Oh My Curry Goodness

Ritika Saraswat is the Founder of Re-Defined, a nonprofit that aims to empower people from marginalized communities by providing access to resources such as education. Since starting Re-Defined, her nonprofit has helped thousands of students from countries such as Canada, India, and Ghana. In addition to her nonprofit, she is also a Top Voice on LinkedIn with more than 50,000 followers where she posts content about education, networking, and authenticity.

Ritika was born in India before moving to Canada to further her education. One of the most important things Ritika learned growing up was having the right value system in place as continued to grow as a person. She also learned to find validation from herself instead of relying on others. While it meant losing some friends, it did not matter to her. She understood quality rather than quantity of friends and finding those who can help in in the long-term rather than short-term. While attending college, Ritika originally pursued Kinesiology before deciding to pursue business. While starting Re-Defined, Ritika also balanced taking on a full course load while doing two part time jobs and two internships. While taking on these challenges were difficult, Ritika learned the importance of time management and making the days count. These experiences, as well as her decision to not Kinesiology, inspired her to create her nonprofit so that she can help students to find their potential. She is also a content creator where she has posted content on platforms such as Instagram and LinkedIn to talk about being true to oneself as opposed to having a perfect image. As Ritika continues her content creation journey, she will encounter people who will disagree with her. That will not stop Ritika from continuing to post because she believes there is always room for improvement and there is someone who needed to hear her content.

In this episode, you will hear:

If you want to follow “Oh My Curry Goodness” be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow the podcast on YouTube as well. Be sure to also follow the podcast on Instagram @theomcgpodcast for more information on guests, preview clips, and more!

If you want to follow Ritika Saraswat, be sure to follow her on Instagram @saraswatritika as well as Re-Defined @redefinedcanada!

You can also check out Re-Defined’s website:

Website: https://redefinednpo.wixsite.com/re-define/about-us

Siraaj Woods is the Founder of SWC which is a social media marketing major that helps Black-owned businesses with their presence on social media. Siraaj is a graduate of Ohio University (not the same as Ohio State University) where he was a computer science major before changing it to digital marketing & entrepreneurship. Despite being a difficult transition from computer science to digital marketing & entrepreneurship, Siraaj worked hard to find something he was passionate about and work towards creating something meaningful.

Siraaj may be involved in social media marketing, but that was not what he started with. Originally, Siraaj pursued a degree in computer science because of how much money he could make. However, he later realized that this was not his passion. Despite the challenges as a computer science major, he learned the importance of pivoting when things did not go his way. From there he started working on his business or SWC. While he was passionate about his business, Siraaj had to work longer hours to work on his business. That did not stop him from loving the process. Another obstacle Siraaj had to overcome was his shyness (which existed during middle and high school), and losing friends because he did not want to get involved in activities such as drinking and partying at night. Since creating SWC, it has helped Black Businesses with their social media presence. Its slogan is “See it. Want it. Create it.” This slogan is discussed more during this conversation. Not only is he helping Black-owned businesses, but he has also spoken at high schools to talk about his story and inspire people to find something they are passionate about.

In this conversation, you will learn:

If you want to follow “Oh My Curry Goodness” be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow the podcast on YouTube as well. Be sure to also follow the podcast on Instagram @theomcgpodcast for more information on guests, preview clips, and more!

If you want to follow Siraaj Woods, be sure to follow him on Instagram @siraajwoods as well as SWC @sw.creatives!

You can also check out the website of SWC:

Website: https://swcreatives.com

Annmarie Gajdos is a content creator and journalist who works full-time at HBO. She is passionate about storytelling and uses it to connect with people and share stories that have not been told. She has travelled to more than 30 countries to meet new people and learn about different cultures and traditions. Although no longer a student in college, Annmarie graduated with a Bachelors in Computer Science (which is something I am pursuing at the moment). She is also the host of the podcast “Suite 15” where she and her co-host discuss topics such as mental health and career changes.

