Interesting Lives of Ordinary People

I've known Sanjay for over thirty years from our time together at business school in India He is one of the most well read and informed people I know. He is highly regarded for his experience and views on entrepreneurship and innovation, and his ability to be brutally honest in his capacity as mentor to startups, established companies and industry bodies. He jokingly describes himself as not just a mentor, but a tormentor to his mentees. As a passionate advocate of entrepreneurship and innovation, he writes, lectures, advises, invests and mentors startups, companies and industry bodies on innovation, entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial thinking. He is the co-founder of a not-profit company, Network of Indian Cultural Enterprises (NICEorg.in) that aims to create an ecosystem for nurturing and growing successful Indian cultural enterprises; the global ambassador for iSpirt (ispirt.in) a not-for-profit technology focused think-do tank that works to create digital platforms for societal transformation, Executive Board member of IIIT Bangalore housed Mosip.io, an open source national ID platform for countries, and advisor with the Data Governance Network. He also serves on the boards of publicly traded Quess Corp, Allsec Technologies, impact consulting company Sattva Consulting, governing board member of TiE Bangalore, and advisor to NSRCEL-IIMB, CWE and other organisations. Sanjay has led or played key roles in several pioneering high tech cross border product development initiatives. As an entrepreneur, he co-founded Neta, perhaps the first VC backed software company in Silicon Valley created by founders who had relocated from India, that subsequently became a part of Infoseek/Disney. He also set up Venturekatalyst, India's first entrepreneur focused web magazine and JumpStartUp in 2000, one of India's 1st tech oriented VC funds, investing in Silicon Valley and India. In 2016, he published Startup Mantras, which became one of the top business books of that year, according to Business Insider. It is a collection of 100 lessons for entrepreneurs and managers, and is unusual in that it packed so much wisdom with such brevity and simplicity.

In 2022, it is estimated that there are 106,000 people who are known to be waiting for an organ transplant, of which 92,000 (87%) are waiting for a kidney. The average waiting time for a kidney is longer than for any other organ: 3-5 years with with many not surviving the long wait. During that time, most patients will undergo dialysis and live with severe dietary restrictions. In today's episode you will meet 22 year old Ayush Chandwani who had his first kidney transplant at the tender age of 6, and a second one a few months ago. He is one of the lucky ones. He received a kidney first from his mother Smriti and more recently from his uncle Sanjay who both share their experiences of being living kidney donors. In the course of this conversation, you will understand and appreciate the important role kidneys play in our body, and why it is the most endangered of organs. Diabetes and high blood pressure are the top two causes of kidney failure. This conversation might help you take greater control of your health and preempt the onset of some of these chronic conditions that are caused by our lifestyle choices.

In this conversation, Joanna talks about the experiences in her formative years that taught her the meaning of catastrophic compassion. She offers a moving account of how she first encountered death and the grief that stayed suppressed for years. Her career trajectory, with its twists and turns, is a reminder that life has interesting ways of making us pay attention. Saving the best for last, Joanna described her vision and mission that is so needed, and yet controversial. Joanna Davis, MCC is one amongst a very small worldwide community of Master Coaches, as defined by the International Coaching Federation. She has over 5,000 hours of coaching experience, spent seven years as Senior Faculty for a Level 2 ICF credentialed school and works in-house as a Corporate Life Coach for a South Florida Fortune 500 company of 20,000+ employees. She is an ICF PCC Assessor, serves as a Mentor Coach for both ICF and ReciproCoach, and has a small private practice specialising in coaching to Executive Development. Her passions include the neuroscience of human behaviour, creating food forests, and trying to keep up with her Basenjis.

