Three Creatives, Three Unexpected Paths

Rarely does a single conversation capture such genuinely diverse creative journeys, but episode 31 of "My First Job" delivers exactly that, and then some.

Yashwin Senanayake, who pivoted from music to marketing, recently completed a three-year documentary about an 86-year-old pioneering fashion figure from Sri Lanka, collaborating with the Australian High Commission and Curtin University. The film is currently screening at the National Museum. Meanwhile, Aishwarya Subramanian discovered her love for pastry-making after years in industrial design, building her craft through consistent practice during COVID lockdown before planning a cloud kitchen launch. Naivedya, a self-described creative chameleon, works across identity, products, and spatial design, once creating a retail branding project that transformed the workplace experience for both customers and staff.

What drives someone to abandon a familiar discipline and start completely over? Each of these guests answers that question through lived experience rather than theory.

Interestingly (and this matters), all three speakers agree that modern creative careers reward versatility over narrow specialization. They also share honest reflections on how social media scrutiny has made their generation more cautious about sharing work publicly.

Aishwarya shares her career transitions from industrial design to exploring UX/UI through online courses while maintaining her pastry interests via a cloud kitchen plan. She acknowledges her tendency to seek new challenges rather than repetitive work, though the speakers emphasize that mastering any skill requires consistent daily practice and depth over time, as evidenced by their experiences in writing and creative fields. In this podcast discussion, the speakers explore the creative process and the challenge of producing under tight deadlines.

Nivedya emphasizes the importance of respecting a non-linear creative process and understanding your target audience to work efficiently. However, a more experienced speaker with decades in the industry counters that creative ideas cannot be forced on schedule—they emerge through research, inspiration, and time.

Aishwarya adds that while drawing inspiration is valuable, putting your own unique twist on concepts is essential, particularly in photography and creative fields. The consensus reflects that while preparation and client knowledge matter, genuine creativity remains unpredictable and pressured environments sometimes yield both brilliant and mediocre results.

Living with uncertainty. And mastering it. That's what these careers are about.

Most regular veterinarians spend their time around dogs and cats, but unusual things can happen. And this was Dr. Barani's experience.

Lions in the local zoo had caught Covid and volunteers were required to care for them. It's not as if Covid was not already causing havoc.

Here, the problems were multifold. As Dr. Barani says: We had some 12 lions who tested positive for COVID. The lions come under a family called cats. C -A -T -S. Big cats. Right. Okay. Actually, felines. So, like how a cat gets COVID virus. the lion can also get a COVID virus. One of the zookeepers had COVID and he passed on to the lion. So, we had 12 lions that were positive for COVID and we needed to treat them.

It took us one and a half days to actually organize a treatment for them because you cannot restrain them. They are horribly aggressive. Plus they are sick. We had different gadgets and In fact, one of some of the major things we did here, which nobody does throughout the world, is we actually pulled the lion's tail through the cages.

And we connected something called the large bore cannulas that we use for humans. Let us say for a dialysis or any other procedure. So those cannulas were collected in the coccygeal vein of the tail, bandaged wood. And we had given medications every day through the large bore cannulas.

3 lions died. But the others recovered

Listen to this and other incredible experiences that Dr. Barani has had. And then, you'll know if being a vet is truly what you want to be.

There was a time when Google and Facebook were startups. There were people who believed in them. And understood their potential early on.

Being a venture capitalist is for those who like taking big risks for big payoffs. Or understanding markets so well, that you see the possibilities that no one else has seen - yet.

Divya Sampath has a career path that converged with the internet boom in the mid-90s. And she saw things change faster than the gigabyte speeds that would soon be taken for granted.

Rarely does someone sign a check for 500 crores on their third day at work and walk away with a lesson about humility rather than pride. That early moment at Citibank in mid-1990s Bombay captures everything about how Divya Sampath has approached her career: with perspective, curiosity, and a relentless search for meaning.

Divya's story moves through timeshare marketing at Sterling Holidays, a bold leap into India's nascent internet industry, and eventually building a practice from zero to $110 million in five years at Cognizant. What ties it all together is her belief that finding purpose in your work matters more than achieving traditional work-life balance, and that meaningful work is genuinely essential to mental wellbeing.

What happens when a mentor sees your passion more clearly than you see it yourself? That question sits at the heart of this conversation. A pivotal 1998 appraisal with mentor VN Bhattacharya redirected her entire trajectory toward technology.