Annmarie is a first generation immigrant whose parents came from Slovakia. While Annmarie may be an adult, she has cited them as her biggest support system. Growing up, her parents had the expectation that she would become a lawyer when she grew up. However, after Annmarie realized that this was not the right fit for her, elected to pursue computer science. Annmarie was an excellent student in the classroom, which helped her become valedictorian in middle school and in high school. She applied to many Ivy League Schools but despite her academic accomplishments, she got rejected. Annmarie would later attend Macaulay Honors College at Baruch where she would become her class’ valedictorian. During her time in college, she volunteered in different countries. Some of her experiences include teaching English in Myanmar and teaching students in Thailand about the importance of gender equality. These experiences allowed Annmarie to learn more about people’s way of living. In the future, she hopes to use her voice to bring people together and uplift marginalized communities.

In this episode, you will hear:

If you want to follow the “Oh My Curry Goodness” podcast, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow the podcast on YouTube as well. Be sure to also follow the podcast on instagram @theomcgpodcast for more information on guests, preview clips, and more!

If you want to follow Annmarie Gajdos, be sure to follow her on Instagram @annmariegajdos.

Be sure to subscribe to the “Suite 15” podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

You can also check out Annmarie's personal website:

Personal: https://www.annmariegajdos.com

Please note that this episode contains discussions of suicide ideation.

Joshua Bell is a mental health activist and community advocate. His main focus has centred around mental health among youth and suicide prevention. He has worked for organizations such as Unsinkable Youth where they not only raise awareness about youth mental health but push for changes to improve their well-being. When not working on mental health, Joshua finds other ways to volunteer and give back to the community he grew up in.

Born in Hamilton, Canada, one of the most important things to Joshua is community. Through participating in various organizations and working with diverse groups, he has developed a special relationship with his community. Joshua is a mental health advocate, but he didn't have much knowledge of the topic until he was 16, due to personal experiences. His challenges were severe, to the point where he needed help. With the support of friends, family, and his therapist, he was able to emerge from a dark place. This experience, along with the realization that everyone has a unique journey regarding their mental health, inspired Joshua to get involved in youth mental health. He hopes that by sharing his story, he can help people understand that mental health affects everyone, regardless of age. Now in university, Joshua is studying political science and judicial studies and hopes to combine his passions for mental health and public policy to make meaningful changes in communities across Canada.

In this episode, you will hear:

If you want to follow the “Oh My Curry Goodness” podcast, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow the podcast on YouTube as well. Be sure to also follow the podcast on Instagram @theomcgpodcast for more information on guests, preview clips, and more!

For more from Joshua, be sure to follow him on social media @joshuamjbell. You can also check out his website by visiting joshuamjbell.ca.

Welcome to the first episode of Season 2! This week features Swish Goswami, who is the Founder & CEO of Surf, a loyalty and rewards platform that helps companies capture consumer data ethically, rewards consumers sustainably, and monetizes their audience effectively. He is also the bestselling author of The Young Entrepreneur, which teaches students how to build their business while in school. In addition, he has also given 4 Tedx talks and is a former debater who represented Canada twice at the World Schools Debating Championships. Like myself, Swish has his own podcast “Track Limits” where he and his co-hosts discuss all things related to Formula 1 Racing.

Swish was born in Singapore before moving to Canada when he was eight years old. Growing up, he was involved in many sports such as volleyball, tennis, basketball, and cricket. Of the many sports he was involved in, playing cricket taught Swish the most about teamwork. The concept of teamwork is something he applies today whether it is personal, business, or in podcasting. In high school, Swish was involved in extracurricular activities such as being Student Council President and a member of the Alberta Minister of Education Youth Advisory Council. Originally planning on become a lawyer, Swish elected to drop out of college in order to start building Trufan (before changing it to Surf later on). Since then, Surf has working with some of the biggest celebrities and brands. His company has had a lot of success, but he has also had a lot of challenges in his journey. Whether it is in business or his experiences with mental health, Swish needed help from friends and family. While these experiences (check out the conversation to learn more) were difficult, it has helped Swish become a stronger person physically and mentally today. Swish is also a big fan of Formula 1 Racing, and gets to talk about what is happening around the sport in the “Track Limits” with his friends. Be sure to check it out if you are a fan of racing!

