A 12-year-old boy, vertically challenged, struggling to prove his strength.

He decided to participate in a recitation contest. A small decision that changed not just his life — but went on to change many more.

His first lesson came from his school teacher, who helped him find the message that suited his build and his voice. That one lesson planted a seed that would grow into a lifelong strength: storytelling.

That's Shridhar Sampath for you.

On the latest episode of Momentum with Meenakshi, I sat down with Shridhar — Executive Coach and Founder of Motivaluate Consulting — for a conversation that had energy running through every minute of it.

We talked about storytelling. Not as a skill. As a superpower that shows up early in life, gets sidelined by "practical" pursuits, and then re-emerges later — often at the exact moment you need passion to carry you forward.

Here's what stayed with me:

1. Your strength was there all along.

It shows up in childhood. Gets ignored while you chase what seems "sensible." And then it comes back — right when your journey needs it most.

2. Great leaders never stop being great learners.

The moment you think you've arrived is the moment you start falling behind.

3. Struggle is non-negotiable. Support is what gets you through it.

Shridhar spoke about his family — the people who backed him before the results showed up. Whatever you're chasing, find your people who believe in the journey before they see the destination.

4. Finding the apt message is everything.

Just like his teacher helped him find words that fit his voice, the right message — delivered the right way — is what bridges the gap between a speaker and an audience, no matter how technical the subject.

5. Passion makes challenges shrink.

Not because the obstacle gets smaller. Because you get bigger.

This one wasn't just an interview. It was a masterclass in finding — and trusting — the strength that's been with you since childhood.

In this Episode I sit with Sri Ram Kumar who is a seasoned professional with over 3 decades of experience across Banking, IT, Consulting, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Alliances, and Leadership Development. At Present, he leads Marketing, Alliances and HR at FinAlyzer where he works at the intersection of finance, transformation, enterprise technology and partner ecosystems. His work combines business strategy, story telling, relationship building and deep engagement with CFO communities. As regular writer and speaker, Sri Ram explores themes around digital transformation, leadership, trust, human behavior and organisational change. He brings a practical, reflective and people-centric lens to every conversation, with a strong bias for clarity, relevance and impact.

We discussed about how his childhood experience shaped his life, how he gained momentum while changing verticals and finally what inspires him to write and how he manages to cover varied subjects while he write.

This is the story of McDonald's brothers and Ray Kroc. This is inspired by the Podcast by Tim Harford titled "Cautionary Tales" where he spoke about the brothers. This is my take on their journey.

I have recently published book titled "Notes to my Teenself"in Amazon Kindle and Amazon. I have tried Google Notebook llm to create a podcast based on my book.

Amazon Link -

https://www.amazon.com/Notes-Teen-Self-filled-Narratives/dp/B0CV4LRPWS

Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand.

People see what people do. As a Leader it is our responsibility to walk the talk and set the expectaions in our team

Jim Rohn says "You are an average of 5 people you associate with "

Who are you associating with determines your growth as a leader

Are you having diverse set of people around you ?

Are you associating with people who can add value to you ?

Law of Innercirle from 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership asks you to check who you are associated with in your journey of leadershhip.

In this episode, I give a summary of Chapter 10 from the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by Dr. John C Maxwell, " Law of Connection"

In this episode I give a summary of Chapter 9 from 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by Dr. John C Maxwell - "Law of Magnetism"

A Leader can see through a situation far more better than his/ her followers. you are what you see that way leaders are ahead in the curve to see what is in store.