Sum of Everything

You used someone else’s song in a Reel. You stitched another creator’s video. You turned a movie scene into a meme. You gave the original creator credit. Are you in trouble? Copyright infringement sounds straightforward until you get into the things we do online every single day. How much is too much? Does changing something make it yours? Does five seconds of a song count? What if you are using i...

What if all the random things you've been interested in were never random? I sat down with Sundaresh Kaushik, aka Zuko, expecting to talk about dance, creativity, storytelling and his time as a showrunner at ScoopWhoop. But somewhere along the way, we ended up talking about what happens when you refuse to put yourself into one neat little box. About how the different things we learn, the people we...

Languages to me have never just been a means of communication. They are a world unto themselves, offering a peek into culture, traditions, history, and sometimes even their own evolution, if you care enough to dig deep. Learning a new language can reveal a lot, and for Riya Sharma, who speaks multiple Indian and foreign languages, languages have become a way of understanding people, culture, and e...

What are we really looking for when we travel? For some of us, it starts with wanting to see more of the world. But sometimes, somewhere along the way, travel becomes less about the places we visit and more about the way those places make us feel, the people we meet, and the lives we get to glimpse for a little while. In this episode, Shreyas Danappa, founder of Map My Stories, shares his experien...

You've created something. Maybe it's a song. Maybe it's an app. Maybe you've written a book, designed a garment, created a logo or built a product. Now what? Because once an idea becomes a creation, there are a few more questions you need to ask. What exactly have you created? Which form of intellectual property protects it? Do you need to register anything? And what happens when more than one kin...

You have an idea that won't leave you alone. It keeps finding its way back into your thoughts until you finally decide to do something about it. Maybe it's a business. A screenplay. A song. A novel. A podcast. An app. A design. Maybe you've already spent weeks, months, or years bringing it to life. You want to tell people about it. You also don't. Because what if someone takes it? That question ha...

How much of your life is actually determined by what happens to you... and how much is determined by how you respond ? We often blame circumstances, difficult people, bad luck, or unexpected change for the way our lives unfold. But what if the one thing that truly shapes our experience isn't the event itself, but our response to it? In this episode of Sum of Everything , I sit down with Group Capt...

We're living in a world where every spare moment is filled. Whether it is scrolling while waiting in line, listening to music or podcasts while driving or YouTube in the background while cooking. We've become so accustomed to constant stimulation that boredom feels like a distant nostalgic dream. But what if that's costing us our creativity? In this episode of Sum of Everything , I explore why bor...

What does it actually take to build a life around music? In the first episode of the Living a Creative Life series, I sit down with my dear friend Wessa , a singer, songwriter, composer, arranger and film scoring graduate, to talk about what it really means to pursue an unconventional creative career. From being homeschooled to devote more time to music, studying at conservatoires in London and Au...

Have you ever achieved something you've worked incredibly hard for… only to feel like you didn't deserve it? In this episode, I share one of the most surreal experiences of my career - being recognized as one of Photon Legal's Top 40 Innovative Legal Leaders - and why that achievement unexpectedly became the first time I truly experienced Imposter Syndrome . But this episode isn't just about self-...

After more than a year away, the Sum of Everything Podcast is finally back. In this first episode of Season 2, I'm sharing why I stopped creating, what kept me away for so long, and how I finally found the courage to hit "record" again. What started as a short break slowly turned into an unplanned hiatus filled with burnout, overconsumption, self-doubt, and perfectionism. Somewhere along the way,...

Have you ever taken a solo trip? Or if not a whole trip, at least gone to the movies alone? Walked through a mall by yourself or had only yourself as company for a meal? Have you ever discovered a different side to you on these solo adventures, struck up conversations with unlikely companions and come to become friends with people you would never have otherwise met but for this strange play of fat...

The most natural marker of human nature is to set a goal in the beginning of January and forget about it by the time March rolls around. By the time we're 6 months into a year, our New Year Resolutions become memories, with the promise of "next year" hanging wistfully in the air. But maybe this year can be different? How about you join me in doing a half yearly check-in of your goals for the year?...

