Courage Talks

🎙️ 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗦𝟭𝟱𝗘𝟲 𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘! Featuring 𝗡𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗮 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵i

Nistha is the bestselling author of No Shortcuts (3rd best business book of the year 2019), Unstartup, Futurepreneurs and Seven Conversations, founder of Scholar Strategy and 24NorthStar.

A LinkedIn Top Voice and someone who has repeatedly chosen the harder, less conventional path.From a small-town girl who left India on a scholarship to study Computer Science at UIUC, to landing a six-figure Wall Street role.

Then, she shocked people by dropping out of her NYU Stern MBA after securing two full-time offers, working with early Manhattan startups, organising NYU’s first Entrepreneurship Summit (with Seth Godin as a speaker), and then quitting her entire US life at 30 to return to India and start from scratch.

She built Scholar Strategy into a purpose-driven platform that has guided 1,500+ students into places like MIT, Harvard, Stanford, CMU and FAANG roles, without ever taking university commissions.

She later launched 24NorthStar while pregnant, because she wanted Indian families to choose careers more mindfully.

Along the way she lived and worked as a digital nomad across Bali, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and Auroville, designing a life that let her work six months a year and create the rest of the time.

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲, 𝘄𝗲 𝗴𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱:

• Walking away from the “perfect” Wall Street + MBA script

• Rebuilding life and business in India with zero safety net

• Navigating miscarriage, a complicated pregnancy, and becoming a mother at 40

• Building two education platforms with radical integrity

• Figuring life out through relationships, nomadic years, and unconventional choices

• What it really means to keep creating while chasing a toddler and still choosing meaning over the conventional definition of success.

This is a deep, honest, and deeply human conversation about the courage it takes to leave the script, rebuild on your own terms, and keep showing up even when the timeline looks nothing like what society expects.

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻. 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁. 𝗔𝗰𝘁.

#CourageTalks #S15E6 #NisthaTripathi #Courage #Motherhood #CareerPivot #UnconventionalPath #NoShortcuts

𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗦𝟭𝟱𝗘𝟱 𝗶𝘀 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘! 🚀

Meet Eswari Andiappan, the first woman in India to complete a full Ironman triathlon, mother of two, engineer-turned-MBA, and now a lifestyle & nutrition coach who turns personal struggle into fuel for others.

From village roots and the early mornings of running alone (often the only woman in a group of men), through depression, anger, isolation, and the overwhelming juggle of motherhood + studies + Ironman training… this is a story of sheer courage.

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲, 𝗘𝘀𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗶 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁:

→ What pulled her into endurance sports while raising two kids

→ Turning anger and a deep personal low into movement and purpose

→ The courage it took to keep showing up when everything felt impossible

→ How family support reshaped her understanding of strength

→ Why she chose to become a coach and lift other women after achieving what many said couldn’t be done

→ Habits over motivation, and the practical lessons she got

A powerful conversation about resilience, motherhood, self-belief, and choosing to keep going when quitting would have been easier.

🎧 𝗧𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Tag someone who needs this reminder today.

#CourageTalks #Ironman #FirstIndianWomanIronman #Endurance #Motherhood #Resilience #Inspiration #Podcast

𝗪𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗨𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗶𝗲 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻

🎙️ 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 | 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗦𝟭𝟱𝗘𝟰

Scott Lackey’s life has been marked by what he calls “lightning strikes”, those sudden, forceful moments that strip away certainty and force a deeper reckoning.

He served eight years in the U.S. Army, including tours during Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

He built inventions out of necessity in the desert, later patented products that attracted millions in funding, only to lose control of what he created.

He acquired and grew multiple businesses through the 2008 economic crisis, then sold them.

He trained for and finished an Ironman. Along the way, the outward markers of success repeatedly collided with internal collapse.

Out of that journey came a hard-won understanding: pain is more of a guide than a punishment. Obstacle becomes the doorway. Success alone does not make a person whole.

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀, 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝗻𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁:

  • Rebuilding after business and identity failures

  • The difference between performing for approval and becoming who you were meant to be

  • How military service, entrepreneurship, and endurance sport shaped his view of discipline and ownership

  • The quiet emptiness that achievement cannot fill

  • The central question that now drives his work and speaking: What are you willing to sacrifice to become who you were meant to be?

His book, Wake Up To Die Again, captures much of this message and became an Amazon bestseller in the Christian Leadership category. His talks challenge audiences to confront what no longer works so that real transformation, not surface success, can begin.

If you are navigating pressure, loss, ambition, or a season where the life you built no longer matches the person you are becoming, this episode is for you.

🔗 Watch / Listen now:Link In comments

Grateful to share Scott’s story on Courage Talks.

