Podcasts about ishani

Fluent Fiction - Hindi: Brushstrokes of Confidence: Anaya's Artistic Awakening Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hi/episode/2025-05-10-22-34-01-hi Story Transcript:Hi: अमल्फी कोस्ट की नज़रें अपनी ओर खींचते हुए, हाई स्कूल के छात्र बस से उतरे।En: As the sights of the Amalfi Coast drew their attention, the high school students got off the bus.Hi: समुद्र की फुहार और खट्टे नींबुओं की ताजगी वातावरण में फैली हुई थी।En: The spray of the sea and the freshness of sour lemons were spread in the atmosphere.Hi: अनाय, प्रणव और इशानी ने ठंडी हवा का अनुभव लिया।En: Anaya, Pranav, and Ishani experienced the cool breeze.Hi: ये उनका स्कूल ट्रिप था, जहां सब नए अनुभवों के लिए उत्सुक थे।En: This was their school trip, where everyone was eager for new experiences.Hi: अनाय एक कलाकार थी, लेकिन वह खुद पर विश्वास नहीं कर पाती थी।En: Anaya was an artist, but she didn't have faith in herself.Hi: उसकी सहेली इशानी हमेशा उसे प्रोत्साहित करती।En: Her friend Ishani always encouraged her.Hi: प्रणव, जो बहुत मिलनसार और मौज-मस्ती में रहता, उसके बड़े व्यक्तित्व के कारण अनाय कहीं खो जाती।En: Pranav, who was very sociable and always in fun, made Anaya feel lost because of his large personality.Hi: हालांकि, प्रणव दिल से अनाय की कला का प्रशंसक था, लेकिन उसे कभी ईर्ष्या भी होती थी।En: However, Pranav genuinely admired Anaya's art but sometimes felt envious.Hi: ट्रिप पर कुछ खास बात थी - एक कला प्रदर्शनी, जिसमें छात्रों को अपनी कलाकृतियाँ दिखानी थी।En: There was something special about the trip - an art exhibition where students had to showcase their artwork.Hi: अनाय के मन में सोचा - "क्या मेरी कलाकृतियां सचमुच इतनी अच्छी हैं?En: Anaya thought to herself, "Are my artworks really that good?"Hi: " वह खुद से संघर्ष करती रही, जबकि इशानी कहती, "अनाय, ये तुम्हारा मौका है।En: She continued to struggle with herself, while Ishani said, "Anaya, this is your chance.Hi: दिखाओ कि तुम क्या कर सकती हो।En: Show what you can do."Hi: "उन्होंने समुद्र के किनारे एक जगह खोजी।En: They found a spot by the sea.Hi: वहाँ नीला आसमान और समुद्र का समंदर सचमुच किसी पेंटिंग से कम नहीं थे।En: There, the blue sky and the vast sea truly looked like something out of a painting.Hi: अनाय ने टालमटोल करते हुए अपनी पेंटिंग्स निकालीं।En: Hesitantly, Anaya took out her paintings.Hi: इशानी और प्रणव ने मिलकर उसकी मदद की।En: Ishani and Pranav helped her set up.Hi: जब सब कुछ तैयार हुआ, तो देखते ही देखते वहां एक छोटी प्रदर्शनी जैसी लगने लगी।En: When everything was ready, it soon started to look like a small exhibition.Hi: अनाय की कला वहां की सुंदरता में घुलने लगी।En: Anaya's art began to blend with the surrounding beauty.Hi: जब अन्य छात्रों ने देखा, तो सबने उसकी तारीफ की।En: When other students saw it, they all praised her.Hi: प्रणव ने कहा, "अनाय, तुम तो कमाल की कलाकार हो।En: Pranav said, "Anaya, you are an amazing artist."Hi: " यह सुनकर अनाय के चेहरे पर मुस्कान खिल उठी।En: Hearing this, a smile spread across Anaya's face.Hi: दिन ढलते-ढलते अनाय को आत्मविश्वास मिल गया।En: As the day ended, Anaya gained confidence.Hi: उसे समझ आ गया कि उसकी कलाकृतियाँ भी उतनी ही खूबसूरत थीं जितनी अमल्फी कोस्ट।En: She realized that her artworks were as beautiful as the Amalfi Coast.Hi: अपनी कला के माध्यम से उसने न केवल खुद को बल्कि अपने दोस्तों के साथ भी रिश्ते को मजबूत किया।En: Through her art, she strengthened her bond not just with herself but also with her friends.Hi: यह यात्रा उसके लिए एक नया अध्याय ले आई।En: This trip brought a new chapter for her.Hi: अब अनाय खुद पर गर्व महसूस कर रही थी।En: Now Anaya felt proud of herself.Hi: उसने सीखा कि उसकी दृष्टि कितनी अनोखी है, और उसका आत्मविश्वास अब आसमान छूने लगा है।En: She learned how unique her vision was, and her confidence started to soar.Hi: इस तरह, एक साधारण यात्रा ने उसके जीवन को नए रंगों से भर दिया।En: Thus, an ordinary journey filled her life with new colors. Vocabulary Words:sights: नज़रेंbreeze: हवाeager: उत्सुकencouraged: प्रोत्साहितsociable: मिलनसारenvious: ईर्ष्याexhibition: प्रदर्शनीhesitantly: टालमटोलadmired: प्रशंसकpraised: तारीफconfident: आत्मविश्वासbond: रिश्तेunique: अनोखीvision: दृष्टिsoar: आसमान छूनेordinary: साधारणspread: फैलीadmired: प्रशंसकstruggle: संघर्षblend: घुलनेrealized: समझconfidence: आत्मविश्वासchapter: अध्यायcolors: रंगोंencouraged: प्रोत्साहितhesitantly: टालमटोलtrust: विश्वासjourney: यात्राstretched: फैलीartworks: कलाकृतियाँ

Fluent Fiction - Hindi: Finding Inner Peace: A Lesson in Flexibility and Meditation Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hi/episode/2025-04-23-22-34-00-hi Story Transcript:Hi: गंगा नदी के पास, सुंदर पहाड़ियों के बीच, ऋषिकेश में एक आध्यात्मिक आश्रम था।En: Near the Ganga River, nestled among the beautiful hills, there was a spiritual ashram in Rishikesh.Hi: वसंत का समय था, हर ओर हरे-भरे पेड़ और फूल खिले हुए थे।En: It was springtime, with lush green trees and blooming flowers everywhere.Hi: आसमान नीला था और ठंडी हवा बह रही थी।En: The sky was blue, and a cool breeze was blowing.Hi: इस शांत वातावरण में ध्यान और योग का अभ्यास बड़े मन से किया जाता था।En: In this serene environment, meditation and yoga were practiced with full heart.Hi: आरव, जो इस आश्रम के नियमित सदस्य थे, ध्यान में गहरी आस्था रखते थे।En: Aarav, a regular member of this ashram, had a deep belief in meditation.Hi: उनके लिए उनका ध्यान का तकिया बहुत खास था।En: For him, his meditation pillow was very special.Hi: हर ध्यान सत्र के पहले वह अपने तकिए को खोजते थे ताकि उनका मन पूर्णतया शांति में रम सके।En: Before each meditation session, he would search for his pillow so that his mind could completely immerse in peace.Hi: एक दिन, जब आरव ध्यान सत्र के लिए तैयार हो रहे थे, उन्हें उनका पसंदीदा तकिया नहीं मिला।En: One day, as Aarav was preparing for a meditation session, he couldn't find his favorite pillow.Hi: उन्होंने हर जगह देखा, लेकिन वह कहीं नहीं दिखा।En: He looked everywhere, but it was nowhere to be seen.Hi: उनके मन में चिंता हुई।En: Worry crept into his mind.Hi: इसके पहले कभी ऐसा नहीं हुआ था।En: This had never happened before.Hi: उसी समय, उन्होंने देखा कि ईशानी, जो हाल ही में आश्रम में आई थीं, ध्यान कक्ष में प्रवेश कर रही थीं।En: At the same time, he noticed Ishani, who had recently arrived at the ashram, entering the meditation hall.Hi: ईशानी बहुत खुशमिजाज और सामाजिक थीं, परंतु आश्रम की कुछ परंपराओं से अनजान थीं।En: Ishani was very cheerful and sociable, but unaware of some of the ashram's traditions.Hi: आरव सोच में पड़ गए।En: Aarav began to wonder.Hi: क्या ईशानी ने अनजाने में उनका तकिया ले लिया?En: Had Ishani unknowingly taken his pillow?Hi: परंतु, वह उन्हें शर्मिंदा नहीं करना चाहते थे।En: However, he didn't want to embarrass her.Hi: इसलिए उन्होंने एक भिन्न उपाय सोचा।En: So he thought of a different approach.Hi: "ध्यान के समय अपने व्यक्तिगत साधनों का होना बहुत महत्वपूर्ण है, है ना?En: "Having your personal items during meditation is very important, right?"Hi: " आरव ने मुस्कुराते हुए ईशानी से कहा, जब वे ध्यान कक्ष में बैठ गए।En: Aarav said with a smile to Ishani, as they sat in the meditation hall.Hi: ईशानी ने एक पल को सोचा और फिर हँसी, "ओह, हाँ!En: Ishani thought for a moment and then laughed, "Oh, yes!Hi: मुझे याद आया कि मेरे कमरे में मैंने एक अजीब सा पैटर्न वाला तकिया देखा था।En: I remember seeing a strangely patterned pillow in my room.Hi: शायद वो आपका हो सकता है।En: Maybe it could be yours."Hi: "आरव ने राहत की साँस ली और संकोच करते हुए कहा, "अगर वो मेरा है, तो क्या आप.En: Aarav sighed in relief and said hesitantly, "If that's mine, could you...?"Hi: "ईशानी तुरन्त समझ गई और बोली, "बिलकुल!En: Ishani immediately understood and replied, "Of course!Hi: मैं अभी लाकर देती हूँ।En: I'll bring it right away."Hi: "कुछ ही पलों में ईशानी ने तकिया लाकर आरव को सौंप दिया और हँसते हुए माफी माँगी।En: Within moments, Ishani returned with the pillow and handed it to Aarav, laughing and apologizing.Hi: आरव ने भी हँसते हुए कहा, "कोई बात नहीं।En: Aarav laughed too and said, "No worries.Hi: धन्यवाद!En: Thank you!"Hi: "जब ध्यान सत्र शुरू हुआ, आरव ने महसूस किया कि तकिए के साथ उनकी विशेषता तो है, पर सच्ची ध्यान की शांति मन की अवस्था में है।En: When the meditation session began, Aarav realized that while the pillow had its significance, true meditative peace lies in the state of mind.Hi: इस घटना ने उन्हें सिखाया कि लचीला रहना भी एक आध्यात्मिक अभ्यास में कितना महत्वपूर्ण होता है।En: This incident taught him how important it is to be flexible in spiritual practice.Hi: आरव ने महसूस किया कि दृष्टिकोण बदलने से ध्यान गहरा हो सकता है।En: Aarav realized that changing his perspective could deepen his meditation.Hi: उन्होंने इस सीख को खुद में समाहित किया और ध्यान के नए मार्ग पर आगे बढ़ने का निर्णय लिया।En: He embraced this lesson and decided to move forward on a new path of meditation. Vocabulary Words:nestled: घिरा हुआserene: शांतbreeze: हवाimmerse: डूबनाworry: चिंताcrept: घुस आईembarrass: शर्मिंदाhesitantly: संकोचपूर्वकembraced: स्वीकार कियाsignificance: महत्वflexible: लचीलाsociable: सामाजिकperspective: दृष्टिकोणdeepen: गहरा करनाapproach: उपायpersonal: व्यक्तिगतmoment: पलapologizing: माफी माँगनाrealized: एहसास हुआpath: मार्गspiritual: आध्यात्मिकsession: सत्रfavorite: पसंदीदाtraditions: परंपराएँstate of mind: मन की अवस्थाmember: सदस्यenvironment: वातावरणentering: प्रवेश कर रहेmoment: क्षणmeditative: ध्यानमग्न

Fluent Fiction - Hindi: A Train Journey to Dreams and New Beginnings Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hi/episode/2025-04-18-22-34-01-hi Story Transcript:Hi: हैदराबाद रेलवे स्टेशन पर गहमागहमी थी।En: At the Hyderabad railway station, there was a hustle and bustle.Hi: ट्रेन की घोषणाएं और स्टेशन पर बिक रही चाट-चटोरी की खुशबू से वातावरण में एक अजीब सी गूंज थी।En: The announcements of the trains and the aroma of the chaat-chatori being sold on the platform created a strange echo in the atmosphere.Hi: आरव और इशानी अपनी-अपनी दुनिया में खोए हुए थे, इसी भीड़ का हिस्सा बने खड़े थे।En: Aarav and Ishani, lost in their own worlds, were standing as part of this crowd.Hi: आरव, एक टेक-सैवी प्रोफेशनल, जो अपनी नौकरी से ऊब चुका था, बेंगलुरु के बढ़ते टेक उद्योग में संभावनाएं तलाशने जा रहा था।En: Aarav, a tech-savvy professional who was bored with his job, was going to explore opportunities in the growing tech industry of Bengaluru.Hi: इशानी, एक उभरती हुई लेखिका, जो नई जगहों से कहानियाँ खोजने में लगी थी, अपने उपन्यास के लिए प्रेरणा ढूंढने निकली थी।En: Ishani, an emerging writer searching for stories from new places, was looking for inspiration for her novel.Hi: ट्रेन के आगमन की घंटी बजते ही, सभी जल्दबाजी में अपने-अपने डिब्बों की ओर बढ़ने लगे।En: As soon as the train's arrival bell rang, everyone hurriedly moved towards their respective compartments.Hi: ट्रेन चलने लगी, और धक्कम-धक्का की शुरुआत के बाद, सब कुछ शांत हो गया।En: The train started moving, and after the initial chaos, everything became quiet.Hi: आरव और इशानी पास-पास बैठे थे।En: Aarav and Ishani sat close to each other.Hi: आरव ने सामने पड़ी किताब को देखा।En: Aarav noticed the book lying in front of them.Hi: किताब का नाम 'नवोन्मेष की कहानियाँ' था।En: The title of the book was "Stories of Innovation."Hi: "आप भी कहानियों में रुचि रखते हैं?" आरव ने मुस्कुराते हुए पूछा।En: "Are you interested in stories too?" asked Aarav with a smile.Hi: "हां, कहानियों से मुझे बहुत कुछ सीखने को मिलता है," इशानी ने जवाब दिया।En: "Yes, I learn a lot from stories," Ishani replied.Hi: "मैं अपनी नई किताब के लिए प्रेरणा ढूंढ रही हूं।"En: "I'm looking for inspiration for my new book."Hi: "अच्छा, मैं भी बदलाव चाह रहा हूं। अपनी नौकरी से उब सा गया हूं," आरव ने धीरे से कहा।En: "Well, I'm also seeking a change. I've grown weary of my job," said Aarav softly.Hi: उनके बीच बातचीत ने गहराई ले ली। ऐसे में आरव ने अपनी इच्छाओं और आंतरिक संघर्षों को साझा किया।En: Their conversation deepened, leading Aarav to share his aspirations and internal struggles.Hi: इशानी ने अपने लेखिका बनने के सपने और उसकी चुनौतियों के बारे में कहा।En: Ishani spoke about her dreams of becoming a writer and the challenges along the way.Hi: उनकी बातचीत ने दोनों को सोचने पर मजबूर कर दिया।En: Their conversation prompted both of them to think.Hi: ट्रेन के बाहर वसंत के सुंदर दृश्य नज़र आ रहे थे—हरे-भरे खेत, फूलों से लदे पेड़।En: Outside the train, the beautiful sights of spring were visible—lush green fields, trees laden with flowers.Hi: माहौल का यह सौंदर्य उनकी बातें को और विशेष बना रहा था।En: The beauty of the environment made their conversation even more special.Hi: "मुझे लगता है कि हमें अपने सपनों के लिए जोखिम लेना चाहिए," इशानी ने आत्मविश्वास से कहा।En: "I think we should take risks for our dreams," Ishani said confidently.Hi: "जब तक हम कोशिश नहीं करते, हम उनकी सच्चाई नहीं जान पाएंगे।"En: "Until we try, we won't know their reality."Hi: आरव की आँखों में चमक आ गई।En: There was a sparkle in Aarav's eyes.Hi: "तुम सही कह रही हो। मुझे बदलाव के लिए तैयार रहना चाहिए," उसने मुस्कुराते हुए कहा।En: "You're right. I should be ready for change," he said with a smile.Hi: गहरी बातचीत ने इशानी को विश्वास दिलाया कि उसकी कहानियों में वास्तविकता की ताजगी हो सकती है।En: This deep conversation convinced Ishani that her stories could have the freshness of reality.Hi: उसने नई तरह की प्रेरणा पाई और अपनी नोटबुक लेकर विचार तेज़ी से लिखने लगी।En: She found new inspiration and began jotting down her thoughts rapidly in her notebook.Hi: आरव ने बेंगलुरु में नए मौके पर ध्यान देना शुरू किया।En: Aarav started focusing on new opportunities in Bengaluru.Hi: दोनों ने अपनी शंकाओं को धीरे-धीरे पीछे छोड़ दिया।En: Gradually, they began to leave their doubts behind.Hi: ट्रेन बेंगलुरु पहुंचने के करीब थी।En: The train was nearing Bengaluru.Hi: दोनों के चेहरे पर नई ऊर्जा और उमंग थी।En: Both had a new energy and enthusiasm on their faces.Hi: यह यात्रा एक बदलाव का संकेत बन गई थी—आरव के लिए करियर की नई दिशा और इशानी के लिए उसकी कहानियों की नई जान।En: This journey had become a symbol of transformation—for Aarav a new career direction and for Ishani new life in her stories.Hi: अंततः, उनके सपनों का सफर शुरू हो चुका था।En: Ultimately, the journey towards their dreams had begun. Vocabulary Words:hustle: गहमागहमीbustle: धक्का-मुक्कीannouncements: घोषणाएंaroma: खुशबूplatform: स्टेशनemerging: उभरती हुईinspiration: प्रेरणाopportunities: संभावनाएंcompartments: डिब्बोंchaos: धौंसweary: थका हुआaspirations: इच्छाएँstruggles: संघर्षconfidently: आत्मविश्वास सेsparkle: चमकtransformation: बदलावladen: लदा हुआprompted: मजबूर कियाrisks: जोखिमreality: सच्चाईvivid: सजीवenthusiasm: उमंगopportunity: मौकाnovel: उपन्यासexpressed: व्यक्त कियाscenarios: परिदृश्यglimpse: झलकburgeoning: बढ़ता हुआcaptivate: मोह लेनाreminisced: स्मरण किया

