Choosing Leadership with Sumit Gupta

This series will look at leadership from the point of view of an investor or VC.In each episode of this series, we will explore what traits, behaviors, or red flags investors see in the leaders that they work with - and how founders evolve over time as they become better leaders.Rajiv Vaishnav is the co-founder and Managing Partner at Cornerstone Venture Partners Fund. He is the Honorary Executive Chairman of Start-ups council of India, and was an integral part of NASSCOM’s senior management team for 13+ years. From humble beginnings to working with renowned organizations like Reliance and NASSCOM, Raji's career has been defined by seizing opportunities and making a difference. With an entrepreneurial spirit, he co-founded Thai, an organization that empowered entrepreneurs in India. Rajiv's leadership evolved through the challenges of working with both small startups and big conglomerates, giving him a unique perspective on leadership. His experiences have shaped his approach to working with founders, emphasizing the importance of self-monitoring, accountability, and taking ownership. His management style is rooted in storytelling, using anecdotes and experiences to inspire and guide others. He believes in the power of faith, confidence, and trusting mentors to navigate the unpredictable path of success. With a focus on passion, problem-solving, and societal impact, he encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to embark on an inside-out journey, where fulfillment comes hand-in-hand with financial success.You can find Rajiv at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rajivvaishnav/[email protected] the interview, Rajiv shares"I had a very humble beginning coming from a middle-class background, and I always wanted to do some business of my own.""I have gone with the flow and have no regrets. I was at the right time with the right set of people, and those people have really changed my life.""Every job I've done, I was either the first person in that organization or my boss was not sitting in the next cabin.""Confidence in yourself and belief in yourself are key factors in leadership and personal growth.""Leadership and mentorship may sound pompous, but for me, it's about taking ownership, being self-monitoring, and being accountable for your actions.""Having faith and trusting your mentors' advice, even when it seems unconventional, can lead to unexpected opportunities.""Management by storytelling is my style. I love sharing anecdotes and experiences of life to inspire and guide others.""The difference between an entrepreneur and an employee lies in the mindset. An entrepreneur is driven by passion to solve societal problems, while an employee's focus is often on money and fulfillment.""Success doesn't come from rushing. It requires balance, faith, and the ability to adapt to unexpected situations.""The entrepreneurial journey involves co-creating, building products, working with people, and finding solutions that customers are willing to pay for."

This series will look at leadership from the point of view of an investor or VC.In each episode of this series, we will explore what traits, behaviours, or red flags investors see in the leaders that they work with - and how founders evolve over time as they become better leaders.Bryony Cooper is a startup enthusiast and serial founder-turned-investor. She has led a few tech startups, a venture builder, an accelerator program, and is now a Managing Partner at Arkley Brinc VC. Get ready to be inspired by Bryony Cooper, with a background as a tech startup founder and experience in helping startups go from concept to commercialization, she brings a unique perspective to the table. Her unconventional journey, rooted in a creative background as a professional singer and writer, sets her apart in the world of venture capitalists.Drawing from her own experiences and observations, Bryony underscores the significance of broad skill sets in founders and the value of interpersonal skills in addition to technical expertise. Mapping out a clear framework for growth, maintaining open communication, and aligning on company values are key aspects she highlights.For individuals struggling with confidence, Bryony encourages deliberate practice and stepping outside comfort zones. Understanding one's worth, believing in oneself, and exuding confidence while remaining humble are crucial factors she advises.Join Bryony Cooper on her remarkable journey and gain valuable insights to overcome leadership challenges, foster company culture, navigate success and failure, and embrace your own creativity in the ever-evolving startup landscape.You can find Bryony at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/bryonycooper/https://www.bryonycooper.com/In the interview, Bryony shares"I ran three tech companies by the age of 30 as CEO, and in between, I also ran a venture builder program helping other early-stage startups." "In the tech startup world, you can grow very quickly, and it's important to establish a company culture early on." - Bryony Cooper"Having open communication and shared vision with co-founders or management is crucial for the growth and success of a company." "Failing makes you learn much faster, and experienced founders who have learned from failure are valuable in the startup ecosystem." "Success can be more challenging than failure because it brings new responsibilities and expectations." - Bryony Cooper"Knowing your own worth, believing in yourself, and carrying confidence into the room are essential for leadership." "Practicing pitching, presenting, and public speaking builds confidence and improves communication skills." "Humility is just as important as confidence, especially when seeking investments or support for your company." "Creativity can be an outlet and a source of energy replenishment for leaders in the business world." "Body language plays a significant role in effective communication, and power poses can boost confidence and presence."

This series will look at leadership from the point of view of an investor or VC.In each episode of this series, we will explore what traits, behaviors, or red flags investors see in the leaders that they work with - and how founders evolve over time as they become better leaders.Anil Joshi is the Managing Partner at Unicorn India Ventures. Previously, he was heading operations at Mumbai Angels and Bangalore Angels, leading Angel Investment forums in India as President. He is also a mentor with various incubation centres and a speaker on startups and early stage investment.In this insightful interview, we delve into the extraordinary journey of our guest, who stumbled into the world of startups and strategic investments by accident, only to discover a deep passion for supporting and nurturing innovative ventures. From working in India's largest engine network to collaborating with thought leaders and assisting international businesses in entering the Indian market, their wealth of experience brings invaluable lessons for leaders facing diverse challenges. Discover the contrasting leadership styles required in large organizations versus startups, as well as the unique qualities that founders bring to the table, whether they're seasoned professionals or fresh graduates. Get ready to be inspired as we explore the accidental path to success and the joy found in navigating the dynamic startup ecosystem. Tune in for a friendly and engaging conversation that will leave you motivated and armed with practical insights for your own leadership journey.You can find Anil at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/aniljoshi74/https://www.linkedin.com/company/unicornivc/In the interview, Anil shares"My journey to where I am today was unplanned and accidental, transitioning from a successful corporate career to strategic investments and becoming part of Mumbai Angels.""I've had a diverse professional background, ranging from working in India's largest engine network to being a consultant and eventually finding my passion in the startup world.""I had the opportunity to interact with thought leaders and assist international businesses in establishing their presence in India, which provided invaluable learning experiences.""I was exposed to the startup ecosystem in India even before it gained significant momentum, giving me a unique perspective on its growth and development.""As an investor, I've witnessed the contrasting leadership styles required in large organizations versus startups, and understand the challenges faced by founders in building effective leadership teams.""In startups, founders often play multiple roles, taking on responsibilities from CEO and CMO to HR and finance, until the organization matures and a proper leadership structure can be established.""Supporting young founders, who may lack experience but possess great potential, is a crucial aspect of my role as an investor. Providing guidance and acting as a sounding board helps them navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship.""Every founder brings unique qualities to the table, whether they have years of industry experience or are fresh out of college. Both groups benefit from learning, making mistakes, and developing their leadership skills over time.""My current role in strategic investment and being part of Mumbai Angels was never planned, but it has become my passion. The accidental nature of my journey has allowed me to thrive in identifying promising ventures and working with them.""Being exposed to the startup world and witnessing the growth and success of innovative companies brings me immense joy and a sense of gratitude. It's a reminder that when you love what you do, excellence follows naturally."

This is the Investor's Lens series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.This series will look at leadership from the point of view of an investor or VC.In each episode of this series, we will explore what traits, behaviours, or red flags investors see in the leaders that they work with - and how founders evolve over time as they become better leaders.Suresh Narasimha is an idea-stage investor in student startups. He helps student entrepreneurs with funding, resources, and connections; and believes in co-creating rather than mentoring or advising.Join us in this captivating interview as we dive deep into the remarkable journey of an entrepreneur turned investor, who has paved a unique path in the world of startups. Discover how this visionary leader, with a strong sense of purpose, has dedicated himself to nurturing the brightest minds of the next generation. From motivating college students to become entrepreneurs while pursuing their education, his approach challenges the traditional norms of leadership. Uncover the power of purpose, flexibility, and emotional balance in driving teams towards success. Explore the intriguing dynamics of gender diversity and how having women in leadership positions has proven to be a game-changer. With thought-provoking anecdotes and practical wisdom, this interview will inspire and empower you on your own leadership journey. You can find Suresh at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cocreator/https://www.cocreate.ventures/In the interview, Suresh shares"I started as a deep tech entrepreneur and built several startups before transitioning to becoming an investor with a purpose.""I believe the best thing for the country and the world is when bright youngsters become entrepreneurs and solve real problems.""My role is to motivate and support young college students to become entrepreneurs while continuing their education.""In the past two years, we have invested in around 45 startups, with 60% of them being led by female entrepreneurs.""Leadership requires a strong vision and purpose to drive change in the world.""I emphasize the importance of sticking to purpose rather than being fixated on specific solutions.""When working with young and inexperienced individuals, I focus on co-creating rather than just mentoring them.""I trust in the capabilities of youngsters and believe there is much to learn from them.""In my investment decisions, I look for disciplined and innovative students who are deeply committed to solving complex problems.""Having female leaders in startups has proven to be beneficial, as teams with women in leadership positions tend to perform exceptionally well."

