Gritty Serendipity

Special Episode 5: In this episode, I spoke to Julie Schaller and you do not want to miss the immense wisdom that she shared in the show!
Julie and I met serendipitously but grit is what got us together which culminated in making this episode!
Julie helps her clients find work they love and has a natural talent for inspiring them to new levels in their careers. It’s like she has x-ray vision for seeing their greatest potential. The most common results her clients have received include next-level promotions, increased confidence and credibility, and landing new jobs that are fulfilling, lucrative and challenging.  When coaching with Julie, clients refine their unique strengths, overcome blockers to advancement, and develop a powerful personal brand. 
Julie understands the challenges busy professionals face. Throughout her twenty-five year career, she’s worked at mid-size, entrepreneurial, consulting, and Fortune 100 businesses.  Her specialty is partnering with up-and-coming leaders and executives who are seeking career growth and higher levels of impact. Her client list includes Microsoft, Nordstrom, Facebook, CenturyLink, T-Mobile, Starbucks, Boeing, and many others. Julie is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coach Federation and holds certifications in Myers-Briggs Personality Typing and Personal Branding

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Episode 4: This week I spoke to Neelu Jain, who works at ISSQUARED as head of products. I found her humble, soft-spoken, and down to earth personality intriguing. 
A little bit about her in Neelu's own words:
Highly energetic, motivated, and a very social person. I have a passion to learn new tools and technologies and want to be challenged each day with a new challenge. I bring a wealth of experience from working at large organizations to small and have held various roles!
ISSQUARED, Inc is hiring, and here is a link to know more: https://www.issquaredinc.com/current-openings

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Episode 3: I was excited to catch up with Sree Talluri, who I worked with previously at Expedia. She shared some of the gems in navigating your career.
Sree is from South India. Sree came to Chicago 20yrs ago to pursue her Master's in Computer Science. Sree served in several engineering and leadership roles in consulting, travel, and now fintech startup. Sree is a huge believer in empowering women, champions inclusion and diversity, and often known by her colleagues as someone who is authentic, confident, and is cautiously optimistic.

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Episode 2: I saw down to speak with Anita Balaraman and you do not want to miss the immense wisdom that she shared in the show!
Anita Balaraman is a scientist and technologist passionate about teaching, and curious about the intersection of the future of work, learning, education, and AI/ML technology. Committed to enabling education to serve as a tool for social and economic mobility for all by democratizing occupational identity. Growing up as a girl in a traditional, modest household in South India, being an entrepreneur was not an occupational identity she knew: “I didn’t believe that because I didn’t see it.” Education, she believes should not be a privilege that promotes and perpetuates inequality, but rather a way to expand opportunity for all. She believes in the power of exposing students to role models so they see what is truly possible- an occupational identity that aligns with their interests and skills, and social capital that extends beyond their zip codes. Technology product leader with a demonstrated achievement record in building and marketing products aimed at delighting the customer. Accumulated a series of successes in risk modeling as a scientist that caused policy changes at USEPA, DFG, and USFW.

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If you have an idea and do not know where to start then this story helps you navigate. And even if you are not thinking of starting your own this story does have a lot of advice and tips for you!
Hint: Creators, podcasters, and startup enthusiasts, this episode have a lot of learnings and tips for you!
About our guest Preethi Mohan's: 
Preethi has worked across several markets around the world in boutique and global organizations such as Google. She has 12+ years of experience spanning marketing, product management, and digital transformation. During this time, Preethi has helped launch the first-ever e-commerce store for Samsung Australia, helped startups get funding, and helped transition businesses from start-ups to scale-ups. She has earned prestigious awards for her marketing efforts including the Cannes, LIA, CLIO, Adfest. Spikes and IAB Creative excellence awards. After doing the Antler Accelerator program and the Startmate Fellowship, she has now brought together her passion for the creative arts, content, and entrepreneurship to launch www.Vodited.com. A startup on a mission to make audio and video editing easy and accessible to everyone.

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Bonus Holiday Series: Episode 5
Before I start to share, a quick disclaimer: Please consult your doctor before making any dietary or physical, or life-altering changes. These are purely based on my personal journey/experience which has worked for me. We all have unprecedented access to information more than ever. There are plenty of such models out there and in fact, my model draws inspiration from several of them which I modified to suit my lifestyle
Alright let me share what are the 5 pillars:
1. Balanced Nutritious Meals
2. Hydration
3. Quality Sleep
4. Adequate Exercise
5. Emotional Wellness

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Bonus Holiday Series: Episode 4
Once I got my head straight with handling the COVID situation both at work and home, I was yearning to learn some of the inspiring stories of new-age entrepreneurs. That’s when I picked How I built this by Guy Raz.
Just like classical mythology, which is filled with superheroes who do things differently, face a near-death experience, doubles down on their beliefs, and finally achieves fame & wealth. All of the above holds good for new age super entrepreneurs too.
Guy Raz beautifully walks us through the journey of some of the incredible startup founders from the spark of their initial idea through poverty, discrimination, and despair to ultimately when they reach a version of success!

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Bonus Holiday Series: Episode 3
Ah huh, this is my favorite topic which I shied away from discussing but now can dare to talk openly, the feelings of shame, embarrassment, pain, and a sense of isolation.
The key takeaways from this book are, what can trigger shame, how empathy can be a powerful antidote to shame, and why we should all give up on the pursuit of perfection.

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This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

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Bonus Holiday Series: Episode 2
This book helped answer two of my main questions, understanding the fundamentals of stoicism with a problem description and how to use some of its guiding principles to lead our best life.
You must be curious how am I applying stoics philosophy? I shared my mantra at the end!


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Bonus Holiday Series: Episode 1
This book helped answer two of my main questions, how does emotional intelligence develop in individuals and why is it key for society as a whole to evolve and thrive. I shared a few of my habits influenced by this book at the end.
I highly recommend reading it, if not for you but for future generations whom we nurture and touch their lives on a regular basis. Here are some of my insights and high points from the book.

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This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

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