After all, if not for a case of mistaken identity, he would likely not have ventured into advertising where he is now a well-known figure.

“I worked as a waiter, bartender and part-time musician before accidentally getting into advertising because somebody mistook me for someone else,” he says.

The turning point in Harmandar’s life came sometime during the 1980s when a similarly turbaned friend, who worked for an advertising agency, told him about another agency interested in hiring him. The friend told Harmandar, better known as Ham to his friends, to try his luck at getting the job.

Long story short, Ham showed up for the interview and was offered the post of creative assistant. The company hadn’t done any background check on him, assuming that he was the person they had intended to hire.

Ham says he initially thought the job offer was a joke as his appointment letter was dated April 1. By the time his employers realised they had hired the wrong person, he already had “too many awards in my pocket” and had made himself quite the indispensable employee.

Fast forward 30 years, and Ham, the founder of Sledgehammer Communications is also a columnist, academic, ‘guru’ and most recently, an author.

He told FMT his recently launched book “Rainmaker – Making brands and people famous and furious for three decades”, was his latest project.

“I have been writing (articles on the industry) for a long time, up to 20,000 words per week,” says Ham. “Writing is my core strength. I love to write. I’m like a guitarist who plays a solo every two minutes.”

“Rainmaker” is mainly a compilation of the articles he has written over the years. “I just updated them and wrote a few new chapters. I completed this book in two weeks, actually,” he says, adding that a biography on his life is also in the works.

The book is something of a dream come true for Ham as he had always wanted to add author to the many labels he already goes by.

A Bahasa Malaysia version of “Rainmaker” is also underway, which Ham hopes to distribute to schools and universities so students can get a glimpse into the world of advertising.

Explaining the title of his book, Ham says a rainmaker is a person who makes dreams come true. “And I have worked for lots of brands to make them famous,” he adds.

Writing the book has inspired Ham to consider turning into a full-time writer next year.

“I don’t want to go to meetings anymore, trying to sell things. I have been around for what feels like 200 years. If you already know my product, why do I need to show up?” he laughs.

Citing his friend, the late Yasmin Ahmad – who had also worked in the advertising industry before becoming a filmmaker – as an example, he says she enjoyed her final years doing what she loved most – film-making.

Ham is even considering expanding into other genres, saying that the idea of writing movie scripts intrigues him. “I have so many stories in my head, maybe even a million ideas,” he sighs.

Asked who would most enjoy reading his book, Ham replies: “The people in the advertising industry – they will get a good laugh. But this book can be read by anybody. The chapters are short and, anyway, there isn’t really any book on Malaysian advertising.”

He says there are only a few books on the local advertising scene but they are mostly academic and, unlike his, are inaccessible to the layman.

“My book is a window into our industry, based on my views and experiences. They (readers) will find out that this is not an easy industry to be in. Corruption and unscrupulous things take place in this industry.

“They will find out who the real champions are and how to be truly creative,” he says. “They will also find out that they don’t have to go to university to become an award-winning writer.”

All proceeds of the book “Rainmaker” will go to Mercy Malaysia, a non-profit organisation of which he was an exco. He is now Trustee of Mercy Malaysia UK.

So, how does one make it big in this industry?

“Pure hard work,” he says, explaining that in the early years of his career, he slept in the office and often worked day and night, even on weekends.

“I didn’t want to be poor. I wanted to be successful. Fear of failure was what kept me going,” he says.

“Eventually the hard work, dedication, and attention to detail and precision paid off. And here I am today.”

For your copy of ‘Rainmaker’, contact Ruby at 012-6135108 or send an email to [email protected]. Alternatively, purchase it online by clicking here.