This is the Can't Stay Silent series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.For most of my life, I have kept my voice buried beneath layers of fear and insecurity. In each episode of this series, I will find the strength to express myself from the bottom of my heart.These short episodes will be filled with honest reflections, simple stories and metaphors, and some gentle provocations - all to help you Deploy Yourself in your own life.Together, we'll discover how we can create a world where all of us can show up as leaders. So, if you are ready to allow the leader in you to bravely listen to my call of leadership, join me on Can’t Stay Silent.You can find more about me & the Deploy Yourself School of Leadershiphttps://www.deployyourself.com/https://www.deployyourself.com/podcast/https://deployyourself.com/newsletterhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sumit4all/https://twitter.com/sumitgupta4allhttps://www.youtube.com/@leadership-sumithttps://www.tiktok.com/@sumitguptacoachShow NotesHow being smart and intelligent leads you to never having enough time?He said that my biggest challenge is time. Or my biggest enemy is time. He said that I am super ambitious. I have this drive, this energy. I'm very smart. I know what to do, but I never have enough time. What if being smart and very good with planning leads you to never having enough time?normally we see time as a horizontal time shift. Like we see time as something which is coming from the past and going to the future. We see time on the calendar. We see time as a minutes, we see time as hours and seconds. And we also, we always see time on this dimension right. That it is running out. as long as we have this mindset about time. It only means that there is limited time. That's one. Naturally. way for dealing with time horizontally. That there is only limited time.They will never be enough time. In fact, there cannot ever be enough time For your dreams for your potential, for your leadership, which are infinite as they should be. What if there's also a vertical dimension to time, which is not finite, which is infinite. And which is always available to us. And which is a never-ending.It's a choice that we always have. To continue operating the way that we have been in the horizontal dimension of time driving. Thinking overthinking with our brains. And always ending up with time as an enemy, with never having enough time. Or we can slow down. We can stop. We can sense we can listen. We can go deep and we can see what is an oppurtunity, which is here. What is an opportunity that can lead to those big exponential results.it is very important to recognize when your strengths are becoming a liability. Any strength. Even of being. Super smart or having an . High IQ. If you cannot choose to when to use it. And when not to use it. It becomes a liability.you're totally missing out on playing some shots. which can give exponential results, but which are only accessible when you access the vertical dimension of time. It requires you to be present. It requires you to slow down the rush.When you get this, your life will never be the same again.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In this interview, Abdul shares how he took inspiration and lessons from his father and became an entrepreneur. He trusts people and believes in giving them full responsibility, and he also shared the importance of prayer, meditation, and journaling to his leadership and day to day activities as an entrepreneur. You can find Abdul at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/abdul-salim-83413015/In the interview, Abdul sharesmy father was a very successful entrepreneur. So as a kid, I've tagged along with him, wherever he has done business, be it a small business or he was doing multiple businesses, right?I was always with him and just to see his his persistence and passion, the way he used to work. It always inspired me, right? My father is my motivation and I'm following his footstep.I worked in large companies where people would want to give their arms and legs to be in companies like infosys, HP or even Target, but I was never content there. I always wanted to be entrepreneur. I start very early, right? Like, I typically wake up by six o'clock every day. So first three hours is for myself, right? So that's completely divided for myself. It could be my mind. It could be my body, it could be my learning, right? This three hours is completely, I will work out, I will do meditationIt helped me schedule my day pretty well. And then I don't react for every little thing, right? because of meditation. It's helped me for sure.I've hired some smart people and then we have completely given them the freedom, where they can manage their work.Whenever I think of a idea or anybody in my team, comes up with the idea and I feel that this is a good idea. We implement immediately so that freedom I've got being an entrepreneur we've seen a lot of ups and down, but then somehow manage to survive in this 10 years.Everybody deserves respect and when you do that, the team members always perform

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In this conversation, Tom shares how he started his company while still in college and how that has been an advantage - when it comes to culture, leadership, and working remotely. He reflects about the difficult times he faced early on and the important role of transparency in organisations. You can find Tom at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/tomcoburn/[email protected] the interview, Tom sharesSo this has been my only real job to date. I was not one of those kids growing up that like always knew I was gonna be an entrepreneur. I always wanted to be a doctor. My grandfather's a doctor. He's 82 years old and still practices in his small town outside of Boston where he grew up. And I always loved science and school.I went to college in Boston, at Boston College. I got there in 2009 and I was, I, pre-med major, working in the lab, getting ready to take the MCATs. All of those things you've gotta do to go become a doctor in the US.my roommates were in the business school, and our business school had a business plan competition. You could pitch a Shark Tank style pitch in front of judges and you could win $10,000 for your business idea. And so I decided to do that competition with my friends just for fun freshman year, we submitted our first year of college, we submitted an idea to the business bank competition, and we didn't make it past the first round. Our second year, we came back with a new idea, which ended up being the start of the idea for Jebbit, although we changed the idea a lot and we ended up winning the competition with that idea. I was mentally ready to drop outta school after that summer and go do the business full-time. And the thing that made it an easy decision for me was I talked to both my dean at my college and I talked to the dean I was gonna have at the medical. And I just asked them both for a one year leave of absence and they both said, sure My current challenge is everything around culture and communication and getting everyone internally at Jebbit g rowing in the same direction, fully in sync with each other.One of the things I hear a lot from new employees when I get their feedback is they're shocked at how transparent me and my management team are.We spend a lot of time trying to get people in person and getting the right combos of people in person. So we get the whole company together twice a year now for a three day offsite. Once in January and once in July.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In this interview, Abhijit opens up about how lonely it can get as a founder and the toll it can take on your wellbeing and health. He also shared his decision making process - and how every decision in the company depends on how it impacts the bottom line, the top line, and the company’s reputation. He also shared how he plans his day, stays productive, and how gardening teaches him patience and tenacity. You can find Abhijit at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/abanand/[email protected] the interview, Abhijit shares I'm a first generation entrepreneur. My dad is a doctor, he's been a government servant. And my mom's been a teacher all her life. one thing I've realized is that cash is king. The moment cash disappears, the company will cease to exist. my number one priority is to make sure that there is enough cash in the company to keep us liquid for at least the next three quarters. That is the number one priority. Number two I've, both me and my wife, we've decided. that Every single decision that we take in our company will have a three-pronged approach. That decision will be a yes or a no, depending upon how well it improves the company's top line. How well it improves the company's bottom line, and does it impact the company's reputation in a positive way or a negative way?From a sales point of view, I've realized that, a small customer and a large customer, They'll take the same amount of time. They demand the same kind of attention. So I've decided to focus on some very large customers who, from whom we keep getting big projectsone key thing that we did was we kept on we kept our focus on customer satisfaction. Number two, we've managed our finances very tightly. And number three, I think We've tried to make sure that we treat our employees with the same respect as what we would do to our customers and to our vendors. Richard Branson's book, losing my virginity, somebody asked him a question that you look like a quintessential entrepreneur, in your opinion, how would you define a business? And his response was, I'm paraphrasing, but his response was, A business is nothing else but an idea that will improve people's lives. So that's how the name Zindagi, which is Hindi the way of life. That's how the name started. one key mission statement that we have is to ensure that we leave this earth better than the, where, how we found it.from a personal point of view, I can tell you that It becomes hard sometimes because I feel that there is nobody to talk to.I think one thing that, that I'm trying to learn even now is, Don't dilute responsibility. Give one task to one person, let him make it his baby and let him own it completely end to end.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In this heartfelt conversation, Paddy shares his passion for startups and how he moved from technology to entrepreneurship. He shared the powerful yet simple lesson of “nishkama karma” or detached action - and how he applies that in his role as the CEO. He shares how he had to take a big risk and pledge his property to pay salaries in his previous startup. You can find Paddy at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/paddyraghavan/In the interview, Paddy sharesI don't know, somewhere in my life somewhere I got this entrepreneurial, bug it's something that I've had right from my college days. Multipl is my third StartUpI always wanted to build something on my own that was on the cards, but it wasn't, I wasn't really desperate or I wasn't, not every day that I wake up that I start thinking about, or I should be starting something. I mean it's always especially when you're actually interacting with someone who's fairly successful, which I would call myself and you would only see the positive side of it. And people tend to think that, yeah it's a nice journey. It's good we should become entrepreneurs. But I've definitely had my fair share of challenges.I literally had to pledge my property and to pay the salaries in the previous startup it was at a point where we had very difficult situation in terms of you know, raising capital and paying the salary I must be grateful to a lot of people. You know, my family has been very supportive. My wife has been very supportive throughout because that is very important. You can't have a you know, if you have a family you need the support because that could definitely take away a lot of your Focus if it is not in the right frame.