About Gaurav Gera 

Gaurav Gera is an Indian comedian and actor who works in Hindi language films and television series. He also worked in Bollywood musical Jhumroo. He is well known for playing the role of Nandu in Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin. Gaurav has been granted exclusive Snapchat filters on multiple occasions to meet his fans’ demands.

Gera started his career with Life Nahin Hai Laddoo on Star Plus and then he played the supporting role as Nandu in Sony TV's show Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin. He also appeared in various shows, Kohi Apna Sa, Baat Hamari Pakki Hai, Babban Bhai v/s Bimla Tai. He also played the lead role in Sab TV's show Tota Weds Maina and Colors TV show Mrs. Pammi Pyarelal. He was last seen in Colors TV's reality show Comedy Nights with Kapil as Dulari. In 2016, he made a cameo in the series Naagin as Chutki. He was also a participant on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. In 2019 he appeared in the Alt Balaji show Boss - Baap of Special Services where he essayed the role of Jignesh. Gera is known for a range of characters he essays on his Snapchat and Instagram handles, these include the widely popular Shopkeeper, Chutki, Billi Massi among others.

About this episode

In this episode, we get into a fun and interesting conversation with Gaurav about his acting career, his tips for aspiring actors, the preps that go behind creating 45 different captivating characters that leave the audience in splits, and of course his Green Pill moment! 

So tune in now to hear this self-made actor who never fails to put a smile on your face!

Quotes

“Get out of your comfort zone and grab the opportunities”

“I have never been a fan of the rat race. I have always taken my time to see what works for me”

“I take cues from people around me, think how they will react in a certain situation and put that into my character”

“I am very attached to my family. I speak to my parents every day and sometimes even thrice a day”

“I love to cook. It is a stress buster for me, like meditation”

Useful Links

Website:  https://gauravgera.com/

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/gauravgera/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gauravgeraofficial/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/gauravgera

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/gauravgeratv/videos

The Matrix Green Pill Podcast: https://thematrixgreenpill.com/
Please review us: https://g.page/r/CS8IW35GvlraEAI/review

About Nazleen Madraswala

Nazleen Madraswal, better known as Naaz Shah, is the recipient of the Shri Chhatrapati Award and has represented India at the Olympics, World Championship and Asian games. She has won Gold Medals at the Asian Games and Asian Championships and has previously held the post of President of the Women’s Hockey Association of Maharashtra. 

She has worn many hats including entrepreneur, sportswoman, volunteer and administrator and is now currently Coaching at Hamilton Boys School, Hamilton, New Zealand.


About this episode

In this episode, we talk about Naaz's career as a Hockey Star representing India at the Olympics at the age of 17. She talks about the barriers she broke, the obstacles she overcame and the Gold Medals she won apart from her current work in New Zealand. We then talk about her meeting with the New Zealand premier and the volunteering work.

Naaz shares some valuable tips and insights into the journey of a sportsperson, and the advice she would give every young athlete. Tune in for an insightful conversation.


Quotes

"We did win Gold but I think I grew as a person because there needed a certain amount of maturity to be able to play at that level with that kind of pressure. "

"You could actually hear the crowd 5 meters away and every time you got the ball they started chanting your name"

"Once you get married and have a kid your life ends there. So I thought let's take this up as a challenge and maybe I can set something up for other athletes"

"Right from when I was young, I have been particular about the kind of food I eat. A huge part of who you are is what you put into your system"

"I do miss the kids in India and I hope sometime in the future I do hope I will be able to coach in India"

"Madame Prime Minister could we have a photo and she just put her arms around me and we took a photo"

"Be financially independent before you take on anything serious in your life"


Useful Links

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazleen_Madraswalla

The Matrix Green Pill Podcast: https://thematrixgreenpill.com/
Please review us: https://g.page/r/CS8IW35GvlraEAI/review

About Bianca Riley & Suzanne Kanianthra

Bianca Riley is an Account Director at Atteline, a fashion, beauty, design, and consumer corporate PR agency headquartered in Dubai, UAE. With both boutique and international agency experience, Bianca brings global best practice to brands in the region to bolster communications and protect brand reputation. Bianca was recently awarded the Rising Star award with the PRCA MENA and was shortly thereafter appointed as the Chair of its NextGen Committee, which was established by the Public Relations Communications Association (PRCA MENA) with the aim of providing mentoring and networking opportunities for young Arabic PR professionals, advising them on how to navigate the industry landscape and their careers by senior, experienced professionals.