Fluent Fiction - Hindi: Holi Romance: How Colors Sparked a Timeless Love Story Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hi/episode/2025-03-25-22-34-02-hi Story Transcript:Hi: दिल्ली के हृदय में स्थित लोधी गार्डन का मौसम दिलकश था।En: The weather at Lodhi Garden located in the heart of Delhi was enchanting.Hi: वसंत का समय था और हर ओर खिलती धूप, हरे-भरे पेड़ और बहार की खुशबू फैली हुई थी।En: It was springtime, and everywhere, the sun was shining, trees were lush, and the fragrance of blossoms was in the air.Hi: बगीचे में होली का त्योहार मनाया जा रहा था।En: The festival of Holi was being celebrated in the garden.Hi: चारों तरफ रंग-बिरंगे गुलाल उड़ रहे थे, और हंसी-खुशी से भरी भीड़ होली की खुशियां मना रही थी।En: Colourful powders were flying all around, and the crowd was rejoicing in the happiness of Holi.Hi: आकाशी रंग की शर्ट पहने, आरव थोड़ा खोया-खोया महसूस कर रहा था।En: Wearing a sky-blue shirt, Aarav felt a bit lost.Hi: वह एक वास्तुकार था, जो अपनी रचनात्मकता की कमी से परेशान था।En: He was an architect, troubled by his lack of creativity.Hi: उसका ध्यान सिर्फ अपनी चाय के कप पर था, जब उसकी बचपन की मित्र, मीरा, ने उसे झकझोरा।En: His attention was solely on his cup of tea when his childhood friend, Meera, shook him.Hi: "आरव, देखो तो!En: "Aarav, look!Hi: कैसी खुशहाल भीड़ है।En: What a joyful crowd it is.Hi: तुम भी तो रंग में रंग जाओ," मीरा ने मुस्कान के साथ कहा।En: You should also join in the colors," Meera said with a smile.Hi: मीरा के कहने पर, आरव ने अनमने भाव से भीड़ में घुलने की कोशिश की।En: At Meera's suggestion, Aarav reluctantly tried to mingle with the crowd.Hi: तभी, उसके ऊपर अचानक गुलाबी रंग की पिचकारी का छींटा पड़ा।En: Just then, a spritz of pink color squirted over him.Hi: वह हड़बड़ाए हुए पीछे मुड़ा, और देखा कि वह इशानी थी।En: Startled, he turned around and saw it was Ishani.Hi: इशानी, एक छोटे कद की चुलबुली कला की छात्रा थी, जिसकी आंखों में कुछ सवाल और चेहरे पर एक कोमलता थी।En: Ishani was a petite, lively art student, with questions in her eyes and softness on her face.Hi: इशानी ने खिलखिलाते हुए माफी मांगी, "मुझे क्षमा करना, मेरा निशाना बिगड़ गया।En: Laughing, Ishani apologized, "Forgive me, my aim was off."Hi: " आरव ने भी मुस्कराते हुए जवाब दिया, "कोई बात नहीं, रंग असल खुशी का परिचायक होते हैं।En: Aarav smiled back and replied, "No worries, colors are symbols of true happiness."Hi: " यह पहली बार था जब रंग ने उसके मन को हल्का किया।En: For the first time, color lightened his heart.Hi: एक पल के लिए, वे एक-दूसरे की आंखों में झांकने लगे।En: For a moment, they gazed into each other's eyes.Hi: उनके बीच की बातचीत जैसे हर गुब्बारे की फुगारी के साथ नई दिशा पकड़ रही थी।En: Their conversation seemed to take a new direction with each burst of balloons.Hi: मीरा एक तरफ मुस्कुरा रही थी, यह देखकर कि उसने जो भी कोशिश की थी, उसका असर हो रहा था।En: Meera was smiling on the side, seeing that her efforts were having an effect.Hi: भारी धुनों पर नाचते लोग और रंगों की बौछार में घिरे आरव और इशानी जैसे भूल ही गए थे कि उनके चारों ओर का संसार कैसा है।En: Surrounded by people dancing to heavy beats and showers of colors, Aarav and Ishani momentarily forgot about the world around them.Hi: उनकी बातों की मिठास और रंगों की खुशबू ने एक अद्भुत प्रेम की शुरुआत कर दी थी।En: The sweetness of their conversation and the fragrance of colors began a wonderful love.Hi: अचानक, जब ढोलक और तबले की थाप पर सभी नाचने लगे, आरव ने इशानी की ओर हाथ बढ़ाते हुए कहा, "क्या तुम मेरे साथ नाचने चलोगी?En: Suddenly, when everyone started dancing to the beats of the dholak and tabla, Aarav extended his hand towards Ishani and asked, "Would you dance with me?"Hi: " इशानी ने बिना सोचे, अपने हाथ आरव के हाथों में दे दिया।En: Without thinking, Ishani placed her hand in Aarav's.Hi: यह नाच उनके लिए एक नई शुरुआत थी।En: This dance marked a new beginning for them.Hi: उनके दिलों में एक नया जज़्बा जन्म ले रहा था।En: A new passion was brewing in their hearts.Hi: नाचते-नाचते, उनके बीच की दूरी बड़ी रोमांटिक तरीके से कम हो रही थी।En: As they danced, the distance between them diminished in a rather romantic way.Hi: अंत में, जब रंगीन माहौल ठहर गया और सूरज ढलने लगा, आरव ने कहा, "क्या तुम मेरे साथ थोड़ी देर तक बगीचे में टहलना चाहोगी?En: Finally, when the colorful atmosphere settled and the sun began to set, Aarav said, "Would you like to stroll in the garden with me for a while?"Hi: " इशानी ने हल्की मुस्कान के साथ कहा, "हां, क्यों नहीं।En: Ishani replied with a gentle smile, "Yes, why not."Hi: " और इसी के साथ, वे दोनों बगीचे की पगडंडी पर कदम से कदम मिलाते हुए चलने लगे।En: And with that, they began walking together, step by step, down the garden path.Hi: इस नन्ही मुलाकात ने आरव के दिल में एक नई आशा जगा दी थी।En: This brief encounter sparked a new hope in Aarav's heart.Hi: उसने महसूस किया कि जीवन में सच्ची खुशी को पाने के लिए खुद को खोलने और जोड़ने से डरना नहीं चाहिए।En: He realized that to find true happiness in life, one should not fear opening up and connecting.Hi: उनकी बातचीत में नए सपने और नए वादे गूंज रहे थे।En: New dreams and promises echoed in their conversation.Hi: वे दोनों जान गए थे कि यह होली उनके जीवन में एक नई सुबह लेकर आई है।En: They both realized that this Holi had brought a new dawn into their lives.Hi: जब उन्होंने एक-दूसरे के नंबर साझा किए और फिर मिलने का वादा किया, तो उनके चेहरे उम्मीद और उत्साह से चमक रहे थे।En: As they exchanged numbers and promised to meet again, their faces shone with hope and excitement.Hi: नई शुरुआत, नई उम्मीदें, और बहुत से रंग - यही थी आरव और इशानी की होली!En: New beginnings, new hopes, and many colors - this was Aarav and Ishani's Holi! Vocabulary Words:enchanting: दिलकशfragrance: खुशबूrejoicing: होली की खुशियां मना रही थीreluctantly: अनमने भाव सेmingle: घुलनेspritz: छींटाstartled: हड़बड़ाएpetite: छोटे कद कीlively: चुलबुलीsoftness: कोमलताapologized: माफी मांगीaim: निशानाgazed: झांकनेballoons: गुब्बारेbeats: धुनोंshowers: बौछारsweetness: मिठासbrewing: जन्म ले रहा थाdiminished: कम हो रही थीstroll: टहलनाencounter: मुलाकातsparked: जगा दी थीconnecting: जोड़नेpromises: वादेechoed: गूंज रहे थेdawn: सुबहexchanged: साझा किएexcited: उत्साह से चमक रहे थेhope: आशाnew beginnings: नई शुरुआत

Dr. Edmund Tsui is joined by Dr. Majda Hadziahmetovic to discuss her meta-analysis and systematic review investigating the effectiveness of systemic and local treatments in slowing autoimmune retinopathy progression. From the Ophthalmology Science article, “Clinical Outcomes of Therapeutic Interventions for Autoimmune Retinopathy: A Meta-analysis and Systematic Review.” Clinical Outcomes of Therapeutic Interventions for Autoimmune Retinopathy: A Meta-analysis and Systematic Review. Kapoor, Ishani et al. Ophthalmology Science, Volume 5, Issue 1. CALL FOR ABSTRACTS! Now accepting paper, poster, and video submissions through April 8. Imagine presenting at AAO 2025; learn more and submit yours at aao.org/pod25

Part 2 of a multi-part episode on the work lives of five Cartier Women's Initiative Fellows. Ishani founded Serein, which helps companies prevent harassment and discrimination in the workplace. Next, we hear from Rana, founder of RS Research, a next-generation therapeutics company developing novel nanomedicines based on innovative drug delivery platforms to treat patients fighting cancer. Join us for insights on what it means to ask big questions and reach the answers in innovative, impactful ways.    Ishanihttps://serein.in/  https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/fellow/ishani-roy Rana https://rsresearch.net/ https://www.cartierwomensinitiative.com/fellow/rana-sanyal Meet these Cartier Women's Initiative Fellows – and many more – at Impact Week in Bilbao!  https://www.impactweek.eu/bilbao/home 

Fluent Fiction - Hindi: Lost in the Crowd: Discovering Diwali's True Essence Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hi/episode/2024-11-09-23-34-01-hi Story Transcript:Hi: जयपुर का फूल बाजार अपनी पूरी रौनक पर था।En: The Jaipur flower market was in full swing.Hi: दीवाली से ठीक पहले, इस बाजार में हर ओर चहल-पहल थी।En: Just before Diwali, there was hustle and bustle everywhere in this market.Hi: आरव और इशानी भी यहीं थे, दीवाली की सजावट खरीदने आए हुए।En: Aarav and Ishani were there too, having come to buy decorations for Diwali.Hi: आरव को भीड़ से परेशानी होती थी, पर दीवाली उत्सव उसका मनपसंद था।En: Aarav didn't like crowds, but the Diwali festival was his favorite.Hi: दूसरी तरफ, इशानी के चेहरे पर बाजार की हलचल देखते ही मुस्कान फैल जाती।En: On the other hand, a smile spread across Ishani's face as soon as she saw the market's bustle.Hi: फूलों के बाजार में हर तरफ रंग-बिरंगे मोगरे, गेंदा और चमेली के फूलों की मालाएं लटक रही थीं।En: In the flower market, colorful garlands of "mogre," "mari-gold," and "jasmine" were hanging everywhere.Hi: मसालों और ताजे फूलों की सुगंध वातावरण में तैर रही थी।En: The aroma of spices and fresh flowers wafted through the air.Hi: आरव के दिमाग में केवल एक लक्ष्य था - जल्दी से खरीदारी खत्म करके भीड़ से बचना।En: Aarav had only one goal in mind - to finish shopping quickly and escape the crowd.Hi: मगर इशानी को बाजार की हर दुकान और सजावट के छोटे-छोटे व्हर्न देखे बिना कोई चैन नहीं था।En: But Ishani couldn't find peace without seeing every shop and decoration in the market.Hi: “चलो, जल्दी से लालटेन और दिये ले लेते हैं,” आरव ने कहा, हाथ में खरीदारी की सूची थामे हुए।En: “Come on, let's quickly get lanterns and "diyas",” Aarav said, holding a shopping list in hand.Hi: इशानी ने मुस्कराते हुए कहा, “थोड़ा रुकिए। ये गेंदा के फूल कितने खूबसूरत हैं!” वह रुककर एक दुकान पर फूलों की कीमत पूछने लगी।En: Ishani smiled and said, “Wait a little. These "marigold" flowers are so beautiful!” She stopped to ask the price of flowers at a shop.Hi: इतने में बाजार और भी अधिक भरा-भरा लगने लगा।En: Meanwhile, the market seemed to get even more crowded.Hi: लोग हर तरफ से थैले और थोक भर-भर खरीदारी कर रहे थे।En: People were shopping in bulks all around.Hi: आरव का सिर हलका घूम गया।En: Aarav's head started spinning lightly.Hi: उसे भीड़ में से रास्ता बनाना कठिन लगने लगा।En: He found it difficult to make his way through the crowd.Hi: तभी उसकी नजरें इशानी से हट गईं।En: Just then, his eyes shifted away from Ishani.Hi: आरव का दिल जोर से धड़कने लगा।En: Aarav's heart started pounding hard.Hi: “इशानी!” उसने भीड़ में आवाज दी।En: “Ishani!” he called out in the crowd.Hi: उसे इशानी कहीं नहीं दिखाई दी।En: He couldn't see Ishani anywhere.Hi: कुछ पल के लिए आरव घबरा गया।En: For a moment, Aarav panicked.Hi: और तब, भीड़ के पीछे से इशानी की आवाज सुनाई दी।En: And then, Ishani's voice came from behind the crowd.Hi: “यह फूल कम से कम इतने के जायेंगे, भैया!” इशानी खुशी-खुशी मोलभाव कर रही थी।En: “These flowers will at least go for this much, "bhaiya"!” Ishani was happily bargaining.Hi: आरव ने चैन की सांस ली।En: Aarav breathed a sigh of relief.Hi: इशानी का चेहरा खुशी से दमक रहा था।En: Ishani's face was glowing with happiness.Hi: उसने महसूस किया कि इशानी के लिए यह खरीदारी का अनुभव कितना खास था।En: He realized how special this shopping experience was for her.Hi: आरव ने धीरे-धीरे पिघलते हुए सोचा, "इशानी सही है।En: Softening gradually, Aarav thought, "Ishani is right.Hi: ये सब केवल खरीदारी नहीं है; यह तो त्यौहार का हिस्सा है।" उसने सारा तनाव छोड़ दिया और बाजार के रंगीन माहौल में रमने का निर्णय लिया।En: This is not just shopping; it is a part of the festival." He decided to let go of all the stress and immerse himself in the colorful atmosphere of the market.Hi: इशानी के साथ उसने अब धीरे-धीरे हर दुकान की खूबसूरती को देखा।En: Together with Ishani, he slowly admired the beauty of each shop.Hi: आखिरकार, उन्होंने अनोखे दीये और रंग-बिरंगी मालाएं खरीद लीं।En: In the end, they bought unique "diyas" and colorful garlands.Hi: दोनों के चेहरों पर मुस्कान थी।En: Smiles adorned their faces.Hi: आरव ने सचमुच इस सांस्कृतिक और सामाजिक अनुभव का आनंद लिया और अपनी सोच में बदलाव महसूस किया।En: Aarav truly enjoyed this cultural and social experience and felt a change in his thinking.Hi: दीवाली की रात को, उनके घर को सजाए हुए देख, आरव को संतुष्टि मिली।En: On Diwali night, seeing their house adorned, Aarav felt satisfied.Hi: उसने इशानी की ओर देखा, “तुम्हारे साथ बाजार का अनुभव अनमोल था।En: He looked at Ishani, “The experience at the market with you was priceless.Hi: धन्यवाद!” इशानी ने मुस्कराते हुए कहा, “यही तो दीवाली की रौनक है।”En: Thank you!” Ishani smiled and said, “This is the charm of Diwali.”Hi: इस तरह आरव ने बाजार की चहल-पहल को अनदेखा कर, उसमें छिपी खुशियों को अपनाया और दीवाली की तैयारी का असली आनंद लिया।En: In this way, Aarav looked past the hustle and bustle of the market, embraced the joys hidden within, and truly enjoyed the essence of preparing for Diwali. Vocabulary Words:swing: रौनकhustle and bustle: चहल-पहलaroma: सुगंधwafted: तैर रही थीlanterns: लालटेनdiyas: दीयेgarlands: मालाएंspices: मसालेcrowd: भीड़panic: घबरा गयाpounding: धड़कनेbargaining: मोलभावrelief: चैनglowing: दमक रहाadorned: सजाएimmerse: रमनेadmired: देखाunique: अनोखेessence: असली आनंदembraced: अपनायाexperience: अनुभवdrifted: तैरornaments: सजावटbulks: थोकquaint: खूबसूरतsatisfaction: संतुष्टिpriceless: अनमोलcharm: रौनकsoftening: धीरे-धीरे पिघलतेcultural: सांस्कृतिक

