Redefining ABCD

In this episode of Larger Than Us, Keerthi and Sneha discuss everything about Queen Bee Syndrome - what it is, how it affects people, and where they have seen it in the workplace, social relationships, and the South Asian community. While they discuss instances of queen bee syndrome, they talk about non-traditional experiences (outside of the workplace) particularly within the Indian community and people focused on competition. Just like other stereotypes/labels though, they also discuss when people try to label women in power as "Queen Bee" and how you need to identify real behaviors vs superficial labeling. They wrap the episode with the advice they would give for people who encounter such individuals and how we can foster more inclusive environments to prevent such traits in people. Check out Pixar's Spark Short Purl which explains why "Queen Bee" occurs and how we can change it: https://youtu.be/B6uuIHpFkuo. 

In this episode of Brown Art Network, Keerthi and Sneha interview Goirick Das - filmmaker and founder of 8 Sages Entertainment. They dive into how Goirick got started in filmmaking and directing, the challenges of getting support from people in his community, and his experiences in film school. While he wears multiple hats in the filmmaking process, he dives into the meaning behind 8 Sages and how his entertainment company aides to be a hub for a multitude of artists to display meaningful content on various mediums. As they wrap up the episode, Goirick shares with us some advice he would give to his younger self and others looking to start a career in filmmaking. To learn more about 8 Sages Entertainment, click here: http://www.8sagesentertainment.com/8-sages-entertainment.

In this episode of Larger Than Us, Sneha and Keerthi dive into how we can separate the multiple cultures involved in our identity and societal pressures. Oftentimes, some people in our community tend to "hate on their culture" instigating internalized racism and negative association to South Asian Culture. They use this episode to navigate through how we define culture and the complexities that come with it. They wrap the episode with some advice they have to understand how to prioritize life values and use the pillars of your identity to reach your goals.

In this segment of Brown Art Network, Sneha and Keerthi interview Cathy Gomes, founder of 700 Rivers - a global, ethical, and sustainable lifestyle brand that creates high-quality products by Bangladeshi artisans who have escaped human trafficking. Their products are made from natural ingredients local to South Asia. Cathy dives into how she started 700 Rivers, how she incorporated her passion for spreading good in the world with her career, and how her hyphenated identity allows her to appreciate her roots and be prideful of her Bangladeshi background. As she shares with us her story and being Bangladeshi American, she also dives into the important work she does with 700 Rivers in spreading Bangladeshi culture and traditions. She also goes into the impact of 700 Rivers providing the opportunity to women to help themselves find a way to have a second chance at life after their traumatic experiences. To support 700 Rivers you can buy their products here: https://www.sevenhundredrivers.com/

In this episode of Larger Than Us, Keerthi and Sneha interview Radha Patel - founder of Single to Shaadi, a matchmaking service that connects singles to meaningful, deep relationships. In their conversation, they discuss why matchmaking has developed a negative connotation, how the cultural influences from our South Asian and Western sides affect the way some approach matchmaking, and how Single to Shaadi is redefining what it means to be a "matchmaker" by emphasizing mutual compatibility in their process. In addition to this, Radha also gives great advice to youths in the early stages of looking for love in their life and people preparing themselves to find love again.  For more information or if you are interested in being a part of Single To Shaadi's community, click here: https://www.singletoshaadi.com/

In this segment of Brown Art Network, Sneha and Keerthi meet Natalie Varkey - a history teacher and stand-up comedian living in North Carolina (and soon Boston!). They dive into how she got started in comedy, her experiences being an Indian American woman performing comedy in the South, her views of South Asian representation in both comedy and teaching, her growth into pride in her cultural identity, and reflections of her time growing in stand-up. As they wrap up the conversation, Natalie leaves the listeners who aspire to join the stand-up world with some great advice. To learn more about Natalie and follow her career and jokes, follow her on Twitter @princessbozo!

In this mini-episode, Keerthi and Sneha take the time to reflect on the year they had with making this podcast and discuss their favorite memories "on and off camera". As they talk about their favorite moments, they also think back to the first recording to see how much they've grown from then to now. From Redefining ABCD to every listener and guest that has been a part of our segments, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for sticking around and consistently supporting us! (Stay Tuned for exciting things in the future)

In this episode of Larger than Us, Keerthi and Sneha open up about their personal experiences and reflections with their continuous journey with Anxiety and Depression. With media romanticizing the path of healing from mental health, the purpose of this episode is to share the darker sides of dealing with mental health issues to help encourage our listeners to have safe conversations with other people in their community about their own experiences. While they get personal, they also discuss how the pandemic has shifted ways of addressing mental health issues and the repercussions (good and bad) that come with these changes. As they wrap up their conversation in this episode, they conclude with their reflective thoughts for listeners, with and without mental health issues, to take away from this episode.

In this episode of Brown Art Network, Keerthi and Sneha interview Durgy - a magician and wedding MC based in Toronto! They dive into his career and role models that helped shape his interest in magic and also dive into his view of representation in his field of work. They wrap the episode by hearing Durgy's advice on how to set yourself apart from others in your industry by creating your niche. To learn more about Durgy, click here: https://www.durgyspade.com/

In this episode of Larger Than Us, Keerthi and Sneha interview Aditi Shakti - a spiritual business coach for women focused on mindset, empowerment, and energy healing. They dive into Aditi's business and how she got started in her field, as well as, ways to navigate through those feelings of loss of purpose and burnout. Aditi also talks about the importance of understanding our ancient culture as we move into a more westernized world as our long-upstanding culture provides ways to heal from burnout. As they dive into how burnout may look like and how to overcome it, Aditi shares primarily how South Asian customs and traditions make South Asian women burn out more often and how women can overcome that with the 3 step process: energy healing, mindset, and empowerment of one's life. To learn more about Aditi's business, click here: https://aditishakti.wixsite.com/home