The Vishipedia Show

Each time you learn a new skill or you skill up, you will suck. The key is to embrace this suck, to find tiny moments of joy in it so that the uncomfortable feeling becomes bearable. That way, you can show up consistently, apply yourself mindfully to the task, and reap the rewards of compounding.

Ria Shroff Desai is the Head of Human Capital at Blume VC. She shares how she broke the glass ceilings repeatedly in her career, how she overcame self-doubt, how she identified what she truly enjoys and built the skills needed to do it, how she used a single question to build an intelligent network and a meaningful career, why she can't do without 4 large cups of black coffee a day, and more.

7 books that will give your brain the exercise it needs to stay active.  These include books by Tony Buzan, Michael J. Gelb, Edward de Bono, and others. They won’t just flex your brain muscles; they’ll also add variety to your routine.

This balancing and centering procedure is from George Leonard's book Mastery [Chapter 14: Packing for the Journey]. It walks you through steps to shift the focus of attention in your body from your shoulders to your abdomen. Such an exercise doesn't just improve your body's overall balance. Since your body is a metaphor for everything, it also cascades into your relationships, work, and chores. You feel calmer, relaxed, less anxious, and are more open to face challenges rather than avoiding them. [The exercise starts at 05:23 and ends at 14:32.]

Entrepreneur and author Scott Burnham explains how the pandemic has made us more resilient and creative, how simple solutions have solved seemingly impossible problems, how to simplify and communicate ideas in ways that get people excited, and much more.

In the last five years, I’ve gifted and recommended a few books to friends and colleagues over and over again. These books offer practical advice to improve our mindset, work ethic, and add value to the world. The principles in them are simple enough to read, absorb, and apply to anyone regardless of how much they love reading or the stage of life they’re in.

In this episode, Fred Dust and I discuss what design really means, the significance conversations play in our lives, and the importance of designing them in order to get the most out of them and make an impact the world.

Fred Dust is the founder of Making Conversation. He’s a designer, author, educator, consultant, trustee, and advisor to social and business leaders. He works with The Rockefeller Foundation to explore the future of pressing global needs; and with other foundations to rebuild human connection in a climate of widespread polarization, cynicism, and disruption.

Fred is the former Global Managing Partner at the monster design firm IDEO, and was a founder and trustee for IDEO.org. Fred currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Sundance Institute, and the Board of Directors for NPR and The New School.

He writes frequently for publications such as Fast Company, Metropolis, and Rotman Magazine. He’s an author of various books, like Extra Spatial, Eyes Open: New York, Eyes Open: London, and his latest book Making Conversation.

Akshay Ballal is the Chief Product Officer at Fabheads Automation, a startup that automates manufacturing by building 3D printers for fabricating composite products, and is developing automation equipment for manufacturing high-end carbon fiber parts.

The '2 Beers and a Puppy' Test is a simple method to determine much you like someone - a colleague, friend, or cousin. But if you flip it, the method is also useful to determine how likeable you are to others. When people you admire like you, they help you become better. And life becomes more enjoyable when you’re in the company of such people. In this episode, I discuss four straightforward steps you can take to become more likeable. (The best part is that “fake it till you make it” is not one of them.)