The Values Workshop

How much do you really know in your twenties? A terrific lot, if this guest were to be heard out. She has been ambitious, vulnerable, clear, lost, happy, sad and a lot more in her short work life so far. She has already had too much and is searching for meaning - and through all this, she has maintained her vivacious nature, allowing herself to accept her flaws, and admit them to those who matter...

An amazing quick chat with an entrepreneur who thinks fast and speaks  faster, but in the process covers a lot of ground on entrepreneurship, advertising, branding, values and more. It is truly an engaging chat  where we discuss subjects which affect thinking and practicality as  experienced in business. His views are fresh and clear, and yet, he  honestly admits the role of li...

When I chose to set up today's talk, I half expected this creative  friend to go all over. He does not disappoint. A crazy look into the  kind of chats artistic friends have...half explaining, nodding,  thinking, creating meanings by using words but not restricted by the  space. Sounds weird? It is - but has a good humanistic ground to all  that is spoken. Do have a look....

An amazing episode in which we look at a unique human being who lives a  life of his liking, without bothering about how society perceives him.  He has a technical background with a Masters degree, and yet chooses to  be a jack of all trades, doing multiple things simultaneously, making  only as much money as he needs, not more. A fascinating chat in Hindi,  do check it ou...

To be an artist is a joy but what lies beneath? We speak to someone who  opens up about her fears, insecurities, defects and deep doubts while  also talking about the wiser aspects of having these pains. She is young  but knows pain, she is confident but unsure of the labels society has  imprisoned her in. An amazingly beautiful conversation about a creative  professional'...

She gets bored easily. And she loves to talk and learn new things. In  this same chat, she says, a little unhappiness is good and we don't need  to be happy all the time. A chirpy, contemplative, laughing yet serious  kind of conversation, this. In a way, the vibe is contemporary, but the  issues are timeless and universal. Check it out.  To keep yourself posted on our lat...

When I talk to this young guest, I find something endearingly human  about her perspective of various things. Be it knowledge, life,  world-view, our individual effort and its impact on the world, she  brings a certain sense of balance to all topics we converse on. Her  examples may reveal her age, but the underlying principle is relevant to  people all across ages. Do che...

So often we walk down memory lane thinking of gregarious and happy  friends and then reconnect one day to find they have changed completely.  Our guest is one such pal, who seems to have 'matured' in a wise sort  of way, thinking, acting and inspiring me - and hopefully you, with a  manner of living which celebrates basics. There is something surprising  and not-so-surpris...

Hemant Gupta talks to us about life, thinking, challenges, observation,  the benefits of being aware, mindfulness and its lack. Rare it is to  find a professional connection with whom one can connect on a deep level  - and have a conversation like this. Take time, a deep breath and start  watching - this is the pause in your busy life you were waiting for. Do  listen in. F...

In a week when the guest Chitra Pandhi  agreed to do the podcast at a late hour to keep her promise, I too  decided to go ahead with an idea which has been growing for a while... 'The Other Side of...' Watch and let me know what you think of this new track of thought May the Light continue shining within for all! May peace and harmony prevail! For the video, check www.youtube.com/c/theva...

Her mother wanted her to be an engineer. So she became one. Life demanded she look after her family so she quit her job. Educating herself in her mid-age, she found the HR job not to her expectations so she changed careers again. Doubts, fears, challenges are normal in every life, but once you accept them, a completely new view of life emerges within. Our guest talks about her learning. For the vi...

Possibly, compassion arises when we ourselves understand the problem. Or maybe, that we are the problem. Or maybe, realizing that acceptance is the solution no matter what the problem is. Sounds intriguing - this chat slowly moves into areas of the mind seldom shown to the world - and in these dark spaces, the guest shows us where her light of wisdom shines. What a beautiful, authentic conversatio...

