Raj Shamani

“My life completely changed after winning the gold medal. I got to meet and interact with PM Narendra Modi ji. But the reaction of my brother and mom after they got to know I got the gold medal was priceless. I couldn’t sleep the whole night,” said Navdeep Singh on our podcast.

The guy who made the entire country proud by getting the gold medal in the Paralympics javelin throw.

As you listen to him on our podcast, you'll realise that it's not just his game that's inspiring, but also his thinking.

Here are my favourite moments from his story:
-> When he was 8 years old, he realized he had a strong interest in sports and started playing wrestling.

-> Later due to an injury he left wrestling but kept practicing running and soon got introduced to javelin.

-> Since last December, he has done detailed training, followed a strict routine, cut down his junk food and kept his eyes on the gold medal.

-> During the final game day, he was confident till the very end that he would win the gold medal and it became his personal highest record.

-> After he won the gold medal, he couldn’t sleep that night. Everyone congratulated him, he got to meet a lot of new people and experienced fame.

That’s all I had for you today!

We also talked about:
⏩ His childhood stories
⏩ His entire training for the Paralympics
⏩ His equation with Neeraj Chopra
⏩ How his life changed post-gold medal
⏩ Stories from his personal life

Watch the entire podcast here:
https://youtu.be/_GqqXyXQ0nE?si=BIhdq...

P.S. Who do you want to see next on our podcast? Tell me in the comments :)

1 day ago | [YT] | 4,917

Raj Shamani

When he was 6, he saw Kapil Dev and wanted to be a cricketer.
Since then his family skipped summer vacations for his cricket training.
Soon, he played cricket alongside top Indian cricketers.
Today, he is India’s one of the most loved cricket commentators.

Meet our today’s guest who is none other than Aakash Chopra.

This conversation is a treat for every cricket fan who loves listening to stories of cricketers and insights into cricket.

-> When he was 6, he saw Kapil Dev on TV and told his family that he wanted to become a cricketer

-> Most coaches rejected him for training due to his young age, but one coach, impressed by his passion, agreed to teach him catching.

-> At 9 his training began, after qualifying in the Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy he got a chance to play in the Indian cricket team.

-> Just before his match with New Zealand, his knee twisted and the doctor said he couldn’t play for the next 6 months but he recovered in 3 months and scored a century in that match.

-> After a great career as a cricketer, he chose to become a cricket commentator and the names he gave to cricketers went viral and his commentary was loved by the audience.

That’s all I had for you today!

We also discussed:
⏩ The process of becoming a cricketer in India
⏩ How much cricket commentators earn in India
⏩ Stories of MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir
⏩ Cricketers who can become star performers
⏩ His biggest mistakes in commentary career

Watch the entire podcast here:
https://youtu.be/5gyq6VcDhNc?si=PoHRA...

P.S. Which cricketer do you want to see next on Figuring Out? Share with me in the comments :)

4 days ago | [YT] | 4,530

Raj Shamani

He is a 26/11 warrior who without caring for his life, went fearlessly and saved people. He had almost 6 near-death experiences and belonged to the deadliest army of the world, MARCOS.

Meet our guest, Praveen Kumar Teotia, who is an Ex MARCOS, Gallantry Shaurya Chakra, and a 26/11 warrior.

This was the first conversation, which made me cry. This entire episode will make you emotional and overwhelming, but it will make you proud and shocked after knowing what our army goes through just to keep us safe.

Here are my top 5 takeaways:
-> During phase 2 of the MARCOS training it is so intense that after the first week, from 150-200 people only 50 odd people remain.

-> After clearing the entire selection process, while taking the oath, they have to cut their thumb with a knife and drop their blood while taking the pledge.

-> He says that MARCOS army are the deadliest people as they are trained to operate and fight in all three areas like land, air, and water.

-> MARCOS army is considered top 1 in the world because of their mental toughness. When they are in the scariest situation when their body has given up still they keep fighting.

-> After fighting in the 26/11 attack, he was in ICU for 19 days, took 4 months to heal, and is still undergoing surgeries to recover from the injuries.

That’s all I had for you today!

We also talked about:
⏩ Entire selection process of MARCOS officer
⏩ Health dangers while being in underwater operations
⏩ His side of the story of the 26/11 attack
⏩ How he was treated by his colleagues after being injured
⏩ Why MARCOS are the deadliest army in the world

Watch the entire episode here: https://youtu.be/_F49L6UrnR0?si=V_A9J...