Fluent Fiction - Hindi: Capturing Delhi's Essence: A Photographer's Cultural Journey Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.org/capturing-delhis-essence-a-photographers-cultural-journey Story Transcript:Hi: दिल्ली की हवा में ठंडक आ चुकी थी।En: The air in Delhi had turned cool.Hi: पतझड़ के इस मौसम में नवदुर्गा का उत्सव चारों ओर बिखरा था।En: In this autumn season, the festival of Navdurga was spread all around.Hi: हर जगह उत्साह और भक्ति का माहौल था।En: Everywhere, there was an atmosphere of enthusiasm and devotion.Hi: ऐसे में, हुमायूँ के मकबरे पर एक खास हलचल थी।En: In such a setting, there was a special buzz at Humayun's Tomb.Hi: यहां एक ट्रेवल फोटोग्राफी प्रतियोगिता आयोजित की गई थी।En: A travel photography competition was being organized there.Hi: आरव, एक उत्सुक फोटोग्राफर, अपने कैमरे के लेंस से अनोखे पल कैद करना चाहता था।En: Aarav, an eager photographer, wanted to capture unique moments through the lens of his camera.Hi: उसका सपना था कि एक ऐसी तस्वीर ले, जो इस प्रतियोगिता में उसका नाम चमका सके।En: His dream was to take a picture that would make his name shine in this competition.Hi: उसके साथ इशानी थी, एक ट्रेवल ब्लॉगर, जो तस्वीरों के पीछे छुपी कहानियों को ढूंढने में माहिर थी।En: With him was Ishani, a travel blogger skilled at finding the stories hidden behind the pictures.Hi: राजेश, एक स्थानीय इतिहासकार, भी उनके साथ था, जो इतिहास की सच्चाई को बनाए रखने में विश्वास करता था।En: Rajesh, a local historian, was also with them, who believed in maintaining the truth of history.Hi: हुमायूँ का मकबरा, मुगल वास्तुकला का अद्भुत नमूना था।En: Humayun's Tomb was a wonderful example of Mughal architecture.Hi: इसके चारों ओर हरे-भरे बगीचे और पानी के चैनल थे।En: Around it were lush gardens and water channels.Hi: नवदुर्गा के त्योहार के दौरान यहां रंग-बिरंगी सजावट और धार्मिक चढ़ावे देखे जा सकते थे।En: During the Navdurga festival, colorful decorations and religious offerings could be seen here.Hi: आरव अपने कैमरे के साथ मौके की तलाश कर रहा था।En: Aarav was searching for the right opportunity with his camera.Hi: लेकिन उसे यह समझ नहीं आ रहा था कि वह एक अनोखा पल कैसे पकड़े, जो न केवल सुंदर हो बल्कि संस्कृति की गहराई को भी दिखाए।En: But he was struggling to find a unique moment that would not only be beautiful but also showcase the depth of the culture.Hi: उसकी जद्दोजहद यहीं थी।En: This was his struggle.Hi: क्या वह एक ऐसा मंचित चित्र बनाए जो दिखने में भले ही अद्भुत लगे, या फिर वह एक ईमानदार, सजीव क्षण को तस्वीर में उतारे?En: Should he create a staged photo that might look amazing, or should he capture an honest, lively moment?Hi: राजेश उसे बताता, "आरव, संस्कृति का सम्मान करना भी कला का हिस्सा होता है।En: Rajesh told him, "Aarav, respecting the culture is also part of the art."Hi: " इशानी ने सहमति में सिर हिलाया और कहा, "सच्चाई में छुपी कहानियाँ ही दिल को छूती हैं।En: Ishani nodded in agreement and said, "It's the stories hidden in truth that touch the heart."Hi: "शाम हो चुकी थी।En: Evening had come.Hi: सूरज ढल रहा था और चारों ओर सोने का माहौल था।En: The sun was setting, and there was a golden ambiance all around.Hi: आरव जब मकबरे के पास घूम रहा था, तभी उसने देखा, एक परिवार प्रार्थना में मग्न था।En: As Aarav was wandering near the tomb, he saw a family engrossed in prayer.Hi: उनके चारों ओर नवदुर्गा की सजावट थी और सूरज की रौशनी से सब कुछ अद्भुत लग रहा था।En: Around them were the Navdurga decorations, and everything looked amazing in the sunlight.Hi: आरव ने उस क्षण को अपने कैमरे में कैद कर लिया।En: Aarav captured that moment in his camera.Hi: यह एक स्वाभाविक पल था, बिना किसी बनावट के, जिसमें भक्ति और संस्कृति का सार दिखता था।En: It was a natural moment, without any fabrication, reflecting the essence of devotion and culture.Hi: प्रतियोगिता के लिए आरव ने इस तस्वीर को चुना।En: For the competition, Aarav chose this photograph.Hi: उसने अपने चित्र के साथ एक दिल छू लेने वाला वर्णन लिखा, जिसमें उस पल की सांस्कृतिक महत्ता को बताया।En: He wrote a heart-touching description along with his picture, explaining the cultural significance of that moment.Hi: जब तस्वीर जजों के सामने आई, तो उन्होंने आरव के काम को सराहा।En: When the picture came before the judges, they appreciated Aarav's work.Hi: यह तस्वीर केवल सुंदर नहीं थी, बल्कि उसमें छुपे सच्चे भाव ने सभी का दिल जीत लिया।En: The photo was not only beautiful but the genuine emotions hidden in it won everyone's heart.Hi: आरव ने सीख लिया कि किसी भी कला में प्रामाणिकता और सांस्कृतिक संवेदनशीलता का महत्व होता है।En: Aarav learned that authenticity and cultural sensitivity are important in any art.Hi: उसने अपने दिल की सुनी और जीत गयी उसकी तस्वीर नहीं, उसकी सच्चाई और सम्मान।En: He listened to his heart, and it wasn't just his picture that won; it was his truth and respect that did. Vocabulary Words:autumn: पतझड़devotion: भक्तिatmosphere: माहौलbuzz: हलचलcompetition: प्रतियोगिताeager: उत्सुकunique: अनोखेshine: चमकाskilled: माहिरarchitecture: वास्तुकलाlush: हरे-भरेopportunity: मौकाstruggle: जद्दोजहदstaged: मंचितessence: सारfabrication: बनावटcompassionate: दिल छू लेनेcultural significance: सांस्कृतिक महत्ताemotions: भावauthenticity: प्रामाणिकताsensitivity: संवेदनशीलताhonest: ईमानदारmaintaining: बनाए रखनाtruth: सच्चाईhistorian: इतिहासकारcapture: कैदmoment: क्षणdepict: दिखाताrespect: सम्मानnatural: स्वाभाविक

