How I Got Here

If we are open to learning lessons from anyone and everyone in all situations, we will be the better for it. That's what shapes you. That's what molds you. And I would attribute all of that to how I was shaped and who I am today. — Sethuraman Panchanathan

I had the pleasure of interviewing the Honorable Sethuraman Panchanathan, a computer scientist and engineer, and the 15th director of the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). Panchanathan (also known as Panch) was nominated to this position by the president of the United States in 2019 and unanimously confirmed by the Senate in 2020.

I didn't ask him any questions about science. Instead, we discussed his low points and struggles, and how they have shaped him and brought him to where he is today.

I’m joined by 10-year-old Mithra Mantha, a science enthusiast from Pleasanton Unified School District in the SF Bay Area. Mithra wanted to ask Dr. Panch a few science-related questions that are relevant to students his age.

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Show Notes

00:56 Intro02:47 How Panch succeeded while staying nice, kind and soft-spoken07:02 How Panch navigated his low points16:49 Is struggle a necessary ingredient to success?20:30 How Panch navigated complex situations in his career32:30 Panch’s advice to those struggling to find success36:41 Why a lot of cricketers who hit 90 runs get out before reaching 10038:10 How to leverage the best thinking in a room with smart people45:54 How Panch brought change when he joined the NSF49:31 How to get people with different views on the same page?52:16: Mithra asks how to get children interested in science?55:36: Mithra asks for time management and study tips57:35: How Panch maintains work life balance despite a busy job

More Sethuraman Panchanathan quotes from the interview

"If we are open to learning lessons from anyone and everyone in all situations, we will be the better for it. That's what shapes you. That's what molds you. And I would attribute all of that to how I was shaped and who I am today." – Sethuraman Panchanathan

"Never give up. Never, never give up." – Sethuraman Panchanathan

"Sometimes, we tend to take complex situations and find that there's only one way of handling it. I have found that if you give yourself the time and the space, and sometimes even talking to somebody who you trust, you might find better and more elegant ways of doing it." – Sethuraman Panchanathan

"Don't compare yourself, but see how you can supplement and complement." – Sethuraman Panchanathan

"Set a bold vision, a vision that, you know, is inspiring, and hopefully, through that, contributing to the well-being of society and humanity." – Sethuraman Panchanathan

"Time management is about prioritizing. We have a lot of things that you can do, but you need to prioritize among those things. What are the most important things that you need to do so that you can spend the time on the things that matter and the things that can have the greatest impact?" – Sethuraman Panchanathan

"It's not about you. It's about the task at hand. Always focus on excellence, hard work, and take your work seriously." – Sethuraman Panchanathan

"Through struggle comes unbelievable outcomes, and you also enjoy the fact that you did work for it and obtained it." – Sethuraman Panchanathan

"As much as possible, don't try to react. But respond. Reaction is only for real dangerous situations. But in those situations where you have time to process, internalize, and think about it, bring yourself fully to the solution." – Sethuraman Panchanathan

"If you have a set of goals that you have in mind that you want to accomplish for the benefit of society, humanity, or your organization, and you couple that with passion, hard work, and excellence, then people skills become the secret sauce on top of that." – Sethuraman Panchanathan"Make sure that you are working with people, you respect them, you honor them, you cherish them. Help them achieve their goals, their objectives, and in turn, they will help you." – Sethuraman Panchanathan

"If you feel the resentment, try to let it go. The moment you hold on to something, you just can't operate. It consumes you." – Sethuraman Panchanathan

"The moment you point a finger at somebody, there are three fingers pointing back at you. Focus on the three fingers pointing at you, ask yourself what you can do better." – Sethuraman Panchanathan

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You can tell a great deal about a man by the shoe he wears.– Joshua Rozario

I interviewed Joshia Rozario, founder of J.Rozario, a men’s footwear brand, focused on bold designs and quality craftsmanship. Josh is also a creative brand marketing professional who has worked with over 250 brands globally.

The first 30 minutes is all about shoes and styling tips. Men: don’t miss it!In the second half, Josh breaks down exactly how he went from 0 → 1 to launch his shoe business.

I interview remarkable people about their life and career journeys. Subscribe to get notified when there’s a new episode.