Leon VanderPol is an internationally recognised leader, master-teacher, and author in the field of transformational coaching and transformative living. He is the Founder of the Center for Transformational Coaching and his book, A Shift in Being: The Art and Practices of Deep Transformational Coaching, sold in multiple languages, is bringing his work to new audiences daily. Leon has spent over two decades immersed in the dynamics of personal and inter-personal change. At the core of Leon's teaching lies the transformation of human consciousness—what happens when we consistently begin to experience ourselves beyond our ego-based state of consciousness, as our essential Self and Soul. Today he works with people from around the world to explore the boundaries of their existence, grow into new paradigms of personal experience, and tap into their most authentic Self. He is Canadian by birth, Dutch by ancestry, and has called Taiwan home for over 22 years.

If you listened to the episode titled Living with Alcoholism, you will know that its purpose was to invite conversation around the subject of alcoholism and to create a space that was free from judgement. I was so happy when Paul Babin, having listened to the podcast episode, reached out to me and suggested we have that conversation and publish it. Paul has been a coach, mentor and friend to me over the past few years. What you are about to hear is a slightly edited version of an unscripted conversation led by Paul in which he raised his concerns, asked me questions that helped me delve deeper and offered guidance and advice from his own experience of living with alcoholism. Unlike the previous episode, this is not a coaching session. It is a two way conversation, in which admittedly, I am doing most of the talking! I feel that we achieved a balance by tackling some heavy issues with compassion and even humour. If you found this and the previous episode helpful, please help us reach a bigger audience. You can do this by sharing the link to our podcast and by posting your feedback where possible. Paul is a former award winning cinematographer for several Hollywood A list movies. He turned his back on that career to become a life coach. You can listen to the podcast episode - Paul Babin - Life After Hollywood - in which Paul talks about the turning point that created that shift for him and what life lessons have made him the man he is today.

Today's episode of iLoOP is a bit different, especially as the voice you will hear will be mostly mine. I share with you today a recording of a deep coaching session I had only yesterday with Dipti Singh, who is a life coach and is part of a wonderful community of people who are learning the art of deep transformational coaching with Leon VanderPol. The session I am sharing with you culminates a series of coaching sessions I have had with Dipti and other coaches who are my peers in the Deep Coaching Intensive (DCI) community. When I went into the session, I had no idea I would publish it, nor that I would share so much of my personal life with my listeners. Dipti was masterful in the way she let me be my vulnerable and authentic self. She heard me and she held me in her compassionate presence. And you will witness a genuine shift occur within me. It is a powerful real life example of how we can find solutions to even the most difficult problems when we are given the space and the silence to let the answers within us emerge. Alcoholism takes many prisoners, most of whom are not even drinking. Living with alcoholism comes with many social taboos and deep seated shame. Most people feel reluctant to share their story because of fear of judgment, or because they simply want to forget and move on. I am sharing my family's story today because I believe we need to look at the topic of alcoholism with greater compassion and openness. I hope this episode will spark a conversation and sow a seed of greater understanding of the condition - its causes and consequences. I have to warn you, that because of the unscripted and largely unedited nature of the audio, there is raw emotion and one swear word. Caution is advised! Thank you for listening.

Sian is a shining example of a life that has not be defined by its beginnings. We can't always choose how we begin, but we can choose who we become. From the age of fifteen Sian spent seven years on the streets: a homeless teenager. She's written about her story of living on the streets in her book Teenage Kicks. In today's episode Sian talks about how she turned her life around and what gets her out of bed each day. Sian is an International Speaker, TEDx Speaker and Co-Founder of ©Centre for Sustainable Action. Sian believes in a world where businesses are sustainable and profitable; a world in which cooperation triumphs over competition. She calls it the “interconnection” between planet and profit. She and her husband are on a mission to turn small businesses and entrepreneurs into profitable and sustainable enterprises by ‘humanising' business through cooperation. She earned her title as a ©Sustainable Success Coach simply by living by the mantra ‘Health and Well-Being in Life and Business will save the planet' Sian has co-created the SDG - Assessment App and ©SHaW Model for sustainable health & wellbeing both research-driven tools for sustainable success in Life & Business. Her book Teenage Kicks: A True Story of Dark Streets to Bright New Beginnings is available on Amazon.