In this episode, you will hear:

If you want to follow the “Oh My Curry Goodness” podcast, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow the podcast on YouTube as well. Be sure to also follow the podcast on instagram @theomcgpodcast for more information on guests, preview clips, and more!

If you want to follow Swish Goswami, be sure to follow him on Instagram @goswish as well as Surf @joinsurf! You can also check out his podcast @tracklimits.

Be sure to subscribe to the “Track Limits” podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

You can also check out the website of Surf as well as Track Limits:

Surf: https://www.joinsurf.com

Track Limits: https://www.tracklimitspod.com

Welcome to the last episode of Season 1! I have learned so much from different guests on the podcast and can’t wait for what’s to come in Season 2. I decided to end Season 1 by doing an episode about me - even though this should have been the first episode of the podcast. I felt this would be a good idea for you guys the listeners to get to know more about why I was interested in learning about people’s stories and what my podcast journey has been like. I know that from time to time, I have talked a little bit about myself throughout this season, but I wanted to do more. It also felt weird that I am doing this podcast and have people share their stories and yet I have not shared mine.

To help me with this episode, I am joined by my friend Ben Romie who helps on the audio part of the podcast. In fact, he is responsible for the incredible theme song heard in the intro and outro part of the podcast. I know I should have done this episode first, but it’s finally here and I hope you enjoy getting to know more about me!

In this episode, you will hear:

If you want to follow the “Oh My Curry Goodness” podcast, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow the podcast on YouTube as well. Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram @theomcgpodcast for more information on guests, preview clips, and more!

If you want to follow me, be sure to follow me on Instagram @hamzaislam_2002!

Please note that this episode contains discussions of suicide.

Seika Brown is the first returning guest of the podcast! If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out the first time she was on (back in February). It is highly recommended to check out the first time Seika was on the podcast since there will be a few references from the first interaction.

Seika is a global mental health researcher who has been involved in mental health activism since she was 15 (she is 21 now as of this recording). In high school she founded Archnova - a youth-led non-profit that worked in mental policy in the state of Washington. In 2020, she founded YLG (Youth Lead Global) Research which examines how mental health is defined across different cultures. Recently, Seika was recognized by Selena Gomez through the “Rare Impact Fund” where Seika was a Rare Beauty Ambassador.

In this episode, you will hear:

If you want to follow the “Oh My Curry Goodness” podcast, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow the podcast on YouTube as well. Be sure to also follow the podcast on instagram @theomcgpodcast for more information on guests, preview clips, and more!

If you want to follow Seika Brown, be sure to follow her on Instagram @seikabrown!

You can also check out Seika’s website as well:

Personal Website: https://www.seikabrown.com/

Marianna Pecora is the Communications Director at Voters of Tomorrow - a student-led, non-profit that aims to increase engagement in politics among young people. In September of 2022, Marianna was kicked by U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene while having a conversation about gun control.  Now, she is a student at The George Washington University studying Political Communications.

Marianna became interested in politics during the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. Marianna was born to an Italian-American father while her Mom grew up in Mexico. After hearing what President Trump had said about immigrants from Mexico, it was hurtful to her, and she realized the impact politics can have on people. Before becoming interested in politics, Marianna didn’t know what she wanted to do. She thought about going to Fashion School or Art School before seeing what happened during the 2016 election. Even people who were close to Marianna advised her to become a lawyer like her father, but she rejected that idea. Now that Marianna has found her place in politics, she has played many roles in organizing events such as March for Our Lives in June of 2022, which drew thousands of participants.