Giant Robots On Tour Hosts Sami Birnbaum and Jared Turner introduce Sheng-Hung Lee, a designer, PhD researcher at MIT AgeLab, and board director at the Industrial Designers Society of America. Sheng-Hung shares his journey into design and engineering, emphasizing the importance of interpreting signals in design and the evolving role of designers from problem-solvers to culture shapers. He discusses how designers must now consider broader, systematic issues such as climate change and aging. Sheng-Hung explains that design is a teachable and essential life skill, highlighting the significance of personal experiences and failures in learning design. He elaborates on the concept of signals, explaining that they represent different perspectives and interpretations in design, which are crucial in addressing complex problems. The conversation shifts to practical design applications and Sheng-Hung's work in smart homes for aging populations. He discusses the integration of various smart systems and the importance of designing for different life stages rather than specific age groups. Jared and Sami also engage Sheng-Hung in discussing the worst and best-designed products, where Sheng-Hung mentions his initial skepticism but eventual appreciation for facial recognition technology. MIT AgeLab (https://agelab.mit.edu/) Industrial Designers Society of America (https://www.idsa.org/) Follow Sheng-Hung Lee on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/shenghunglee/). Visit his website: shenghunglee.com (https://www.shenghunglee.com/). Follow thoughtbot on X (https://twitter.com/thoughtbot) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/150727/). Transcript:  SAMI: Hello again, and this is The Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots podcast, the Giant Robots On Tour Series coming to you from Europe, West Asia, and Africa, where we explore the design, development, and business of great products. I'm your host, Sami Birnbaum. JARED: And I'm your other host, Jared Turner. SAMI: If you are wondering, which you might have been for a while now, where are Will or Victoria, well, make sure you find one of our previous podcasts where we introduce the Giant Robots on Tour Series, and you'll understand why you're hearing myself and Jared a little bit more frequently than before. In that podcast, we throw random icebreakers at each other, and we find out that Svenja does not like online banking. And if you haven't listened to our previous podcast with our guest, Ishani, check that out as quick as you can and find out why AI is compared to babies. Joining us today is Sheng-Hung Lee, a Designer and PhD Researcher at MIT AgeLab and Board Director at the Industrial Designers Society of America. Sheng-Hung, I'm going to level with you. I've done my research. I've done my due diligence on the guests that we have on this podcast, and I'm exhausted. SHENG-HUNG: [laughs] SAMI: I've looked through your own website, and I've read as much as I can find about you. And between education, experience, awards, scholarships, there is an incredible amount of things that you're involved in that you get up to. And it really wasn't good for my own self-esteem just to see how much you have going on. SHENG-HUNG: [laughs] SAMI: Jared, a question for you first. Bear in mind, the only thing I've ever been awarded is my own driving license. So, our guest, Sheng-Hung, how many awards do you think he has currently listed on his website? Give a guess. JARED: Oh gosh, I remember looking at the page, and I remember having to scroll. SAMI: [laughs] Yeah, you had to scroll. JARED: Let's pick 33. SAMI: 33. Do you know what? It's not even close. Okay, he's nearly double that. So, he's up at 60 awards that are currently listed. So, we're talking about a guest that you guys do not want to miss. And you want to make sure that you get into this conversation. I always like to go back to the start with my guests. So, everyone has a story. And I'm interested, Sheng-Hung, in your journey and what led you into the world of design and engineering. SHENG-HUNG: My personal definition of design is, like, decoding signals. So, everything in our lives, like, we have different types of signals. How do we interpret the signal? How do we, like, understand, or perceive different types of signals in our lives? And I feel design is more like...not just creation. It is creation, for sure, but also about curation. I feel like, for me, problem-solving or, like, problem-defining is really interesting. And especially you mentioned, like, my very early stage as a designer, the reason I submitted my work to get an award is because I want to show my problem-solving skill. And I realize nowadays, like, the problem is too complicated. It's not just about solving problems, right? I mean, I feel design is more bigger than that, especially now most of the problems are systematic and complex. Climate change, right? Like, you think about aging, and you think about all this, like, sustainable issues. I feel like designers, like, for me, starting from problem solver, as engineer, and now more I've become like a translator, curator, or even, like, a culture shaper. How do you shape the culture you want, right? Especially now, like, AI it's just, like...that really let me rethink about my role as designer, you know, because everyone can have tons of ideas, but the truth is, like, we have so many ideas, but do you know what good taste is about? Do you know what the good qualities of life's about? So, you have to have some personal experiences to really help people to understand or curate the vision in the future. SAMI: That's really interesting. I struggle to dress my kids in the morning from a design perspective, right? I don't get colors, and I don't understand necessarily how they match and how to get things working. In fact, sometimes I'll dress my kids only to find that my wife has redressed the kids. Things are that bad at home. Do you think then design is something which can be taught, or is it something, like, innate? Is it something, in your own experiences, that it's kind of part of your nature? So, you see the world differently to someone like myself or Jared sees the world. Or could that be something which we could pick up on, you know, and learn about? SHENG-HUNG: Yeah, I definitely think design can be teachable. It's skillable. And I feel like, yeah, people talk about this is, like, a hardcore skill. It's a soft skill. No, I think design is a life skill. It's a human skill. So, that includes like, for example, like, yeah, how do you choose the color? How do you choose the clothes for kids? But also about, like, how do you celebrate the quality of lives, right? How do you, like, have better, like, qualities? And I feel like, I don't know, life skill means, like, team building, creative leadership, knows people, listening to people. And, for me, that's part of design because you're decoding different signals. You understand your life. You perceive different types of noises. Or how do you resonate with other people? And that's a life skill, I think. And I also feel most of the design skills I learned is actually not from school. It's from, like, personal life failure [laughs]. SAMI: That's really interesting. I just want to jump in because I don't know if I fully understand what you mean by signals. Can you just elaborate on that a little bit more? And then, I will bring you back up on personal failures. SHENG-HUNG: Signal is like different ways of seeing things, right? So, for example, like, if I go to wait in line for a free bagel, right? You share this with your friends. What I see is it's a free bagel. But what my friends see is like, oh, probably, like, I don't need to wait in line and so many challenges. You know, I have to, like, oh, why should I get this? But I see very clearly I want a free bagel. So, these are different. It's the same thing but different message mixed up, right? And then, for me, I see design, like, it happens every day. It's a life skill. For example, like, I saw the challenges, but what if we think another perspective to rethink about what kind of challenge [inaudible 06:38] or reframe the right questions, right? And all this, like, mixed all together, it feels like it's not just about drawing beautiful sketches or rendering sexy, you know, ideas. It's all about, like, how do you frame these challenges? How do you look at this? Can you see the question from social aspect, from cultural aspect, or you just see this as a solution-driven approach? JARED: In some cases, I feel, there is an element of subjectivity to the designs, but then we also want to measure the success of a design. Do you have any tips for, like, how you go about putting numbers to what defines success for a particular design? SHENG-HUNG: This is such a great question, especially now my research focus is really on services, you know, service design, experience design. Like, how do you quantify this, right? For example, three of us we go to the restaurant, and I feel it's really, really great restaurant. And probably some people feel no, that's not really great. And then, how do we quantify this, right? And then, I feel it's sometimes, like, really by personal preferences. It's hard to measure. Maybe there will be some sort of, like, a principle direction or criteria we can follow, so, for example, service quality metrics or something, like, based on people's life experiences. I feel it's hard to measure, especially now the design challenge the question it's really complicated. Some people talk about demographic. How do you, like, [inaudible 08:09] design? Like, for example, a participant design process, right? Or, like, inclusiveness. People talk about equity, power, power dynamic. And I think it's less of a measure or quantify. It's more about do you show your respect? Can we be more inclusive in this process? Can we really engage or integrate multiple voices in this design process? And I feel like that kind of shows the flexibility, also, the real flexibility of the design, not just that, oh, we look for one single solution. Because, most of the time, we actually want to design for a solution, but, actually, I feel now the shift is from we try to build the condition to let people land on this condition and solve the problem. So, in the end, we'll be like, yeah, we landed here, and we can solve the problem together collectively. So, something I feel a little bit different, but that's a great question. It's open-ended. Yeah. JARED: Yeah. Thank you. There's a lot to think about there. I want to bring it back to failure because this is something I think about a lot in terms of teaching and learning from history versus learning from your own failure. We have, like, thousands of years of history of failure. You think we have made all the mistakes already, and, oh, it should be easy, right? All we need to do is teach all of the young generation about all of this failure, and then they'll remember not to do it. But in reality, it doesn't really work that way. I find the strength of the argument is oftentimes weak compared to failing yourself and really deeply learning that lesson. I'm curious about your thoughts on that. And then, I'm also curious to hear about some of your, let's call them, best failures. SHENG-HUNG: I personally feel like people fail. They fail forward, not backward. So, even if you fail, you move a little bit. It depends on how crazy, right, and how fast you fail. It's an iterative process. The reason I say learning from failure because from traditional Asian family, Asian students, right? Probably in the past, I would say I raised my hand. I want to learn, or I ask senior people. I want to learn. But, actually, more than that, it says, "I want to experience. I want to be part of it," right? So, you're not becoming the manager because you learn to become a...no, you're in that position, and you learn to be a manager. So, I learned that mindset when I worked at IDEO. And one of the senior design directors told me, "No, you should say, 'I want to experience.'" So, that means that you have fully immersed experiences. And one of the best examples for me is that the first two years I worked at IDEO and IDEO Asia, supporting projects in Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore offices, and sometimes European, like, office work; the first two years, my confidence almost collapsed. I have to collect my confidence. It's so hard because I'm eager to learn so many things. I didn't beat myself. And then, after two years, I met an amazing, like, design mentor. And I started the things I'm good at as product designer, a tangible designer. I start as product-focused and thinking about whole design process. And then, I start to collect my confidence. And I realized every single project at IDEO or in my life it's a vehicle, you know. And then, you always connect the dots when you're looking backwards. And you realize, oh, this is failure. Let me know what do you mean by client management? What do you mean by, like, teamworking? Because everyone is from so diverse background. And everyone says, "I'm a designer," but they have different interpretation. And how do you communicate it, right? And how do you keep the conversation transparent and also effective, and how do you empower people? And I feel because of that connect the dots process, also, all the things I want to learn, I want to experience it really helps me to grow at the third year or second year in IDEO. And that really makes me think about, oh, wow, I didn't know. I failed completely. And that's really healthy, for me, because you become very strong. At some point, I started to realize, oh, what do you mean by...what does it mean by design consultancy business? What we can sell. Where's our capacity, our limitation? You know, other than just, oh, everything's, like, imaginative conceptual. I kind of know what happened, and I know the boundary. And I know how can I empower people and also the client. SAMI: Yeah, embracing failure is a real strength. At thoughtbot, we kind of...if we're developing products and we're, let's say, designing or coding, whether websites or applications, we have this concept of failing fast. So, the faster you can fail, the quicker you can iterate towards the right solution. And that's something which is difficult to embrace because the first time you do it, I want this to be perfect, and I want to build it in the way that it works. But, actually, you'll spend a lot of time trying to get towards that perfection, and it's much better to ship faster, fail faster, and then get towards the solution. I noticed as well that...well, I read that the one thing you've been recently working on is designed for the aging population, so more specifically, smart homes for the aging populations. Shout out to my parents if they're looking for a smart home. Sorry, mom and dad. SHENG-HUNG: [laughs] SAMI: I've always found, especially my generation, so I'm about...I'm not about; I am 32 years [chuckles] old. So yeah, there's always been, like, a big gap between kind of my generation, the way we've engaged with technology products, the way my parents' generation have been able to. And I imagine a future where my kids are running around in VR headsets, and I'm still, you know, using a basic laptop. I would love to know more about your work kind of in this area and designing for a different sector of the population. SHENG-HUNG: My master thesis and my master project is focused on redesigning, like, smart footwear for aging population, and then that's part of the smart home ecosystem. And I was actually impressed and surprised. It's like most of the sponsors or clients we talk about, like, people [inaudible 14:38] to think about just the product level, so smart like [inaudible 14:43], smart like a door, or smart like, you know, like a bed or a smart, like, alarm clock. People start to think about how can we integrate all this system together? Because, like, for example, if you bought Amazon, you know, versus Apple and all these different devices, the platform is really a problem because the products cannot communicate with each other. And we want to make sure all the products can communicate and support you, or, like, they can at least receive your data or information to give the appropriate response. So, the smart home project starts to think about from ideas to become more like platform integration. IKEA is the best example, right? Like, I think two years ago, they talk about, yeah, they launched their first app, right? Everything is, yeah, it seems like, oh, what's the big deal about this, right? No, but you think of this from the intention perspective to actually connect the whole system together because they want to make sure their internal designer, developer they really can think through their own internal system to make sure everything's connected, interconnected, not just, oh, you do a part of this. We sell this to a certain Asian, and it didn't really connect. So, I feel like when we designed it, it's really from the system perspective to talk about a smart home. And then, regarding of, like, design across [inaudible 16:04] generation, that's really important, actually, because especially now I'm focused on design for retirement. And I shifted to design for longevity. And then, the cool thing about this is, like, we think about our life in terms of age, but, actually, now we need to think about our life in terms of different life stages, different lifestyle. The book called "Stage (Not Age)", means, like, now we cannot even describe people above 100 years old or 85 years. So, we call them future hood, right? So, like, different life stages. And I feel like that really impacts, as designers, the way we design products or interfaces, right? And it has to evolve with people. When you say, for example, if we have, like, a smart, like, a robot in our home, they have to know your personal routine. And you kind of grow, right? For example, oh, I get older. I move slower, or my mobility is different, and it changes. How does that mean to our product or our smart services? And I feel like across different generations, it's really thinking about design for different people in different life stages. And that's really important, not just about financial planning or about your future education, family, community, right? Now people are probably thinking about aging in place. My parents just bought a second home. They're thinking about retirement life. And so, these are things that really impact all aspects of life. And I feel like the idea of one solution for all the era is kind of over because we have to think about not just one solution, multiple solution tailor-made for multiple different people in different life stages. MID-ROLL AD: Are you an entrepreneur or start-up founder looking to gain confidence in the way forward for your idea? At thoughtbot, we know you're tight on time and investment, which is why we've created targeted 1-hour remote workshops to help you develop a concrete plan for your product's next steps. Over four interactive sessions, we work with you on research, product design sprint, critical path, and presentation prep so that you and your team are better equipped with the skills and knowledge for success. Find out how we can help you move the needle at: tbot.io/entrepreneurs. JARED: And, Sheng-Hung, in one of your articles that I was reading about design for longevity, you sort of say that design for aging isn't just about designing for older people, but rather, I think one of your colleagues asked this question, which I really liked, which is, how can inclusive methods build elegant design solutions that work for all? And I find that a really aspirational goal. But one of the things, say, at thoughtbot, when they're building a product, so we often talk about targeting a specific niche or a specific user base because then we can really optimize for them. And so, you're designing something that's elegant, and that works for all. It doesn't sound very easy. It sounds like a good challenge. And I'm curious about how do you go about that, and do you have any examples you can you can share? SHENG-HUNG: Design for all elegantly also seamlessly. Optimize everyone's needs or, like, design process. I feel...because my topic is focused on financial planning, right? And I think about everyone's income level is different. Their investable income asset is also different. We have a different situation, right? Our family issue, the healthcare condition is also different. And I feel like that, also, if we look at this question, we should think about, okay, how do we define design for all, right? Is it universal design, or is it inclusive design? I think there are definitely