Suzanne is an Associate Director at Golin MENA which is also a PR agency here in the UAE. Suzanne has some incredible achievements, she was listed in the 'under 30' list of 'Faces to Watch’ in PR by Campaign Middle East in 2019, as well as representing the Middle East as a Young Lion at the Cannes Festival of Creativity in 2019.  Now Bianca and Suzanne have teamed up to be chairs of PRCA MENA’s new regional group called NextGen.


About this episode

In this episode, Shirin speaks to the two hugely successful PR ladies about their career journeys, as well as all we need to know about the new PRCA NextGen initiative that they are a part of. Tune in!


Quotes

“NextGen is just looking into that next generation of PR leaders, essentially”. - Bianca

“The best thing about PR is that there is no day that is the same when you’re working in an agency”. - Suzanne

“Development is all about looking quite honestly at what you're not doing. Whether it be not well enough, or to the best of your ability or what you could be doing more of”. - Bianca

“There is a lot to learn from your peers”. - Suzanne

“I find myself quite an ambitious person and did something that I’ve been working towards for quite some time” - Bianca

“Communication professionals have the power to change minds” - Suzanne


Useful Links

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bianca-riley-494b91b3/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannekanianthra/ 

Website: https://prca.mena.global/membership/prca-mena-groups/prca-mena-nextgen-group/ 

The Matrix Green Pill Podcast: https://thematrixgreenpill.com/
Please review us: https://g.page/r/CS8IW35GvlraEAI/review

About Akanksha Menezes Nair

Akanksha Menezes Nair is the founder of Tickle Tickle Organic Essentials. She is a strong believer in sustainable living and she decided to use her passion for eco-friendly clothing along with her experience in sales to start her own 100% organic clothing brand for infants and toddlers.

About this episode

In this episode, we talk about the radical shift in her life and career to pursue her passion for sustainability and living a life free of chemicals, especially when it comes to the clothes we buy for our children.

If you have a passion to follow your dreams, don’t miss this episode.

Quotes
"I have a 5-year-old girl, who is my inspiration behind my brand, and well it’s a beautiful journey so far"

"Trying to make a gradual shift in what I buy for myself and my little girl. I consciously started looking for brands and clothing that were sustainable, that were made without any harmful chemical"

"One of the main reasons is it’s never easy to get out of your comfort zone and start something new and something that is totally different from what you’re doing."

"I wanted to start a brand where I am proud of and I believe I am causing a positive impact towards the environment"

"I wanted for her and her generation to believe that sustainability has to be part of their lifestyle"

"That is very important today, for people to realize and create awareness when it comes to organic clothing. If it’s not more, it is as important as organic food"

Useful Links
Website: https://www.tickletickle.net/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/realtickletickle/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/realtickletickle

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akanksha-menezes-b4741646/

The Matrix Green Pill Podcast: https://thematrixgreenpill.com/
Please review us: https://g.page/r/CS8IW35GvlraEAI/review

About Rajeev Gupta 

Rajeev started his career with less than $100 savings at a very young age, has been privileged to travel across the Globe with 30 years of international experience providing career opportunities to thousands of workers year after year and empowering Globally. 

About this episode

In this episode, we chat with Rajeev about his inspiring journey as an entrepreneur and his inner calling to pen down secrets of success through his book - 50 secrets of success!

 Quotes

“I realized there’s a lot anyone can do to achieve in life and yes, when you travel, you get a privilege to travel to multiple countries, you learn a lot in the process.”

“I need to change my circumstances to reach a better place because most of the people have dreams, they have vision but they do not intend to change their current circumstances and then that doesn’t match their aspirations.”

“There are people who are more apprehensive about their chances of failing rather than looking into opportunities to grow big.”

“I seriously and sensibly wanted to impact millions of lives because there’s an old saying, that it’s always more precious to teach fishing than feeding a fish.”

“Don’t focus on yourself. That the first mistake is focusing on your comfort. Please sit on the side of the table first and see whether your product or services are actually going to make an impact in people’s life.”

