Be Anomalous

Most of us have an idea we never act on. Natalia Flores acted on hers and figured it out as she went. Natalia came to San Francisco from Mérida, Mexico, for a six-month exchange program and never left. During COVID, she missed the spicy food she grew up with, so she started making her own in her home kitchen. Today, that hobby is Flor de Chile, a crunchy Mexican chili crisp made with just three in...

Can founders actually avoid the mistakes? Paul Orlando's answer: some, not all, and that's a good thing. Paul built and runs the USC Incubator, which has grown to over 300 companies. Those companies have raised over $350 million, and 14 have been acquired. He teaches entrepreneurship at USC's Greif Center, co-founded AcceleratorHK (Hong Kong's first startup accelerator), led a clea...

What happens when grief changes the way you see your career, ambition, relationships, and yourself? In this episode of Be Anomalous, Sai Menon talks with Lekha, founder and CEO of Sync Wellness, about leaving a successful corporate career to build a company of her own—and how losing her mother changed the way she sees resilience, failure, relationships, and judgment. Lekha's career took her th...

Solai has built a career that refuses to fit neatly into one box. An investor, advisor, board member, teacher, writer, and founder, her journey has taken her from actuarial science and the corporate world to startups, angel investing, and building alongside founders. But her story isn’t about having a perfectly mapped-out plan. It’s about following curiosity. In this episode of Be Anomalous, Sai M...

What happens when you don't follow the traditional path and eventually realize that being an outsider might be your greatest advantage? Dr. James Richardson is a cultural anthropologist turned business strategist, the author of the award-winning book Ramping Your Brand: How to Ride the Killer CPG Growth Curve, and the founder of Premium Growth Solutions . He has helped more than 150 emerging C...

What does it really take to build a successful brand—and a fulfilling life? In this episode of Be Anomalous, I sit down with Rebecca Bartlett, founder and Creative Director of Bartlett Brands, the agency behind some of the most recognizable beauty and wellness startups. But this conversation goes far beyond branding. Rebecca opens up about leaving corporate life to build her own agency, learning t...

What does it take to build a company that lasts decades—not just until the next funding round? In this episode of Be Anomalous, I sit down with Susanne Mitschke, co-founder and CEO of Citruslabs, the leading provider of decentralized clinical studies for consumer brands. With a background in biostatistics, epidemiology, and public health, Susanne has spent her career at the intersection of science...

In this episode of Be Anomalous, I sit down with Hiba Irshad, founder of Twenty5%, a media, talent, and cultural strategy company dedicated to amplifying South Asian voices. Growing up as an Indian Muslim in the Midwest, Hiba learned early on how to embrace the parts of herself that made her different. But her path to entrepreneurship wasn't straightforward. She started in healthcare and cance...

What happens when you've achieved everything you thought you wanted—and it still doesn't feel right? In this episode of Be Anomalous, I sit down with Aravinda Seshadri, founder and CEO of Venturous Counsel, a startup law firm focused on helping diverse and underrepresented founders navigate the legal side of building companies. Aravinda's journey is anything but conventional. She went...

In this episode of Be Anomalous, Helen Diaz, co-founder of Chareau, the world's first aloe spirit, shares the unfiltered story of building a brand from the trunk of a car to 42+ states, raising a son while raising capital, and why she leads her LinkedIn bio with "Mama first."Helen spent 20+ years in hospitality before becoming the very first employee at Chareau. She didn't have a...

What does it look like to build a career — and a life — entirely on your own terms? In this episode, Sai sits down with Radha Mistry , a foresight strategist, designer, and educator whose path has been anything but conventional. From growing up across India, England, and Taiwan, to walking away from architecture, moving to London for art school, and eventually finding her calling in futures resear...

What happens when the career you thought you’d have forever suddenly disappears? In this episode of Be Anomalous, Sai Menon sits down with Stephanie Fisher — engineer, mom of four, and content creator — to talk about the unexpected layoff that completely shifted the direction of her life. What started as posting videos after her kids went to sleep slowly became something bigger: confidence, creati...

