Episodes

Maithili Appalwar is a 22-year-old senior at Georgia Tech. She and her team won the People’s Choice Award at the Ideas to Serve Competition hosted by Georgia Tech’s Institute for Leadership and Entrepreneurship and they used the money as their pilot fund for Thrive. Maithili is passionate about improving mental health in low-resource communities which is why she started Thrive with two friends. Thrive hopes to be a platform that helps improve student mental health in India including mental hea...

Unexplained Infertility. two words that provide hope and cause frustration in equal measure. Our guest today Supna Shah dealt with this for ten years before getting pregnant through IVF. While dealing with the infertility was distressing, the process of IUI and IVF was emotional, physically and financially exhausting. Supna chats with us about her journey through infertility, the treatment, managing postpartum depression and now raising emotionally intelligent triplets Pranav, Pavani and Vraj. ...

Karina Calver is a survivor of incest. She shares her story of enduring rape and how she has turned her life around to become the woman she is today. The silence that surrounds incest survivors can make them feel isolated, and Karina hopes by sharing her story others will know they are not alone. Survivors are all around us, among our friends, at school, at work, places of worship and it’s likely we don’t know they are survivors. The taboo around the subject makes it hard for them to share the...

Prasha S Dutra is a is a mechanical engineer currently working as a Quality Manager in a manufacturing facility in Rhode Island. She grew up in a small neighbourhood of Delhi in India and was always interested in the science of things. Prasha credits this curiosity to her upbringing. Growing up her father encouraged her to watch How it’s made on the discovery channel, and she observed her mum be the unconventional one as the only working mum. She shares her story as she wants more girls and wom...

This week we chat with Purnima Jagtiani and our first couple on the show Meena and Gopa. They share their stories of detection, treatment and recovery from breast cancer. Purnima has been in remission for a year and Meena for ten years. Neither expected it to happen to them. Yet when it did they had to find a way to move forward without losing hope. They’ve all embraced living in the present, keeping a positive attitude, not sweating the small stuff and not being attached to the outcome as a ph...

Sandi Saxsena, our guest today played the role of a supporting spouse in all aspects of her family except financial planning. She was focused on the children as they grew up and her husband met all the wants and needs of the family. That is, until one day, they hit financial challenges. Sandi had to step out into the working world for the first time at 44 with no prior work experience. Sandi did not let that stop her. She kept her faith and focus on finding a job, and she did as a financial con...

Our guest today Sheetal Mulani shares her story of rebuilding her life after her son Mohit passed away at the age of 21. The loss of a child regardless of age is one of the most devastating experiences a parent can face. One is never going to stop feeling the loss, and that gap is never going to be replaced. Sheetal and her family have had to find a way to love and care for each other so their family can survive despite missing a very precious part. Mohit was diagnosed with anxiety and ADHD whi...

Rachna Nath shares her story of how an emotional choice she made as a teenager impacted her career. As a biologist, she now understands why she made the choice. That choice has shaped how Rachna takes on life, with confidence, not afraid to take risks and with an unconventional attitude. Listen in as she shares her journey of resilience and perseverance. She is our NRI Woman, and this is her story. Until next time, keep learning, keep inspiring and be kind! Connect with the guests: Email: rac...

Sonia Anand believes stillness is the key to restoring the balance within ourselves and on a larger scale the world. She thinks when the organic beauty of our soul evolves through gentle practices we automatically begin to radiate love health and positivity to the universe. Sonia was like most of us, wearing many hats at the same time. From raising her young kids, managing the home to juggling her corporate job, Sonia felt like she was being pulled in ten different directions at the same time. ...

Sameera Khan comes from a traditional Muslim Indian family and she’s decided to pursue a path, unlike others who come from a culture similar to hers. She’s a standup comedian. Ten years ago Sameera’s exposure to standup was limited to watching Russel Peters on YouTube, she never thought then that ten years on she would be on a stage making people laugh. So what changed? How did she do it? Her journey from having crippling stage fright to overcoming it and performing in front of a tough crowd ha...

Jennifer Dsouza, our guest on today’s show chose to become a single mother at the age of 45 via adoption. Adoption by single women in the Indian culture is uncommon. Recent changes by CARA (Central Adoption Resource Authority) giving preference to single, financially stable women over 40 means that it is changing and more single women now have the opportunity to become a parent. Jennifer shares her story of why she chose to adopt, the adoption process and how she’s changed after becoming a pare...

Season two begins with the inspiring and surprising story of Caroline Monteiro. She was lost on the streets of Mumbai when she was just seven years old. From living on the streets to finding a home with an adoptive family to building her own family, Caroline has come a long way. We all need something to hold onto, something that gives us the confidence that we can go on with life, even when things don’t go the way we want them to. For Caroline it’s her faith in God, She believes it may not be g...