Madhura believes that the youth of today will shape our tomorrow. With this in mind, she started working with Podar Jumbo Kids and completing my ECCed (Early Childhood Care and Education) qualification. After graduating in Developmental Counselling from SNDT, she started working in children's day care services, including in a leadership role, followed by work at a school in the North India.She became a facilitator and trainer for teachers with The Teacher Foundation, followed by a "Teacher as an Innovator" certification from OEP, Finland. This led to her delving into the deeper aspects of children's education, their approach to learning and creating tools for becoming a lifelong learner. Madhura is the founder of “Learning to Learn”, a course that aims to turn children into lifelong learners. She describes herself as a spoilt daughter, supportive wife and loving mother who is striving to be a compassionate and accepting human being. She views her life's journey as one of constant learning. You can reach her via email – madhura@learningtolearn.in

Adrian is a transformation coach who creates profound mindset shifts for his clients. He helps them focus on both their inner alignment and the outer transformation of their life and business. His tough love and supportive approach creates a new sense of freedom for his clients. Adrian is a former soldier turned master neuro-systemic coach. His clients include other driven coaches, high achievers and business owners ready to move to the next level.

In this special episode, I share the experiences and insights from my recent ten days at the Dhamma Sukhakari Vipassana Meditation Centre in Suffolk, UK. Vipassana is an ancient Buddhist practice whereby you train your mind and body to experience things as they are, not as you want them to be. It was both intense and interesting. I am grateful to my friend Sanat Rao for hosting this conversation with me and drawing out the most useful aspects of my experience. If you're considering going on a Vipassana retreat for the very first time, you may it helps you go better prepared and get more out of your experience.

My guest today is Jennifer Ramsey. Jennifer and I were colleagues for seven years when we both worked in wealth management. With a busy and often stressful working life and a young family, Jennifer used fitness as a daily antidote. She was a keen cyclist and long distance runner who found a way to weave both into her daily life. Then five or six years ago things started to change. Jennifer describes her journey through menopause, how recognition of her symptoms led her to be kinder to herself and how the sense of loss of her former self was eased by the joy she found in the acceptance of the person she has now become.

Dr Ramya Ranganathan is an electronic engineer from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, an alumna of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad and a PhD in Organisational Behaviour from London Business School. After having worked at blue chip firms like ICICI, Infosys and Citibank, she quit the corporate world to explore the fundamental question – “why do people work?” She spent a decade as a full time faculty member at IIM Bangalore, has three Ted talks, is a published poet and has been recognised as one of the top 15 innovators in higher education by the Ministry of Education in India. She has impacted over 25,000 participants worldwide via her various initiatives that are designed to empower individuals to craft their own realities. You can reach Ramya via her website https://craftingourlives.com/

Dr Divya Parashar. Divya is a psychotherapist and certified life coach with over 20 years experience, 13 of which were spent working closely with patients who suffered life changing spinal injuries. As a consultant to The Ganga Foundation, a not for profit organisation in India, she continues to support people who are rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of a spinal injury. The Founder of The Ganga Foundation, Vaidyanathan (Vaidy) Singararaman, whom she mentions a few times during our conversation, sadly lost his life to Covid earlier this year. His team continue to work hard towards turning his bold vision, a fairer world for people with disabilities, into reality. In her current independent psychotherapy practice, Divya specialises in areas relating to depression, anxiety, stress disorders and couples therapy. Divya is also a keen long distance runner and recently completed a solo ultramarathon in the mountainous terrain of Ladakh in India. She was inspired to make some big changes in her life following the untimely death of her beloved mother Vatsala in December 2018. Although she continues to grieve her loss, she also eloquently describes her mother's lasting legacy and the fresh perspective with which she now views her own life. You can find out more about Divya via her website.