some, like, basic or fundamental, like, foundation or criteria we need to meet. Like, for example, human-centered, right? Or, like, we think about accessibility for certain technology. What's the threshold for a certain way of use the technology or product? That could be, like, a universal or, like, basic. Like I said, people's life stages are so different. And can we really make sure our product or interfaces is always dynamic, always change? Design for transformation, right? And I feel the ideas of changing is kind of scaring for most people. Because you don't want to, like, you woke up, and you realize your iPhone just update the whole interfaces, and you suddenly don't know how to use it [laughs]. It changed too dramatically. What I mean by change is like, it's a gradual integration process. And I feel that's kind of beautiful. Like, for example, the way I use my bicycle, the biking, right? They can ultimately adjust my speed, recharging, or understand my personal preferences. That could be something I think is powerful for future for providing the right solution, yeah. But also, it's a benefit of this, but also, there's downsides. Like, maybe because of that, we all live our own personal bubbles pretty well, right? Like, oh, yeah, yeah, I read a newspaper. No, you read the newspaper that I curated for you. So, somehow, the information started different [laughs]. So, there's a gap, but I don't know. It's very cool. It's very great, great question. I think there's still...I don't have the exact same answer, but I feel that could be potential for now. Yeah. JARED: Yeah, I really like that. So, it's not just a one-size-fits-all-all, but, like, it's a sort of an elegant transformation over the course of someone's life. We've discussed a few different things like design for longevity. You touched on there, as we were speaking, human-centered design. I know you've made a distinction of humanity-centered design as well, and there's also life-centered design. I wonder if you could give us and our listeners a little rapid-fire explainer of each of them. SHENG-HUNG: Like, when we talk about human-centered design, right? Like, it's, like, a buzzword. And everyone talks about HCD, and most people think, oh, if you got a post-it note, you're, like, a HCD designer. No, like, what does that mean, right [laughs]? It's very cliché. And they're like, oh, yeah, all these, like, HCD designers bring the post-it notes with Sharpies and go to facilitate tons of workshops, and they sit and know people. And I feel it's more than that, right? Human-centered is really, like, put yourself, designers, in the shoes of clients, users, customers, and participants to know their needs, their desire and address their pain point. And I think for human-centered design like Don Norman said in his latest book, it's not just about design as a discipline. It also covers, like, politics, covers, like, ethical issue, culture. It's broader. And, for me, the simplest version is, like, you design with care. You design with human temperature. We create technology with human temperature. That means that we're now for this technology to [inaudible 23:13] technology. We know why we need that technology. So, for example, if you provide the, like, the cell phone to the developing countries, you probably don't want to send, like, the latest cell phone. You want to send them, like, the adequate technology. What I mean by that is like, it's very, like, stereotype, but I'm trying to explain the idea is like, oh, Nokia could be a great option at this point, for example. You can communicate. You don't need, like, crazy, like, AR VR function. You at least can communicate. So, it's adequate. I think that kind of lens is, like, you think about the culture, the needs, economic, social status. And then, you can start to move on and upgrade the devices. And I feel like life-centered is even broader. It's like, can you design something to the lens of cats, your pets, your animals? So, it's really like, it's really...it sounds a little bit like a speculative design. But the truth is, like, we can shift our perspective to different kinds of species, cross-species, not just focus on human, because everything we design definitely starts from also for a human being. But now life-centered is like, it's longer, broader. And then, for me, it also means like, we just talk about life-centered. It's like, really think through all different stages of life, not just, like, focus on one single age or a single stage, too specific, too narrow. It's, like, broader. So, when we talk about life-centered design, LCD, we really think about a lot of different systems, framework. What's the model we can follow? You know, so we're also thinking about policy, about power dynamic, government, ethical issues. So, this, I think, like, it's broader, and it's really large. Sometimes it's pretty vague, for sure. We have to use some cases or really think about in different contexts. Context is really important, designed for different contextual knowledges and needs. SAMI: Yeah, I think that is actually a really helpful understanding. Myself I don't know anything about those concepts, so to kind of get that theoretical understanding and explanation from yourself is really helpful. In a more practical sense, I have a question, which is a very selfish question. The reason it's a selfish question is because I want to know what do you think? When you look at the world through your designer lenses, what do you think is the worst-designed product you've ever seen or come across? And I think I know the answer to this. I think there is a right answer. While you have a think, I'll share my answer. I don't know if you have this because you said you're based in Boston at the moment. And I'm showing you because we're on camera, but I will describe it to the listeners as well is what they've done with bottles now is when you open, like, a Coke bottle, for example, all other beverages are available...Coke, if you want to sponsor us [laughter], we're happy just to mention you. When you take the bottle cap off, it's now connected to the top of the bottle. So, someone has decided...now, I understand the reason behind it. They're saying that it's for recycling. So, when you throw your bottle away, make sure the cap goes with the bottle. But someone has sat there, and they've designed the bottles. So, when you take off the cap, it's still connected to the top of the bottle. And countless times, I'm either pouring into a cup or pouring into my mouth. And that cap is getting in the way. So, the liquid kind of goes into that cap, and it spills on me, or it spills on the table. This is an absolute design failure, a catastrophe in my eyes. That's my worst design that I've come across in real life. Do you have anything you can think of that you look at, and you're like, who designed this? SHENG-HUNG: This is such a great example because I did have similar experiences when I went to Milan Design Week last year. All the plastic bottle is, like, connected. The cap connects with the bottle. And I didn't know that it's on purpose at the very beginning. I thought, how come it's, like, connected? I want to take it out because it's easier for me to drink. And I realized it's not just this one; all of them is the same [laughs]. Yeah, that's a great example. I think, for me, design for failure adapter, for example, you know, adapter, like dongle, right? Like, we have so many different...this guy HDMI cable, the cable for iPhone, and the magnet for my Apple MacBook Pro. That's painful because you try to find, like, when you go to, like, a talk or a speech or try to present something, I think, for me, the easiest way is, like, AirPlay, right, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to connect to the projector. But in reality, you always need this HDMI cable. And this guy connects with my Mac. There's some problem. It depends on...now I always bring my adapter with me. It's just like, we have that [inaudible 28:04] like, you know, it almost, like, very frequently, if we're meeting, you have to show your screen. How can we design less physical but it's user-friendly, right? People use Mac. People use Apple, use, like, Microsoft. How do you design something like a universal adaptable to everyones, just sharing screen? This is what I need. So, I think this could be one bad design, I think, at this moment [laughs]. SAMI: Yeah, that's a great example as well, and so frustrating. And I wonder if it's, like, a money-making scheme, you know, everyone has their own chargers. And that's a way kind of they make some income as well on the side. Jared, what have you seen in the world? What's your pet peeve? What really grinds your gears? JARED: This was easy for me. It came to me straight away. Any door that has a handle that you can wrap your hand around which signifies it should be pulled that is push. It's just, I mean, what is going on there? It drives me bonkers. SHENG-HUNG: [laughs] SAMI: That is brilliant. I think it's only fair if we flip the question, right? And then, we say, what's the best thing you've seen designed, right? There must be something out there where you've gone, "Oh, that is so useful. That makes so much sense. Why haven't we done that until now?" And have you kind of...I guess this is for Sheng-Hung, like, have you got any inspiration from that sort of thing? SHENG-HUNG: I have to be honest. Like, I really feel like in the past, I'm kind of scared about, like, use your face to unlock your phone. But the more I use it, I feel like, oh my God, this is so convenient. You just look at it. I know it's a bit scary because they have all your biometric data information. I know even you protect under the regular law, but still, I feel like, yeah, it's so seamless connected. And I feel maybe the better answer is like, I feel a great design is, like, to reduce the friction between the transition of devices by devices, right? So, for me, I mean, so interface by interface. So, when I share the data on my phone, what does that mean? From phone to my computer or phone to other people, right? All the different interfaces changing. The less friction, the better. I feel seamless connected. So, you know, AirDrop, super convenient, photos, videos with people, Mac users. But what does that mean for, like, Windows users, right? And so, every platform has their own, like, spec, or criteria. And I feel if the user can feel the seamless friction between these interfaces, for me, that could be a great design solution. JARED: I love that answer. And I love that description of reducing friction. It reminds me a little bit of, I think, my favorite book on UX is by Steve Krug, which is "Don't Make Me Think." And it's just all about doing the simplest thing, reducing confusion, overcoming objections, and reducing friction. So, I really love that. I do have an answer for this one as well. It's a little bit selfish or focused on my own life. So, I have a dog. She's a Welsh Terrier called Rosie. She's just turned one. Whenever we used to go out, you've got to take water for her if it's a hot day. I always used to take a bottle, whether you could unscrew the top or not, I'm not sure, Sami, and, like, a little bowl to put that in, or you use your hands. And, invariably, she's not going to drink all of the water, so you've got waste. You throw that out. The bag gets wet, all of that. Someone has designed this really cool bottle where the top is actually the bowl. It's an all-in-one. And you press a button; the water goes into the bowl. She drinks. Whatever's left, you press the button again, turn it upright. And the water just flows back in into the rest of the bottle. It's such a simple thing. But, like you say, it just reduces that friction. Anytime a problem no longer exists, manual to automatic cars, fight me, I'm all for it. Well, that's a problem solved. That's less friction. That's beauty in the world. SAMI: Yeah, I think it's amazing. When you think about these examples, it really brings out how much of an impact design has. So, you can have the best product in the world, but if you don't get that frictionless design, or you don't get that design that's going to really bring that improvement, it's going to be difficult to make that product a success. And I think there's some, like, when I think about leaders and innovators in this kind of space, so I know you already mentioned IKEA and I think of Apple. And I don't know the answer to this, and maybe our listeners also wonder, like, how do these companies...they seem to keep getting it right. No matter what happens, they seem to set the trends, and they get their design spot-on, and they innovate in that space. How are they so successful in their design? SHENG-HUNG: I think a recent example is like, you know, like, Apple just recently launched the Vision Pro, right? The XR, the goggles. And put the demo time 30 minutes to get in-store experiences. You're booking the demo time with them, the 30 minutes. For me, I wrote an article about it. It is less about the goggle itself. It is about the whole experiences. The time you enter the store, right, and then you're waiting there, who guiding you? The Genius Bar people guiding you. You sit down. You have the prescription and your glasses that get measured, scan the QR code, and find the match [inaudible 33:35] pair of goggles that fit your [inaudible 33:37] of your face. And they put it on. They sit on the side, use the iPad to guiding you, and tell personal experiences or stories. These companies are very design-driven, vision-driven company. They really think about the whole experiences of users, right? And, for me, it's too pricey, for me, the product, obviously, right now. But I have very delightful, positive experiences because of that 30-minute demo. So, I kind of plant the seeds in my heart. Oh, if the second generation or something have discount, I would definitely want to get one for myself. Not really because...it's a great design for sure, but also, the impression I have. And I feel that really, really, like, make a difference, right? It's tiny. It's very subtle. They can, "No, we don't have, like, demo experiences." They can just purely sell the product. But I think they sell something bigger than just product. Branding user experiences, delightful experiences. And I can really feel that, and that's really powerful in the end. JARED: Do you think that that sort of level of design is limited to the companies that can afford it like the big names? Like, obviously, there is a cost dedicated to having the time and to putting the resources to that. Is it always just going to be the big players, or are there things we can do to democratize that availability for the startups, for the SMEs? SHENG-HUNG: I actually think it's about a company's culture. So, another example I would love to share is, like, when we did, like, an inspiration trip in Tokyo, and there's a very famous, like, chain bookstore called Tsutaya bookstore or Tsutaya electrics. So, to my surprise, like, yeah, it's a big bookstore, and we probably think bookstore selling books. No, they're actually selling a lifestyle. So, for example, like, if I want to buy the book around how to use a camera, right, the way they curate it, it's like, yeah, we do have the books around camera, but also, we'll put the real camera, like, near the book. So, they curate the whole experiences. You flip the book. Oh, this is so cool. Thanks, I want to try it. You probably, in the end, you got both. So, very interesting and also very human-centered, like, retail experiences. Why did I say culture? Because when I entered the store, I asked for one book I was looking for. The staff came to me, and she bring two books to me. One is the book I want, unpack. And one is the book...it's the same book, but without the plastic cover. It's brand new. And why she brought two books to me because if I want to buy this book, I not only read inside, but also, I can just get the new one with me to check out. And this is so subtle, right? Because they're not just bringing you, like, the sample. They also bring the final product with you. So, I feel that kind of culture is, like, very strong, customer-centered, think about your needs, think about your next step. So, they kind of plan ahead, and this is so strong message to me. Oh my God, this is such a great design culture, or at least a human-centered culture to think about my needs, my decision-making process. So, I feel connected with that, and I feel like, yes, they have money, but also, like, they really cultivate that culture within the...not just...they also send a message to their customers. SAMI: I feel like, Sheng-Hung, we could speak to you for hours. I mean, you are opening my world and my eyes to a different world of design. I've got one final question for you before we wrap up that I wanted to cover. I've seen from your website, like, you've personally designed products. So, out of all the products you've either designed yourself or you've been involved with, what would you say, and could you describe for us your favorite product that you've designed yourself? SHENG-HUNG: I think my favorite product is, like, I help and re-design, like, Shanghai Library Innovation Space that, for me, is OMG. Oh my God. It's crazy. Like, one single team, my side project and collaborate with the full staff, librarian, the leadership team. What is powerful is, like, library for them in Shanghai, it's a local hub to connect the community and also to teach, to learn for the younger generation how to use the space. For sure, most people use that space for, like, self-studying, you know, activity and all this stuff. But, for me, like, it's so impactful because every single change that means a lot of impact because it's a public space. And also, it's really, really powerful. Like, you think about the decision-making process. You have to think about feasibility, viability, and also desirability, all things to connect together. And it's really hard, not easy process. It took me about a year-long project. And I'm really happy because, in the end, it's really from sketches, concept, prototyping models, all the way they rebuild, modify the design, integrated. And now the new library they build on another area of Shanghai is really based on this model and framework. I'm very happy, and I also feel like, yeah, design can make a positive impact. It's not like a concept. It's real. And it's nice. It's painful, but it's really satisfying, yeah [laughs]. SAMI: That's really cool when you get to a point where you've done something, and then you see people using what you've designed and, like, enjoying that space and benefiting from all that hard work that you've put into. I have to thank you so much for joining us and giving us time today on the Giant Robots On Tour Series of the Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots podcast. Our listeners don't know, but you've had about two hours of sleep. SHENG-HUNG: [laughs] Yeah. SAMI: So, it's probably time for you to get back into bed yourself. But that is your dedication to us. It's been an incredible episode and an incredible chat. I finally understand why Jared does not like doors. I myself, you will understand if you see me in the street and I'm tearing a bottle cap off of a bottle, you'll understand why. And we need to sort Sheng-Hung out with more adapters with just a single charger for all his devices. If people want to get a hold of you, Sheng-Hung, where's the best place they can reach out after listening to this podcast? SHENG-HUNG: Yeah, definitely, you can reach out through my personal website portfolio. Yeah, shenghunglee.com. And I'm happy to respond and discuss about design-related topic. Thanks for having me on this podcast. It's very exciting, and hope we can create all the great stuff for our society. SAMI: Pleasure. There's always a challenge I give to my listeners at the end, and it normally is just please hit that subscribe button. Jared has promised me that he will do a shoey if we can double our subscribers by the end of the series. If you don't know what a shoey is, my only advice to you is do not Google it because you do not want to know. You can find notes and a complete transcript for this episode at giantrobots.fm. If you have any questions or comments, you can email us at hosts@giantrobots.fm. This podcast is brought to you by thoughtbot and produced and edited by Mandy Moore. Thanks for listening. See ya. AD: Did you know thoughtbot has a referral program? If you introduce us to someone looking for a design or development partner, we will compensate you if they decide to work with us. More info on our website at: tbot.io/referral. Or you can email us at: referrals@thoughtbot.com with any questions.