Being a mom may not have been a question a mere few decades ago, but today, it most certainly is a choice - and one that needs to be made with a lot of consideration, empathy and most importantly, enough information. Motherhood brings with it a myriad of challenges, but one may not feel equipped enough to handle, no matter how prepared one is at the beginning of the journey, and the fact is, there...

Motherhood comes with a myriad of emotions - excitement and love for the new member of the family, of course, but also the lesser known and rarely talked about aspects of motherhood like post partum depression, resentment towards one's child, or the physical, emotional and mental toll becoming a mother takes on a woman. Well, all this to say, that while one can cherish their offspring, motherhood...

Moms are superheroes and working moms, some would argue, even more so, what with the intense balancing act of maintaining not only your home and children, but also your career and professional life. However, being a working woman while raising kids comes with its own set of unique challenges, and most commonly - the guilt of not being there for your child. Join me in conversation with coach, facil...

Mother's Day is round the corner, and this is the perfect excuse to dig deep into the minds of the most important women in our lives - our raison d'etre - our Moms. During May on Sum of Everything, we will get every possible perspective from all kinds of moms - stay at home moms, working moms, struggling moms, old moms, new moms. And the only apt person to bring on as the first guest for this seri...

Milestone years bring with them an inevitable point of reflection. Although my milestone birthday was last year, my 31st time around the sun taught me a lot, some of which, I dare say, might be good reminders for us all. Follow us on Instagram: ⁠ https://tinyurl.com/Sum-Of-Everything While you're here, you might want to check out the blog as well: ⁠ https://tinyurl.com/sumofeverything-blog

At an age when people barely find time to get a good night's sleep after slogging at work all day, we have here a man, who is not just a full time lawyer, but also a photographer par excellence with an enviable number of projects under his belt, all while also being a full time family man with twin toddlers to boot! Join me in conversation with Vivek Verma, as I quiz him on his many passions and a...

In an exciting, informative, albeit slightly long episode, Mr. K S Rajan (aka Dad) and I continue our conversation and exploration of the world of mutual funds, stock markets and everything money. Join us, as we talk about the right time to invest, where to park your money, how to choose your investment vehicle and lots more! And if your curiosity isn't satisfied, you can ask endless questions her...

We all know of making money for necessity or for luxuries, but what about when "making money" is your passion?... No, seriously! The world of finance, investments and portfolios was what gave a new seed of life to a freshly-retired Mr. KS Rajan (a.k.a. my DAD). An air conditioning man all his life, he rekindled a decades-old interest in making money and helping others make money through investment...

If you've heard my podcast before, you'd know that I call myself a "serial hobbyist with an unquenchable thirst for learning". That's not an exaggeration because my list of interests is never-ending, with a new one almost every fortnight (although that maybe a little bit of an exaggeration). Sometimes I wonder if there's just too many, but really, who put a limit on the number of things one should...

If you have ever met an Army Officer, or their family, one of the many thoughts that has crossed your mind has probably been about how amazing their life must be with the perks and privileges that are afforded. But have you ever stopped and considered all that goes in to earning those things? In this last installment of the Women Empowerment month on Sum of Everything, join me as we pierce the gla...

Have you ever felt so homesick in a foreign country that it prompted you to start a whole enterprise which eventually led to recognition from the Government back home? Well, Swarnim did! Join me as I get progressively more overawed by this iron lady, who began her enterprise simply because she missed Bollywood music in Korea, and now, gets contacted by even locals to organise events for them! Foll...

What is the strangest thing ever that happened to you that led you to the life you were meant to lead? For Isha, it was randomly watching the video of a song from a movie she didn't even watch that led her to becoming a hairstylist, one of the first curly hair experts in Bangalore and eventually, the founder of her very own brand. In our next episode for women empowerment month, join me as I curl...