Revathi Shivakumar is a PCC credentialed Leadership Coach and an Undergrad Admissions Mentor. She has an MBA at IIM Ahmedabad which followed by a decade long career in finance. Motherhood changed Reva and became the catalyst for a different way of being and living. She describes herself as a spiritual seeker who grew up with religion but has never been defined by it. Reva has two distinct vocations. The first is her work with students looking to enrol into graduate programmes around the world. The other is her work as a deep transformational coach who draws on her own extensive experience of living a spiritual life to help her clients gain powerful insights and find greater fulfilment. Reva is also an abstract painter whose works have been exhibited in many shows, including at the prestigious Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai. You can find our more about Reva by visiting her websites: www.bodhitreecoaching.com and https://revadmissions.com She can be reached on revathi@bodhitreecoaching.com or revathi@revadmissions.com

Ritu is a graduate from IIM Bangalore, one of India's top business schools. After spending 25 years in the corporate world she decided to take a break for 6 months, certain that at the end of it she would go back to work. But during the six months she discovered the joys of a being a homemaker and found peace within herself. She realised she had no desire to get back to the rat race. She now works as a consultant to a couple of companies but does this on her own terms, being careful to preserve her 'me time'. Ritu loves to read, listen and embrace lessons from different philosophies. She loves to dance and her favourite time of the day is when she is watching a comedy show on TV with her two daughters. The buddhist organisation Ritu refers to is Bharat Soka Gakkai, part of worldwide organisation Soka Gakkai. The book that really changed things for Ritu, especially in her workplace is Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg.

Gopakumar and I have known each other since the time we were both doing an MBA at IIM-Bangalore. After graduation, Gopa spent eleven years in corporate finance working for venture capital funds. He quit that to follow his passion for wildlife conservation. He founded the River Otter Conservancy to protect otters and their habitat, with projects in three landscapes in India. In his professional life he is a facilitator in the areas of negotiation and building influence. His mantra for life is encapsulated in this favourite poem titled A bag of tools by R. L. Sharpe. I SN'T IT strange That princes and kings, And clowns that caper In sawdust rings, And common people Like you and me Are builders for eternity? Each is given a bag of tools, A shapeless mass, A book of rules; And each must make— Ere life is flown— A stumbling block Or a steppingstone. You can find out more about Gopa's quest to make the otter the tiger of the river in terms of its importance to our ecosystem by visiting his website www.riverotter.in and following him on Facebook. In this podcast Gopa mentions books Small is Beautiful by E. F. Schumacker and The Ring of Bright Water by Gavin Maxwell.

Angelina has an uncanny ability to hone into what is causing dis-ease in someone, and to help them heal through awareness, release and letting go. She has explored many different healing modalities. Her toolkit includes talk therapy, energy healing and physical fitness. Angelina is a survivor of repeated childhood sexual trauma. She only briefly alludes to this and we have deliberately chosen not to delve into her past nor describe her trauma. What matters is her acceptance of that which cannot be changed, and her willingness to see it as the well in which she has dived deep to find her life's purpose. The books Angelina refers to are The Courage to Heal by Laura Davis and Conversations with God by Neale Donald Wasch. You can get in touch with Angelina via www.counsellingandhealth.com or angelina@counsellingandhealth.com.

Initially, like many young Indian professionals, Kavitha pursued a career in software. She gave that up in order to bring up her two children. In the process of parenting she practised Yoga and eventually became a Yoga teacher. Over the past 20 years she has learnt from different Yoga traditions and teachers, and evolved her teaching from being about the body to holistically working with the student at all levels of being – physical, mental and emotional. She describes herself as a seeker with a quest for learning the deeper truths of life. This conversation is a reminder that life has mysterious ways of preparing us for the challenges it has in store, but only if we pay attention. In this conversation Kavitha describes the first turning point that occurred when she turned 40 that laid the foundation for her next big challenge that shook her to the core and turned hers and her family's world upside down. We talk about how she and her husband Elango dealt with their son's life threatening brain haemorrhage five years ago when he was only 17 years old. The true story of what happened, a step by step account of how they dealt with this crisis and the lessons they learnt in the process is beautifully encapsulated in the book This Too Shall Pass by Elango Thambiah is available on Amazon. It has some powerful learnings for us all, irrespective of the health of our loved ones. You can reach Kavitha direct via email kavithaelango89@gmail.com.