In this episode of the Giant Robots Smashing into Other Giant Robots (On Tour!) podcast, hosts Sami Birnbaum and Jared Turner are joined by Ishani Behl, CEO and Founder of Skillopp and Sustainr. Ishani, an instructional designer by trade, began her journey by creating online courses and eventually moved into sustainability, inspired by her exposure to startups at the UNDP. She founded Sustainr, a platform that connects sustainable brands, and Skillopp, which simplifies learning using AI, aiming to reduce information overload. Ishani discusses how her educational background and experiences shaped her desire to improve learning and sustainability. She emphasizes the importance of dejargonization and how Skillopp uses AI to make complex information more accessible. She also highlights Sustainr's role in connecting sustainable brands with resources and opportunities, fostering a community that emphasizes collaboration over competition. Her journey reflects a commitment to creating impactful, sustainable business practices and improving educational approaches through technology. Throughout the conversation, Ishani shares her challenges in balancing multiple ventures, the importance of delegation, and her approach to building trust within her communities. She provides insights into the evolving landscape of e-learning and sustainability, emphasizing the need for personalized learning and effective communication. Skillopp (https://www.skillopp.com/) Follow Skillopp on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/skillopp/). Sustainr (https://www.sustainr.co/) Follow Sustainr on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/econet2021/) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sustainr.22). Follow Ishani Behl on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ishanibehl/). Follow thoughtbot on X (https://twitter.com/thoughtbot) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/150727/). Transcript: SAMI: This is the Giant Robots Smashing into Other Giant Robots podcast, the Giant Robots on Tour series coming to you from Europe, West Asia, and Africa, where we explore the design, development, and business of great products. If you have no idea about this Giant Robots on Tour series, then please make sure you listen to our previous podcast, where we throw random icebreakers at each other and we have fun naming the new series. So, make sure you don't miss out on that one. I'm your host, Sami Birnbaum. JARED: And I'm your other host, Jared Turner. SAMI: And with us today is Ishani, CEO and Founder of Skillopp, which simplifies learning to amplify performance through AI, and Sustainr, the Fiverr for sustainable brands. We are so delighted to have you with us, Ishani, today. We're going to get more into depth and into detail exactly where you're at and what you're doing at present. But I always like to go back to the start with my guests because there's always a journey and a story about how they got to where they are. Would you give us some details about how you got to the place you are today? ISHANI: Definitely. It's great to be on this. I'm delighted to also kind of share my story. It's been quite a journey. It all started a few years ago. I'm an instructional designer so that basically means that I design online courses for a living. So, if you see those ads on Instagram, "Hey, come to my masterclass," what I basically do is that I help in designing the whole course from the beginning but in a much better way. I guess this whole journey of Sustainr and Skillopp really started after I graduated. So, I went to King's College, and I pursued a degree in liberal arts, after which I worked at UNDP. And I was exposed to this world of sustainability and all these really cool startups that were coming up in this space. And I thought to myself that this is such an interesting and innovative field to be in. In every single startup that, you know, you would really do research around, you would just find these really interesting bits of information that you really didn't know. And I think that the business models per to se is also kind of like a way to emulate how you can live your own life in a much more efficient manner. That's why sustainability is called sustainability for a reason so that you can really sustain your livelihoods for a much longer amount of time. I think just building upon that, when the pandemic started, I really thought of doing something around this. And we kind of created a community of practice, so to say, of just sustainable brands around the country, in the UK and India. We started connecting them with various opportunities, so it sort of became like a Fiverr [laughs] of sorts where we would kind of connect them to various kinds of opportunities that would help them grow. I think when I went back to London for my master's, a lot of people in the faculty really liked the idea. And they were able to provide us with some funds, and we won a number of competitions. And that really led to the beginning of Sustainr, and we currently have around 40 brands on our platforms. We keep on having a lot of collaborations. We've also raised grants for a few startups as well. This idea of really merging learning with the community created impact, and I had no idea about that. And I think when I started creating courses as well for other brands and other companies, this whole idea of Skillopp also emerged as well, where we really took into account one very important concept, which was dejargonization. Now, I'm not too sure if you're aware about this, but there's this very big problem that's happening in the world right now. It's called the information overload. If you think about it, every single time you open, you know, some piece of content, or a reel, or anything, you see so many words that you just don't understand whether it's Web3, crypto, Bitcoin [chuckles], whatever it might be. So, what we basically did in that case through Skillopp, which was this new vertical that we created, we basically simplified content through using different AI tools. And that would really help automate digital learning and communication in organizations. And we've currently worked with the top MNCs in the world as well. The whole idea, in a nutshell, in terms of my life so far, has really been around how exactly you can design content in the most simplest way possible. How do you dejargonize it? And also, how do you create impact in the sustainable space? Because that is one key area that I think can really teach us so much about our own lives and can create so much of impact given the current climate crisis as well. JARED: That was a great intro. Thank you. You're working on two businesses. Are you still studying, or you finished studying now? ISHANI: I finished studying. JARED: You finished. So, I guess you were studying while you were working. ISHANI: Mm-hmm. JARED: But now you're working on two. So, how did you or how do you balance all of that? And how do you choose what to prioritize when they probably both seem just as important? ISHANI: I think it took me some time to figure that out. It's not easy. I'm somewhat of an overthinker. So, it just so happens to be that when you think about several problems that your business is facing, you know, whether it's, you know, people; it's sales; it's operations, it just really makes you really flustered, and, you know, you're unable to figure out what do I exactly prioritize. One thing that really helped me was just reflecting on the business models and what I was up to, as well as what exactly deserved the amount of priority that it needed to. So, what really ends up happening is that I think there's a lot of reflection on how do you delegate tasks, and that's how I exactly manage two businesses. I really believe in this whole concept that, as an entrepreneur, everybody looks at you and everyone's like, "Yeah, you must be doing it all," right? Like, the marketing, the sales, especially in the beginning. But I believe that when you learn the art of delegation and just kind of letting go and surrendering that, okay, no, you know, I have a team who's handling this aspect of the business, and I should not worry about it, you automatically can start focusing on other aspects. And I think that's how I started prioritizing. I divided the tasks into whatever really received utmost importance in the beginning that was easier to do, and then, you know, you sort of get the hang of it. I'd also like to add to the fact that I think we don't talk about this really often but look at, like, our moms, right? Like, they handle a household and their work at the same time, and they can do it. So, you know, I really think to myself, there are so many people who might be handling more than that, then why can't I do it? I think just setting that motivation really, really helps. And you can then start figuring out how to delegate, how to prioritize. But I think mindset is key because if you don't have the right mindset, you won't be able to do it. SAMI: As a father of four, that analogy really resonates with me in terms of juggling all those different balls at the same time. But I can imagine it's exhausting as well. But you touched on this concept of dejargonization, which I love because I think there is such a barrier to learning sometimes because humans take simple things and make them complex. And it sounds like, through your e-learning platform, you're taking complex things and returning them back to being simple. I've seen you describe yourself as a bad learner. ISHANI: [laughs] SAMI: What does that mean, and how exactly has that impacted you? ISHANI: In the beginning, the reason why I pursued education, I guess, there was this very rebellious instinct that I had in mind. When I was in school, it was so different. I was told to especially memorize certain formulas in math. And there was this really gigantic physics book that I had to learn and, you know, kind of memorize the formulas and understand the concepts, no pictures at all. And, you know, you just had to be perceived as, hey, you know, if you can memorize them and you can get good grades, you are really, really smart, but if you can't, then that basically means that you don't have any future. And that was the kind of mindset that I grew up in. And I think I had this rebellious instinct that if supposing I couldn't, like, especially because in science, I was really, really bad. I used to hate those horrible textbooks. I was just like, how can somebody learn through this? And I was just like, no, I want to change this. I want to change the way people approach education and learning. And I started seeing this and this started becoming so relevant. A lot of us today might perceive that they know certain concepts. But when we start having a conversation around that concept, there are so many misconceptions that are created because of these preconceived notions of how they were taught earlier about a certain concept as well in school, right? I guess my mission is to kind of eliminate that barrier of questioning concepts right in the beginning when somebody is learning and not being like, hey, you know, if I don't understand this word, if I don't understand this concept, I'm really smart. I'm going to figure it out. I hate the Superman complex that people have these days. I know it all. I really, really know it all. And I'm just like, well, do you? This is one of my favorite slogans, like, if you can't teach it, then don't preach it. And [laughs] I think that I keep on following that slogan all my life that if I really don't understand anything, I have to figure out a way to understand it, and that doesn't mean that I'm dumb or stupid. I have to figure out a way in terms of understanding that concept. That's why I call myself a bad learner because I used to hate how I was taught in school. And I was just like, you know, I'm not going learn like this, either I have to change the way I think and I learn. That's the only way that I will do that. And that's why I got into education. I was just like, I really want to take some revenge on this [laughs]. SAMI: I love that. That really resonates with me. I would also, in that sense, I would describe myself as a bad learner, but someone with a good memory, especially when I didn't understand things. I'll never forget when I was studying for my degree. I actually wasn't far from you. I think you were in King's College. ISHANI: Oh. SAMI: Well, I was down the road in LSE. ISHANI: Oh, nice. Neighbor. SAMI: Yes, I remember studying for my degree there, and there was one topic I was studying that I just couldn't understand and get my head around. But there's kind of a way to play the system, and that is memorizing things. So, I promise you, I memorized sentences. I could not tell you what they meant, but I used them in my exam. It was kind of cheating, in a way, but it was kind of also working with the system that I had in front of me. But it sounds like if I had something like an e-learning platform at that time, that is something which could have explained things properly and played into strengths that I might have had that I wasn't able to discover in the regular system. Do you see e-learning platforms...and I've seen this actually from people who, let's say, are studying for their A levels in this country now, which is exams they do ages of, I think, 17 or 16. A lot of them are turning to YouTube, and they learn from YouTubers, and there's other platforms. Do you see e-learning as something which could replace more conventional education, either high schools, degrees? Is that where you see the industry heading? ISHANI: Well, I wouldn't say that e-learning can replace educational systems. I think, at the end of the day, when it comes to e-learning platforms, as well, I really love them. But I wouldn't say that they're as personalized as you would think. They could be. And the number one element to learn well is to personalize learning because everybody is different. Everybody thinks differently. Everybody has a very different process of thinking. Some people learn in a very auditory way. Some people like listening to podcasts like the ones that you're conducting. Some people like learning visually. Some people like learning kinesthetically. Sometimes what I believe is that not every single e-learning platform can do justice to every single style of learning or every single individual. And I'm pretty sure there are 500 more styles of learning that we in the L&D space still haven't discovered yet. I think what e-learning can do and how we can really benefit from e-learning is using it as a tool. We should not depend on e-learning platforms completely, like, in terms of even, like, just simplifying content or, like, figuring out a way in terms of writing an essay. That is something that perhaps we can use it as a tool to brainstorm upon, that it makes our lives much easier. At the end of the day, AI, artificial intelligence, as well as all these e-learning platforms that are coming up, it's a way in terms of conducting the menial tasks that you really didn't want to do so that you can focus on the big stuff. I think if we start approaching e-learning in that way and, you know, also figure out how to set limitations in terms of how we don't depend on it; we will not have, like, a crisis in terms of how we're looking at social media today, where everybody is just addicted to their phones. JARED: Ishani, I wanted to ask specifically about your product, Skillopp. Who's your target market? You know, we've talked a lot about sort of learners from an education perspective, like high school, university. Are you targeting them, or is it more business, commercial users? And how did you discover that market as well? ISHANI: Great. So, I think, again, it really happened to be upon chance. So, like, a little bit more about Skillopp. It's not exactly how a product works. We work in a much more adaptable and flexible manner in terms of how you can use AI to simplify content as well. We started working with a number of corporates through word of mouth, I guess, and we created a lot of impact in that space. And what we did was that we would figure out what would be the best platforms and tools that they can deploy. And we would put them onto one system, and we would develop that for them. So, how it would really end up working would be, like, this very flexible product that we would make as per the needs of the corporate itself, rather than making something of our own, which could not be flexible or adaptable to what the corporation wanted as well. It's really cool because we just end up building on various kinds of innovations. Like, recently, we would also be open to various forms of different tech partnerships in terms of building those systems as well. So, it just ended up creating this collaboration over competition mindset and where everything happened to be, like, this win-win formula when we would build products. And we would kind of go to these businesses as a service, and we would end up building a product for them. I think, that way, it was very interesting to see how that journey really happened. And I think it was just through experimentation, and I really experimented a lot. We do also have, like, some developers who are working with us. And we would kind of go out of our way to figure out what the company or the corporate really wants. And we started building upon these products and then we were able to, like, deploy those particular needs of what that organization wanted in terms of what kind of product they really wanted and how they wanted to simplify content. So, it was, like, as if it was made by them, not by us. And it provided that sense of pride within the organization that, hey, you know, this is something that I really built. This whole concept just got extended through word of mouth to various different organizations and institutions. But, like, through some random way, and I always thought that I'm going to work with an institution first, it just so happened to be working in the corporate space, which is very strange. But I guess that's how entrepreneurship, to a certain extent, works with so much of experimentation that went on. JARED: You're using generative AI as part of that to identify, let's say, jargon and then simplify that language. And one of the problems that generative AI has is what they call the hallucination problem, where it sort of makes stuff up that's not true. Have you encountered that? And I'm curious of any ways you're trying to tackle it. ISHANI: [laughs] So many times. I think AI it's like raising a baby, you know [laughs]. I always like to use that anecdote because [laughs], like, my experience in terms of, like, generative AI and AI, in general, it's always been, like, as if I'm bringing a baby up in terms of, you know, the machine learning aspect of it. I think, yeah, we've encountered that quite a number of times. I think the best way in terms of also approaching this hallucination aspect is to kind of keep the task as specific as possible. If you want to teach somebody a little bit about sales and how do you exactly approach a customer in terms of closing in a deal, right? The way we can approach it. How do you simplify that process for, let's say, sales agents, right? It's to kind of really figure out what is that particular skill that the sales agent really needs help upon. So that if we try and specify it more, then the AI will really understand that, okay, I have to stick to this boundary. I really can't go out of that. And making it as specific as possible really helped us in the process, and they were able to really upskill themselves in that one specific subskill. And we really, really worked on that conversation to such an extent that I even know the script of that conversation in terms of how a sales agent is supposed to negotiate and what would that script be for that particular industry and that organization. So, I think just specifying it as much as you can really helps. I think the hallucination effect happens so much, and that is one problem and also an area that I'd love to do more research in as well. JARED: So, humans aren't going anywhere just yet. ISHANI: Yeah, not going anywhere. Actually, I really don't think so. A lot of people just keep on talking about AI is going to be...and I would...actually, this is a question that I'd love to ask both of you as well that do you think AI is really going to replace human beings? And everybody just keeps on talking about it, and I don't really think so. But what do you think? JARED: Oh, gosh, we could have a whole episode just on this. ISHANI: [laughs] JARED: There's a lot of parallels to the industrial revolution, where everyone said all of the machinery that was created was going to get people out of jobs, farming, and agriculture. And all it really did was shifted the demand for resources into different and slightly more specialized roles. I think we'll see a similar shift with AI. I do think, in time, there will be a significant portion of existing jobs that might go the way of AI overlords. But I'd like to think there'll always be a place for us little humans. What about you, Sami? SAMI: I love this question. I think I've gone around the houses with this one. So, I've gone through different phases of like, oh my gosh, we're all going to die, and no one's going to have any more jobs, and we don't know what we're going to do. Even to the extent that I was really proud of myself that I learned on YouTube how to silicon my bathroom because I was adamant that AI could not do that. And so, if all else goes to pot, then at the very least, I have a skill that is valuable. And then, recently, I've seen the robots they're coming up with, so even that is not really going to work for me. It's really difficult to know. It's so difficult. I find generative AI less compelling because of the hallucinations that we've spoken about. I see that as being far off, and a lot of it depends on the accuracy. Your baby analogy is great. Because the way we're used to interacting with computers is they give us responses that are kind of, like, binary. They're either right or they're wrong. It's like a green light, red light relationship. And when it comes to generative AI, you need to have that more personal relationship with the computer to have that conversation back and forward to get it where you want it to be. Something that has definitely come more to the forefront is discriminative AI, which is AI that can tell a difference between certain data sets. So, I see that taking off a lot more. So, for example, they're using it in, like, the medical sector where the AI can discriminate or tell the difference between certain brain scans in terms of understanding what might be an issue and what might not be an issue. So, that is very powerful. We've actually had that for quite a long time. But as computing power is becoming more affordable, as certain chips have become available, it's becoming more widespread, and we can harness that a lot more. So, discriminative AI, I think, is being very disruptive, and I think it will continue to be. Degenerative AI, I'm not sure because of the difficulties you've spoken about. But worst-case scenario, I will personally come and silicon your bathroom. So, the e-learning company that you have, that seems more familiar to me. And maybe it could be also potentially more familiar to some of our listeners because a lot of us have kind of grown up on YouTube. And I'm not comparing it to YouTube. I know it's a very different beast altogether. It's something which we could possibly identify with and understand more. The Sustainr aspect is a little bit more foreign to me. So, I'd love to get to understand more of what the Sustainr company that you have is all about and how it works. ISHANI: Like I said, I think Sustainr is this very interesting community that we built over the pandemic kind of touching upon this whole aspect of...and I think I'll also, like, come to this point in terms of how Skillopp and Sustainr are also kind of interlinked. It all, actually, technically speaking, started with the same problem: dejargonization. What really happened was that when you also start a startup, especially in the sustainable space, what a lot of people, and when I talked to a lot of founders, especially the 40 brands that we have on our platform, it's like, "Ishani, I just don't know who exactly to approach. I don't know what...supposing I'm trying to find sourcing materials related to my business, supposing I'm trying to find individuals who can create content that is based on the concept of my business, I just don't see the results. And I don't see that people are able to understand and comprehend what I'm trying to talk about." And I feel like this is also perhaps a cultural problem as well. I mean, for example, this has been my experience as well as a number of people in India. Because India is currently growing at a massive rate with the economy, as well as the startup boom that's happening. If you think about it, every single person's mindset is like, I really need to get this done. And that's why a lot of us are also very impatient. So, just thinking about how we're actually really thinking, we create, like, this impatience sort of situationship in our head. And we don't want to perhaps learn about new things. That stops us from learning and really digging deep because we're just like, no, no, no, we need to get this done, and we need to hustle. And there's a lot of that culture that's present over here because our economy is growing. Startups are booming. And there's lots of work to be done. Like, trust me, if you come to Bangalore or Bombay, you will actually feel that pressure [laughs]. So, really thinking about that mindset, what really happens is that when somebody, especially in Southeast Asian countries or especially in a country like India, are looking for stuff for their sustainable business, a lot of people are like, "But what is sustainability? What is ESG? Is it just environment-related?" And, you know, just this communication style, so to say, creates a lot of impatience between both the parties, and that leads to mistrust. Miscommunication takes place. Orders don't come on time. There's a lot of problem and havoc. This also leads to a lot of mental stress. That's why we created this platform, so to say. And how it really works is like, it's like any form of connecting platform. We have various categories, as well, through which people can perhaps list their business on the platform in terms of that particular category, whether it's in sourcing, whether it's in fundraising, finance, or even marketing per se. And we just kind of connect them just like how you would connect people over LinkedIn, like, through an intro. But we would be the ones who would be part of that whole connection scenario so that everybody knows that there is, like, this trusted platform being built between the two people and that they're not alone. There's somebody else who's also dejargonizing the communication flow. And through that, what really happens, Sami, is that, like, the ideas of collaborations really grew because we would also have events. We would also have, like, these very interesting micro podcasts just for the community. And we would just post all of that content that would, A, build a lot of positivity amongst people in that space. And, you know, it would just kind of lead to more productivity in terms of different collaborations. Like, for example, we just tied up somebody who was creating straws using, I think, coconut or something like that to a chain of vegan cafes. I think what really happened was that through this trusted platform, through a community, I think it really, really bolsters a lot of positive mindset. At the end of the day, like I said in the beginning, I really think that it's all about mindset, which really helps you take that action. And that, in a nutshell, is what Sustainr really does in terms of just connecting resources. And now because we work with corporates as well, if supposing there are companies who want to pursue, let's just say, corporate gifting or something like that, we kind of help and initiate that process as well. So, it just becomes, like, this interlinked network where you can really just harness as many collaborations as possible so that you can also grow your business. You have time for experimentation. You have the safe space as well. And I didn't get an opportunity to be a part of any such community. So, I was just like, why not try and see how I can create one? JARED: That's great. It sounds like education and trust, a huge part of this marketplace. How do you ensure you find trusted partners, and how do you convince the people on the other side of that marketplace to trust you or to trust your marketplace? ISHANI: So, I think in terms of building trust, it takes time. So, we're not a community, or we're not kind of, like, this platform; we're, like, telling everybody that, "Hey, you know, come on our platform. We'll ensure that your business will grow." I think, first of all, it's setting the right expectations in terms of what exactly you can really achieve out of this platform. B, I think what I really like to do is, like, a lot of phone calls, just talking to the founder in terms of how he started that particular idea of his. How did it really take place? Our onboarding process is not like you have to fill in this very big, huge form, which will make you extremely bored, and you're just like, "Oh my God, this is, like, such a heavy task." Like, no, it's okay. There are some people in our team who also kind of talk to the founders and figure out what their story is all about. How did they really start that particular business? And if supposing what they're really looking for is something that we can really curtail to. Because we don't want to be also, like, a community where there's no value that we can add, then what's the whole point? And I'm very hell-bent on setting those expectations so that when people actually join our platform, then, you know, it's not like, okay, like, this is going to be just spam coming on [laughs] your way in terms of all the other communities that we end up seeing. But it's so much more than that. I think it's kind of like when we establish that synergy that, all right, if this is what you're looking for, and these are the kind of people that we have, that's the only way that we kind of build that trust. And that trust-building, it takes time. It doesn't happen automatically; it takes a lot of time, and that's why we have a lot of events. We share a lot of bits of content around, let's say, the investing market in the space of sustainability and ESG. What exactly is happening out there? We even link with other communities to build more trust. So, supposing there's a better community than Sustainr, I'd be like, yeah, 100%, you should definitely look at those communities. Like, that tagline has always been collaboration over competition, and I think it's always worked in our favor. We would also end up collaborating with those communities around climate. In so many different aspects, that's helped us, and that's the way that you also kind of build trust, when you actually see those actionable steps being taken, and you see that taking place. But it's not something that I can, like, assure you, like, yeah, 100% the trust is built within that one day. It takes some time, but it happens over a period of time. JARED: I love what you just said there about almost the long-term strategy of, you know what? If there's a better community, we're going to point you in that direction. That, to me, builds so much trust because the short-term option is to say, "Oh, okay, I've seen this. It's probably better for them, but that means they're not on our platform. So, that's not better for me." That is a tremendous way to build trust in a sort of long-term user base. So, I really love that. SAMI: Yeah. I mean, we've only been, I don't know, we've been speaking for about half an hour, 40 minutes now, and I feel like I really trust you as well [laughter]. It's, like, rubbing off. This concept of, you know, demystification and simplifying things it shows this authenticity. And I think your personality comes across and the way that you run these businesses. And you're doing it in an incredibly genuine way. I think that really talks to people. I think people are looking, like, not for jargon. They really want authentic people they can relate to who are real human beings. And that's something which I think really comes across through speaking to you. Obviously, as a consultancy, myself and Jared we work within thoughtbot, and we work with people like yourself to really try and solve their problems and understand what their pain points are. And we can come up with solutions through design or development. What would you say is your biggest challenge? In either one of these businesses or as a whole, where's your biggest challenge at the moment? ISHANI: There are so many [laughs]. But I guess to start off with, kind of scaling it to a considerable level. But at the same time, you know, scaling requires investment, and scaling also requires some amount of time in terms of figuring out how exactly you want to grow your team, which also takes time. So, sometimes I feel like I'm in this catch-22 situation where I'm just like, if I do need investment, right? For example, scale or if I need investment to grow my team even further to get more clients so that I can target more projects, let's say for Skillopp; again, finding the right people it takes time. And I think that's something that I really also kind of struggle with. It took me a lot of time to find the right people for the projects that we're doing right now. I think any tips would be great in terms of how exactly I can really do that so that even if supposing I want to raise investment and I know what I want to raise investment in, which is to grow the team, how exactly would I really approach that? Because I always feel like it's like this catch-22 situation. JARED: Well, it sounds like you already have some clients, which is an infinite step up on most businesses that are starting out and trying to get investment. Like, the fact that you can prove you have revenue coming in is amazing. I mean, the typical things that investors want, like the investor deck, right? They're going to want to see your vision for the business. They're going to want to see your financials and the forecast. And then, it's a matter of finding the right investors as well because I guess there are so many out there. But I think you probably want to find one that matches your values around sustainability and dejargonization as well. SAMI: Yeah, that's a great answer, Jared, actually. And, I think, just to add on top of that, this is where sometimes using a consultancy actually really helps. We see this a lot within thoughtbot, where someone is looking to get investment and wants to scale their team. But when you do that in-house, that comes with a lot of overheads. So, for example, you might need an extra person, your HR team, to handle new people, you know, being directly employed. Going to a consultancy and getting a third-party delivery partner allows you to kind of scale your team quickly, but also, descale that team quickly as well, so that it gives you that flexibility whilst you're in that more turbulent zone of, "Oh, I'm trying to scale, and I'm trying to get investment. And I'm not sure where my budgets are." Until you, you know, complete that scaling that you want to do, you get to a place where you're more stable. And then, actually, what thoughtbot does is helps people to then hire their own in-person team. But yeah, something like a consultancy can give that flexibility. But the way you describe this catch-22 situation is so common because what do I do first? I've got all these levers I could pull. So, I could pull the investment lever, or I could pull the, you know, extra resources lever. And then, there's like, you know, extra revenue lever as well. So, it's a really difficult problem. But definitely, we found, as a consultancy, that having that flexibility using third-party partners can be something which helps. JARED: And I wanted to just ask, because I remember you were saying you're working with some developers, are they developers you've hired, or is that a third-party team you're working with? ISHANI: It's very similar to what you really mentioned. It's like a strategic partnership with a third-party team. But, again, I think finding the third-party team also, like, it takes a long time to find. But I think that I really liked the thought that you were really talking about as well earlier, where you were kind of mentioning that that whole catch-22 situation is super, super important to understand. And I feel that instead of kind of going on LinkedIn and, like, posting so many, like, you know, these job descriptions with the overhead costs...I started learning that once I made that mistake. I think I learned so much about that. And I think that what you said it's also, like, reflecting on the fact that, okay, you really can see this through the strategic partnerships. And I think I'd love to be somebody or, like, you know, aspire to be someone who can, like, master that whole art of finding the third-party consultancies like you were mentioning, especially what you're doing as well. So, I think it's great, and thank you so much for the feedback and as well as answering question. SAMI: It's been great to have you on. And doing a podcast like this it just gives us the opportunity to speak to people like yourself. If people want to reach out to you, do you have any specific place you'd like them to reach out? ISHANI: You can go on my LinkedIn, where you'll find a lot of stuff and links to what I do. SAMI: Cool. So, I highly recommend our listeners to take a look at Skillopp, and take a look at Sustainr, and get to know all the great work that Ishani is doing. For our listeners, we're going to bring you lots more content like this. This was the first one in the Giant Robots on Tour series. Your only challenge before the next one is to hit the subscribe button to make sure you get this content directly as soon as it comes out because we've got some incredible guests lined up for you. You can find notes and a complete transcript for this episode at giantrobots.fm. If you have questions or comments, you can email us at hosts@giantrobots.fm. This podcast is brought to you by thoughtbot and produced and edited by Mandy Moore. Thanks for listening. See ya. Okay, before we sign off, a quick request. If you're enjoying Giant Robots on Tour, please drop us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your reviews help us grow and reach more listeners, and we'd love to hear what you think. Thanks for being part of our journey, and stay tuned for more episodes. AD: Did you know thoughtbot has a referral program? If you introduce us to someone looking for a design or development partner, we will compensate you if they decide to work with us. More info on our website at: tbot.io/referral. Or you can email us at: referrals@thoughtbot.com with any questions.