P.S. Any Indian army person whose story inspires you and you want it to be heard by millions? Recommend their name in the comments below🙌🏼

6 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 8,039

Raj Shamani

2018: They started Pocket FM because of their passion for audio content.
2024: Pocket FM has become a leading audio series platform with millions of listeners globally.

Meet our today’s guest the Co-Founder and CEO of Pocket FM, Rohan Nayak.

Here are my top 5 takeaways from our conversation:
-> Three types of content that work well: Underdog to hero story, relatable and aspirational or bizarre stories.

-> After talking to their users, they realized that binge-listening is easier than binge-watching for most people.

-> User’s time is limited so they are competing with every content type to be their substitute and have maximum time of the user.

-> He said that hiring is an underrated skill and for a company’s growth it is important to hire 10 good leaders.

-> One business opportunity that he recommended is games with AI integration and more story-based games.

That’s all I had for you today!

We also discussed:
⏩ The process of entering the US market and becoming big
⏩ Content type which has a high retention rate
⏩ Business opportunities in India
⏩ How Pocket FM became big
⏩ How he started Pocket FM

Watch the entire podcast here:
https://youtu.be/z8bDIFFurVc?si=Czkzw...

P.S. What is the one potential business opportunity in India according to you? Share with me in the comments :)

1 week ago | [YT] | 3,219

Raj Shamani

She started acting at 13 and had "good girl syndrome," always agreeing with people out of fear of offending them. But a few years ago, she felt exhausted and decided to honour herself. Since then, she’s been blooming in all areas of her life.

Our today’s guest is none other than actor Tamannaah Bhatia.

Our conversation revolved around her childhood memories, love, career, and self-love.

Here are my top 5 takeaways:
-> During her teenage till her late 20s, she would please people in the fear of not putting them in an uncomfortable position.

-> Since childhood she loved movies as the end of every movie gave her hope, and that made her become a performer and pursue acting at 13.

-> When she told her dad she wanted to pursue acting, he happily supported her and her mom accompanied her during shoots.

-> While talking about Rajinikanth sir, she said that he is the purest soul you will ever meet, he is humble and appreciates his fans.

-> She says honoring ourselves, and our needs is very important. Otherwise, if we keep giving to others without looking after us, we will soon feel drained.

That’s all I had for you today!

We also discussed:
⏩ One quality an ideal female partner should have
⏩ Stories from her childhood days
⏩ Why people worship stars in the south
⏩ How she invests her money
⏩ Two major heartbreaks of her life

Watch the entire podcast here:
https://youtu.be/vDuDFbfkukc?si=dAeHc...

P.S. One quality an ideal partner should have according to you? Comment down below.

1 week ago | [YT] | 7,365

Raj Shamani

‘Night is not for solving the problems, it is there to have a good sleep,’ said Dr. Hansaji Yogendra on our podcast.

She is a popular Indian yoga guru, and author and has more than 4 million subscribers on YouTube.

Here are the top 5 takeaways from our conversation:
-> Irritants take 36 hours to get activated and turn into a disease, if we do certain breathing exercises then we can remove those irritants and avoid diseases.

-> Negative thoughts can lead to poor digestion, saturation of fat, deficiency, low immune system, and many other serious diseases.

-> Three yoga poses everyone should do: Padmasana, Sukhasana, and Vajrasana.

-> Common mistakes most people make include eating the wrong foods, not exercising, neglecting their hobbies, and not focusing on sleep quality.

-> For better sleep quality, she said that we should eat early, avoid eating heavy food, and go for a 30-minute walk post-dinner.

That’s all I had for you today!

We also discussed:
⏩ How our thoughts can cause serious diseases
⏩ Tips to feel energetic throughout the day
⏩ How can wrong yoga practice hamper our health
⏩ How to cure hair thinning
⏩ How to get glowing skin

Watch the entire podcast here:
https://youtu.be/23AnNZRoEuM?si=wZ_Ak...

P.S. One thing that you do daily to keep yourself energetic? Comment down below.

1 week ago | [YT] | 4,535

Raj Shamani

‘You can sell anything if you can get into the head of the consumer,’ said Dr. Sanjay Arora on our podcast.

He is the Founder and CEO of Shells Advertising Inc. and has been a Keynote Speaker.