Anne Jirsch is a London born professional psychic and a leading pioneer of Future Life Progression (FLP). Hers is the only FLP training school in the world with over 250 practitioners across eight countries. Anne has helped individuals and businesses change their current trajectory by glimpsing into what lies ahead for them in the immediate and the more distant future. She has a worldwide following with clients including heads of industry, government officials and celebrities from the world of film, music and sport. She has authored five international best selling books, including Instant Intuition, The Future is Yours, Cosmic Energy, Create Your Perfect Future, and Future Vision Your Working Life. In this conversation we talk about the concept of time and how it is possible to change your past and create the life you see in your perfect future. You can find out more about Anne and get in touch with her via her website and follow her on social media including on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

In this short (under 2 minute) audio I talk about what this podcast is about. It is my hope that my guests and their stories ignite a spark inside my listeners, so they feel empowered and inspired to own their own story and live a life of meaning and purpose.

Helen Snape is a reformed people pleaser who discovered she had always put other people's needs and wants before her own. A life changing event in her immediate family was followed by the decision to leave an abusive marriage and rebuild her relationship with herself. She now helps others to recognise people pleasing trait in themselves, and gives them the tools to make the necessary changes so they can live happier and more fulfilled lives. Helen is a Healthy Relationships Coach who helps women reclaim their power and speak up for themselves. They learn to do this by building boundaries and learning effective communication skills. Helen has been coaching for over 10 years, has a degree in Psychology from the University of Warwick and is qualified in mindfulness and coaching with trauma. She is an award-winning speaker, and has been interviewed on BBC Radio, the Women's Economic Forum and been featured in Happiful magazine. You can find out more about Helen and get in touch with her via her website.

Today's episode is a special one dedicated to Vaidyanathan Singararaman. It should have been a day to celebrate his birthday. He would have received a voice message from me wishing him a happy birthday. Instead we celebrate his life: one lived fully and with purpose. I'd known Vaidy for over 30 years when we were both at the same business school, but in I never really knew him until about ten years ago. Social media and a few changes in my own life brought us in greater contact. I wrote a blog in 2015 which took his story to a wider audience. In 2016 he kindly agreed to be the only man in my book Leading Ladies by agreeing to share his late mother Ganga's story. In so doing, he shared his story too. Vaidy never wanted to inspire or be treated as special. His greatest wish was to be treated as himself, an ordinary man whose turning point led to him living an extraordinary life. When Vaidy first told me his story for the blog, I apologised to him for not having taken more notice of him on campus, and for being so unforgivably unaware of the ordeal he had suffered. His face lit up with his characteristic gentle smile. “That is as it should be” he said. “It means you didn't treat me any different simply because I was in a wheelchair.” I will be reading the chapter from the book Leading Ladies, titled Ganga's Story as told by Vaidyanathan Singararaman, Co-Founder of The Ganga Foundation.

Suze Maclain Pont is a business coach and trauma therapist who helps entrepreneurs create financial harmony. Through her own experience of battling suicidal depression in her early twenties and unexpectedly becoming a single mother at thirty, she learnt to reconnect with who she is and why she faced certain recurring patterns of behaviour. She created a way of life in which her work became completely aligned with the things she loved doing and what she believed in, and gave her time to be really present for her loved ones. She discovered that money is not key freedom, but that freedom is key to attracting money into your life. She now teaches others this way of being in which her clients create financial freedom whilst forging a beautiful relationship with life. Unlike most business coaches, she helps her clients slow down so they can speed up in areas of their life that really matter to them. In this emotional yet often light hearted conversation, Suze opens up about the events that made her feel so alone and unable to connect with others or seek support. Over time, and with the help of the right kind of support and training, she has come out the other side radiant and resilient. You can learn more about her and get in touch with her via her website.