On Episode 494 of Impact Boom, Ishani Chattopadhyay of the Social Enterprise Network of Victoria (SENVIC) discusses the challenges currently being encountered by social enterprises big or small and why collaboration is the key to defragmenting and scaling the business for good movement. If you are a changemaker wanting to learn actionable steps to grow your organisations or level up your impact, don't miss out on this episode! If you enjoyed this episode, then check out Episode 213 with Nicholas Verginis on the growing social enterprise movement in Victoria and Australia -> https://bit.ly/3W8qvGX The team who made this episode happen were: Host: Tom Allen Guest(s): Ishani Chattopadhyay Producer: Indio Myles We invite you to join our community on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram to stay up to date on the latest social innovation news and resources to help you turn ideas into impact. You'll also find us on all the major podcast streaming platforms, where you can also leave a review and provide feedback.

In Episode 5 we talk to Dr Ishani Rao, a GP taking a special interest in helping the plant-based community to prioritise mental health, as well as educating widely on the benefits of plant-based eating to improve mental and physical health outcomes. We also highlight the new opportunity to certify in Lifestyle Medicine with the International Board of Lifestyle medicine (IBLM): https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/iblm/iblm-certification Don't forget about this year's nutrition and lifestyle medicine conference (virtual and online events) which are open to all: https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/nlmc-2024 Papers discussed in this episode: Ultraprocessed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses https://www.bmj.com/content/384/bmj-2023-077310 PCRM resource on food and mood:https://www.pcrm.org/good-nutrition/food-and-mood Association between meatless diet and depressive episodes: A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the longitudinal study of adult health (ELSA-Brasil)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032722010643 Mindful Eating https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/mindful-eating/

In this episode, I spoke with Dr. Ishani Ganguli, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Ganguli shared insights on the systemic impact of low-value care and the role of health policies in shaping patient care. Delving into primary care payment and delivery models, digital health innovations, and the quest for equitable healthcare, this episode offers an invaluable perspective on the future of healthcare reform.

In this bonus short take, Ishani and Zoe ask pressing questions of our Middle Schoolers at lunch!

Cole, Dylan, Ishani and Zoe square off in a great debate about current and future uses of Artificial Intelligence, both in school and in life!

Send us a Text Message.“At the end of the day, it's about what is the goal or purpose both these people in the room are in for? If that is not aligned, everything else won't make sense.”Ishani NigamIn this episode, you'll hear about:Taking your first step in change and careers: Avoiding overwhelm & knowing how to take action to make change in your life, work and build the future you desireBuilding functional & fruitful teams: How to structure and manage a team for success & mitigating the common barriers that get in the wayHandling curveballs within business: Being prepared for change ahead of change and the right mindset to take advantage of unexpected circumstancesVulnerability in the workplace: Understanding the boundaries between work and personal life and how much vulnerability to bring into your work life and whenGen Z in business: How the next generation can make it work for themselves and how businesses can make it work for themKey linksMyGigsters https://www.mygigsters.com.au/Benjemen Elengovan https://newstateofmind.com.au/benjemen-elengovan-gig-worker-start-up-founder/ThincLab Initiative by Uni of Adelaide https://www.adelaide.edu.au/thinclab/My First Step Ever podcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFnNw24cE1CuAj7DMjBEDDwMy First Step Ever Instagram https://www.instagram.com/myfirststepever_in/About our guestIshani Nigam (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ishaninigam), originally from Mumbai, India, is a dynamic individual who passionately believes in seizing life's opportunities and nurturing one's inner calling. After completing her bachelor's degree, she ventured into the worlds of advertising, production, and project management before pursuing a master's degree at Unimelb in Melbourne, Australia.Ishani's journey has been marked by both challenges and moments of inspiration. Her determination led her to create the "My First Step Ever" podcast, where she empowers young people to embrace conviction and cultivate action-oriented mindsets.In addition to her podcasting endeavours, Ishani serves as a content creator and community outreach officer at MyGigsters, a leading FinTech start-up in Australia, dedicated to helping self-employed individuals achieve financial security.Outside her professional life, Ishani is a trained Bollywood dancer and choreographer who has graced the stage with her performances. She's an avid adventurer, embracing activities like hiking and extreme sports, while also indulging in her love for dark chocolate. Ishani's diverse interests and commitment to personal growth make her a proud youth empowerment advocate.About our hostOur host, Chris Hudson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-hudson-7464254/), is a Teacher, Experience Designer and Founder of business transformation coaching & consultancy Company Road (www.companyroad.co)Chris considers himself incredibly fortunate to have worked with some of the world's most ambitious and successful companies, including Google, Mercedes-Benz, Accenture (Fjord) and Dulux, to name a small few. He continues to teach with Academy For weekly updates and to hear about the latest episodes, please subscribe to The Company Road Podcast at https://companyroad.co/podcast/

Ishani Patwal and Sharon Ng'ang'a are the co-presidents of the Cardiff University Feminist Society which is an organization committed to raising awareness and promoting gender equality.To learn more and get involved with the Cardiff University Feminist Society, find them on Instagram at @cufeminists. To get connected with Ishani, find her on Instagram at @ishanipatwal. To get connected with Sharon, find them on Instagram at @_thoughtsbyshaz. For more information about the Cardiff University Students' Union's Annual General Meeting (AGM), visit: https://www.cardiffstudents.com/your-voice/democracy/agm/.To listen to Be the change. On Air live at 5pm GMT, visit: https://player.broadcast.radio/xpress. A recording of each live show will be published as a podcast on this feed every Friday.

It is with great pleasure that we welcome Dr Ishani Patel back to the Business of Healthcare podcast for her third appearance. In the lead up to Best Practice 2023, we are privileged to feature a host of Best Practice guests to learn more about them as leaders and people. In her role as a GP Partner, Digital First Clinical Lead and Co-Founder of Lantum, we are excited to catch up with Ishani and to learn more about: Why the Lantum team keep returning to Best Practice The benefits of using Lantum How Lantum has evolved its suite of products and services Ishani's advice for those stepping into the health and medtech world Ishani's approach to competition Macro and micro continuity Ishani's approach to managing her health and wellbeing and her portfolio career   Best Practice To register your place at Best Practice 2023 click here.   Gob for Good To register your #gobforgood and to join the stem cell registry - please click here to head straight to the website - you could become a life saver and help make a difference.   Work with me I'm Tara Humphrey and I'm the founder of THC Primary Care, a leading healthcare consultancy. I provide project and network management to Primary Care Networks and consulting support to clinical leads. To date, I've worked with 11 Training Hubs and supported over 120 Primary Care Networks and 3 GP Federations. I understand and appreciate the complexity of healthcare and what it takes to deliver projects across multiple practices. I have over 20 years of project management and business development experience across the private and public sector and have an MBA in Leadership and Management in Healthcare. I'm also published in the London Journal of Primary Care and the author of over 250 blogs. For more weekly insights and advice sign up to my newsletter. Improving the Business of Healthcare – One Episode at a Time Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of the Business of Healthcare Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts to subscribe; leave your honest review, and share your favourite episodes on social media. Find us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn or visit our website – THC Primary Care.

Can reality television and therapy coexist? Does the intersection of the two offer a hidden path to personal growth? Buckle up, we're about to embark on a captivating journey through the complex world of therapy representation in reality TV.Let's start off with an insider's take: journalist Ishani Nath shares her perspective after extensively researching for her Refinery 29 piece, "The Power (And Risks) Of Therapy On Reality TV" which provides a unique insight into the blurred lines of real versus edited reality. We discuss shows like The Real Housewives, Vanderpump Rules, and Family Karma and how the stars navigate complex situations that often serve as the catalysts for personal growth, and help break the stigma around mental health.Plus, look into the strategic use of therapy scenes in building character arcs (*cough Bethenny Frankel cough*) and ask the question if there are any dangers to glamorizing therapy scenes. For example: what about consent, safety, and autonomy in this context? Consider this your front-row seat to the intriguing power of therapy representation on TV and its potential to impact stigmatized communities.So, whether you're a reality TV junkie, a therapy enthusiast, or just craving a fresh perspective, this is one conversation you won't want to miss. Don't forget to leave us your thoughts and feedback - we can't wait to hear what you think.Don't forget to tune in on Sunday, July 23rd, for our next mini-episode which will be dedicated entirely to the Barbie movie!!~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Show Notes and References! Reality TV Has Been Quietly Normalizing Therapy - HuffPostHow Reality TV Handles Therapy Needs for Contestants - VarietyHow Real Is Reality-TV Therapy? - The AtlanticWhy We Need More Reality TV Like 'Couples Therapy' and 'Couples Retreat' - ColliderTrial By Media Revisits Jenny Jones Show Murder: Man Killed Guest Who ID'd Him as Same-Sex Crush - People MagazineAtmosphere/Nightmare 30th Anniversary Edition‘The Other Two' Finale Was Cynical, Sentimental — and Right on Time - Variety‘The Other Two' Ending at Max Amid HR Complaints - Hollywood ReporterSupport the show

Trainer Michael Freedman chats about his pair of runners today at Canterbury, Ishani and Ringmaster.

Ishani Behl is a curious person who was born in new Delhi, India from an amazing parents. She grew up being told that she needs to be independent, stay curious, and do what you love. From this upbringing, Ishani has developed a passion for helping and feeding her curiosity. She moved to London to find herself and her passion. She didn't know what she wanted to do with her life but she knows she wants to help others, create a company someday, and educate herself on the tools she needs to get what she wants. Today, Ishani talks about her life's project, sustainr. Self discovery and curiosity is the key to finding yourself. If you are a student out there who don't know where you are heading or what you want to do, Ishani Behl has talked about many tips and added value in this podcast. Listen Up!

Welcome to today's episode of the ‘Crack The MBA Show' with Ishani Mukherji, who is a member of the full-time MBA class of 2023 at The Tuck School of Business. Ishani completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in 2015 from Delhi University. Prior to starting at Tuck, Ishani worked with Etsy for two years and PwC for almost three years. Ishani had a GMAT score of 710. For her summer internship, Ishani interned with frog as an innovation strategy intern in New York City. At Tuck, Ishani is involved with Tuck Gives, Center for Digital Strategies and more. Through our conversation, we discussed Ishani's pre-MBA experiences, MBA admissions journey, MBA experience at Tuck, academic experience, involvement in activities, internship recruiting process, and more: 00:00 Introduction 01:50 Why MBA at Tuck 03:09 Determining Post-MBA Goals 11:02 Tips for Networking 13:50 Ishani's Admissions Journey 16:00 Overcoming Low GMAT 18:11 Essay-Writing Advice 22:13 Advice on Tuck's Essays 25:05 Tuck Interview: What Traits Are Candidates Evaluated On 28:15 Tuck's Unique Identity 31:36 Flagship Events at Tuck (Winter Carnival, Tuck Gives Gala) 34:09 Academics: Star Professors & Must-Do Courses 35:29 Housing Situation at Tuck 37:33 Student Life at Tuck 42:27 Wish Prospective Students Knew About Tuck 43:44 Ishani's Biggest Challenge at Tuck 45:02 Involvement in Activities (CDS, Small Group Dinners) 48:37 Student Trips (GIX) 51:47 Resources for Consulting and Tech Recruiting at Tuck 56:03 Tuck Nice: Anecdote 58:21 Food Situation at Tuck 1:02:31 Parting Advice Thank you for watching! — Nupur Gupta is the founder of Crack The MBA (https://crackthemba.com), India's leading MBA admissions consulting firm. Every year, Crack The MBA's clients attend ivy league, M7 and other top MBA programs globally. Nupur is a graduate of the full-time MBA program at The Wharton School. She has been recognized by Economic Times among the 'Most Promising Women Leaders', by Business Insider among the 'World's Leading Admissions Consultants', along with other honors. Nupur serves on the board of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) - the primary industry association in MBA admissions. Nupur has also served as two-term president of AIGAC. Follow Nupur and ‘Crack The MBA' on our social media platforms for more updates: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nupurgupt/ https://www.facebook.com/CrackTheMBA/ https://www.instagram.com/crackthemba/ Disclaimer: The opinions shared by guests in this video in no way, shape or form represent advisory provided by Crack The MBA. Each candidate's circumstances may vary and our advisory is always provided specifically based on an applicant's specific profile.

 Last time on the Bestow Curse podcast, our heroes braved a plagued crowd to recover Ishani's notes, met with Cressida and some new Chelish doctors on the plague, and cured the child Brienne of her illness. They began exploring the sunken, mysteriously cargo-light plague ship, but encountered a hag who had taken residence among the debris with ominous words for Sylvie. Will this witchy woman make our heroes meet an early watery grave? The cursed campaign continues now!     Website: hideouslaughterpodcast.com Patreon: patreon.com/hideouslaughter Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HideousLaughterPod Discord: https://discord.gg/ruG6hxB Email: bestowcursepodcast@gmail.com Twitter/Snapchat: @laughterhideous Facebook/Instagram: @hideouslaughterpod Reddit: reddit.com/r/HideousLaughter Die Hard Dice Discount Code: Hideous Ambience by Michael Ghelfi https://michaelghelfi.bandcamp.com/  Theme Song: Firemane by Adrian Von Zeigler https://adrianvonziegler.bandcamp.com/

In this episode, listen to Simar and Ishani interview Toral Shah, Founder of The Urban Kichen, a Nutritional Scientist, Integrative Medicine Practitioner, Health writer, and Consultant. Toral is a passionate educator, researcher and advocate for breast cancer prevention and uses evidence-based science and nutrition along with lifestyle medicine to help optimize health and reduce the risk of disease. You can find more about Toral & The Urban Kitchen at www.theurbankitchen.co.uk --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/brownwomenhealth/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/brownwomenhealth/support

In this episode, listen to Simar and Ishani interview Toral Shah, Founder of The Urban Kichen, a Nutritional Scientist, Integrative Medicine Practitioner, Health writer, and Consultant. Toral is a passionate educator, researcher and advocate for breast cancer prevention and uses evidence-based science and nutrition along with lifestyle medicine to help optimize health and reduce the risk of disease. You can find more about Toral & The Urban Kitchen at www.theurbankitchen.co.uk --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/brownwomenhealth/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/brownwomenhealth/support

In today's episode, I chat with my friend Gabby about her postpartum experience. Gabby speaks about her pregnancy and birth with her little girl, Ishani. Gabby had a relatively straightforward pregnancy and was a bit of a pregnancy unicorn - she was glowing and really rocked being pregnant! She had a vaginal birth with no pain relief too - I loved hearing her birth story. I need to put a trigger warning on today's episode as we mention pregnancy loss and miscarriage. Gabby experienced an Ectopic pregnancy at the beginning of this year and she goes into depth about what that was like and what symptoms to look out for. She then fell pregnant in her very next cycle - she was very excited but unfortunately, it ended in miscarriage. Gabby walks us through what she experienced with that and how she felt throughout. If you enjoyed today's episode don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss future episodes.  You can follow me on Instagram at @thepostpartyproject You can join my Facebook group which is The Post Party Project - Let's Discuss! Here is a link to the group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/548088443715642/  If you're interested in checking out my coffee business, the website is www.bevsbuzzbreak.com.auAnd use code PPP for 10% off storewide! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're discussing Driving Change through Research on this episode of Faisel & Friends! We're talking with Dr. Ishani Ganguli, from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital about low-value care and its consequences, gender disparities in healthcare, new delivery and payment models, and some of Dr. Ganguli's most surprising research findings.Being a doctor is your calling because you couldn't imagine doing anything else. Let's talk about your career goals in medicine. Connect with us and tell us how you dream of practicing medicine. Want to learn more about how we do healthcare? Visit our resource center and check out how we are transforming healthcare. Don't forget to subscribe to ChenMed Rx to receive the latest news and articles from ChenMed.