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Pavel shared how his journey as an entrepreneur has evolved over the years. We talk about the importance of believing in ourselves, and how he has established teams in different countries that can work independently without his direct involvement. He also shares his love for flying and how he experiences freedom when in flight. You can find Pavel at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/vspavel/http://solar-staff.com/In the interview, Pavel sharesI was interested in technical issues and legal issues and both together helped me to open the private legal practice for the internet companies in Ukraine.I decided to move to international law and international taxation and help Russian based internet companies to move abroad to open the subsidiary companies anywhere in the world. I went to the chief of the office I was working in and told him of the future of internet business. He listened to me but didn't believe that was a good solution. I was invented by that Idea and I took on that step and just followed my idea and my dream.When I was a child I read a book written by the Russian famous authors. And there was a phrase, if you want to pass through the wall, you need only two things. You need to believe in yourself and do not look at the barrier. If you do not look at the barrier and look through that if you can, and if you believe in you, in yourself, you can go through the world. The first five years I worked really hard in Solar Staff and I almost had no time to have any kind of hobbies maybe except swimming in a pool or some kind of sports. I'm starting piloting. I will start my career as a private pilot next year in Oakland. I feel very excited about flying. Flying is like having freedom. I'll also start my first art project. I'll work together with a team of AIs to create an art. An abstract art, abstract portraits of the personalities. I allow my company and my team to make mistakes and and to learn from their own experience on those mistakes.Now I'm focused on the human and AI collaboration and sometimes it scares me. I start to learn A lot of subjects, a lot of terms about the philosophy of AI systems, and I start to know a bit more about that.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Brian shares how his world turned upside down when a drunk driver hit him in 2016, and how he turned that into a positive by creating companies that can continue to operate without him. He shares that if he doesn’t feel a connection with somebody at a grounded level, he doesn’t do business with that person. You can find Brian at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/brianjesposito/https://twitter.com/brianjespositoIn the interview, Brian sharesI get invited into startups, even up the Fortune 500 companies and help these companies succeed, grow, and become profitable.when I work with these startups, or even failing large corporations, it gets really fun and exciting to look at what am I holding that can make them more valuableSo in the late nineties, I built the first B2B B2C eCommerce platform for the beauty. I was first to build a website basically to distribute beauty products and personal care products.I had to quickly learn that life is very difficult and we want to try to do great things sometimes. Whether it's universe or jealous, people want to try to harm you and prohibit that from happening.I learned from that experience, it turned problems into potential opportunities. So anybody that was potentially suing me, like it was a, if it was a brand, for example, or a retailer, well, I was very open and communicative with them. So I always try to look at problems or negativity and turn in and say there's always a solution or an upside here.when they had a liquidity event or a larger company bought them out, not only did I have no connection to the upside or equity ownership, I also lost the brand and the distribution because those other companies have their own distribution.biggest turbulent time in my history was in 2016, a drunk driver hit me head on and outside of Nashville, Tennessee, I had 30 or so companies in my holdings doing what I felt was quite well and That was the first domino where I began to lose everything. So my whole world turned upside down. I realized I was the glue for everything. I'm definitely love old movies and old western types of shows, so that's my escape. I do that every night. I'll watch, I'll flip on YouTube and start going through old Johnny Carson shows, and that's my therapy, that's my escape.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Luis spoke about the importance of organizational structure and having a strategy - especially for content and sales - for first-time entrepreneurs. He also shares how he is experimenting with Reiki and meditation and is obsessed with personal development. He is learning to be more patient and deal with rejection on his entrepreneurial journey. You can find Luis at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/luismsg/https://evolution4all.com/In the interview, Luis sharesI started my career almost 20 years ago. I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. So 20 years ago I left Portugal in direction of Finland.I was lucky enough to work in Nokia that time. Nokia was still a really big company I'm an Amazon best seller, so I have four books published. The last one is coming in couple of weeks.From the leadership point of view, if you're a leader in the company software de delivery is the core. But if you don't really look at organizational structure, the strategy, the operationsI was lucky enough to start as a software developer, but then I moved a little bit for more to, into team leadership and then a little bit more into organizational design. when people know me and they ask me what's my background? And I say, I'm a software engineer, everyone, wow. How is it possible? Because I'm very outgoing. So I'm not shy at all, so I'm very social personMy first book in 2015, if I remember correctly, was about a job retrospectives. So it was exactly a book on that topic.So what I do is usually I have an idea, I create a brochure, I create a brochure of that idea, and then I send to a bunch of people and ask for feedback then as hobbies I do water polo I play football as any Portuguese guy, I go to gym. I'm trying now as well.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Rosemarie shared her interesting journey from being a lawyer to a tech startup co-founder. She has just joined the Founder’s Pledge to give a percentage of her proceeds to charity. She shares her love for working together in person and adds that we are denying us something if we do not work physically together.You can find Rosemarie at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rdiegnan/https://twitter.com/rdiegnanIn the interview, Rosemarie sharesstarted out in the tech world as a technical I'd always had an intent to go to law school. So after doing that for a little while, I went to law school worked as a lawyer in the US for about five years.Decided I did not wanna be a lawyer and tried a bunch of different things. Actually, I I thought I wanted to go. I was looking into going into the charity sector and worked for about two years between being a lawyer and getting full-time employment did various things including working as a volunteer attorney for an organization addressing women and children's issues. after about a year of doing HR consulting I'm was at an event and I met someone who was the c e o of an HR software company, and I convinced him to hire me as their first product manager without actually really knowing what a product manager was.But so started that, did that for a while. I was involved with a couple of startups in the US and about 10 and a half, 11 years ago made the decision to, I was able to get my Irish citizenship through my heritage. My grandparents were born in Ireland, so I decided now's the time to take advantage, and I came to the UK to check out the startup scene here. like giving back has always been a big motivator for you, like when you started as a lawyer also, can you share a bit about. ultimately it's something that is important to me and hopefully in the future I'll be able to do it more effectively. But particularly children and opportunities for children have always been really important to me when I was in California, I joined an organization called casa, which is court appointed special advocates. And basically what it is they train volunteers. So I happen to be a lawyer, but you don't have to be one to do this. They train volunteers to represent the interests of children who are in the foster care system.And I've just joined an organization called Founder's Pledge where essentially what you do is you pledge to give a percentage of the proceeds from your. Your startup, your scale up once you have an exit and then it can be, it gets given to charities. I think that one of the biggest things that hold people back is fear.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Akhil shares how he traveled as a child to protected rainforests, and how that has shaped his vision and what he does today. He also talks about the importance of having mentors for any entrepreneur, and how he loves to go on long walks without any direction. You can find Akhil at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/akhilsivanandan/In the interview, Akhil sharesGreen Story. So what we do at Green Story is we work with fashion brands to calculate the footprint of their products in a very credible manner through a scientific methodology, and allow them to make improvements in their supply chain, offset their footprint, and most importantly, show it to consumers at point of sale. I never thought I'd want to wind up being an entrepreneur. I grew up in India and very typically I did engineering in India in computer science. I didn't have want anything to do with it in my career so I ran away screaming and ended up working In a space that I was very interested in since I was a child, and that was in the environmental space. Then I moved to Canada in 2011. The intent was to build out a career in the renewable energy and sustainability space in Canada That's also where I met my co-founder, Nav. He and I were one of five people in the entire batch who were into sustainability.I do want to point to my father as one key component of that. I was very fortunate in the sense that he had a job in the government of India, which involved a lot of work in rural communities. And a lot of his work was in charge sometimes of the development of these regions in India. gradually I grew a love for nature and my parents also instilled that in me by purchasing a lot of books about it. For me I was a voracious reader, so I read a lot of books on natural history and used to watch a lot of documentaries what I learned to do was learn to identify. Whom I could go to for what, . So if I needed different levels of support, if I needed different levels of push sometimes to get to that next level, I used to find different mentors who could help me for those specific things and just or just generic like mental health in a way. I'm myself very bad at taking breaks. , which is a weakness that I have, but I do think that's important though. What I like doing in my downtime is really what people call rambling. So it's probably the most boring. What I find the most rewarding hobby in the world is like really going in a long walk with no direction. , and that's how my wife and I Spend quality time together There's so many beautiful parks and forests where you can get lost inMy wife's a professional artist. I'm very much part-time, so . I do like drawing and sketching and painting as a way to relax and also express myself.I used to actually do a lot of Tai Chi as a relaxation mechanism. I don't practice as much anymore, unfortunately. And I do want to get back into it. It's something I learned from my master in India.Be mindful of your body, and recharge your batteries cuz that's when you can present the best version of yourself.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Nicole shares how she grew up as a small business daughter and that led her to develop a powerful work ethic. She reveals her fun side in the interview, and how she builds a culture of accountability and fun in her company. She also mentioned how she is running a remote company, but never misses on opportunities to bring people together and connect in person. You can find Nicole at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-grinnell-b6190515/http://bosunsolutions.com/In the interview, Nicole sharesI had a unique perspective of being able to work alongside my parents' employees and hear the complaints and needs that they had, as well as understanding the management and leadership that's needed to have employees. Having a background of being a small business daughter, I think I have an unbelievable work ethic and really, Resilience and ability to hop into any role. And I think that in my corporate life, that was really what made me succeed. Having to let go of a team member is probably one of the toughest.when you have a creative space and bouncing ideas off of each other, even though our team is remote, we like to be able to get together in person. There is a human to human connection that is really needed.Most people don't know that I have two polar opposite personalities. When I'm at work I just wanna be productive and I'm a complete goofball outside of work. We definitely love to have a good time internally and, keep things light and we celebrate wins like crazy. That is our biggest thing. It is so easy as an entrepreneur to go high as a kite and like to the bottom of despair. And just when those experiences happen, whether it's the loss of a client or a situation that happened, we have like a three step process where we look back and say, what could we have done differently.Find a mentor and it doesn't have to be this exclusive program that you enroll in, but just find someone who has already done what you are doing. We actually have a mentorship program internally. We do open forums where our other contractors are able to meet with the current contractors and do different topics every quarter.