In this episode of Be Anomalous, Sai Menon sits down with entrepreneur and Bev founder Alix Peabody for an honest conversation about what it really takes to build something from nothing. From growing up between countries and cultures, to pitching 200+ investors, building in a male-dominated industry, and eventually exiting Bev, Alix opens up about the emotional and mental realities of entrepreneur...

What does it take to walk away from companies like Google, Tesla, and SpaceX to build your own vision? In this episode of Be Anomalous, Sai Menon sits down with Rama Afullo, founder and CEO of Satlyt, to talk about identity, ambition, startup culture, and building the future of orbital computing. Born in Kenya and raised across multiple countries, Rama shares how growing up between cultures shaped...

What does it really mean to build a life around impact? In this episode, Sai sits down with Julie Castro Abrams, venture capitalist, founder, foster parent, and one of the most quietly radical voices in women's leadership. Julie opens up about marrying an undocumented immigrant at 22, fostering children, running a venture firm that exclusively backs women founders, and why she's never work...

Mitali Saxena went from being an engineer in a male-dominated industry to launching two fashion-tech companies rooted in something the industry rarely talks about: real women and real bodies . No filters. No fluff. Just smart tech, thoughtful design, and a deep “why” centered on empowerment. In this episode, we talk about what it actually takes to leave the safe path, build from scratch, and stay...

In this episode of Be Anomalous , we sit down with Katherine, founder of Francis Henry—a curated children’s clothing retailer bringing international baby and toddler brands to the U.S. market through both brick-and-mortar stores and online retail. Katherine shares her unconventional journey from aspiring wedding planner to PR professional at Neiman Marcus, and ultimately to becoming a multi-store...

In this episode of Be Anomalous , I sit down with Shahezad — founder of Cousins Burger — who spent over two decades in IT before walking away from a stable, predictable career to build something completely different. What started as a last-minute decision to show up at a food festival turned into a fast-growing restaurant brand doing millions in revenue. But this conversation isn’t just about busi...

In this episode of Be Anomalous, I sit down with Melissa — founder of a K-beauty brand designed specifically for melanin-rich skin — to talk about identity, representation, and what it really takes to build something that challenges an entire industry. This conversation goes deep into: Why K-beauty hasn’t historically worked for darker skin tones. The science behind melanin-rich skin and why most...

In this episode of Be Anomalous, Priya Ravindra shares how a simple question turned into a mission-driven company. Priya didn’t start in sustainability. She was an engineer, working in tech, navigating spaces where she was often the only woman in the room. But during the pandemic, something didn’t sit right. As consumption increased, she found herself asking: Where does all this go? That question...

In this episode, we discuss: How Natalie built a career across multiple industries The real value of an MBA Starting a consulting business from your network Time management when you work for yourself Why quitting the wrong things can unlock growth How founders can turn strategy into action Reframing failure as learning. Subscribe to the Be Anomalous https://www.beanomalous.com Instagram : https://...

In this episode of Be Anomalous, Sai Menon sits down with a founder whose path is anything but conventional. She began her career as one of the youngest U.S. diplomats, representing the United States overseas in her early twenties. But the company she’s building today didn’t come from politics or policy; it came from navigating the healthcare system while trying to help a family member get the car...

What does it take to walk away from corporate and build something aligned with who you truly are? In this episode of Be Anomalous, I sit down with Deepa Mani — former IT consultant turned founder — to talk about leaving stability, building a cultural dance institution, and launching a beauty brand that centers people of color instead of treating them as an afterthought. We talk:• Founder lonelines...

In this episode of Be Anomalous, Mayssa Chehata — founder and CEO of Behave Candy — shares what it really looked like to rebuild her life while building a company from scratch. In the span of a single year, Mayssa got married, divorced, checked a parent into rehab, and continued growing her business — all while navigating the emotional and financial realities of entrepreneurship. This conversation...

In this episode of Be Anomalous, Jessica Williams joins me for an insightful conversation about how culture, community, and psychology shape the brands we trust. Jessica is a senior brand and marketing leader who has spent her career inside some of the most influential companies shaping modern commerce. She currently leads Brand Marketing at Shopify, where her work sits at the intersection of crea...