Show Notes

00:00 Intro02:04 Josh's shoe story07:02 Josh’s favorite shoe types07:50 What most men don’t know about shoes08:48 Photography tip relating to shoes14:09 Shoes every man should own20:39 How Josh gained his shoe insights25:08 Why men should not try to look like a GQ model26:59 Creating a unique shoe brand in a saturated market29:40 Challenges of running a physical brand31:51 How to start a physical brand36:06 “Pad Man”42:01 Focusing on sales vs marketing vs product43:16 The creator syndrome46:35 Why everyone needs a coach48:12 The “Mom” test49:10 Bootstrapping vs. seeking capital50:00 Marketing tips50:57 Mastering time management as an entrepreneur53:37 Time-blocking54:08 Marketing tips for an engineer1:00:48 How to create valuable relationships

More Joshua Rozario quotes from the interview

“You can tell a great deal about a man by the shoe he wears.”– Joshua Rozario

“I realized that a shoe was a representation of who I am and expressed my personality.”– Joshua Rozario

“The biggest mistake men make with shoes is not keeping them polished and clean.”– Joshua Rozario

“Innovate at every level of your business, not just the product.”– Joshua Rozario

“Don't get obsessed with looking like a GQ model; stay authentic to yourself.”– Joshua Rozario

“You want to be able to create value for others before you expect them to create value for you.”– Joshua Rozario

“Sometimes the best marketing ideas come from borrowing concepts from other industries.”– Joshua Rozario

“When you're close to your product, it's hard to see it objectively. Get feedback from others.”– Joshua Rozario

“Being well-dressed can make you more influential and confident.”– Joshua Rozario

“Be careful not to look like you're just taking value from others; offer genuine help first.”– Joshua Rozario

People Mentioned

* Sumukh Setty

* Rajesh Setty

* Russell Fields

* Alberto Suastes

* David Embrick

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It always fascinates me when I walk into an organization and find people who've worked together for years, sometimes even on the same floor, and yet they barely know each other. I make a point of speaking to everyone. – David Blackwealth

I interviewed David Blackwealth, who started out as an entrepreneur—a graphic designer and music producer—but found his calling in the corporate world, rising to Vice President of a global finance giant after being Assistant VP at Merrill Lynch. In this episode, we uncover his journey—how he climbed the ladder, why some people succeed faster, and the framework he used to navigate his career trajectory. Plus, as a father of eight, David shares his method for staying productive, managing time well, and achieving good work-life balance.

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Show Notes

00:42 Intro01:57 How’s it being a father of eight?09:54 Dealing with rejection16:58 Entrepreneurship vs. corporate world29:48 Strategic thinking and goal setting37:37 Paper/pen vs digital tools49:23 Climbing the corporate ladder50:50 The ladder vs. lattice 53:25 The power of networking and relationship building01:03:13 The importance of vision and planning in your career01:11:44 The role of soft skills in achieving career success01:13:38 How to stay focused

More David Blackwealth quotes from the interview

“It's okay to lose if you were bested. If you weren’t the best that day and you lost, that's fine. But don't lose because you weren't prepared.” – David Blackwealth

“Remember why you started.”– David Blackwealth

“If you want to become good or you want to become successful at something, you have to increase your rate of failure.”– David quoting Jim Rohn“What some people may not realize is that not only do we have traditional career ladders, but we also have career lattices. You can navigate your career in various directions, not just upwards.”– David Blackwealth

“It was hard to stay in business during the 2008 crash, and the thought of starting over weighed heavily on me. My grandma told me something that stuck with me: You never lost a skill.”– David Blackwealth

People Mentioned

* Jim Rohn

* Cal Newport

* Jocko Willink

* Simon Sinek

* Barbara Oakley

* LeBron James

* Napoleon Hill

(Apologies for the bad video quality on my end. I had to use a backup recording as I lost the original.)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swamiphoto.substack.com

Swami, one thing I know about you is you love photography. When we talk about photography, you get a smile on your face and you light up. There are going to be leaders that lead you at the workplace that will never talk about photography with you ever. They don't care about it. It's just about Swami cranking it out. That's leading with your head. Leading with your heart means I care about Swami. And I might, at lunch, only talk about photography. And by the time the lunch is done, Swami just loves it. Swami's like, wow, that was the best lunch ever. We didn't even talk about work. He cared about me. He wanted to know about photography.