After leaving ServiceNow in January 2020, Divya pursued causes around climate, women's development, and the digital skills divide. (The pandemic, it turned out, was actually fortuitous timing for launching virtually.)

She calls it the "University of Other People's Experiences." Tune in and start enrolling.

If you're one of those rare people who want to work in the social sector, this episode is for you

Rajasri started with a goal to impact one million people—her company has already reached over two million across India and Saudi Arabia. The founder of Impactree.ai is revolutionizing social impact measurement through technology, building SaaS platforms that help ground-level workers translate sustainability goals into real metrics.

From growing up in the Gulf to abandoning Indian Economic Services midway (she later completed a CS degree in her first attempt), Rajasri's journey took twelve to fifteen years to crystallize. After ten months of minimal work during a 2010 recession, she quit to join the Jagrati Yatra—a transformative pan-India entrepreneurial train journey with 500 young professionals. The experience taught her that discovering purpose takes time, but collective learning accelerates growth.

Through her work creating women entrepreneurs across rural Maharashtra and Bihar, Rajasri discovered something crucial: most Indian women are already entrepreneurs, their contributions simply go unrecognized. Her company now uses visual, vernacular data platforms (because only a small percentage speaks fluent English) to bridge the gap between consultant recommendations and ground-level implementation.

By August 2028, Rajasri aims to take her company public. What drives someone from economics to law to data analytics entrepreneurship?

Listen to discover how understanding socio-cultural nuances—not just economic factors—unlocks real impact.

Most urban jobs involve dealing with air, water, and environmental pollution on a daily basis. What if you spend all your life in scenic surroundings? But the work is rigorous and you have to deal with much slower pace of life

Starting at just twenty years old, Ramesh Vasudevan turned down India's defense services for something entirely different: tea plantations. His first assignment? Pruning two hundred tea bushes in fifteen days at Mayfield plantation in the Nilgiris. (He thought he'd done well, but his supervisor had other ideas.) That harsh feedback became the foundation of his entire leadership philosophy: you can't effectively supervise others until you've truly mastered the job yourself.

Over his thirty to forty years in the industry, Ramesh worked across remarkable landscapes—from the prestigious Wentworth estate in Coorg to the challenging terrain of Papua New Guinea, where he ingeniously built mechanical tea harvesters from salvaged parts. He even managed a massive eucalyptus plantation project in Laos, carefully clearing unexploded ordnance from the Vietnam War before planting nearly twenty thousand hectares. Through it all, he developed an extraordinary palate, tasting forty to fifty cups per session and identifying individual estate characteristics through flavor profiles alone—much like wine tasting, though with considerably more tooth staining.

What makes a perfect cup of tea, and how does elevation influence its flavor?

Tune in to discover the remarkable journey behind your morning brew.

Finding Your Own Stage: One Man's Journey from Banking to the Spotlight

When Surajit Guha walked into his boss's office to discuss his weekend singing gigs, he wasn't sure what to expect. Born in Kolkata in 1963 but raised in Chennai, Surajit had been balancing two worlds—corporate trainer by day, professional performer by night. His boss's response? Go ahead and pursue both paths.

For thirty-five years, Surajit navigated careers in sales, banking at ANZ Bank in Australia, and training at NIIT before finally taking the leap into music full-time. (He'd been singing since age two and a half, after all.) His journey wasn't about escaping a bad situation but rather about recognizing when priorities shift and having the courage to follow what genuinely fulfills you. What drives someone to wait decades before pursuing their childhood passion?

The key, Surajit emphasizes, lies in understanding what you truly want before making major changes. His Australian experience in the 1980s taught him invaluable lessons about treating people fairly—lessons that shaped both his professional approach and his eventual transition to performing globally for the past decade.

KEY LEARNINGS FROM HIS JOURNEY

• Explore without guilt: Multiple paths aren't wasted time; they're research on yourself

• Find mentors who believe in growth: The organizations that shaped him prioritized people over processes

• Confidence comes before certainty: He didn't know singing would work financially; he had self-reliance from previous success

• Notice the subtle warning signs: Don't wait for catastrophe; recognize when alignment shifts

• Build your support system first: Every major transition was possible because of people who believed in him

THE QUESTION THAT MATTERS

How many of us stay stuck because we haven't given ourselves permission to evolve? How many incredible contributions remain hidden because we chose the "safe" path over the authentic one?