If you enjoy listening to brand case studies, how brands plan unique strategies to increase sales and how they understand consumer psychology then you will surely enjoy this episode!

Here are top 5 takeaways from our conversation:
-> An interesting study in the US found that Nike sold 14% more sneakers on days when fragrance was introduced in the store compared to days without it.

-> He said, the processed food industry today is built on creating addiction by achieving the "bliss point" through the right blend of sugar, salt, and fat.

-> He shared a research that explained the yellow and red colour used by McDonald’s; Red triggers hunger and Yellow triggers happiness.

-> Brand name plays an important role according to him, it should be short, easy to remember and easy to pronounce.

-> One marketing lesson he shared,’ Sacrifice is the essence of strategy.” It is important to know what you don’t want your product/brand to be positioned like.

That’s all I had for you today!

We also talked about:
⏩ How Maggi played around emotions for brand positioning
⏩ How luxury brands are made
⏩ Four evergreen marketing lessons
⏩ Worst marketing campaign by brands
⏩ Apple’s branding story

Watch the entire podcast here:
https://youtu.be/DTFfbGwYz2g?si=BtfoM...

P.S. Which brand’s marketing campaign has still stuck with you? Comment below.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 4,580

Raj Shamani

‘Detectives are born not made’ said India’s first private female detective Rajani Pandit on our podcast.

She has solved more than 80,000 cases and made India proud with her unwavering courage, boldness, and intelligence.

Our conversation was filled with stories that will shock you and make you think about the things that are happening around you.

Here are my top 5 takeaways:
-> 4 qualities that someone who wants to be a detective should have- courage, strength, sharpness of mind, and quick decision-making ability.

-> One of the most shocking cases she has solved was finding a 17-year-old lost girl who was being pregnant by a 65-year-old man living in her building.

-> While talking about the reality of most of the jails in India, she said that in a place where 2 people can fit in, 8-10 people are kept.

-> She said a few reasons behind increased in extramarital affairs are: lack of time, and fights between couples leading to seeking outside comfort and dissatisfaction in their relationship.

-> Scammers from foreign countries are trapping innocent people here by first sending them expensive gifts as a sign of love and then asking them for money under the name of an emergency situation and later ghosting them.

That’s all I had for you today!

We also discussed:
⏩ How she hires detectives and her techniques for solving cases
⏩ How people are trapping innocent people on dating apps
⏩ Bizarre things couples are doing these days
⏩ Her story of being in jail for a wrong case
⏩ List of scenarios she can help you in

Watch the entire podcast here:
https://youtu.be/ynL7qxMI9Ig?si=DQWfB...

P.S. What is the one thing about detectives that inspires you the most? Share with me in the comments :)

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 7,003

Raj Shamani

Which quote has helped you become a better person lately? Tell me in the comments.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 16,903

Raj Shamani

‘2 out of 3 women on dating apps have not met the people from the app,’ said Varun Sud on our podcast.

He is the Founder and CEO of Juleo: The Trusted Singles Club.

Juleo has been built by alumni of Google, Amazon, P&G, McKinsey, BCG, Uber, Zomato, Swiggy, IITs, multiple start-ups and ex-founders.

This was one of the most insightful conversations we had on modern dating stories, dating apps, and how these apps have shaped people’s behaviour and psychology.

Here are my top 5 takeaways from our conversation:

-> When they surveyed 1000 people who have used dating apps, 70% said that they had experienced fake profiles on dating apps.

-> When he spoke to matchmakers, he got to know that for 8-9 girls only 1 guy’s bio-data is available.

-> One major problem with dating apps for women is they are overwhelmed by quantity and underwhelmed by quality.

-> Three ways how dating apps affect mental health: Rejection, lack of closure, and decision fatigue due to too many choices.

-> 50% of guys feel unsafe being on dating apps due to increased scams and crimes that are coming to light these days.

That’s all we had for you today!

We also talked about:

⏩ Crazy stories of people who have been on dating apps
⏩ How dating apps are ruining people’s mental health
⏩ Why people are finding it difficult to find love
⏩ How is Juleo not a dating or matrimony app, but a Trusted Singles Club?
⏩ Why matchmaking is failing in India

Watch the entire podcast here:
https://youtu.be/dFRGrsPGCGU?si=gMtEc...

P.S. What are your views on modern dating and dating apps? Share with me in the comments 🙌🏼

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 2,428