are challenging but journalism is a good teacher of how to share, write, narrate - journalism happened first! #ZeeJLF — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

Autobiographies ! @Rachana_12 @dna — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015

@shailichopra Last question, what advice would you give to any 25 year old today? #ZeeJLF — dna (@dna) January 17, 2015

@dna oops am I too young to give that? Perhaps I'd say read my book #WhenIWas25 now in stores and on Amazon #ZeeJLF pic.twitter.com/uelXxfxAPZ — Shaili Chopra (@shailichopra) January 17, 2015