Nilima Bhat is a leader in the fields of Personal Mastery, Leadership, Gender Equality and Wellbeing. She has Coauthored two books, Shakti Leadership and My Cancer Is Me. She is the Founder of the global Shakti Fellowship Program for women change-makers. I've known Nilima all of my adult life and remember her as one of the most talented and versatile dancers who would literally light up the stage with her presence. As with all my guests, even those who I thought I knew really well, as a result of this conversation, I have discovered new and inspiring aspects to Nilima that make me admire and respect her even more.

Dr Priya Bellare is a post-doctoral scientist working in healthcare at the cutting edge of disease control and prevention. Priya is my first cousin and I've always considered her to be the baby sister I never had. In today's conversation I learnt things about her that I was not aware of and might never have learnt had it not been for this podcast. In Priya's words, she is a 46 year old woman who thinks she is 31. She is inspired by those who do the hardest of jobs like bringing up kids, being teachers and scientists. Priya loves science with a passion. It has played a huge role in her life and in giving her a second chance at life. She is also a dreamer, a write and a poet. Her book of poems A Bucket of One and a Half Choices is a repository of some of the most personal moments in her life. She loves visiting new places and going off the beaten track.

Rajiv Maheshwari has 25 years of experience as a management professional. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant and graduated in the Director's Merit List at IIM Bangalore, one of India's leading business schools. Becoming a parent proved to be a significant catalyst for him which led him to make different life and career choices. Watching his children grow and closely interacting with them spiked his curiosity, accelerated his learning and helped him reconnect with himself. He's spent the last decade as CEO of India's leading Intellectual Property Rights firm. Alongside his day job he is an author, blogger and co-founder of knowledge sharing portal From The Experts Mouth. He's the author of How To Stay Positive And Productive In Your War Against Corona. He can be reached via LinkedIn.

Paul Babin spent almost four decades in Hollywood as one of their most respected cinematographers. He's worked alongside the likes of James Cameron, Peter Weir and Steven Spielberg on blockbuster films such as Always, Fearless and Terminator 2. He received a Lifetime Award for Cinematography in 2012. And yet, he turned his back on his successful career and now works with people who want to enhance their quality of life and work. He also has a YouTube channel where he shares insights, wisdom and many much loved meditation videos. You can find out more about Paul and connect with him direct via his website.

Anuradha Sridhar had a successful career for over 15 years and was viewed as one of the strongest, most resilient women by all those who knew her. She had her first brush with mental illness well into her thirties, triggered by a couple of traumatic event in her personal and professional life. Unfortunately for her, it manifested itself in a very public way so there was nowhere for her to hide. It took her over two years to get the right kind of help in terms of a correct diagnosis and treatment. Fortunately for her, she is blessed with an immediate family who support her even through the darkest of times. This conversation will open your eyes to what it is like to live with debilitating mental illness. It will also offer hope and practical advice on what to do if you or someone you know is suffering. The hyperlinks to some of the things she mentions are for your information. Anu's Facebook page, the online CBT website Joyable, Elyn Saks' Ted Talk on the importance of work in the healing process of a mental health patient, and understanding the impact of vicarious trauma.

In a change to the usual format of this podcast, Rohini shares a poem that she wrote in a rare moment of creative, poetic inspiration back in May 2020. She also reads a chapter relating to her life story as presented in her book Leading Ladies published in 2016. It provides glimpses of her childhood in India, how she became an accidental immigrant to the UK, her early years of career wilderness until she found the job she once thought would be for life, how she met her husband whom she describes as "like no man I'd ever met before", and much more. You can read more about the book and buy a copy direct from the author at a promotional price by following this link to her website. It is also available globally at most online book retailers.

