Grateful Living

The other day, I was speaking to a friend, and she said to me, I’m thinking about starting a side hustle.

What do you think I should consider before I start it?

Grateful Living Info:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Bo0LHtRJJNJBUYIceg27w

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Hn4ttttmbWfVqAhWh4Jhi

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1503185956

My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aroy81547/?hl=en

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/gratefulliving4

Medium: https://gratefulliving4.medium.com/

Kay Northrup is the Owner and Chief Event Producer of Kay Northrup Events, a wedding planning company specializing in stepping outside of the "comfort zone." KNE serves untraditional couples looking for permission to celebrate their marriage THEIR way. Given Kay's love for travel, she specializes in destination weddings and has, so far, planned weddings across 3 continents, 8 countries and 9 US states. Kay became a full-time entrepreneur at 25 and talks about her personal business journey.

In this interview, we talk about:

- Kay's business journey - first working in the events management space for several years, then starting her own wedding planning company at 25 and her lessons learned including - balancing personal and business, building a brand, setting pricing, when to make the first hire

- Kay's personal journey getting engaged at 22 and married at 24, and her advice on love

- Kay's growth as a social media influencer and her advice to others on handling the growth and negative comments

- Her advice on wedding planning to couples

Kay's Socials:

Kay Northrup Events Website: https://www.kaynorthrupevents.com/

Kay's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaynorthrup/

Kay Northrup Events Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaynorthrupevents

Grateful Living Info:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Bo0LHtRJJNJBUYIceg27w

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Hn4ttttmbWfVqAhWh4Jhi

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1503185956

My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aroy81547/?hl=en

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/gratefulliving4

Medium: https://gratefulliving4.medium.com/

Approximate Time Stamps:

0:00 Intro

0:49 Background on Kay and her childhood

3:28 Was entrepreneurship you thought about as a young child or did it come about later in life?

5:34 What would you say to a 16 year old growing up in a somewhat rigid environment like Catholic school?

8:51 What was your mindset attending Emerson College?

13:00 Can you talk about your Events Management experience before starting your own company?

16:56 What made you feel ready in 2019 to start your own company?

20:10 Any lessons from first year mistakes as a business owner?

25:27 Do you have any love advice, given you got married at 25?

28:53 How do you balance working hard and making time for your personal life?

31:18 How did you create trust in your early years as a brand?

34:53 How did you set rates?

39:08 Any advice on growing as a social media influencer and handling the negative comments?

44:33 Any specific wedding planning business advice?

47:23 When is the right time to make your first hire?

49:09 How to decide whether to do a destination/traditional wedding or an elopement?

52:15 How do you handle stress as a wedding planner when people make last minute changes?

54:05 Can you talk about going to Antartica?

57:01 How has therapy helped you?

Toxic people and environments can be tough.

In this vlog, I give 7 strategies for anyone dealing with toxic people or a toxic environment.

Grateful Living Info:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Bo0LHtRJJNJBUYIceg27w

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Hn4ttttmbWfVqAhWh4Jhi

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1503185956

My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aroy81547/?hl=en

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/gratefulliving4

Medium: https://gratefulliving4.medium.com/

Connor is the founder of Atlas Urban Farms, a company trying to redefine our relationship to public space, using hydroponics to empower healthier communities.

In this interview, we talk about:

- Connor's journey overcoming childhood trauma

- Connor's unhealthy relationship with alcohol in college

- Connor's journey post-college having a tough time finding a job and what he recommends to others in a similar position

- Connor's entrepreneurial journey - starting a software company called Windsr and now Atlas Urban Farms and the lessons he's learned through both ventures

- What Hydroponic Farming Is And How it Can Change Modern and Future Farming

- Connor's entrepreneurship advice including his thoughts on being willing to learn, being open to mistakes, and being good with uncertaintyAtlas Urban Farms Socials:

Website: https://www.atlasurbanfarms.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atlasurbanfarms/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atlas-urban-farms/about/

Grateful Living Info:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Bo0LHtRJJNJBUYIceg27w

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Hn4ttttmbWfVqAhWh4Jhi

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1503185956

My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aroy81547/?hl=en

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/gratefulliving4

Medium: https://gratefulliving4.medium.com/

Approximate Time Stamps:

0:00 Intro

0:33 Connor’s Early Life Journey

2:23 Was business/entrepreneurship something you thought about as a young person or later in life?

4:20 You were sexually assaulted as a child. Do you have any advice to anyone whose been sexually assaulted?

