As we get ready to wrap up the year, here is my key takeaway: Your entire life will change when you start to embrace what most people avoid.  The Things We Avoid Are the Things That Change Us Unscripted Growth is a space for thoughtful essays, audio musings, and conversations that invite us to pause, examine our patterns, and choose deliberately—long after the inspiration fades.

Everyone is working hard… so why doesn’t hard work always lead to fulfillment? Watching my kids play sports taught me something powerful. Speed matters — but accuracy and placement are what actually change the game. And life works the same way. Moving fast without direction just creates noise. Effort without intention doesn’t equal progress. So maybe the question isn’t how fast you’re moving —but whether you’re placing your energy where it actually matters!  

Some people make an impact loudly. Others do it quietly, consistently, and for decades.Today, I’m speaking with someone I’ve known since kindergarten—someone whose quiet conviction has transformed more than 500 young lives across India. For over twenty years, Binu Verghese has devoted his evenings, weekends, and heart to supporting underprivileged children through education, opportunity, and dignity. No spotlight. No agenda. Just service. In our conversation, we explore the moment that set him on this path, what kept him going, the children who reshaped his worldview, and the message he hopes the next generation carries forward. If you’ve ever wondered how one person can create lasting change—this is the story you need to hear.

Have you noticed how often smart people start great ideas with an apology?“I’m not an expert, but…”“Maybe I’m totally wrong…”“Sorry if this is obvious…” We don’t lose confidence because others doubt us —we lose it because we’ve learned to doubt ourselves out loud. These tiny phrases feel harmless, yet they shrink our voice before we’ve even spoken.In my new episode of Unscripted Growth, I explore how small language shifts can change how our ideas land — without losing humility. 🎙️ Stop Apologizing Before You Speak

Today, I want to talk about that tender space inside us —the space that gets shaped, softened, and sometimes bruisedby the voices we allow closest to our hearts. In this episode, we explore a quiet truth: our lives are shaped not just by our choices, but by the voices we allow closest to us. When the wrong voices get too loud, we shrink. When the right ones guide us, we rise. This is a reminder to protect your inner world, choose your influences wisely, and reconnect with the one voice that matters most—your own.

What do a spy, the glass industry, luxury automobiles, and IT have in common? One person: Dimitri Gauquier. In my latest Unscripted Conversations episode, I sat down with Dimitri — someone whose career has reinvented itself more times than most people change job titles. From intelligence work in Belgium to high-end manufacturing to technology, his journey is a masterclass in adaptability, transferable skills, and the courage to say “yes” to the unfamiliar. If you’ve ever wondered whether your past experiences can open unexpected doors — or whether it’s too late to pivot — this conversation is the reminder you need.

We talk a lot about leadership, productivity, and growth, but we rarely talk about the source that fuels all three: the relationship we build with ourselves. The way we speak to ourselves shapes how we show up at work, at home, and in every challenge we face. Here is a short reflection on why self-kindness is not optional, but essential.

Unscripted Conversation with Elizabeth Sutherland

🎙 Unscripted Growth Conversations | Episode: Grounded Strength and Resilience   This Unscripted Conversation is one that stays with you long after it ends. I’m sitting down with Elizabeth Sutherland — someone who grew up in foster care yet carries a kind of grounded strength that comes without resentment or guilt. Elizabeth chose to meet life exactly as it came, and that openness allowed her to ask for help, invest in herself, and refuse to let her circumstances write her future. Her story is a powerful reminder that growth isn’t about having a perfect starting point — it’s about choosing courage, curiosity, and possibility, even when the path is uncertain. This is an honest, brave, and deeply human conversation about rewriting your story from the inside out.

Success is something we start chasing early — grades, careers, homes — following an invisible checklist society hands us. But along the way, many of us forget to define what success truly means for us. In this episode of Unscripted Growth, I explore how real success isn’t inherited from others’ expectations but shaped by our own evolving values. It’s a reminder to pause once in a while, ask yourself what success looks like right now, and make sure your life still reflects that vision — because true success isn’t about reaching somewhere, it’s about returning to yourself. 🌱

🎙 Unscripted Growth | Episode: Fun and Games with Monica In this episode, Monica shares how she’s turned play into a powerful tool for connection and growth.Through fun and games, she’s learned to lower walls, ease apprehension, and bring people closer—both to each other and to themselves. What starts as lighthearted laughter often becomes something deeper: a reminder that growth doesn’t always have to feel heavy.Sometimes, the most meaningful lessons come when we loosen up and simply play. ✨ Tune in to hear how Monica and her community have found transformation in the joy of play.#UnscriptedGrowth #Leadership #PersonalDevelopment #TeamBuilding #Mindfulness #PlayAtWork

💬 Delivering Tough Messages — A Test of Character We’ve all faced that moment when the truth feels heavier than silence.Whether at work or home, delivering hard news is never easy—but it’s where real trust begins. In this episode of Unscripted Growth, I share a story about standing before a board to deliver bad news—and what it taught me about honesty, courage, and leadership. Because in the end, it’s not the ease of the message that defines us — it’s the honesty with which we deliver it. 🎧 Listen to: Delivering Tough Messages

Welcome back to Unscripted Growth — a space where we explore the stories that remind us how beautifully human growth can be. Today, I sit down with Brian — a former coworker, technician, dancer, and now, an unlikely beekeeper. In this conversation, Brian shares how his curiosity led him from a fear of bees to forming a deep bond with them, teaching him lessons about patience, respect, and living in harmony with nature. His story is a gentle reminder that growth doesn’t always roar — sometimes, it hums softly, just like a hive in balance.

Diwali isn’t just about lighting lamps — it’s about keeping the flame within us alive.Across distances and time zones, it reminds us that belonging isn’t tied to geography, but to the values we carry — courage, kindness, and gratitude.As we celebrate this festival of light, may we remember that illumination isn’t found in perfect moments, but in how we choose to show up — with grace, empathy, and quiet strength.   Listen to my reflection on how Diwali continues to guide us, no matter where we are:

In a world that often feels divided, laughter is the simplest bridge back to connection. In this episode of Unscripted Growth, I explore how laughter—when used with kindness—can heal tension, soften hearts, and remind us of our shared humanity. Because sometimes, peace doesn’t begin with words… it begins with a laugh

We all love the idea of learning, but few of us love what it demands: discomfort, humility, and persistence. In this episode, I sit down with Deepa Kartha, who shares her firsthand experience with continuous learning and observation. She talks about embracing discomfort, leaning into what doesn’t come naturally, and allowing curiosity to guide her growth. It’s a powerful reminder that the path to becoming better isn’t always easy — but it’s always worth it.

Stop waiting for the “perfect moment.” Later often turns into never. How many years are you willing to trade for safety while time slips away? Life has no script—but regret will always cost more than risk.    Listen to the latest episode of Unscripted Growth and take the first step today.

Join Charu Kulkarni and I as we discuss the importance of living in the moment with grace and empathy.

Working women are often praised for juggling it all but rarely encouraged to pause for themselves. The cost? Burnout, dwindling confidence, and a quiet absence of joy. In this episode of Unscripted Growth, I call for a shift: to see self-care not as selfishness, but as the foundation for stronger leadership, deeper relationships, and sustained impact.

There are moments in life that crack us open—not just to pain, but to clarity. In today’s episode, we’re exploring what happens when people leave, when love shifts, and when silence says more than words ever could. This isn’t just about loss—it’s about what’s revealed in the space that’s left behind, and how we grow into it