For our season finale, we’re talking about a subject that is mainly Indian- Joint families, an arrangement where many generations bound by a common relationship live together in the same household. It’s common to see this kind of living arrangement in Indian families residing outside India as well. Some of us may have grown in one, and others married into one. Either way, it’s likely we know of someone who is part of a joint family. Joining us in our conversation today is Aashna Mulgaonkar who ...

Our guest, Padmini Gupta, is an Oxford graduate, World Economic Forum Fellow and a social entrepreneur tackling a USD 5 billion industry in the Middle East. She combines her passion for solving social issues with building an enterprise that is sustainable and profitable. RISE, her fintech company, is her first foray as a social entrepreneur, and she hopes to change the lives of the 750,000 maids and nannies currently working in the UAE so they can upskill and plan for a better future for thems...

Feng Shui means wind and water and is a traditional Chinese concept linking the destiny of a man to his environment. Samita Khanna is a master consultant of Feng Shui with over twenty years of practice. The fundamental principle is that energy known in China as “Chi” flows through one’s environment and all objects possess chi that can be used to bring luck, wealth and opportunity into one’s home or business environment. It’s believed the reverse is also true. As an example, we’ve all had years...

From a psychotherapist to a makeup consultant after a 20-year gap, our guest today Sanyukta Kumar is an exemplar of new beginnings. She moved to a new country with her kids when the youngest one was just three months old and her older daughter was four. Sanky, as she is lovingly known, decided like so many of us do, with a move and new additions to the family, to take a break from her job. When she was ready to go back to her career, she found that it was not an option. The laws of the country...

Ikigai is a Japanese word that roughly translates to the reason for being. Why are we here? What is our purpose? Are these some of the questions you ask yourself? Some of us would have spent our whole lives without finding or knowing it. Our guest today Harsha Makhija believes she has found her Ikigai. How? Listen in to find out. Harsha is a pilates instructor, mum to three and a vagabond at heart. She believes everything she does must have a purpose and she lives her life with that in mind. ...

Sharon Bender has moved countries three times in two years with two children under the age of four. She is now settled and considers South Africa home. She is a single parent, loves even numbers, dreams of becoming a teacher someday and suffers from anxiety and clinical depression. On this episode of the podcast, Sharon candidly shares her journey through anxiety and depression. The beginning, how she came to terms with it and how she copes, every day. She also shares why it’s crucial for her t...

Child loss is like a loss no other. It’s grief of a lifetime, and there is no getting over or moving on from it. Our guest today Padmini Stump lost her son Steven in tragic circumstances 11 years ago. The days, months following his death left Padmini devastated, numb and depressed. On a night when she had lost the will to live she stepped out of her house in the middle of the night seeking answers from God on how to carry on. She couldn’t bear the thought of living life like this, and she belie...

In this episode, we talk to a pilot. What’s so great about talking to a pilot you may say? Well, this one is only 21. She chose her career, to be in aviation, at the tender age of 6 and stuck with it. Listen to her speak so confidently as to why she chose to become a pilot, how she made it happen and where she plans to take off with it. Literally! She shares her inspirational story and advice that we can all use in our lives. Connect with the guests: Ira Bhongade: irabhongade@gmail.com If you ...

Starting a family for a woman is one of those life-altering decisions. It impacts all aspects of one’s life especially one’s career. The question should one continue to work or stay home to raise the children is one that has no straight answer. She may choose to be a stay at home mom, a working mom, a mom who once took a break from her career or perhaps one who juggles both! Listen in as we share four different perspectives on why we Mums do what we do and why we make these specific decisions ...

We may reach a point in life where we feel like we’re stuck in a rut or just unfulfilled. We want to make the change but don’t know how. Traditionally our culture has meant we turn to our parents, uncles, aunts, friends who may or may not be qualified to guide us. We chat today with Samhita Goswami, a certified life coach, specialising in working with teens and young adults. She guides them through their problems and supports them by providing them with tools to find solutions that work for the...

This episode is an emotional one. If you have asked yourself Why me, when you’ve faced an unexpected situation, listen in as we chat with Dolly Solanki who shares her story of how her life has changed since Freya came into her life. Freya now seven years old was born prematurely and is a child with special needs. Dolly talks about some of the challenges she faced and how she takes it all in her stride. She credits Freya for bringing into focus the best in her. And that question Why me? The way...

If you have aspirations to be a YouTuber, this Podcast is worth listening. We chat with bubbly YouTuber Karen Ahmed. She started food blogging and then became an avid YouTuber. With over 400 recipes and still counting, Kravings Food Adventure now in its 5th year has garnered over 24,000 subscribers. How did she make it happen while working full time and raising a family? She’s here to share her incredible story, now on NRI Woman Podcast. Connect with the guests: Email: kravingsblog@gmail.com ...