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Shikha shares her vision and how she started out in her own unique way. She started an edtech consultancy based in Africa and serving the African continent when she saw that nobody was serving Africa. She shares how she drew inspiration from her mother and grandfather early on and that led her to becoming the first engineer in her family.You can find Shikha at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/shikha2020/[email protected] the interview, Shikha sharesI completed my engineering in computer science 2012, and I started working with one of the companies as software developer just out of curiositywhen I actually thought of starting my own company, that was one major curiosity that hit me was why not Africa? So why are the companies not reaching out to the African market?She's the first engineer, and a woman working and owning a business on her parents side. Her mother was always encouraged her become something and how both her brother and her are the only engineers in the family.The people she met have been respectful of the position and very curious to know her journey.How recently they were shortlisted by New Chip Accelerator, which is a accelerator program in Texas based in USA because they are concentrated on the Western world and also trying to make a change in the African continent. She feels that she has, as an individual, achieved whatever she has to. From starting working in six different companies in a corporate world, starting her own company, not just in one country, but two countries in two different continentsShe says that the only thing left is just going to the moon. She wants to strike a good balance between developing high-tech projects for the Western world and trying to make something substantial for the African continent.There's more that comes to being a leader than just having the knowledge. The most important skill that a leader should have is empathy.I feel that in the next three years of time when it comes to me as transitioning, who I want to be, to what I want to create is also this one important fact that I want a table where everyone gets the opportunity to speak. So the only advice that I can give is you need to work on how to conquer that fear, because once you are over that stage of being fearful, the world is all yours and I really feel you take one step and then the world will help you take the next 10 steps.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In this heartfelt conversation, Sanjay shares his story of starting out as an entrepreneur 27 years ago and the challenges he faced. He shared how he has grown and evolved as a person along the way, and his vision of contribution and serving the agricultural world through technology. He also shares the powerful but often invisible role our co-founders and families play in our success. You can find Sanjay at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjayborkar/[email protected] the interview, Sanjay sharesWe were first-generation entrepreneurs when we founded our company, and I would say that the toughest part is we did not have any experience working anywhere. Santosh and I, came from agricultural families but studied computer engineering in the University and we felt we should marry agriculture and IT so software. We were offered to go and work in Brazil by our first client. However, Santosh and I didn't find it very attractive. He even offered to come to our houses and speak to our parents.We approached the Department of Agriculture to see if we could work with the and we fortunately got the opportunity to develop design and develop a multimedia content for them. We learnt that information has to be always given free but the services are to be charged or sold. You have to involve your stakeholders, employees, customers, vendors, your banks or financial partners etc in your dreams and vision so that you can all be in the same page. You need to learn how to communicate with everyone successfully so you can get your work done through a very right way of communication.for next three to five years, definitely we want to be one of the top five companies in the world who are serving agriculture typically as a smart platform. Secondly, we want to add value to all our customers not just by providing them with technical solutions, but also helping them practice regenerative agriculture. So internally in the organization we inculcate a lot of leadership trainings and behavior to create more leaders. We most importantly try to hand over the entire responsibility to a leader and give them complete freedom to work on the projectI'm very grateful For my friend and co-founder Santosh together with my family and his family and definitely not forgetting our employees.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the heartfelt conversation, Glenn shares the story of how he moved into sales early in his career, and how he has never looked back. He also revealed many other stories from his long career and the lessons he draws from them - which are not only useful to anybody in sales but any leader in my opinion. You will not want to miss this conversation.You can find Glenn at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/glennpoulos/http://www.gapwireless.com/In the interview, Glenn sharesMy first job was as a civil servant. I worked for the federal government as a technical role in the weather department fixing electronic weather equipment.I had a government company car. It was the crappiest car you could imagine and I think it was a Chevy Chevette.My then boss always told me that I was in the wrong job. So I listened to him and I applied for a sales job and I ended up getting that job and leaving the government and going into the world of sales.When I got the interview for the sales job they flew me to Montreal to visit and meet one of the owners. I was picked up in a B M W 750. And and I'm like, wow, I really need a job in Sales because I had just gone from a Chevy Chevette to a BMW 750, and that had a huge impact on me I was like "I gotta get me one of these things."The only reason I got the job was because I was the only one that followed up twice a day for 10 days. Their reasoning was that I would go to that length to keep the job. When I set my sights on things, I can get very focused on following up and sticking to the task I found it very difficult to learn the products at the beginning because I didn't have any way to apply them. But once I got into the field, I started learning tips and tricks from the owners who became my mentors, and that's where I started writing down the rules, which eventually became the book.I resigned my job after I realized that my bosses were never gonna be my partners or see me as an equal.After I retire, I'm planning on building the background to perhaps have a bit of a public speaking effort or just drift off into the sunset, play pickleball and relax. Book some speaking gigs and maybe do a bit of public speaking tours.the biggest challenges were integrating our business into another bigger business that bought us and figuring out how to blend systems and people.I learned was that the moment you realize you're not getting the business leave, just end it and let other people fight for it because you are wasting time.A rejection and a no is not a judgment on yourself. It's a path towards finding the person that does need your product or solution at that time.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Chinmay shares how he wanted to stand out and that led him to entrepreneurship quite early in his life. He also shares the importance of learning as a leader, and how he learned and became good at sales. We also touched upon on his passion for music and travelling and how this helps him find balance and deal with the pressures that come with entrepreneurship. You can find Chinmay at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/chinmay-bhanagay/In the interview, Chinmay sharesHe comes from a background in enterprise sales and solutions but studied mechanical engineering.I've been part of multiple roles in one company and has really given me a sense of how difficult the journey is but rewarding and how much fun it is to delve deep into different realms of the business and to understand different aspects of the business.In college I started a company with my friend, selling t-shirts to colleges where we would customize, print and make t-shirts. I started enjoying that a lot more than actually starting for mechanical engineering because it I used to go around different colleges.I've always enjoyed keeping my foot in different places and experiencing different sites of business or life in general as well.I love being part of finance, part of the solution, part of enterprise sales and building relationships with clients and really understanding the problem statements and then consulting them or suggesting different solutions. In the near future we see ourselves being able to simplify the usage or the way people, consume services in a much more efficient and simpler way.The challenge facing them is being able to operate lean, serving a broader range of customers and still meeting demands which lie outside the purview of the product solution you provide.Personally, I handle challenges keeping myself occupied with certain hobbies. I play instruments I'm an active guitarist and I have a band I play with. This helps me zone out and also balance myself and get back on that the next day. I travel quite a bit and it's all offbeat travel with my wife. We both love exploring places that people have not gone to, and we make video logs of it.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, David shares his story and the philosophy behind running a group of 8 companies and 130+ people. We spoke about the importance of being kind and transparent as a leader, and also the importance of delivering on what you have promised. He shares that business is not the only important thing and everything else that he spends time on a daily basis.You can find David at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/david-rodriguez-wim-group/http://www.webimpacto.es/In the interview, David sharesI wanted to develop the Spanish market and a UK company I was working for didn't believe in the Spanish market. I quit my job and I mortgage of my house so I could start my company. Started on my own working from my parent house.I hired my first employee who was my sister and she started doing call meetings, setting appointments etc.I start getting customers and more customers and now we have like around one hundred forty employees, nine different divisions and different companies.We are focused more on e-commerce and the entire digital business. I try to set up a really good relationship with people and they help me because always I have been helping them without expecting anything backI don't like to work with people that don't work very well with teams especially those that don't respect othersIf my team does something wrong, we have to admit it to our customers and we pay for the mistake and vice versa. It is important to be aligned with people that have, similar values as you haveYou have to deliver what you promise and you should are not be slaves of what you are doing.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name. In the interview, Mohan shared his family roots and connection to entrepreneurship. He shared many interesting stories from his experience as an entrepreneur - providing valuable lessons like how to hire well, how to delegate and scale, and the importance of trusting your intuition and following up. He also shares how he is a very simple man and finds valuable lessons from ancient 2000 year old classics like the Bhagavad Gita and the Thirukkural from India. You can find Mohan at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mohanthas/http://www.swiftprosys.co.in/In the interview, Mohan sharesI'm the first this generation to be in business in my entire family from both my mom and dad's side.From a young age I used to see my grandfathers having lot of money, counting cash at end of the day, and this somehow made me get interested in business.I resigned in early 2009 and then I started my company in April, 2009 along with my longtime friend.I was earning very good, much it's a very good lavish spending. I enjoying. . But the thing is you can't see as a person, you cannot even more than 24 hours a day. So I believe on that since when I saw my grandparents. Okay, so they take even though, or they are in trading, if they want to take a leave or they want to take a risk, they can do easilyI want to retire by 45 years, so that's what my aim is to get 30 years. start a business, earn lot of money. Retire at 45 and enjoy life. Yeah. I'm a very minimal person, a frugal person. I don't. spend that was much of money. Yeah. Okay. So my needs are very small and and also I can take risk since I am started from the lower level.So delegation is more important and we have to give freedom for them, and we have to give advice for them get work done.as an entrepreneur, if you are very much strong in sales and marketing, it's very easy If you are a tech guy or a operational guy, if you don't know sales and marketing then it's very hard to sustain in the business.you have to delegate to a person who knows very good in sales and market. and you have to learn from them. , you should not just delegate. The sales and marketing is a different strategy.