– Shane Cragun

Shane Cragun is a global thought leader on leadership, culture, and strategy, having trained executives at Honda, NASA, U.S. Department of Defense, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, ABK Bank of Kuwait-Egypt, Yokosuka Japan U.S. Naval Shipyard, and several other multinational organizations. He was a senior partner at Korn Ferry and an executive at Franklin Covey, where he worked with Stephen Covey, the author of 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. He was shortlisted for the Thinkers50 award for his best-selling book Reinvention: Accelerating Results in the Age of Disruption. He regularly contributes to Harvard Business Review and has been featured in Forbes, Success Magazine, Entrepreneur, the Nelson Mandela Library, and many other famed institutions. 

Shane is currently an Adjunct Faculty at the Asia School of Business, which is a unit of the MIT Sloan School of Management, and is currently a managing partner at LeadersCode.AI. Hope you enjoy the first episode of the How I Got Here podcast!

Show Notes

00:41 Intro01:59 Shane's journey and inflection points 03:53 The three pillars of effective leadership05:50 Building leadership character and overcoming blind spots07:06 Leading with heart: the key to effective leadership16:14 How to build executive presence 26:18 Leading without being the boss27:44 Leadership styles in US vs. Asia30:32 Nervous vs. empowered teams31:14 Good vs. exceptional leadership33:54 Why Satya Nadella is a great leader35:35 Career breakthroughs38:28 Learning from Stephen Covey (7 habits author)40:41 Character over competence and presence41:48 Overcoming limiting beliefs 52:36 The importance of being in the right rooms

More Shane Cragun quotes from the interview

“I chose to go for less salary, but better experience. So I went to Silicon Valley and that's followed me around my entire life. That first job...has to be rocks. They never leave your bio.” – Shane Cragun

“The first area we judge leaders in is do we like their character? Do we like who they are as a person?...Am I trustworthy? Do I inspire trust? Am I unselfish? Do I lead with empathy?” – Shane Cragun

“Executive presence is a muscle. And some people just have it more than others by birth...Some of us have to really build that muscle. And the only way you can do that is through practice and study.” – Shane Cragun

“Leading with heart means that I'm not treating you as just the director of engineering...I care about Swami who has a spouse and who has needs outside and who has interests and hobbies.” – Shane Cragun

“Your limiting belief is I'm an engineer, no good at sales. That's the problem...A lot of limiting beliefs are made up. You're fighting dragons. You're fighting windmills.” – Shane Cragun

“Be in the right rooms, being around the right people...All it takes is that one chance meeting between the sessions where that guy makes your whole life different.” – Shane Cragun

“Recognize slow as fast and fast as slow with people...Take your time, go slow. You're there for the long term.” – Shane Cragun

“Self leadership always precedes leading others. So people need to do the work on their own self leadership...Leading yourself, getting up on time, doing your exercises, working on improving.” – Shane Cragun

People Mentioned

* Gandhi

* Stephen Covey

* Satya Nadella

* Lenin

* Putin

* Steve Jobs

* Dave Ulrich

* Steve Ballmer

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swamiphoto.substack.com

Hello friends!

I'm so excited to announce my new podcast, How I Got Here. This show is all about the incredible journeys of remarkable people–how they overcame challenges and made the choices that led them to where they are. We'll uncover their decision-making processes, how they think differently, and the ways they tackle problems.

Plus, we'll get the inside scoop on the tools, strategies, and hacks they use to manage time and stay productive.

I hope you'll find it interesting! Follow along and stay tuned for the first episode with Shane Cragun, leadership visionary and author of the best-selling book Reinvention: Accelerating Results in the Age of Disruption, who worked closely with the author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Here’s a short clip:

Cheers,

Swami

P.S. Sorry you might get a few extra emails from me this week, as I’m also about to send out my next newsletter. If it’s too much, feel free to use the unsubscribe link—no hard feelings.

Subscribe to get notified about new episodes.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit swamiphoto.substack.com