Everyday Empires with Rohit Maini

Behind the Scenes of Live Music, Broken Necks, and Building an Event Empire In this episode of Everyday Empires, we sit down with the phenomenal Parul Mundra, founder of Tarashna Talent Management. Parul takes us on a masterclass journey through the chaotic, high-stakes world of live event production and artist management in India. From defying industry stereotypes as a female production manager t...

Abhishek Anil Kapur, director of Skyforce, breaks down how the Hindi film industry really works and what it takes to build a career in Bollywood from the ground up. Abhishek began with the dream of becoming an actor but quickly realised it wasn’t his strength. Instead of waiting for the perfect opportunity, he found his way onto a film set, starting as an intern on Shor in the City with Raj &...

In this episode of Everyday Empires, we sit down with the multifaceted Mukti Mohan - dancer, actor, and entrepreneur. Mukti opens up about her journey from a childhood bedroom stage in New Delhi to the professional sets of Netflix and beyond. We explore: •⁠ ⁠The Science of Dance: Why 9 years of Bharatnatyam saved her from career-ending injuries. •⁠ ⁠The Industry’s "Male Gaze": A heartbreaking look...

In this episode of Everyday Empires, we sit down with Philip Milne, entrepreneur, AI enthusiast, and author of Making Business AI Work, to unpack what artificial intelligence really means for business leaders. Long before AI became a buzzword, Philip was utilizing automation systems in the 1980s to reduce redundancy, streamline operations, and rethink how his business functioned. Today, through hi...

How do you start a D2C business in India and does influencer marketing still work? In this episode of Everyday Empires, Rohit sits down with Dishant Mehta, co-founder of @WNTRTravel , an Indian D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) luggage brand built on a bold belief: India deserves luxury products at affordable prices. Dishant didn’t grow up dreaming of entrepreneurship. He pursued an MBA with plans to climb...

Is India the Best Emerging Market for Entrepreneurs? In this episode of Everyday Empires, Rohit sits down with The Power Couple, Mike Melli and Sanskruti Mehta — two American entrepreneurs who moved to India independently, spotted gaps in the market, and built their respective empires. Mike Melli is the founder of MissMalini Entertainment, one of India’s most influential digital media platforms, a...

Nayab Midha - viral poet, globally-touring spoken word artist, Vogue Bride, and the mind behind Rajkumari - joins us to break down how she built a global creative career through clarity, culture, and conscious reinvention. Nayab began performing poetry on small stages, built an audience without industry backing, and in just a few short years turned raw storytelling into a touring business and a so...

In this episode of Everyday Empires, we sit down with Sohini Banerjee — economist turned chef, and the creative force behind Smoke & Lime, one of London’s most unique Bengali supper clubs. Born in Kolkata and raised in the UK, Sohini has worked with trailblazers like Asma Khan and Rohit Ghai before creating her own path. Since 2018, she and her husband have welcomed guests into their home — se...

In this episode of Everyday Empires, we sit down with Moiz Ahmed — better known as the “Lad from Dubai” — a rising real estate advisor and content creator helping people understand Dubai’s booming property market. More than just buying or selling homes, he focuses on trust, transparency, and long-term value for his clients. Through his Instagram page @ladfromdxb, Moiz breaks down everything from l...

In this episode of Everyday Empires, we sit down with Natalie Kelly — powerhouse entrepreneur, aesthetics expert, skincare founder, and soon-to-be mum of two — to uncover how she built five thriving businesses from the ground up… and why she now believes the UK is no longer the place for ambitious entrepreneurs. Natalie began her career in TV & film makeup, hustled her way into a corporate PA...

What does it really take to develop an entrepreneurial mindset? In this special collaboration between Everyday Empires and Kingston University, Rohit hosts a live panel discussion in front of Kingston University business students, diving into how real UK entrepreneurs turned their ideas into thriving businesses — and the mindset shifts that helped them get there. Hosted by Salewa Komolafe, Preside...

In this episode of Everyday Empires, we sit down with Hannah Rose — the powerhouse behind @postcardsbyhannah, @greatbritishescapes, @snapshotsbyhannah, and @athomewithbaxter. With over a million followers across all platforms, Hannah has built an empire by turning her passion for travel, slow living, and dog mom life into a full-time career. She now travels solo across the globe, stays in stunning...

Charlie Merriman, also known as @Chazingdra , has had a truly remarkable journey growing up with cystic fibrosis, becoming an actor and subsequently managing to marry his childhood passion for Pokémon with a viable career. In this episode, Charlie and Rohit discuss all things Pokémon, entrepreneurship, and how a little merriment goes a long way. Links mentioned WONDER DRUG: A Comedy about Cystic F...

Tom Crooke, once a young Hollywood hopeful, is now centre-stage in Bobbin, a video production company with a unique content creation model that leverages his years of experience in the world of theatre and acting. His conversation with Rohit explores the parallels between the gruelling worlds of acting auditions vs business, why making the switch was the best thing that ever happened to him, and h...

Patrick Davin has been a multi-millionaire, lost it all overnight and got into debt, almost lost his life in Egypt with no consular assistance from his native Australia, and everything in between. Truly one of our most riveting guests with a wealth of life experience, Patrick recounts his stories across the woolling, mining, accounting, real estate industries, and now his leadership of his multi-m...

Starting out as a 21-year-old #FinancialAnalyst in Dubai isn’t easy—Yash Agrawal opens up about his early career mistakes, growth, and the reality of working in high finance. But that’s not all—host Rohit Maini challenges Yash on a hot topic: Does Gen Z really lack drive? From hustle culture to quiet quitting to work-life balance, this is a no-filter discussion on how different generations approac...

Jordan Grimes left school with no grades, fell into becoming an electrician and a millionaire in his 20s, lost it all and is building it all back up again. Determined to prove that it is more than possible to make a good living on the straight and narrow, Jordan’s story is truly one of the most inspiring stories of grit, integrity and resilience. #millionaire #entrepreneur #trades #successstory #i...

Curious about what a career in #investmentbanking is REALLY like? Here’s a no holds barred, gritty lowdown into the world of being an analyst in High Finance in Dubai. Yash Agrawal spills all in our first ever special. #finance #careers #podcast #aspiringentrepreneur #youngprofessionals

Once one of the best snipers in the world and with years of experience on the frontline in Iraq and other conflicts, ex-Marine sniper commando Ed Hill has seen it all. From humble beginnings in an area voted “2nd worst place to live in the UK”, an acute fear of failure drove Ed to astounding heights, first in the extremely competitive Royal Marines, then academia, and now the world of business. Ed...

True blue entrepreneur Max Reynard shares his remarkable journey of leaning into his artistic and design skillset to grow multiple 6- to 7-figure businesses across Dubai and London from the ground up - literally too, with his expertise in 3D printing. Taking the leap into entrepreneurship right after graduating from university, he shares learnings on the dos and don'ts of finding seed capital, giv...

Despite a difficult childhood in a council estate with severe ADHD and no formal qualifications, he has built a 6-figure business as a social media content creator, totalling multi-billions of views across Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and TikTok. He is informed by his background as a magician and mind reader, having appeared on the BBC (Ryan Tricks On The Streets and Dirty Tricks), Britain’s Got T...

Hailing from an 85-person village in rural Canada and crash-landing into one of the most elite industries in one of the most competitive cities in the world, London-based ex-investment banker turned entrepreneur Matthew King gives away exclusive advice on the investment banking career path, navigating working in the UK as a foreign skilled worker and entrepreneurship (both as an entrepreneur himse...