7:28 Would you do anything different now looking back?

8:22 Anything else you want to say about the abuse?

9:44 What was it like going to University of Pittsburg and your mindset there?

12:20 Any advice you would give a college student struggling to find a job?

14:53 Any advice for people who abuse alcohol?

17:45 Early jobs after college?

20:16 Can you talk about your AmeriCorps year?

24:40 What was it like serving underserved communities about entrepreneurship?

27:41 Can you talk about your first venture, Windsr?

31:59 What was it like - learning to code?

34:16 What was your mindset going into your Babson MBA?

35:31 How did you get introduced to hydroponics?

40:55 What are the advantages of hydroponic towers?

44:43 How were you so open to failure?

47:37 Any thoughts on developing a business model?

51:23 What recommendations do you have for beginners trying to get into hydroponics?

53:25 Are sprouts easiest to start with?

54:23 Anything else you'd say to someone thinking about entrepreneurship?

57:43 Any tips on growing plants?

The other day, I was talking to a friend whose said: I’m in a relationship where the person is a different race than me.

My parents are immigrants so I know they’ll be disappointed I’m not ending up with someone from my ancestor’s country. I’m finding it tough to let them know about my relationship.

Do you have any advice on approaching telling them? In this vlog, I answer that question.

Grateful Living Info:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Bo0LHtRJJNJBUYIceg27w

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Hn4ttttmbWfVqAhWh4Jhi

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1503185956

My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aroy81547/?hl=en

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/gratefulliving4

Medium: https://gratefulliving4.medium.com/

While growing up, Jose noticed his brother Joel always lose the fidget toys he used to help him focus and de-stress. His junior year of high school, Jose decided to create a solution for it - a shirt with a grommet added to the bottom to hold a keychain or any fidget toy. Not long after, a business was born - Tasium - a fidget infused apparel line to help people with Austin and ADHD handle stress, anxiety, and assist in sensory-related issues.

In this interview, we talk about:

- Joel’s autism journey and being diagnosed at 7 with Asperger’s

- The brothers’ perspective growing up in a lower socioeconomic background with a single mom

- Jose’s high school journey and starting a business inspired by his brother to help others with autism and ADHD through apparel

- What it’s like running a clothing apparel business

- What it’s like being a national story and being featured in People and Inside Edition

Tasium's Socials:

Tasium Website: https://www.tasiumworldwide.com/

Tasium Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tasium.worldwide/?hl=en

Jose's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tasiumceo/?hl=af

Grateful Living Info:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Bo0LHtRJJNJBUYIceg27w

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Hn4ttttmbWfVqAhWh4Jhi

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1503185956

My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aroy81547/?hl=en

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/gratefulliving4

Medium: https://gratefulliving4.medium.com/

Approximate Time Stamps:

0:00 Intro

0:49 Joel and Jose’s background

5:16 How Tasium started

7:31 What advice to someone finding out they have Autism?

9:12 Were you ever mistreated?

10:31 Advice to a sibling on supporting someone with Autism?

12:21 What has your mom meant to you throughout the journey?

14:30 Any advice for people growing up in lower socioeconomic backgrounds on entrepreneurship?

17:27 Can you talk about the NFTE class and competition?

21:19 What does the cube stand for?

22:37 How was receiving the first prototypes?

24:45 How was managing business, life and school?

26:32 How is it running a clothing apparel company?

28:44 Any shipping and label advice?

30:17 How is going to Babson?

32:37 Any advice for people of color or people of lower socioeconomic background adjusting to college?

34:58 How was becoming a national news story and being featured on Inside Edition?

36:10 Any public speaking tips?

37:17 Can you talk about your Kickstarter campaign?

42:09 Any trademark advice?

The other day, I was talking to a friend of mine and he said to me, how do I learn to trust people again after being cheated on?

For context on his situation, he broke up with the person who cheated on him, so when he says trust again, he’s speaking to – how does he trust a person he’s entering into a new dating relationship with?

Grateful Living Info:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Bo0LHtRJJNJBUYIceg27w

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Hn4ttttmbWfVqAhWh4Jhi

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1503185956

My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aroy81547/?hl=en

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/gratefulliving4

Medium: https://gratefulliving4.medium.com/

Ayan Sanyal is the Co-Founder of Kolkata Chai Co, a chai company with a café in the east village of New York City and with an online marketplace on their website. Online, you can buy DIY chai kits, gift boxes while in-person you can enjoy some hot or cold tea and food.