In this episode, you will hear:

If you want to follow the “Oh My Curry Goodness” podcast, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow the podcast on YouTube as well. Be sure to also follow the podcast on Instagram @theomcgpodcast for more information on guests, preview clips, and more!

If you want to follow Marianna Pecora, be sure to follow her on Instagram @marianna.pecora as well as Voters Of Tomorrow @voterstomorrow!

Please note this episode contains discussions of self-harm

Zane Landin is the Founder of PositiveVibes Magazine, a digital magazine whose mission is to tell stories about mental health, wellness, and inspiration. Storytelling is one of Zane’s passions and believes this to be a way to bringing people together. Having earned a Bachelors in Communication and Public Relations, Zane wants to work with companies that emphasize the importance of mental health and overall well-being. In addition to his entrepreneurial and job journey, he is also a mental health and disability advocate who has used his platform to share positivity.

One of Zane’s biggest influences was his mom who taught him the importance of being kind to people and helping others. He incorporated these lessons despite struggling with mental health and bullying at a young age. As Zane got older, he faced challenges such as getting internships and jobs. He had moments where internships either went his way or didn’t but after persevering, it has helped him land a job at National Geographic. Zane unfortunately lost his mom when he was 23, but this only inspired him to honor her legacy. Even as an activist and entrepreneur, his mom still plays an important part in his life. Like one of our previous guests in Alyx Ang, Zane attended the Youth Action Forum in 2022 where he met people such as President Joe Biden. From there, he took a journey in finding his the power in his voice. It is a journey he is still going through. In the future, Zane hopes to combine his two passions in mental health and communication to help people. He hopes he can be a Chief Communication Officer someday as he believes there is still more work to do in terms of having more conversations around mental health.

In this episode, you will hear:

If you want to follow the “Oh My Curry Goodness” podcast, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow the podcast on YouTube as well. Be sure to also follow the podcast on instagram @theomcgpodcast for more information on guests, preview clips, and more!

If you want to follow Zane Landin be sure to follow him on Instagram @zanelandin as well as Positive Vibes Magazine @positivevibesmag!

You can also check out the website of Positive Vibes Magazine:

Positive Vibes Magazine: https://positivevibesmag.com

Imran Nuri is an Artist, Author, and Motivational Speaker who has a book that will be coming out at the end of 2023 titled “Advice From America: Life Advice And Photos of 1,000 Strangers From 48 States.” This book documents his journey across America and asks people for life advice - all while living in his car for 84 days in 2022. Before this, he was the Founder & CEO of The 52 Million Project an organization where people donate $1 for each week of the year to support nonprofits that are fighting issues such as homelessness, hunger, and poverty. Imran and I have known each other for a very long time, however, it has been a while since we last spoke before this conversation!

Imran learned the importance of giving back from his parents growing up. Despite being unable to pay the bills or afford what was wanted or needed, Imran’s parents emphasized the importance of giving back. This led him to create The 52 Million Project while being a student at Ohio State. Imran hoped that it would help people understand that anyone can be a philanthropist even if they were to donate one dollar a week. After a few years with The 52 Million Project and working in marketing, Imran decided to go on a journey in his Toyota Camry to ask 1,000 strangers across 48 states. To survive, he did things such as staying at hotels and getting gym memberships for showering, among other things. Despite having to empty his entire life savings and needing a loan to fund his trip, Imran did it due to his curiosity and wanting to bring people together. In addition to his journey asking for life advice and philanthropy, Imran is also an artist who worked with oil paints before spending more time with photography.

In this episode, you will hear:

If you want to follow the “Oh My Curry Goodness” podcast, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow the podcast on YouTube as well. Be sure to also follow the podcast on Instagram @theomcgpodcast for more information on guests, preview clips, and more!

If you want to follow Imran Nuri, be sure to follow him on Instagram @nuristudios!

You can also check out his website, where you can find his book “Advice From America: Life Advice And Photos of 1,000 Strangers From 48 States.”:

Personal: https://www.imrannuri.com/