Police Ishani ke driver Ghanshayam ko giraftar kar leti hai aur Ghanshyam se pooch tachh ke dauraan Reena ke murder se judi jaankari nikal leti hai. Yahan se shuru hota hai Ishani aur police ke beech choohe billi ka khel.

Ishani ka bachpan aisi yaadon aur zakhmon se bhara hua tha jo use uske pita ki hi den thi. Baki ka bacha hua bachpan Assam ke hostel mein beet gaya. Ishani ki mulakat wahin reh rahe Saurabh Das se hoti hai aur pyar Ishani ki zindagi me dastak deta hai. Par ye khushi bhi zyada nahi tiki. Ishani ne apne aapko doosra mauka diya aur apna naam jod liya Rajeev Khanna se.

Ishani, Patrick Mukherjee se Mumbai me milti hai aur tay karti hai ki wo Saurabh ko divorce papers bhej degi. Ishani ek nayi zindagi to shuru kar deti hai par ye bhool jaati hai ki beeti zindagi ki kalikh ke chhetein uski nayi zindagi par bhi aayenge. Ishani ki zindagi mein Reena aur Michael ka wapas aana uske liye kisi aafat se kam nahi tha.

Michael ko Mumbai ke ek Rehab centre me daal diya gaya tha aur bohot torture kiya gaya. Kuch samay baad Michael wapas Dispur bhaag gaya aur usne Mumbai ki taraf kabhi palat ke na dekhne ka faisla kiya. Doosri ore, Ishani ko jaise hi Rohit aur Reena ke sambandh ke baare mein pata chala usne thaan liya tha ki wo Reena ko Rohit ki zindagi se nikal ke hi dum legi. Aur is kaam mein uska madadgar bana Rajeev Khanna.

Ishani ne Reena ko uske ex-boyfriend Aditya ke paas bhej diya aur Aditya ne Ishani ke kehne par Reena ko dimagi halat kharab karne wali dawai dena shuru kar diya. Ishani ka maqsad tha, 1000 crore rupaye Singapore International Bank ke foreign account mein transfer kar ke apne future plan ko anjaam dena, Bina Patrick aur baki investors ke pooch tachh ke.

Rohit ek sacche premi ki tarah Reena ke saath khada raha aur intezar karta raha nyay ka, uski maut ke baad bhi. Jald hi kanoon apna kaam karta hai- Ishani, Ghanshyam aur Rajeev arrest ho jaate hain.

Madrona investor, Ishani Ummat, speaks with PitchBook Data leader, Daniel Cook, about bringing machine intelligence to the IA40 list.  Their new algorithm takes many data points and creates a company score to predict company outcome probability.  They previewed this work by analyzing last year's IA40 list and found that late stage companies were 60% more likely to IPO.  Listen as Ishani and Daniel talk numbers and what it means for companies building intelligent applications.

Building your strong foundation is work of art & patience's but it gets intense when you have multi cultural experiences. About Ishani - Since 2018, Ishani's music drops have each successively rained her raw heartfelt vocals and atmospheric, future thinking beats on us.“Insomnia” made her a BBC Introducing Artist and in 2019 she performed at Reading and Leeds Festival, where her much lauded single “Nothing's Changed” stormed the festival crowd. Ishani's songs take the surfaces, reflections and tribulations of modern life and cast them through the prism of Ishani's introspective voices. Not shy of big topics, Ishani engages with things our culture still finds difficult to talk about. ‘Don't Stop The Fight' tackles violence against women, while ‘Dark Angel' reflects on the loss of two of her close friends to suicide. It was described by CLASH as “a highly personal plea for mental health awareness.” Ishani has performed at Hungary's Sziget, one of Europe's largest music and cultural festivals, and she's also opened for Icelandic electro group Gus-Gus at Be My Lake Festival. Her work is a synthesis of influences, inspired by her cosmopolitan upbringing and travels through Bangalore, Cornwall and Singapore. She is currently based in London. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Ishani and I speak about tips and tricks to overcome public speaking. We talk about our own embarrassing moments as well. Her podcast goes in more details about this.

Ishani and I speak about tips and tricks to overcome public speaking. We talk about our own embarrassing moments as well. Her podcast goes in more details about this.

Our guest this week on the Absolutely write podcast is Ishani Dasgupta, lead for Podcast partnerships, Jio Saavn With 7 years of work experience, Ishani started out her career in Psychometric test development before making the switch into Media with Viacom 18 where she spent 3 years working on Branded content solutions as well as marketing for MTV before moving to V18's Integrated Network Solutions division. At JioSaavn, Ishani has been an integral part of the Podcast. In addition to building the brand's IP, Ishani has also successfully helped forge partnerships with key podcast names nationally and internationally. During her time at JioSaavn, Ishani has created a blueprint for podcast partnerships as well as overall growth strategy which she continues to lead whilst bringing clarity of thought and life to the streaming services  Aditi analyses Ishani's handwriting & signature and discusses some important issues like burnout and being presently involved in this episode. Ishani talks about her love for podcasting and a lot more. Tune in! Learn the famous Calm sutra sssss stroke here: www.aditisurana.com/calmsutra Watch the TedTalk on Flow here: https://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_flow_the_secret_to_happiness

This week's Artist Spotlight highlights Atlanta native Ishani Joshi. Tune in to hear about Ishani's musical journey, as well as an acoustic version of her song, "No Pressure."Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/coffeewithaandj)

71% of Indian girls have no knowledge about menstrual health until after their first period. And we've all seen the lack of dialogue surrounding periods due to taboos. Join Ameek & Ishani on a thorough interview with Kaman (@KamanMPH), where we talk about everything menstruation from stigmas in India, language surrounding periods, the lack of research, and how to explain periods to kids and even men. Check out more of Kaman's work on Instagram @KamanMPH. Follow Brown Women Health on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/brownwomenhealth/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/brownwomenhealth/support

71% of Indian girls have no knowledge about menstrual health until after their first period. And we've all seen the lack of dialogue surrounding periods due to taboos. Join Ameek & Ishani on a thorough interview with Kaman (@KamanMPH), where we talk about everything menstruation from stigmas in India, language surrounding periods, the lack of research, and how to explain periods to kids and even men. Check out more of Kaman's work on Instagram @KamanMPH. Follow Brown Women Health on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/brownwomenhealth/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/brownwomenhealth/support

CHIT CHAT with Ishani about her decade-long difficulties with Anorexia. She courageously and honestly shares what it was like to live with the eating disorder, and what she personally did to overcome it. She begins her story by explaining why at the heart of her Anorexia was a huge hunger for love.

Sibongile Mlambo is a Zimbabwean actress based in Los Angeles. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Sibongile's passion for the arts was ignited after being cast in the Jury Prize winning international feature, Kini & Adams. She went on to feature in local commercials and expanded into dancing and modeling, eventually becoming the face of one of Nivea's biggest African campaigns, with billboards and ads across the continent. After high school, Sibongile moved to the United States to study Foreign Languages & Literatures at Southern Methodist University. She speaks English, Shona, French, Spanish, and basic Zulu & Xhosa. Upon graduating, she moved to New York to pursue a dance career and eventually moved back to Zimbabwe, ending up in Cape Town, South Africa, where she spent several years building her acting career before moving to Los Angeles.  Her TV credits include Lovecraft Country (HBO), God Friended Me (CBS), Lost In Space (Netflix), Siren (Freeform), Dark/Web (Amazon), Macgyver (CBS), Teen Wolf (MTV) & Black Sails (Starz).Her film credits include Message From The King with the late Chadwick Boseman, Under the Silver Lake with Andrew Garfield & Riley Keough, The Last Face directed by Sean Penn with Charlize Theron & Javier Bardem and as the fiery dancer, Ishani in Universal's Honey 3. Sibongile appeared in Black Lightning's episode 7, as part of the backdoor pilot for the spinoff series Painkiller. She will also be in the short Blackout as part of Film Independent's 2020 Project Involve and just finished shooting a recurring role on CW's Roswell, New Mexico. IMDB: imdb.me/sibongilemlamboInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sibongileTwitter: https://twitter.com/sibongileResources Mentioned: Respect for Acting by Uta Hagen* Dare to Lead by Brené Brown* IMDb.com Konzeni Kreations *The following is an affiliate link. If you decide to make a purchase using it, I may receive a commission that helps support the show. Thank you in advance. :)Actions to take Episode Transcript availableFollow @zimexcellencepodcast (IG) & If you're interested in how learning how I launched ZimExcellence then you're in luck. Sign up for my podcast workshop and learn how it's easier and more affordable than ever to start a podcast. Also, get a copy of my podcast resource guide which covers industry terminology, and suggested tech setup in addition to countless online resources to support your podcast journey. Just head to vongai.com/podcastcreation. Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show>> Sign up for Vongai's podcast workshop Buy ZimExcellence Merch

PART 2.  LISTEN TO PART 1 FIRSTSibongile Mlambo is a Zimbabwean actress based in Los Angeles. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Sibongile's passion for the arts was ignited after being cast in the Jury Prize winning international feature, Kini & Adams. She went on to feature in local commercials and expanded into dancing and modeling, eventually becoming the face of one of Nivea's biggest African campaigns, with billboards and ads across the continent. After high school, Sibongile moved to the United States to study Foreign Languages & Literatures at Southern Methodist University. She speaks English, Shona, French, Spanish, and basic Zulu & Xhosa. Upon graduating, she moved to New York to pursue a dance career and eventually moved back to Zimbabwe, ending up in Cape Town, South Africa, where she spent several years building her acting career before moving to Los Angeles.  Her TV credits include Lovecraft Country (HBO), God Friended Me (CBS), Lost In Space (Netflix), Siren (Freeform), Dark/Web (Amazon), Macgyver (CBS), Teen Wolf (MTV) & Black Sails (Starz).Her film credits include Message From The King with the late Chadwick Boseman, Under the Silver Lake with Andrew Garfield & Riley Keough, The Last Face directed by Sean Penn with Charlize Theron & Javier Bardem and as the fiery dancer, Ishani in Universal's Honey 3. Sibongile appeared in Black Lightning's episode 7, as part of the backdoor pilot for the spinoff series Painkiller. She will also be in the short Blackout as part of Film Independent's 2020 Project Involve and just finished shooting a recurring role on CW's Roswell, New Mexico. IMDB: imdb.me/sibongilemlamboInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sibongileTwitter: https://twitter.com/sibongileResources Mentioned: Respect for Acting by Uta Hagen* Dare to Lead by Brené Brown* IMDb.com Konzeni Kreations *The following is an affiliate link. If you decide to make a purchase using it, I may receive a commission that helps support the show. Thank you in advance. :)Actions to take Episode Transcript availableFollow @zimexcellencepodcast If you're interested in how learning how I launched ZimExcellence then you're in luck. Sign up for my podcast workshop and learn how it's easier and more affordable than ever to start a podcast. Also, get a copy of my podcast resource guide which covers industry terminology, and suggested tech setup in addition to countless online resources to support your podcast journey. Just head to vongai.com/podcastcreation. Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show>> Sign up for Vongai's podcast workshop Buy ZimExcellence Merch

Welcome back to The Fit & Fulfilled Podcast.  Join me in this ‘Pandemic Pivoting' series whereby I chat with inspiring individuals around the world who have used the pandemic as a springboard for growth.  In this conversation with Ishani Vellodi Reddy, we discuss:Making a trans-continental move at the height of the pandemicLeaning into a state of acceptanceManaging anxiety amidst the uncertaintyUsing this period as a way to give back to the communityEmbracing the present moment            Check out Ishani on her:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ishanivellodiwellness/Website: https://ishanivellodiwellness.com From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for being here. If you aren't already, come join the party over onInstagram: @khushbu.kweighWebsite: https://kthadani.comIf you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to rate and review this podcast.

(S5, EP 6) Ishani Chokshi (She / They) joins me for this episode as she speaks on the recent challenges she experienced as a South Asian trans woman studying in law school, and names the barriers that current policy and law makers have enforced that harms queer and transgender communities. We talk about her own becoming as a trans woman of color, and her close bond with her communities to celebrate her community family. Check out for more on this episode and follow the work of Trikone on IG @TrikoneChicago. Bio: Ishani (she/they) is an androgynous trans woman and an art-turned-law student obsessed with using art to bring out the truths of queer and transgender youth of color. She is also on the board of Trikone Chicago, Chicagoland's largest South Asian LGBTQ+ organization. She believes that our truths will free and heal not only us, but everyone! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/banhmichronicles/support

Aishwarya talks to Ishani Butalia, Editor at Zubaan (an independent feminist publishing house) about the how she figures out which books to publish and what gaps to fill. We've joined #PodForChange to raise donations for Covid relief. Donate here: www.auwa.in/podforchangeIshani Butalia has been an editor for 7 years. She commissions their trade and academic books and heads Young Zubaan, their children's and young adult books section. She shares how independent publishing houses measure the success of a book: based on book sales, significance of the topic and feedback from the community. Aishwarya loves how Ishani describes the editor-author relationship like a partnership where there's some back and forth. They chat about what she looks for in a book and how she decides whether it's ‘Zubaan material'. What does it mean to publish feminist books? Why does she love middle grade and young adult books? Who is her ideal audience? Book Mentions: Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa GyasiDear Mrs. Naidu by Mathangi SubramanianCarry On by Rainbow RowellAkata Warrior by Nnedi OkoraforIshani K B is an editor and NGO worker based in New Delhi. She commissions books at Zubaan and is co-lead of their No Space For Work project. Find out more here: https://zubaanbooks.com/ ‘The Book People' is brought to you by Bound, a company that creates stories and helps individuals and brands tell their stories. Writer and booklover Aishwarya Javalgekar interviews people whose lives and careers revolve around books. Read more: https://boundindia.com/the-book-people-podcast/Find us @boundindia on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn. Pitch your book to Bound! Send us an email at connect@boundindia.com with your book pitch and at least 3 chapters of your manuscript.Download our FREE research report on ‘Demystifying Indian Publishing': https://boundindia.com/demystifying-the-indian-publishing-industry/Soundtrack: Fork and Spoon  

Welcome back to part 2 of our guest episode with Ishani, the founder of Ensemble Magazine! Pour yourself a matcha and hang out with us as we dive deep into the Ensemble Magazine, its journey from being an abstract idea to a reality, Ishani's unique outlook on fashion and sustainability, her experiences being an entrepreneur and lots more! Follow us on Instagram to get in contact, give us feedback & hear updates from us! https://www.instagram.com/matchamomentspod/

Today we have a very special episode as we are welcoming our first ever guest Ishani, the founder of Ensemble Magazine! Pour yourself a matcha and hang out with us as we chat about being a postgraduate in the midst of a pandemic. We cover the pressures of navigating the job market, discuss how we stay motivated, and lots more. Follow us on Instagram to get in contact, give us feedback & hear updates from us! https://www.instagram.com/matchamomentspod/

Welcome to the third episode of YAAS Tea, the Young Asian Americans for Biden, or YAASB, podcast. In this episode, our Social Media and Digital Communications Co-Director, Sheaa, and one of the AAPIs for Biden interns, Ishani, speak with Ronnie Chatterji, candidate for North Carolina Treasurer. You can join or donate to Ronnie's campaign here: https://www.ronniechatterji.com/ Find out registration and voting information here: iwillvote.com apiavote.org bit.ly/yaasbvote And join us at bit.ly/yaasbiden, or on social media at instagram.com/yaasbiden, twitter.com/yaasbiden, and facebook.com/yaasbiden