In this interview, we talk about:

- Ayan’s relationship with culture as an Indian American growing up in the United States

- Ayan’s journey with entrepreneurship - working in the corporate world for 3 years before founding a digital marketing agency, Green Room Creative, with his brother Ani

- How he came up with the idea of creating an authentic chai company

- His advice on certain aspects of entrepreneurship - imposter syndrome, purpose, navigating stress

Ayan's Socials:

Kolkata Chai Co Website: https://kolkatachai.co/

Ayan’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ayanisdreaming/

Kolkata Chai Co’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kolkatachaico/

Grateful Living Info:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Bo0LHtRJJNJBUYIceg27w

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Hn4ttttmbWfVqAhWh4Jhi

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1503185956

My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aroy81547/?hl=en

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/gratefulliving4

Medium: https://gratefulliving4.medium.com/

Time Stamps:

0:00 Intro

0:40 Ayan’s childhood

2:32 Have you always had the relationship of championing your culture?

5:44 How have you viewed entrepreneurship? Did you always want to be an entrepreneur?

7:59 What advice do you have to someone working full-time who may want to go into entrepreneurship?

13:13 Any advice on working with family in business?

16:35 Any advice on running a digital marketing agency?

19:38 How did you come about with creating an authentic chai company?

22:56 Did you have any hesitation in starting Kolkata Chai Company?

25:27 Any advice on imposter syndrome?

29:41 How was the process of opening up the cafe?

32:07 Are you able to reflect on how neat it is for young brown people to have access to authentic chai cafe?

34:25 How was navigating the pandemic? How do you perform well with so much stress?

37:25 You guys fundraised $1 M. What’s the expansion plan?

39:52 Any other life advice you want to provide?

The other day, I was talking to a friend of mine who just got promoted to a managerial position.

In summation, here’s the situation: I started working at this startup at 22. We’ve done decently well and since I was a part of the team in the early parts, I’m now being promoted to a managerial level at 25 – i.e. being tasked with hiring a team of 10 people for my group and will be in-charge of managing them.

I’m excited for the challenge and the career development opportunity, but I feel a ton of imposter syndrome. I feel like I’m not ready for this job or ready for the responsibility and I’m feeling extremely self-conscious and just anxiety about the pressure of the increased role. Do you have any advice?

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Grateful Living Info:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Bo0LHtRJJNJBUYIceg27w

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Hn4ttttmbWfVqAhWh4Jhi

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1503185956

My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aroy81547/?hl=en

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/gratefulliving4

Medium: https://gratefulliving4.medium.com/

Thaminda is the Global Head of Business Development, Oncology at Sanofi. Thaminda is a business development and transactions specialist who has spent close to a decade working on bringing value to patients through creative deals, worldwide, in various capacities. Thaminda has a strong track record in company creation, in/out-licensing, M&A, joint ventures, and cross-border transactions.

In this interview, we talk about:

Thaminda's Socials:

Thaminda's Twitter: https://twitter.com/thaminda19

Thaminda's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thaminda19/details/experience/

Grateful Living Info:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Bo0LHtRJJNJBUYIceg27w

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Hn4ttttmbWfVqAhWh4Jhi

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1503185956

My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aroy81547/?hl=en

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/gratefulliving4

Medium: https://gratefulliving4.medium.com/

Approximate Time Stamps: 

0:00 Intro

0:49 Can you talk about your early background/childhood?

2:11 What was it like growing up in Sri Lanka?

4:12 Any advice for someone growing up in a country at war?

8:00 Can you talk about your early college life?

10:47 Can you speak about your Sri Lanka to US transition?

13:53 What advice do you have for anyone on their BS/MS process?

15:40 How important are mentors?

24:33 Did you feel like a failure when you didn’t complete your Ph.D. and instead just got a Masters?

27:26 What should people look for in a first job?

30:24 Any advice on making the most of an MBA?

33:43 What was it like working in MBA evaluation?

38:24 How was it transitioning to business development?

40:02 What skills should an entry level business development person try to gain?

43:22 How did structure deals?

45:14 How did manage your personal life while trying to grow professionally?

47:32 Any love advice? Or advice on fatherhood?

50:16 Any thoughts on licensing?

52:04 Any advice on getting better at negotiation?

55:17 What is a day in the life?

58:53 How do you come up with the company’s pipeline vision/strategy?

1:01:51 How should individuals look to grow in the corporate careers?

1:05:05 Any leadership advice?