“You get more happiness when you give happiness. It adds more blessing when you bless others, so it’s very, very important that what you do, why you do, and what difference it's making in people’s life around you, that is what defines you, that is your story.”

“I pray and I meditate and I think these two things always keep you close to what you are.” 

Useful Links

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rajeev-gupta-961b0532

Website: http://www.lime-source.com/

Book: 50 Secrets Of Success: Real Life Lessons From Rajeev Gupta

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/50-Secrets-Success-Lessons-Rajeev/dp/B08FSDS71S

The Matrix Green Pill Podcast: https://thematrixgreenpill.com/
Please review us: https://g.page/r/CS8IW35GvlraEAI/review

About Jack Pearce 

Jack Pearce is the founder of Matrix Public Relations, a company he established in 1999. 

He has over 30 years of PR and journalism experience in the Middle East. He was a co-founder and former chairman of the Middle East PR Association (MEPRA) and regularly spoke at forums and is quoted in the media on public affairs issues.

Prior to setting up Matrix PR, he was Senior Director of Client Servicing for IPR, the Middle East affiliate of Shandwick, the world’s largest PR firm. 

Before this, he was Public Affairs Manager of The British Bank of the Middle East (now HSBC Middle East) with overall responsibility for all the marketing, advertising, and public relations activities of the Bank’s head office and 26 branches.

He began his career in the UAE as PR Manager of the Abu Dhabi Inter-Continental Hotel where, in addition to routine hotel PR work, he coordinated two GCC summit conferences and numerous state occasions and head of state visits.

He was later appointed editor of the UAE’s What’s On magazine and subsequently became country manager of the international PR firm Hill and Knowlton, a position he held for five years.

About this episode

This is the first episode of a series of conversations with PR Guru and founder of Matrix Public Relations, Jack Pearce. In this episode, Melwyn and Namita speak to Jack about his background, his early days in the UAE, and how he got into the world of PR. 

Jack shares some words of insight from many years of experience that you will not want to miss!

Quotes

“My personality trait is agreeableness. I tend to do things that are agreeable to people.”

“I organized the first-ever fireworks display in the Middle East.”

“I started doing travel articles for What’s On magazine in Dubai.” 

“I enjoyed journalism because I enjoy writing”

“PR is better paid than journalism”

Useful Links
https://www.matrixdubai.com/public-relations/

https://www.instagram.com/matrixprdubai/

https://www.facebook.com/MatrixPRDubai

https://twitter.com/matrixprdubai

The Matrix Green Pill Podcast: https://thematrixgreenpill.com/
Please review us: https://g.page/r/CS8IW35GvlraEAI/review

About Anjali Nerlekar

Anjali Nerlekar is an Associate Professor in the Department of African, Middle Eastern and South Asian Language and Literatures. She has authored the book, Bombay Modern: Arun Kolatkar and Bilingual Literary Culture (Northwestern University Press, 2016; Speaking Tiger, 2017). She has co-edited a special double issue of Journal of Postcolonial Writing (“The Worlds of Bombay Poetry,” Spring 2017) and is co-editing a forthcoming special issue of South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, along with Francesca Orsini, on “Postcolonial Archives.” Her other publications and research include work on multilingualism and literature, Indo-Caribbean and Postcolonial literature, and comparative Indian and postcolonial modernisms. Her ongoing project (in collaboration with Dr. Bronwen Bledsoe at Cornell University South Asia collections) is the archive of multilingual post-1960 Bombay poetry at Cornell University titled “The Bombay Poets Archive.”

About this episode

This is part 2 of Melwyn’s conversation with Anjali. 

In this episode, they talk about poetry, Jejuri, meeting Kolatkar's friends, and some more stories from the Symbiosis trekking club.

This is one not to miss!

Quotes

"They’re the pillars of my literary world and very dear friends, several of them. So, the best part of writing the book was during this research and getting to know them and becoming friends with them"

"The most important material that I was looking for and I found was in the homes of these people. It was not in the libraries. This material was not collected in the library."

"My own history with the hills again was back to my childhood, in my father’s ancestral village Kanikodi Karnataka, which we used to visit every summer as kids, my brother and I. It is a village by the sea with the hills on the side actually, gorgeous location."