#CourageTalks #ScottLackey #WakeUpToDieAgain #Transformation #Resilience #Leadership #Veteran #Ironman #Entrepreneurship #PersonalGrowth #Courage

𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗦𝟭𝟱𝗘𝟯 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲.

This week’s guest is Jeremy Howard, an endurance coach with 20+ years of experience who has guided athletes from youth swimming all the way to Ultraman World Championships, Olympic Trials, and professional triathlon.

Jeremy holds degrees in English and History from the University of Kansas and a Master’s in Education from Sacred Heart University.

His athletes include Ultraman World champions, Ironman and 70.3 World Championship qualifiers, and pioneers such as the first Indian-born athlete to finish the Ultraman World Championships and one of only four people ever to complete Uberman.

He is a data-driven coach who places equal weight on the physiological, psychological, and emotional sides of performance.

Communication and long-term relationships sit at the centre of his work, helping athletes feel safe enough to take risks and explore what they are capable of in sport and in life.

Jeremy himself swam competitively into college, raced as a professional triathlete, and finished 2nd at the Ultraman World Championships in 2017.

After kidney surgery in 2019, he races less, but still pushes his own limits. His current goals include 6-day ultrarunning and completing an Ultraman in his 80s.

In this episode, we talk about coaching across decades, the focus on mental well-being, what it takes to support athletes chasing extreme endurance goals, and his own evolving relationship with performance and longevity.

Link to the full episode is in the comments

𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗦𝟭𝟱𝗘𝟮 | 𝗟𝘂𝗸𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲

Luke Mathews was once called the “Boy Wonder” of triathlon. Humble, positive, ridiculously fast. Multiple Kona qualifications. Podiums. The kind of athlete who made the hard look easy.

Then in 2017, on a flight back from visiting family in Zambia, everything changed.

𝘈 𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦-𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘴.

  • Three major surgeries in Nairobi.

  • Half his large intestine was removed.

  • His spleen was removed.

  • His body weight dropped from 75 kg to 64 kg.

Doctors later told him that without his fitness level, he would have come back in a coffin.

In this episode of Courage Talks, Luke takes us into those terrifying first days in a Nairobi hospital, the long road of recovery, and the quiet courage it took to start believing he could get strong again.

We talk about the friends who showed up when he was at his weakest, the decision to co-found ikonix Coaching and help other athletes rebuild after setbacks, and what courage looks like for him now, on the race course, in the coaching studio, and in everyday life with Nicola in Dubai.

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮.

It’s a story about what remains when the body breaks, and how a near-death experience became the foundation for helping others rise.

Listen now.

𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗯 𝗠𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝟵 𝗵𝗿𝘀 𝟱𝟱 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘀??

𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗦𝟭𝟱𝗘𝟭 is Here!!!

This episode features Tyler Andrews, a La Sportiva athlete, founder of the Chaski Foundation, and one of the most complete endurance athletes of his generation.

From a high school kid running 18:30 for 5K to standing on the summit of the world’s highest mountain in record time, Ty’s path has been anything but linear.

After years of road racing, Olympic Trials qualifications, a World Championship silver medal, and a US 50-mile national title, he turned to mountaineering and began rewriting the record books.

𝗔 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆:

  • More than 100 fastest known times across five continents

  • Manaslu, the 8th highest peak on Earth, in 9 hours 52 minutes without oxygen

  • Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Ama Dablam, and dozens of other major peaks

  • Mount Everest, Base Camp to summit, in 9 hours 55 minutes in May 2026, breaking a 23-year-old record and setting a new round trip mark of 16 hours 32 minutes

That Everest record was not easy. It happened on the third attempt, repeated turnarounds, and moments when the mountain simply said no.

Ty returned again and again, adjusting his approach, training at the edge of what the body can handle, and eventually making the pragmatic decision that got him through

Beyond the records, he is a coach, a cancer survivor, and the force behind the Chaski Foundation, which supports young athletes in places where opportunity is scarce.

In this conversation, he talks about the long stretch of failure, the quiet decisions at high altitude, the mental cost of chasing something that may never come, and what it means to keep showing up when the outcome is still unknown.

Watch the full episode; it is worth your time. Link in comments

🎙️ 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗦𝟭𝟰𝗘𝟲 𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘!

This one is really special. Among all his achievements, what's special about the guest is that he is my senior from school, and I have fond memories of him, especially since he was also the school captain, among many other achievements.

I’m thrilled to share this powerful conversation with Vineet Buch, Partner at Firebolt Ventures, former Product Director at Google (Shopping & Play), and co-founder of Like.com (acquired by Google).