We talk about bullying, fat-shaming, religious bias, work pressures, the importance of parental support and its impact on our minds, shifting jobs and countries, choosing between creative and non-creative career options and a whole lot more. Advertising and marketing have given me some of the most amazing friends. Their levels of self-awareness and understanding of their own limitations make them...

Don't be taken in by 'seemingly' - He has a calm and collected kind of  expression, and yet our guest talks about the time when it wasn't. The  second part of the conversation gets into his personal understanding,  acceptance and wisdom which arose from his study and experiences of  life. It takes a rare kind of person to acknowledge things rationally  and look at them wit...

It is rare to find a calm person delving deep into his reasons for being  non-reactive most times. Our guest talks about his personality, his  reasons for being rational and not overtly emotional, while being  surrounded by many who do not think like him. He also chats with us  about his career, his understanding, his growth opportunities in  management, and his letting go...

'Mental health' is a strong term used far more frequently than before. It is a serious term, and best used by professionals who understand it. In this chat, however, the guest talks about the pressures she imposed upon herself, and 'felt imposed upon' by the society regarding her academics and her professional choices. The beauty of her sharing is she speaks about the leap of faith, and her confid...

In a world which defines your options, what do you do when you do not like any of them? What if your option is to pause and reflect? At any stage of your academic or professional career, what happens when this becomes your mind-set? We have a guest who shares with us, her painful journey of getting off the beaten path, and through all kinds of obstacles, including her own space of confusion and de...

Once again, the chat takes over a form which both I and the guest have no control over. Many incomplete sentences which make complete sense, a mind-space which is more exploratory than planned, and we find words to express thoughts which are nascent, new, novel and hold more meaning in between them than in them. Sounds intriguing? It isn't - surprisingly, it is a breezy, easy kind of conversation...

Leaving behind a profitable journey, she went back to the villages. Our guest speaks about her fears, her joys, her efforts, her failures and her subsequent change-of-heart-and-fortune. She also speaks of her psoriasis and how adopting an alternative lifestyle helped her reduce its impact on her body and confidence. A short chat, but with many triggers for contemplation. Check it out. For the vide...

A chat where we cover emotions of all kinds and their repercussions on our body. The idea is to gain knowledge and understanding - and in turn, use it to live a better and a more fulfilling life. Our guest, who is an Emotional Intelligence Expert, talks about the impact our constant need for happiness has on us. It is an interesting, eye-opening, revealing kind of chat which throws lights on how o...

A transparent, honest straight-from-the heart conversation with someone who loves Nature, sees divinity in humans, plants and animals - and the Gods too. Clarity means holding your own, even as you continue growing, changing and still retaining something essential, as our guest proves with our words and deeds. She talks about self-empowerment as well as belief in a higher self, dukkha and ability...

A photographer who wasn't. A man who lost his parents and didn't. A journey which isn't what it looks like on the surface. A conversation which goes from personal to professional, and back seamlessly. A friendship, a relation and a work-connection come up in my talk with this amazing professional with a strict work ethic and a warm heart. Sounds contradictory? It isn't when you check out this extr...

It is rare to find an absolutely everyday conversation, which goes in depth into the trials and tribulations of one's professional life. But here we have a Doctor who honestly answers questions with clarity but  also retaining the conflict and contradictions in his answers. Truly, a beautiful mind, which does not take credit, but is trying to understand one's positives and negatives, without...

We discuss normality, or what 'seems' to mean normal and realise the limitation of the word. As the guest discusses her personal history, we try and lay it as a background for the human condition. Our need for security, or the comfort zones we create are also talked about. Here, we observe the fact, that in spite of being two separate individuals with absolutely differing life-journeys, the concer...

A guest who is continuously discovering herself and in the process has been to Indonesia, Istanbul, Sahara Desert, and travelled till she has reached India. She has been here for a while and is still continuing the search. However, thanks to her varied experiences, she has used these outward manifestations to go within. In a way, this is only the background for the chat that follows. I ask and sha...