"Got to know the beautiful wide-open landscape around Pune but most importantly, saw the friendships and the camaraderie that it made which is lasted my entire life."

"The trekking club was really a saving grace for me. It was a way for me to keep up my motivation to teach, my interest in what I was doing to make it meaningful for me"

"I have ended up seeing aspects of students, leadership, qualities, students’ strengths that I wouldn’t have seen, so I think it revealed different elements of students’ characters and students’ abilities that was just transforming for me"

"Be less judgmental of your own self, to be more in the moment"

Useful Links

Email: [email protected]

https://www.amesall.rutgers.edu/faculty/156-dr-anjali-nerlekar

Book: Bombay Modern: Arun Kolatkar and Bilingual Literary Culture - https://muse.jhu.edu/book/45382

Journal of Postcolonial Writing, Volume 53, Issue 1-2 (2017) - The Worlds of Bombay Poetry - https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rjpw20/53/1-2

The Matrix Green Pill Podcast: https://thematrixgreenpill.com/
Please review us: https://g.page/r/CS8IW35GvlraEAI/review

About Anjali Nerlekar - Part 1

Anjali Nerlekar is an Associate Professor in the Department of African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian Language and Literatures. She has authored the book, Bombay Modern: Arun Kolatkar and Bilingual Literary Culture (Northwestern University Press, 2016; Speaking Tiger, 2017). She has co-edited a special double issue of Journal of Postcolonial Writing (“The Worlds of Bombay Poetry,” Spring 2017) and is co-editing a forthcoming special issue of South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, along with Francesca Orsini, on “Postcolonial Archives.” 

Her other publications and research include work on multilingualism and literature, Indo-Caribbean and Postcolonial literature, and comparative Indian and postcolonial modernisms. Her ongoing project (in collaboration with Dr. Bronwen Bledsoe at Cornell University South Asia collections) is the archive of multilingual post-1960 Bombay poetry at Cornell University titled “The Bombay Poets Archive.”

About this episode

This is part 1 of a 2 part conversation with an exceptional educator. In this episode, we get a glimpse into Anjali’s past and Melwyn’s experience as being one of her students, way back when. They talk about the impact she had on him and her other students and the life lessons she imparted to them. Listen out for why Anjali decided to take her students to see the movie “Grease” and the idea that became the ‘Symbi Trekking Club’.

Tune in for an interesting discussion as well as an introduction to her book, Bombay Modern: Arun Kolatkar and Bilingual Literary Culture.

Quotes

My mother, she had such a passion all her life for reading, for education, something that she did not get in her life that she made sure that her kids, my brother and I will focus precisely on that.

Definitely, everything I do, I think is inflected by the history of my mother and her philosophy, right? So, I mean my feminist ideas, my political philosophy, my focus on education, everything comes from her.

The trekking club is a very big part of my teaching experience, my teaching, the teaching philosophy I got from there, right? So, it’s definitely there but I think I get a lot of energy, I thrived from my interactions with students.

One of the things I strongly believe in has worked for me. In my classes, when the students bond amongst themselves and they created community amongst themselves, they learn better.

Useful Links

Email: [email protected]

Profile: https://www.amesall.rutgers.edu/faculty/156-dr-anjali-nerlekar

Book: Bombay Modern: Arun Kolatkar and Bilingual Literary Culture - https://muse.jhu.edu/book/45382

Journal of Postcolonial Writing, Volume 53, Issue 1-2 (2017) - The Worlds of Bombay Poetry - https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rjpw20/53/1-2

Book on Amazon - https://www.amazon.in/Books-Anjali-Nerlekar/s?rh=n%3A976389031%2Cp_27%3AAnjali+Nerlekar

The Matrix Green Pill Podcast: https://thematrixgreenpill.com/
Please review us: https://g.page/r/CS8IW35GvlraEAI/review

About Sophie Simpson

Sophie Simpson is the Managing Director and Founder of Atteline, a fashion, beauty/wellness, design, and consumer corporate PR agency headquartered in Dubai, UAE. Sophie, alongside her team, leverages global experience, regional insight, and local expertise to package, protect and propel the brands she believes in across the consumer and corporate landscape. 