John Roedel is an improv comic, writer and poet. He is the author of Hey God, Hey John: What Happens When God Writes Back. He is prolific with his poetry and exquisite prose on social media and has a growing following. Over the past five years, he has written about his faith and mental health crisis in hopes that others going through the same struggles will know that they are not alone. Here he talks about how a diagnosis in a doctor's office 19 years ago proved to be a life changing catalyst for him and his wife. He is now passionate about helping others use stories to speak their truth and come to terms with who they are, no matter how different. You can follow John on Facebook and visit his website to read some of his work and listen to his podcast.

Kuljit Sehmi is the founder of Centre Balance and an award winning Chrysalis Effect Practitioner who specialises in resolving chronic pain, anxiety and trauma from the causes, tapping into the body's own ability to heal itself. As a Mum of 3 young children she was diagnosed with the debilitating conditions of severe fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, arthritis and neuromas, which left her in constant pain and unable to walk. She fully recovered without medication and now has a deep passion and fascination for the true causes of chronic illness and pain. In this conversation, Kuljit talks about her journey from diagnosis to the discovery that her body was trying to tell her something: that enough is enough. We learn how in a step by step process she tapped into the root causes of her illness and slowly returned herself to health and a more fulfilled life. You can get in touch with Kuljit via her website www.centrebalance.co.uk.

Aditi is a PhD and a biostatistician at a global pharmaceutical company. She recently hit a really important five year milestone. A cancer survivor, she talks about her diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. She credits her kids, spouse and parents, as well as the network of friends and family with providing the backbone of support in her journey from diagnosis to wellness. Above all it is her growing self awareness that proves to be the biggest support through adversity and beyond. She talks eloquently about what cancer taught her about her body, the gift of time and how she is finding fulfilment in her life.

Shahana Roy is a Director at Time Institute in Bhopal. At some point most people are faced with existential questions about the meaning of life and how they are living it. Shahana grappled with these big questions in her twenties, not long after graduating from IIM-Ahmedabad, one of the top business schools in India. She met her life partner and now business partner at this critical juncture in her life. They had a vision for a different kind of life and took the road less travelled to create something more meaningful that is making a real impact in the lives of young people.

In this searingly honest conversation, Sam talks about growing up with an alcoholic mother, becoming a single mum in her late teens and losing her younger sister to suicide. But this is not a sob story, and Sam is no victim. She is a daughter, sister, mother and a young grandmother who has taken ownership of her life's choices with grace and magnanimity. And perhaps for the very first time, she articulates what it would mean to rediscover her own identity and create the life she has always dreamed of.

So much of our understanding about gender, biological sex and sexuality is changing. No amount of science or facts can ever replace the impact of a story: the struggles of someone who just doesn't fit into the neat boxes society creates. Dr Erin Baker is a transformational coach and strategic adviser to high performing entrepreneurs and leaders. Erin is a doctorate in social psychology and has previously worked at Facebook and Microsoft. In this conversation we begin with Erin sharing the three year milestone event that changed their life. I hope you will enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Together, one story at a time, we can make a dent in the mountain of misinformation about gender identity one. Today we hear Erin's story.

An unexpected side effect of a commonly used drug changed Pramit's life. Instead of blaming his doctors or living with resentment, he took ownership of his life's choices and decided to find a different way of living. He is now the founder of a startup that creates voice enabled solutions that help the visually impaired navigate the digital world with far greater ease. Go to https://www.visio-apps.com/ to find out more.

I'm Rohini Rathour and I want to make being ordinary feel like a blessing. A chance to live freely and to be whoever you want to be without the burden of other people's expectations. One of the best ways we can do this is through stories - through the telling and listening of real life and fictional stories, we can create magic.