Smitthi Bhiraleus Ask the young managing director of MTV about his other passions and chances are he’ll steer the conversation back to his first love, music.

My childhood dream was to be a DJ.Since I was a kid, I wanted to introduce new styles of music to other people. That may sound childish, but it still is my dream.

My family has always been in the music business. We started Channel [V] back in 1996.

Back then no one was familiar with the idea of a music channel so we had a difficult time finding sponsors. It was one of my proudest achievements because we provided a platform for pioneer indie artists like P.O.P and Moderndog.

MTV has more opportunities for me to explore.That was why I quit Channel [V]. It isn’t just a music channel, it’s a lifestyle. After all, MTV can reach millions of people in over 100 countries and was the world’s first channel to play music videos. We introduce not only new music, but also new trends and culture. Even graphic designers watch MTV for inspiration.

Global thinking is my motto. You have to think global, but act local.

Some say that Thais are too Americanized, that we take in too much of the Western culture. But I say, why not? It’s good to be nationalistic, but at the same time, we can’t ignore what is going on in the global scene.

Pick what is good, learn from them and, if you can adapt it to your culture, that’s even better. Take Japan, they are crazy about British and American artists, but for some reason, they manage to maintain their identity.

My job allows me to work with music. That sounds fun, right? But, as every businessman will tell you, the road to success is not paved with rose petals. Stress always comes with the job, and you have to be able to deal with it.

The biggest challenge for me is being able to keep up with teenagers. One minute, they like one thing, the next minute they like another. We, as media, have to know our biggest market.

Quality international artists are absent from our local music scene, which is flooded by the K-craze. Teenagers idolize K-pop stars mainly because of their good looks, not their music. It is a shame that artists like the Arctic Monkeys and Lily Allen are not better known.

My priority is happiness. I only do what I love and I love what I do.

Money is just a supporting factor. It’s essential to be able to make profits, though. I have the whole company to take care of. And without money, how could I continue doing what I love?

I am only 28. I am one of the youngest guys in the business. I didn’t get to enjoy my teenage years much because I jumped straight from being a boy to a man.

I have gained a lot of valuable experiences worth more than the youth I lost. I can say that some people in their 40s have yet to have the kind of experiences that I have had. So I say, it’s worth it.

Passion and guts were what it took to get where I am today. I had been through a rough time, especially during the economic depression in 1997. But I didn’t give up. Now, some artists and labels blame their struggles on pirated CDs and illegal downloading. Those excuses aren’t good enough for you to just quit and walk away from the music scene.

I want to travel. Now I’m working to save money to do some globetrotting when I’m older. I’m into history, so the Seven Wonders of the World are first on my list of travel destinations.

I am on the first step to being successful. My first aim is to make myself and other people happy, and I think I’ve achieved that. The next step? I’m planning a new strategy for MTV. We’ll have to wait and see.

If I compared my life to a song, it would be John Lennon’s “Imagine.” For others, I may seem like a dreamer, hoping that the music I try to introduce will one day change the world and make people happy. But everything I do, I do it to make the world better.

Music is my everything. It is what keeps me eager and enthusiastic.