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Smiti shares her journey as a woman leader and the kind of unique challenges it presents. She talks about how she was raised as second to none and how led to confidence and growth as a leader as she is on a mission to create happier workplaces. She gives practical nuggets of wisdom from her life and simple advice for leaders when it comes to dealing with the challenges that come with leading by example.You can find Smiti at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/smitibhattdeorah/In the interview, Smiti sharesI think as a person your Priorities and your ambitions in life keep changing over time. As you grow, as you experience more of the world, you realize that, okay, this is the right fit for me. I do love technology, It's not like I cannot code for the life of me, but I realized that maybe business is something which I'm more interested in. One of the major things which women, not just leaders or otherwise, lack today is self-worth which comes from the lack of support, which comes to men naturally from their peers. General stereotyping definitely affects the way one thinks and of course eventually has a major impact on ones growth.Men are naturally accepted as leaders as compared to a woman who have to prove herself to then be accepted as a leader.I've been lucky enough to have a great family support structure, not just from my parents, but also like from my in-laws and that has helped in my own self-confidence.my mom always had that ideology that she'll not make her girls feel any lesser than the boys and overprotect us. to create happier workplaces, to create digitized programs through which in a hybrid work setup, you can actually bring employees closer together to the organization, make them more productive, uh, reduce attrition, increase retention overall. So employee retention has become very big problem, not just in one country, but globallybiggest challenge from an Advantage Club's perspective, which we see today is the is that there's so much to cover and there is so little time to cover so much.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name. In the interview, Markus shares his story of starting as a scientist and and his growth as a leader. He shares about some of the important but difficult lessons that he had learned along the way. He also explains how he has invested in his own leadership and now continues to grow the next level of leaders in his organisation as they scale . You can find Markus at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-markus-wuebben/In the interview, Markus shareshow he founded his company in 2015 and their main focus was on increasing the customer lifetime values.In his young years he always wanted to achieve more, he wanted to play a lot of basketball and be successful and just create things and create something out of his own hands. When you're really in charge, you need to understand everything and be realistic and honest to yourself in order to see when things are not running right and when you need help.as an entrepreneur, one of the key things you need to do is you need to surround yourself with the people who are better at things than you are not.I think it's important that we focus on the learning and development aspect because times and society is changing.In my company, we have flexible working hours, but we don't allow people to work at night because we believe we are humans and need to interact.I'm very reliable, so when I say something, I'll get it done. If something doesn't go well, I try to always be thereI never demand anything from my employees that I'm not doing myself. I can't demand anything from people that I'm not really showing.So when there are setbacks, it's really around what can we do to be better next time.thing that worries me in terms of maybe the business is the way that we sometimes lack to accept the opportunities and innovation. We are focused on the risks and things that could go wrong if you were employing new technologies.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.We spoke about his interesting story of starting multiple companies in the last 15 years. He shares how he has learned the value of meditation, slowing down, and keeping your balance over the years, and how he maintains boundaries between work and his personal life now. He also shared a dream which keeps coming back to him, and we explored trusting our intuition and what it could mean.You can find Gabriel at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrieljarrosson/https://twitter.com/GJarrossonIn the interview, Gabriel shares I've been an entrepreneur my whole life when I was, 13 started. Learning html, css, creating websites and actually trying to sell them to friends of my parents.No one in my family was an entrepreneur, but, My family had an entrepreneurial spirit. I would say a project spirit, like if you wanna go after something, go do it.I was really passionate about building a business and I really to make it, whatever that means. And for me, when I was really young, 18, 20 was have a business that grows, that exists that, is a real business, not just a hobby. And so the first thing that I did was I was starting a new business every week, every month. That was obviously a mistake I've come to realize.It's actually my first exit that I mentioned, and I realized that wine is a terrible business because white is heavy and so it's very expensive to ship. Shipping is by weight. and it's also very fragile so it breaks, you have to send it again.when you're investing in a startup, you want to reduce. , everything that can go wrong. There's this thing that says anything that can go wrong will. And so you wanna reduce all of those potential problems, shipping, but even, production, there's, raw materials that you gotta have. There's production in itself, the assembly line. So many little things that can go wrong.If you wanna succeed, you are going to have at some point to work super hard for some periods of time. Maybe when you're when you've made it, you can relaxI've learned that the importance of self-care, if you wanna work hard and be able to keep doing this in a long time, you gotta, take care of yourself, not do it not burning out and meditatethe only way to be sure to fail is to, forfeit and abandon. But if you keep going, at some point, something is gonna happen. learned the value of your, reputation, your kindness, being nice to others. That's something that I, completely didn't care about at the beginning. On the side, helping coaching entrepreneurs, helping them grow, develop their business and also I'm, helping the companies that I invest in grow.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name. In the conversation, Philippe shares his journey - which started in the German countryside, then led him to start a nightclub, and later became a social entrepreneur and co-founder of multiple organisations. We spoke about culture, what it means to genuinely take care of your people, and how to keep balance while doing all of that. You can find Philippe at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/philippe-birker-94960014/http://www.climatefarmers.org/In the interview, Philippe sharesHow as a child they didn't have much money and started earning at the age of 14 years then my exchange semester in 2010 at a university in South Africa.I'm very extroverted, I have a lot of energy but I don't fit very well into existing structuresGot very deep into impact entrepreneurship and nightlife in my twenties. I had a nightclub in Amsterdam for three years and I worked in different impact entrepreneurship. I always wanted to go back to the countryside and have a bit more nature around me this got me back into agriculture. and then into the amazing potential of regenerative agriculture to essentially reverse climate changeHe and some of his friends bought an older abandoned village in Portugal and the idea was to basically rebuild the village as a community.I was introduced to social entrepreneurship, and since then, I basically kind of shifted my personal mindset and goal from basically earning money while having fun, to actually having a positive impact.I started a foundation with two of my best friends called the Love Foundation where we basically organize parties to fundraise money for water projects. Climate change is the biggest threat that we have at the moment to our planet and to our own human well-being as well.one of the core issues that we are having in our society is the fact that we are very disconnected from nature. Human beings have the tendency nowadays to see themselves outside of nature. I look at what are the things that I'm good at and that I enjoy. What are the things that I'm not good at, but I really want to get better at, and I enjoy them, and what are the things that I'm not good at, and I don't enjoy. and one of the things that I'm good at, but I don't enjoy them and I try to do not much of the end of the parts, which I'm not enjoying.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name. In the interview, Leslie shares how travelling to China opened up his perspective and helped him become an entrepreneur. He also shares his vision of trust and transparency that he sees in the world of HR in organisations. We also explore how every leadership journey is also a personal journey, he shares how he has grown and evolved over the years. You can find Leslie at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/leslielapwingkivit/https://twitter.com/LeslieKivitIn the interview, Leslie sharesThat he has been working in the HR space for about 15 years where he mostly worked within startups and also into scale up.He describes himself as a leader who has strong hands-on experience.I studied and worked at the same time which was very beneficial for my own development.I started to work for booking.com and I think this was personally the first company where I truly experienced, professionalism in a way and hyper-growth and the use of data to make really good decisions.I had the support also of my parents and that was great. But I also realized this kind of pushed me to go out of my comfort zone so I decided to do an internship in Shanghai China because I felt that I needed to do something that was not very obvious.I think we can Restore trust to become more transparent, to become more clear and to overcommunicate on the expected impact, right before we actually start a work. It's becoming more and more important that employees would also like to have a stronger say to have more access in the organizations that they work for so they would like to influence a certain process.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the conversation, Caleb shares how his entrepreneurial journey started at college going door to door when he was only 19 years of age. We spoke about how the role of a founder or leader changes as their company grows to more than 50 people. He shared the challenges that presents as you have to learn to let go and trust others, and how invests in his own learning in this process.Caleb discusses the challenges he faced while going door to door and trying to sell their payment processing services to small business owners. He shares how this experience helped them to handle rejection and empathize with people. He also talks about the importance of leading by example and how a founder-led sales approach is crucial in the early stages of a business. Caleb emphasizes the importance of pushing oneself out of the comfort zone and doing things that they may not be incredible at, to help the organization grow. Finally, we discuss the importance of feedback and being open to suggestions from investors, the board, and the team. Overall, the conversation is an inspiring and educational look into the journey of an entrepreneur and the challenges they face along the way.You can find Caleb at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/caleb-avery/http://www.tilled.com/In the interview, Caleb sharesmy entrepreneurial journey at 19 by co-founding , uh, credit card processing business when I was in college. And started my career going door to door, selling payment processing services to small business owners over time, scaled up that business.a buddy of mine at the time, uh, we were talking about this idea of credit card processing and ni neither of us really knew anything about credit card processing at that particular time.I learned, in that experience was really, the, this idea of rejection and how to handle, the rejection, not take it personally, how to overcome those objections and really. Taught me a lot about, how to sell, how to empathize, with the people you know that you're working with. it's easy to fall into the trap of focusing on the things that, you're good at you enjoy, and you could basically do on autopilot. Like that's the kind of comfort zone, for an entrepreneur. And oftentimes like, that's where you decide to go start a business. it's easy to fall into the trap of focusing on the things that, you're good at you enjoy, and you could basically do on autopilot. Like that's the kind of comfort zone, for an entrepreneur. And oftentimes like, that's where you decide to go start a business.for the organization to grow and for you to evolve, into that c e o role, you have to push yourself out of that comfort zone and say, Hey, here's something that I need to go do.I'm an entrepreneur, at heart that's what my business needs and you have to have leaders in the right roles within the organization that have that desire and intense focus.leader myself, empower them to have the ability to institute, follow and maintain those processes without me, getting in the way.