Vallabhi sits down with Melanie Buck, a Swiss-Argentinian project manager who grew up between Singapore and Switzerland before moving from banking to e-commerce and, eventually, into a wetsuit on a tiny Indonesian island.

After overstaying a relationship, burning out in Madrid, and slipping into a quiet depression, Melanie audited her life at 30 and chose something radically simple: to be happy.

They get into freezing her eggs, the emotional whiplash of starting over alone, and balancing remote work with life as a dive instructor.

Vallabhi sits down with Ayo Oyebanjo, a former banker turned AI ethics graduate, to unpack how technology, creativity, and spirituality are reshaping what it means to live and learn. They talk about raising children in the age of ChatGPT, why instinct still matters, and how to stay human when machines can do almost everything for you.

Vallabhi sits down with Varun Engineer, a consumer-tech investor, and Adi Anandkumar, an AI/ML product manager - two travel-obsessed childhood friends who’ve turned loyalty programs into a lifestyle. They get into the mechanics of credit card points, airline alliances, and why upgrades are no longer random luck.

It’s a mix of practical hacks and commentary on the business of aspiration. A little culture, a little delusion, and the quiet thrill of scanning into the lounge like you meant it.

We Talk About:

• Travel "hacking" can transform everyday expenses into travel rewards.
• The importance of understanding the philosophy behind points maximization.
• How airline upgrades have evolved.
• Why choosing the right credit card can significantly impact your travel rewards.
• Why airline alliances play a vital role in maximizing travel benefits.
• The future of loyalty programs shifting towards revenue-based models.
• Travel experiences can be both a personal passion and a financial strategy.
• Finding balance in life as we navigate our 30s.

Recorded at the historic Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay, this in-person conversation with Nouf Alawadhi traces the accidental beginnings of her jewelry brand, COYA, after a trip to Peru, and how she now juggles a full-time MBA, a job, and a business, all at once.

Nouf reflects on movement and contradictions, how they’ve shaped her pace, her priorities, and her idea of success beyond the straight line of a traditional career.

A candid conversation about creative energy and the quiet freedom of designing your own timeline.

We Talk About:

• Entering your 30s as an “almost era” where identity, ambition, and lifestyle start to feel clearer, even when life doesn’t look the way you once imagined.
• The reality of building an eight-year jewelry brand alongside a government career and an MBA.
• How travel often shapes the biggest life decisions.
• What an MBA in Paris offers beyond academics.
• Letting go of perfection, learning through failure, and trusting that effort compounds over time.

Children’s book author and host of The Curious You podcast, Nina Janjetovic joins Vallabhi for an open conversation about rebuilding self-confidence, rediscovering curiosity after motherhood, and making peace with the versions of ourselves we outgrow.

They talk about hair as identity, how social media distorts happiness, and why reinvention sometimes begins with stillness. A soulful exchange about surrender, and the art of taking yourself seriously again.

We talk about:

• Childhood experiences shape our curiosity and interests.
• Motherhood can catalyze personal growth and self-discovery.
• Transformative changes in appearance reflect deeper shifts.
• Daily routines are essential for maintaining balance and well-being.
• The journey of self-discovery is ongoing and ever-evolving.

The Almost Era connects dots across identity, ambition, taste, and lifestyle.