Young Professionals Redefine Career Success Through Experimentation

Starting with a bold shift, this 25th episode features three accomplished young people who discovered their paths by eliminating what didn't work rather than following predetermined plans. Deepika Ganesh, Aryaman Harish, and Aditi Battu share how they navigated education for sustainable development, data analytics, and immunology—not through linear trajectories, but through intentional exploration.

What happens when you reject medicine despite family pressure? Aditi pursued a liberal arts degree, sampling subjects from molecular biology to gastronomy before finding her direction. (Her unconventional combination proved remarkably effective.) Aryaman created an interactive Netflix dashboard using Tableau and Kaggle data, helping independent producers pitch to Netflix by exploring viewer preferences across genres and markets. Meanwhile, Deepika designed massive open online courses at the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore, decentralizing business education through region-specific case studies.

From their first jobs—Deepika at KPMG in knowledge management, Aryaman at a startup during a funding round, Aditi in HR at a cancer hospital—they learned crucial lessons about ownership and organizational impact. These experiences taught them that career flexibility matters more than rigid planning, especially in today's rapidly evolving landscape where skills develop through experience rather than academic boundaries alone.

Their advice? Embrace experimentation, notice genuine curiosities, and allow space for boredom to rediscover lost interests.

Listen to discover how these young professionals are shaping unconventional yet remarkably clear career paths.

In this podcast I share my journey of becoming a banker's boss and how I secured a relationship manager position in the amazing world of relationship banking! 🌟 If you're interested in pursuing a career in banking and finance or are simply curious about what it takes to thrive as a relationship manager, this video is for you. Join me as I explore the key skills, qualifications, and strategies required to break into this lucrative field. I’ll discuss the critical role of relationship managers in banking, how they build and maintain client relationships, and the impact they have on a bank’s success. Whether you're a recent graduate or considering a career change, I provide valuable insights and tips to help you stand out in the competitive banking industry. Learn about the qualifications needed, interview tips, and what to expect on the job. Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe for more insightful content on building a successful career in banking and finance! 🚀 #BankingCareer #RelationshipManager #CareerAdvice #FinanceJobs #BankingIndustry #CareerGrowth #JobTips #FinancialServices

From Corporate to Entrepreneur: Jaya's Journey to Revolutionize Banking

Here are the notes summarizing the key points from the podcast summary: - Jaya Janardhanan left her corporate banking career to start her own company, Krayontek Solutions, aimed at helping banks streamline operations and adapt to changes in the industry. - Jaya shares her journey from joining a bank after graduating to transitioning from corporate banking to retail banking, learning new skills like Demat operations on the job. - She describes helping establish centralized operations for ICICI Bank, streamlining manual processes and deciding which tasks to keep at branches vs centralize

- Jaya took on a Six Sigma project to improve the inefficient 23-day account opening process, reducing it to just 1 day with innovations like pre-generated kits. - ICICI Bank introduced customer-centric changes like 8-to-8 banking under CEO KV Kamath's leadership, staying ahead of the curve. - Jaya implemented "Project Crisp" to handle cash rush, introducing a system for customers to deposit cash in sealed packets, which built trust through CCTV monitoring for transparency

Her experiences highlight embracing new methodologies, challenging the status quo, and adapting solutions based on customer needs for operational improvements and innovations in banking.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaya-janardanan/

Independent Director at https://www.svasti.in/

From Banker to Healer: Soumya's Journey in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment

Soumya, the head of therapy and operations at TTK Hospitals, shares her unconventional journey from banking to mental health and addiction treatment. Despite societal stigma, she found her calling in this field, driven by her passion for helping others. Her days are unpredictable, managing crises, assisting patients, and ensuring smooth operations at the rehabilitation center

The speaker initially planned to follow their father's footsteps in HR but discovered a passion for social work, particularly medical and psychiatric care. Their experience with community work during their MSW program exposed them to issues like domestic violence, alcoholism, and mental health concerns, fueling their desire to be a catalyst for positive change. Soumya faced resistance from her family when pursuing a career in addiction counseling, as it was seen as unsuitable for a woman

However, she persisted, driven by her strong desire to make a difference. She emphasizes the importance of not letting others dictate one's path, even if it means dealing with strife. The speakers discuss the growing issue of drug addiction among minors in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic

They highlight the importance of evidence-based rehabilitation programs, including detoxification, counseling, and holistic therapies like horticulture, music, and animal-assisted therapy, to support recovery.