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Shay reveals both the very practical data-driven as well as grounded spiritual part of himself, and how he balances both in his day-to-day. We spoke about his vision for the future, how he deals with often debated topics like AI and unemployment, and how entrepreneurship is different now than when he started his first company.You can find Shay at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/shaydavid/http://www.retrain.ai/In the interview, Shay sharesThat he has been working in the HR space for about 15 years where he mostly worked within startups and also into scale up.He describes himself as a leader who has strong hands-on experience.I studied and worked at the same time which was very beneficial for my own development.I started to work for booking.com and I think this was personally the first company where I truly experienced, professionalism in a way and hyper growth and the use of data to make really good decisions.I had the support also of my parents and that was great. But I also realized this kind of pushed me to go out of my comfort zone so I decided to do an internship in Shanghai China because I felt that I needed to do something that was not very obvious.I think we can Restore trust to become more transparent, to become more clear and to overcommunicate on the expected impact, right before we actually start a work. It's becoming more and more important that employees would also like to have a stronger say to have more access in the organizations that they work for so they would like to influence a certain process.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Manish shared the secrets behind his calm and balanced answers to my questions. We also talk about why there is no one right or wrong way to be a leader and an entrepreneur and unpack some of the unconventional choices he has made. He also shared his vision for the future as he looks to take his organization to the next level of growth.He also shares his thoughts on entrepreneurship and how to deal with setbacks. He emphasizes the importance of having a growth mindset and building expertise to provide the best value to clients. Additionally, he talks about his interests outside of work, including reading about fundamental sciences and building audio equipment. Overall, the conversation provides insight into entrepreneurship, renewable energy, and personal interests.You can find Manish at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/manishgodha/http://www.advaiya.com/In the interview, Manish sharesMy father has a background in engineering, power production, and power generation, so I became interested in those fields and got an opportunity to work on solar power.As a chartered accountant, you definitely gain exposure to how enterprises use technology, especially in their business processes and overall enterprise resource planning.You have to choose a few things that are fixed and non-negotiable, and other things will then fall into place around those choices.Most entrepreneurs, especially traditional ones of my generation or the one before, tend to have this tendency.One of the challenges is how to continue building, growing, and refreshing your expertise in your business.We have to have the right set of people who share a growth mindset and are willing to build expertise in themselves and provide the benefit of that expertise to others.Things have a way of taking care of themselves, and we just have to ensure that we learn the right things and continue to persistI love reading a lot of things of a fundamental nature, like aspects of physics and the laws of basic sciences. They have quite a calming effect.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Sooraj shared his creative side as he also has a popular youtube channel where he makes web series and short films in the Malayalam Language. We also spoke about his transition from technology to sales, and how creativity is very important in sales as well as leadership.You can find Sooraj at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/soorajjayaraman/In the interview, Sooraj shareswhen an opportunity comes to you, if you are hesitant to, uh, even attempt that you never know that's what you are missing. I always enjoy solving problems instead of just doing for one company or one organization.So we are, our YouTube channel is called we are a Sambhavan which stands for Awesome. So the motto is like, we are awesome. It's not only us, but everybody in this world is, awesome. , that's the kind of message you want to put across.I used to write blogs a lot, so when blogs were popular long back when I was in Toronto so we. Same thing. I take this experience, uh, of my life and put that in a very, comical way.everything I have done in that video production is self-taught. YouTube is my group till now. So I go and uh, view stuff, you know, how to edit a video and how to shoot a video about lenses to use.creativity and playfulness play in your journey as a leader, obviously like that in the communication conversations this skill, uh, really gives an advantage over, anything else. It becomes an icebreaker. creative person, which certainly creates curiosity on the other person. in the business aspect, it helps in conversations. A beautiful conversation sometimes, and suddenly you hit with another person who says, I always wanted to be an actor.every leader should be creative. If not, you want, because every, the problems you face on a day-to-day basis, you need creative solutions.if you want your people to listen to you, you must first listen to your people then. You get into their life, you understand what they're feeling, you know, their difficulties, their happiness.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name. In the conversation, Manoj shares how growing up in a small town and then living in the United States shaped him as a person. He shares that his next level of success is not about him but something much larger than himself, and how he runs away from negativity and only chooses to focus on opportunities and growth. He shares that his confidence comes from the fact that he started from nothing and he has nothing to lose. You can find Manoj at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/manojdhanotiya/aitrillion.com In the interview, Manoj sharesPressure is simple. If you create hurdles which are unachievable, basically, then you have pressure. You know, if you know your limits and you try to build around it. I don't think there is any pressure. Change is not pressure. Change is okay. Change will happen. Change has to happen.For a first generation entrepreneur, there are no choices, you are molded by direction You. It is always just the direction you want to grow towards and Are you content with what you are.When you attain certain level of maturity, it's not like we are like very successful, but our mindsets have changed. Now we are content in terms of what we are doing, not in terms of what we are, but content, what we're doing. It's not about me anymore, it's more about making a contribution, helping people lead better lives or do better in their business.I will not deny that I am not working for money. Money comes automatically with it, it is just part of the process. The more known you are, the more your product is doing, better automated that comes in.I've realized that you cannot do everything alone. You need to have team and finding the best person across the world, challenge is global then is something you have to figure it out if you can build a great.You have to make it easy for others to work with you. That is my landing. Otherwise, we used especially in India when I came back here, use the different culture. If you make it easier for people to work with you, and if you create a opportunities to grow, that is the only way you can avoid electrication is the only way you can avoid bonds and people will work with you.Being positive is something I totally believe in, it's simple. If somebody's not positive, he may have his own reasons. I am always positive no matter what.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the heart-felt, Ben shares his vision for a better world, and included a call for all leaders to embrace their humanity. We talk about learning and integrating the feminine side of humanity, and how he sees exchange and making changes in small increments as the way to create tectonic shifts in the way leaders and companies operate today.You can find Ben at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-demiri-a7aaa06/In the interview, Ben sharesThe most defining moment I would say is when I was asked to step into a C E O role, which was through a mentor of mine.It starts with a gradual degree of holding responsibility and really, taking it closely when it comes to both the execution, and also the nurturing element, making sure that things really fall under your care.Gradual ascend in leadership positions has really created a much necessary awareness that things are complex.It is very easy to say I care about this or I care about people, but it's very difficult to take care, especially when in the heat of everything. So you're have to have balance. we need to recognize the reality that sometimes there's simply very little choices depending on where you are and the environments, the microeconomics. So you've got to sometimes do what you've got to do, but I always think there is a degree in that decision making.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In this open and honest conversation, he shares how living in Canada but having Indian roots has shaped his personality. We also discussed the role money play in our economic and psychological worlds, and how he sees Bitcoin as the future. Sunny also shared the difficult challenge they faced in 2018 and how they challenged and won against the Indian government in the Supreme Court of India.You can find Sunny at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sunnyray/http://unocoin.com/In the interview, Sunny sharesCombination of curiosity and money coupled with my engineering degree gave me the ability to read the white paper, not be and start tinkering and playing and learning and this led to my obsession with Bitcoin. India everyone loves cricket and in Canada everybody's loves football. I didn't want to around people who only talk about sports, so I started India's first Bitcoin meetups which eventually grew to even larger ones. When growing up in Canada, I realized that kids took a lot of this for granted where else in Kolkata life was tough. It was a struggle to even have one meal a day. It really helps shape your view because you start to realize that the world is not like.Our goal is really to let people know that, once they get into Bitcoin they can have flexibility and they have options if they need to buy something from Amazon or acquire a gift card.I highly believe in connecting with people and talking to them and not just sitting behind a computer and programming and hoping that, you'll hit the mark.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Barnaby shared his early fascination with technology, the challenges of leading a distributed and remote team, and what he has learned by leading across cultures and geographies. We also talk about the importance of quarterly planning, agile, and his plans to travel as he enjoys his sabbatical with his family.You can find Barnaby at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/barnaby/https://twitter.com/barnabyIn the interview, Barnaby sharesHow his father's filmmaking helped him in early adoption of technology which led him to writing codes as a kid. That the role of a CTO, is really about working with people and helping them in innovation and development.Great leaders are able to really observe and have empathy and understand what other people are going through, what motivates people to do and achieve things. That helping people with curiosity and also helping them get past their fears and all the reasons why you can't. How it is important to connect with people as people so that you are able to communicate you goals to them.It is important that you have structure, humans are creatures of habit and if you don't create structure, people will create their own structure and those structures won't be aligned. I left my last role and just decided that it was time for something new and take some time off.