About this episode

We talk to Sophie about her interesting journey from Bermuda to Dubai. How her love for fashion has led her to a successful career in PR. Sophie tells us about why she decided to start her own PR agency, how her previous experiences have helped her build her brand and team at Atteline. She shares her challenges and triumphs and gives tips to other aspiring entrepreneurs and PR professionals. Tune in for a lovely conversation!

Quotes

“Having worked as a journalist, it helped me realise we all have the same goal, we have our own objectives for the company or brand we worked for, so it’s definitely made me more mindful and compassionate of everyone, so different deadlines, and needs”.

“I come from an entrepreneurial family so that has always led me to be looking for that opportunity and I think from a young age I thought, I would like to have my own businesses”.

“First and foremost is family. We are a family at Atteline. As a team, we have to operate together with loyalty, support, encouragement, respect, professionalism”.

“If you don’t have a team culture, you don’t have respect for each other, you’ll never grow as a company and I think it’s one of the most important values”.

“You have to realize the importance of a strong team and the ability to work together remotely. It was a success for us and I just think it really added that element of trust and support and that respect”.

“Covid has reinforced the purpose of the business, that the delivery for your clients has to remain the same in the good times and bad times. There was a lot of need for agility, flexibility, and scope, it was a great moment to remember to be dynamic and also a great learning curve for not just the team but also myself”.

The biggest challenge for me is keeping up with the technology, this has got to be the hardest thing, and the older you get, the harder it gets!”

Useful Links

Website: https://www.atteline.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atteline/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/atteline 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-simpson-09491925/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/atteline/ 

The Matrix Green Pill Podcast: https://thematrixgreenpill.com/
Please review us: https://g.page/r/CS8IW35GvlraEAI/review

About Maryam Yusuf & Mohammad Al Attar

Maryam Yusuf is a Bahraini national, who has lived most of her life here in the UAE. At the age of 22, she decided to start a digital marketing company, which she named Pixel Digital Marketing. She has also  Co-founded another company along with her partner Mohammed Al Attar, called Flashback Photo & Video Digitizing Services, which is a digitizing service company for print photos and camera recorded videos.

Mohammad Al Attar is a UAE National and a member of the Young Arab Leaders organization (YAL). Mohammad holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the American University in Dubai and received his Master of Science in Innovation & Change Management from the Hamdan bin Mohammed Smart University in Dubai. He has been working with Emirates Airline as a Country Manager for more than 7 years.

About this episode

In this episode, we talk to Maryam and Mohammad about their different journeys. How with time, they decided to join forces and start a wonderful company together, with the aim of bringing and sharing joy with people by helping them secure their treasured memories. 

Listen as we discuss challenges, ideas, motivation, and much more with the two bright and successful entrepreneurs.

Quotes

 “Primarily I noticed that there was a gap in the market and you know, digital at that time was something that was, it was still in its infant stage so I noticed that there was definitely a gap in the market, I think I noticed that there was an opportunity and I took it basically”. - Maryam

 “It would be great for us to not just help families in terms of digitizing their memories but to make it easier for them to share their memories as well and to preserve them forever because a lot of the time with the photos and the videos, both of them degrade over time”. Maryam

 “Flashback is about helping families preserve their memories. At the end of the day that is the main thing that we love to do”. - Maryam 

“One thing that I learnt, as long as you know yourself, you know your work, your industry, people won’t pay attention to your age”. - Maryam

“If I could go back in time and do something, I would have done it earlier. If you got a good idea, and you believe in it, you got the feedback, just do it.” Mohammad

The most important thing in a partnership is understanding their strength, what they can bring to the table and how you can kind of compliment each other”. - Maryam

“Trust is the biggest thing, I think. It is literally the foundation of any relationship, if you can’t trust each other, everything gets cast into the dark”. - Mohammad

Useful Links

Websites: https://www.flashbackdxb.com/ http://pixeldubai.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flashback.dxb/ https://www.instagram.com/pixeldubai/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pixeldubai/ 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pixeldubai/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryamyusuf/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammad-alattar/ 

Flashback Contact number: +971 58 585 3893

The Matrix Green Pill Podcast: https://thematrixgreenpill.com/
Please review us: https://g.page/r/CS8IW35GvlraEAI/review