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗩𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲:

  • Secured All-India Rank 1 in the IIT-JEE

  • Studied Computer Science at IIT Kanpur and Cornell

  • Diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis in 1993; by 1995 was largely immobilised and advised to go on disability, but he refused and rebuilt himself through disciplined rehab

  • Built and sold a pioneering visual search company (Like.com, acquired by Google)

  • Led product at Google through hyper-growth (Shopping & Play)

  • Became a high-level endurance athlete (long-distance running, sea kayaking, cycling) despite a chronic spinal condition

In this episode, he opens up about the moments that demanded real courage: leaving the comfort of big tech, betting on unproven ideas, navigating acquisitions and transitions, fighting health challenges and the mindset required to keep building across decades.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, product leader, investor, or someone navigating your next bold move, this one will stay with you.

🎧 Tune in now (link in comments/bio)

Tag someone who needs to hear this story of operator-turned-investor courage.

#CourageTalks #FireboltVentures #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #IITKanpur #CourageInAction

🚀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗦𝟭𝟰𝗘𝟱 𝗶𝘀 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘!

𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗱 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗹𝗲𝗸𝗮𝗿, builder of products that reached millions of Indians on feature phones long before smartphones became common.

Founder who was told he was “an ideas guy who would fail as an entrepreneur”, and still walked away from a stable career to prove otherwise.

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀, 𝗡𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁:

• The quiet courage of leaving a secure path when everyone warned him he would fail

• Building English Seekho and Sparsh, some of the earliest mobile learning products in India that generated millions of paid subscriptions on basic feature phones

• Why teaching underprivileged students made him realise English isn’t just a language… for many, it’s identity and confidence

• The long, unglamorous grind of creating affordable learning tools for blue-collar workers, security guards, delivery partners and first-generation learners

• What it really takes to keep building in edtech for two decades while the industry keeps reinventing itself

• The personal moments that tested him far more than any pitch meeting or funding round

This is not a polished success story.

It’s a conversation about the courage to start when the odds look ordinary, to stay when results are slow, and to keep solving real problems for people who rarely get a seat at the table.

🎧 Courage Talks S14E5 – Ninad Vengurlekar is now live.

Listen on your favourite platform

#CourageTalks #EdTech #Entrepreneurship #SocialImpact #MobileLearning #StayHungryStayFoolish

🎙️ 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗦𝟭𝟰𝗘𝟰 𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗟𝗜𝗩𝗘!

In this powerful episode, I talk with Nitin Gupta, Global CEO and ED, STEER World, a leader whose journey is pure grit, resilience, and courage.

• 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘰𝘯𝘦-𝘣𝘦𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘖𝘊𝘓 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘢 (𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯)...

• 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭, 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘒𝘙𝘌𝘊 𝘚𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘬𝘢𝘭...

• 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘋𝘈 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥...

• 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘛 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨...

• 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴...

• 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘖𝘝𝘐𝘋 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘌𝘗 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘢...

• 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯 2022 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘊𝘌𝘖 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘛𝘌𝘌𝘙.

In just a few years, the company has grown consistently at over 25% CAGR by commercialising technology and expanding into new international markets.

This is a story of rising from the ashes, proving yourself when the odds are stacked against you, and choosing the harder path when it would have been easier to stay comfortable.

If you’ve ever felt the pressure of family expectations, struggled with self-doubt, faced professional or personal setbacks, or wondered whether it’s too late to take a big risk, this conversation is for you.

Tag someone who needs to hear this story of quiet courage and relentless determination.

#CourageTalks #Leadership #Resilience #LeapOfFaith #STEER #IndianLeaders #NeverGiveUp

I had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Niranjan Seshadri, MD, JD — a rare blend of interventional cardiologist, healthcare entrepreneur, legal expert, and thought leader at the intersection of medicine, AI, and human empathy.

He's trained at the Cleveland Clinic and Harvard Medical School, with a JD from Georgetown and an LL.M. from UC Berkeley specialising in AI and Technology Law.

Dr. Seshadri is Co-Founder & CEO of HelixaHealth.ai and Nectara.ai. He is also co-author of the upcoming book “Lead with Empathy” alongside negotiation legend Chris Voss, and author of Himalayan Tsunami.

In this deep and thoughtful conversation, we explore:

  • Why empathy is not a soft skill but a strategic advantage in leadership and healthcare

  • Building AI platforms that put patients and human connection at the center

  • The ethical and regulatory challenges of AI in medicine

  • Lessons from medicine, law, entrepreneurship, and personal resilience

  • What it truly means to lead with both intellect and heart in an age of rapid technological change

This episode is for anyone interested in the future of healthcare, conscious leadership, or the balance between cutting-edge technology and deep humanity.

Drop a 💙 if this conversation resonated with you.

What does “leading with empathy” mean in your own work or life?

Huge thanks to Dr Niranjan for an insightful and inspiring discussion.

#CourageTalks #Leadership #Empathy #AIinHealthcare #HealthcareInnovation #DigitalHealth #Mindset