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Gaurav shared how entrepreneurship is in his roots, and that has always meant he is comfortable taking risks. We also spoke about the importance of OKRs, the role of intuition in his decision making, and the importance of being present and keeping the balance between work and family. You can find Gaurav at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/gsabharwal/getjop.com/ In the interview, Gaurav sharesI decided to help my father expand his business in the US rather than spending ours doing jobs during school break. Growing up I always saw my family talking about business on dinner table and that had a huge impact on me, how I looked at life and at business. Our biggest challenge as a company would be trying to emerge as a mature player in this space that we are creating.As an entrepreneur, sometimes you get so absorbed with the passion of your business that you tend to ignore or miss on things which are beautiful and which will not come back in your life again.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In this open and honest conversation, Shakun her personal story of living in the Netherlands and how that led her to start a company in an otherwise taboo industry. We also spoke about what gives her the confidence and grounding to lead her team, as well as the importance of slowing down and establishing clear boundaries.You can find Shakun at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sethishakun/https://twitter.com/SethiShakunIn the interview, Shakun sharesOne of the problem I had when I was starting my company was that it was difficult for me to go into an sex store and look around while asking questions.I lost a lot of friends when I started my company because I come from a culture where talking about sex openly is a tabooDemand is completely, nullified. Everybody has a demand, everybody wants it.Due to the nature of my company, we started facing problems like banks would not allow us to have a bank account, PayPal and Stripe flagged us too.Starting a company in an otherwise taboo industry led to the realization that this is not something bad or wrong, and then internally you feel okay, you feel more confident, you feel more open while otherwise.After my 12 or 13 hours shift when I lie down in the bed, I have a smile on my face. I know that, we are onto something big and what we are building is like we are in a position to make it.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, we talk about the importance of continuously learning and growing over time, and the challenges as you move from an IC to being a manager, and then a manager of managers. He shares the importance of EQ as well as IQ, the importance of self-awareness, and how he has learned to do performance management and feedback conversations very differently from most companies.You can find Jay at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jaygoldman/https://twitter.com/jaygoldmanIn the interview, Jay sharesDifferent people have different motivations that drive them forward. For me, learning is one of those. So I always look for opportunities to be learning and growing,Sometimes those challenges feel insurmountable in the moment, but when you look back, you can see. The amount of growth and development that's happened in themthose inflexion points teach you a lot about how to think about your own time, how to think about the leverage effect of your timeThe most humbling moments are the moments where I've. Let go of something and my team has done a much better job than I would've done with it.The feedback that is gonna drive real performance is given as close to the incident where the feedback was generated as possible. So you can course correct as early as possible.We are always smaller than we will be in the future, and so as a leader, that means that I will always have a larger and larger team to lead

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Jose shared how coming from a family of immigrants meant that he had to be better than anybody else to be able to reach anywhere. We spoke about his views on computers, entrepreneurship, always being secure about himself, and how with a very good team, you can make the impossible happen. He shares the importance of a good night’s sleep and taking care of our bodies. You can find Jose at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/josegraca/https://www.josegraca.com/In the interview, Jose sharesIt's never easy to be an immigrant, depending on the country where you are. But I always felt that I had to be better than anybody else because if I would not be, right? As an immigrant, you would not be able to reach anything. So there was a very big push for you to overperform always. And this definitely influenced my life later on.I think entrepreneurs in general are also very creative people. they are solution providers, right? They are always thinking about something new, an idea, or solving a problem, right? So it's a combination of an X amount of things. Uh, and definitely that was my case as well.when you work for money, right, money is the most important thing. But when you work with a mission and with pleasure, money is something that comes in second place. when you were younger, you. Are a little bit more stressed, I think this is the right word. You are a little bit more anxious to get things done right. When you get older, you become a calmer, uh, it's, I think it's a maturity process and you become because you are, you have more experience, you become more wiser in the decision that you make and how you handle it.All my staff members are also stakeholders in the company, so I don't have people in the company that HA are not a shareholder today. And this makes a huge difference because they know that whatever they're building okay.I would say that in every business, the most important thing in a business is your team. Without a proper team, you can not make miracles. But with a good, very good team, you can make the impossible. Okay. Even if your business is not so good.every leader can make mistakes that make, that's what makes us humanSo your co-founders, I like to talk, say, talk about co-founders. Your co-founders are a very important piece of the whole puzzle. Even if a few things, uh, don't go as planned, your co-founder is, right there to support you and help you to get out faster. you cannot do it alone. You need to have people around you. So start building that team around you, as fast as possible. But you are also not the only knowledgeable person in the world, and I can tell you upfront that you definitely are not they're always smart at people than ourselves.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Tim shares how programming came very naturally to him but the transition from programming to leadership and management meant he needed to learn to compromise and not always being right and what it means to effectively communicate. He also shares the importance of discipline and camaraderie which he learned from the military. He also shares the lesson of learning the job of the human above me and teaching my job to the human below me. You can find Tim at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/timothygolden/https://twitter.com/goldeneyeIn the interview, Tim sharesWhen dealing with humans cuz you can't program them like you can program computers. Um, I really needed to learn some effective communication techniques. I needed to learn compromise not always being right . In fact, one of the hardest lessons I had to learn was that, you know, there are way, there are people way smarter than me in some of these disciplines and I used that as a way for me to grow.I have a core group of people that speak the truth and love to me and tell me where, you know, where I'm doing wrong, where I could improve, and I take their advice to heart and I try to make those changes along the waylearn from others, but give back twice as much as you can. Being able to get that discipline, being able to get that sense of camaraderie, that sense. of Family, uh, which is kinda lacking nowadays in our world, We're so disjointedone of the probably single most important thing that I learned was learn the job of the human above me and teach my job to the human below me.one of the things I picked up on was initiative, right? Taking the initiative on oneself to not only better yourself, but better the person next to you,

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Deepali shares about being a risk taker and putting her heart and soul into everything she has done. We also spoke about the challenges of being a female leader, and how to deal with stereotypes and gender biases at work. We also reflected on the time when we worked together, the positive influence she has had on me, and how leadership is about continuously evolving and growth.You can find Deepali at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/deepalis/https://www.myfurries.com/In the interview, Deepali sharesbeing a woman, you have to always stand up for yourself.whenever I have had given interviews in the past, uh, I was always asked, what will you do? Will you continue to work after marriage? What will you do when you have kids? Will you continue to work? What's going to happen to your career? Right or wrong, these kind of questions are never, ever going to be ever asked from a guy. key is awareness. Standing up, asking for it, and if you, uh, you don't know what to do, find a mentor, find a champion for your cause, but then you have to Be vocal about what you feel should be done with you and how exactly do you want your career or whatever it is. you are categorized as somebody who always is a troublemaker because you'll always stand up and always ask for something which is rightfully should be rightfully done to youGod has given this privilege to women to be able to bear kids right now. Organizations, I'll not say organizations, but I've seen situations where, roles are withdrawn from women, but just because, you know, they, they've taken a break or they're expecting, I mean, for God's sake, they're just delivering a baby. They haven't becoming a, they haven't become brain dead, right. And the reasons they will give you that. Oh no. We want you to, uh, be relaxed, calm. We don't want to give a stressful job. And you know that when once you are coming, when you come back after that break, you are never ever going to be given those prestigious projects or the job or the assignment that was yours earlier.So you have to flag it, you have to take it to the concerned authorities and say that, see this. you have to spend a lot of time with yourself and try and ask questions from yourself that what exactly do you want?why I am doing this is also is a very difficult question to answer, and, um, because it's difficult, you don't want to answer it, you kind of always keep on running about it.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the heartfelt conversation, Nick shares about his unusual background and how that gives him an advantage. We talk about how he maintains a harmony between work, family, and health - while living in London and leading his team based on the west coast of the US. Listen to this one for some practical tactics on how to structure your day and when and where to draw boundaries.You can find Nick at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasmcquire/In the interview, Nick sharesmy route through to where I'm at, uh, at the moment, has certainly been a kind of a meandering path through a number of different opportunities and challengesmindfulness works for me is as long as I've got that structure and it's communicated well with the team that and everyone understands and we've got a mutual respect for that, it works.if you can have those transparent discussions and there's flex on either side. I think it ultimately, that's the place you want to get to and that transparency and respectful approach to your colleagues, I think is so important.the big changes that happened in my life and career as a result of setbacks ultimately turned to be really good things.The temptation and the visceral reaction is quite natural, is to be downbeat and to be a little bit oh my goodness, you know, what's happening, type of, uh, reactions. But I think in the long run, kind of hold onto the point that actually these tend to be really positive events, cuz you'll be able to, it'll take you onto, you'll either trampoline into another area.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.Gerbert is the COO & co-founder of Venly.io based in Belgium. In the interview, we spoke about the importance of culture when working remotely. Gerbert shares the lessons they learnt when they went fully remote and the practical things they do to listen, share, and strengthen human relationships, even when they have employees from 15 different countries. We also talk the most difficult time for them when they had almost ran out of money, and how they persevered and come out on the other side of the struggle.You can find Gerbert at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/gerbertvandenberghe/In the interview, Gerbert sharesSo we ran out of money while still building a company. We worked like nine months without any salary.it was quite painful because after working two years together with these people, we were very close to them. We were fond of them. We went together on skiing trips. Um, so yeah, that was quite painful if you believe in your vision and you have some proof of the market that, that your product fits the market, I think you just have to keep going and pushing and not give up because of some setback I used to be involved in every aspect of the business. Um, I used to be much closer to technology and to product while I'm not really involved on that anymore. So the bigger the company grows, they're less involved in every, um, department in nitty gritty detail.my goal is to make me myself obsolete in the company,I make sure I have enough sleep, so I'm well rested and I love to go to the golf club and hit some balls.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, we talk about learning from different cultures, how people’s expectations from leaders have changed in the last few years, and how you can be both loving and empathetic towards your people while at the same time holding each other accountable for our responsibilities as a team/company. You can find Eva at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/evapoppe/In the interview, Eva sharesexperiences in a different country make you humble. You learn so much about yourself as much as you learn about other cultures.people are expecting different things from leadersit's crucially important that you can have a joke from time to time. the good thing is that I'm a very positive person I've been working in the tech industry for more than a decade now, and I've figured already that in the tech industry, there are not as many females.Getting out of your comfort zone, you learn so much about yourself, about others, about empathy. It makes you humble. Um, which I think is very important because You're no better than others.I think it is very important if you talk to people from, like other views who give you like an outside view on where you're at because you're in your own zone a lot of times you can, um, then not see left or right.So if someone is coming in and kind of puts a little bit into the right in into the right context. It helps tremendously.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Maria shares the role curiosity has played in her life to bring her where she is today. We talk about the fear of failure, how often people perceive her as being scary, and how she deals with that by sharing and being open about her own imperfections and vulnerabilities.You can find Maria at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/mariapennanen/https://twitter.com/PennanenMariaIn the interview, Maria sharesa feature that's missing from many of these kind of evaluation programs or let's say coaching workshops, is that they focus on the individual. And I realized that you have to always think about the whole team.my driver has always been curiosity,I think my mistake was always that. Mixed up empathy with sympathy and didn't understand that actually empathy is that you just have to understand that they, people have the right to think what they want about things And you don't have to agree with that. And for me, that was really a, you know, big Aha moment.what would you do if you couldn't fail? And I think we have all probably, inside of us this fear of failing that we are not, I don't know whether we are not good enoughsometimes it's very hard to, to admit that, okay, now it's time to just to stop and let the company go down.it makes us just humanyou can't force peopleI'm told that I'm very scaryI meditate every morning, 20 minutes and I do write this kind of thing called Morning paper. Which is like, just like a, brain flow on the paper, whatever is in your mind, or, and sometimes, of course, new ideas come that, that you want to use. Exercising, I think keeping yourself fit is very important.Less is more

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Violetta shared her journey from being an academic researcher to an entrepreneur, and what she has learned along the way. She shares how her background in linguistics, neuroscience, psychology, and game-theory all come together in her role as a leader of her organisation. She also shares her journey from being a quiet shy kid to someone who loves being on stage today.You can find Violetta at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/meanceo/https://cadchain.com/https://www.femaleswitch.com/In the interview, Violetta sharesI'm the kind of person who thought that I would never become an entrepreneur.I actually have, uh, five high education degrees. I've really enjoyed studying my whole life.at some point, after I think a year and a half I realize that I'm, I'm burning out because, uh, I'm working nonstop.As an entrepreneur, you always think, Oh my God, I, there's so much more that needs to be done. Why am I not moving? Why are we so slow? And now I realize that if I continue in that rhythm my whole life, then I'm, you know, I'm not gonna be able to run for much longer. if I look at myself like four years ago and now these are two totally different peopleIf I remember myself, uh, at school, I was, always trying to keep quiet. And now I love being on stagesometimes you need to. Allow yourself to express all those negative emotions, because if you keep them inside of you, you're gonna explode at some pointHopefully one day I will be able to switch from wartime CEO to a peacetime ceo.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Patrick shares how moving to a foreign country forced him to step out of his comfort zone and start from scratch. At the same time, he shares how he has learned to come in with a very clear intention, asking questions, and geting started from day 1 when starting in a new job - which he feels is very similar to moving countries. You can find Patrick at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickstrauss/In the interview, Patrick sharesit is very hard to find good people that embrace change quicklythere are so many opportunities for organizations to get it and do it betterbe very open and resilient against the feedback that you getI think my main message really to everybody is to embrace change. Don't be afraid of it. Um, change does not always have negative or bad things attached to it. the biggest challenge is finding the right people that, understand and want to go the same way.Listen more rather than talk.You don't have to be the centre of attention.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Anastasia shares about her meditation practice and how that helps her maintain a grounded sense of balance as she deals with being a women entrepreneur in a world where there are not many. She also shares about her vision for women leaders, and how she is driven by curiosity and yet how she has learned to accept and move on while taking huge risks as an entrepreneur.You can find Anastasia at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasia-petrova-24504073/http://social-butter.com/In the interview, Anastasia sharesI am result oriented and I really want to see the input of my actions. you learn to accept because sometimes you plan something in a very perfect ideal, uh, way. In a perfect ideal world that doesn't exist I was basically locked in my comfort zone and right now I feel like I get bored if there is no risk. this mission is more emotional, . It lays really deeply to my heartas soon as you understand who you are, you understand what you're doing and you start to value what you're doing. And if you value what you're doing, I mean, this is exactly the ground you're talking aboutFear is blocking the potential always. For me, it was always fear like, uh, procrastination and fear. are Connected. So if you are afraid, like I think fear is actually lays in the very basis on each and every negative feeling that you can have on top of it.fear lays always in the very like root and then it can mutate in all sorts of like, procrastination or, um, I dunno, grief or any other like, bad feelings that you might have, but in the root is always fear. So what I can say is that it is important to realize that fear blocks your potential.So as soon as you recognize it, you start to get even angry because as if you feel that there is something that is blocking you, you know, and at that moment you will start to actually release this fear a little.

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Sudh shares how growing up in a small town in India in a family of entrepreneurs inspired him to start his own company. We also talk about moving to a big city like Singapore and yet not being intimidated by that. He shares the big risks he has taken as an entrepreneur, and how he was rejected by some companies for a job which turned out to be a blessing as those companies are his customers now.You can find Sudh at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sudh8/https://impress.ai/In the interview, Sudh sharesthat one of the biggest responsibilities in our business is to our customerswe put focus on new customers, new sales to existing customers. And all of this meant that we were able to retain a hundred percent of our customers it became really sustainable. We had nothing to worry about in terms of keeping our employees well rewarded, so we didn't have to do mass layoffs, uh, to achieve that. We didn't have to cut bonuses or salariesWealth is created during bear markets and harvested during bull markets. You start to get this realization when you get older, that your younger years are not going to come back and the equation starts to change.the challenge is how do you grow into what is needed to take the company to the next stage?All the companies that I applied to a job for, um, are now our customers. All of them. Absolutely all of them. So that's been. One of the things that make me feel like a winner,

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In this interview, Dinesh very humbly shares his story in his own unique down-to-earth way. He shares about being inspired as a teenager to starting his own company which grew quite fast, and then facing difficulties or challenges in his second startup, and how that changed him as a person and made him a better entrepreneur. He also shares how his father and also MS Dhoni - the former Indian cricket captain has influenced his personality.You can find Dinesh at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dineshjuneja/https://twitter.com/dineshjunejaIn the interview, Dinesh sharesSo patience is a virtue I've developed over a period of, and I think that really stuck with me very strongly.we are investing a lot is in building a strong second line of commandI think I have more failures than successes as a person, and I think it's true for anybody who is relentlessI think the biggest advice is always to think why you started up in the first place. this journey has been really beautiful, has been very rewarding

This is the Leadership Journey series on the Choosing Leadership Podcast.I believe we all have a lot to learn from each other's stories - of where we started, where we are now, and our successes and struggles on the way. With this series of interviews, my attempt is to give leaders an opportunity to share their stories and for all of us to learn from their generous sharing. If you know a leader whom you would like to see celebrated on the show, please send me a message on LinkedIn with their name.In the interview, Marc shares his background and how he got some early wins which build confidence very early in his career. He also shared how he now pays it forward by helping those on his team get some early and easy wins. We also talk about the importance of celebrating small wins, measuring the process, the role of honesty and transparency in leadership, and why change is often hard but not impossible.You can find Marc at the below linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/marcmunier/In the interview, Marc sharesIf you trust people with the information, nobody judges you.Celebrate the small wins. Celebrate the stages towards the end objectiveI'm a fundamental believer in the goodness of people. So I believe that people given the right information will make the right choiceI always say that you can change behaviours, but you can't change nature.As a citizen, we've got a responsibility to do more and so to help combat the effects.The way that I cope with that stuff is I kind of think worst-case scenario. So I go, Well look, if I in option A, if I carry on doing this and it completely implodes. You know, probably not gonna starve. I'll have to go get another job, which will hurt my ego. But I'll probably be. Um, but I would've done my best, I suppose.I love a soppy movie or a soppy series.If people aren't willing to accept you for the way that you are, then that's just kind of okay. That's their problemI'm a massive believer in getting outside and just kind of breathing the air, getting away from the cityYour brain needs that time to relax.