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Welcome to the first second of Ask Meta, the bonus segment of this podcast where I answer your questions on careers, freelancing, productivity and whatever else you think I am qualified to answer! This week, two questions on finding freelance work, and two questions around personal content creation! I'd love to answer your questions. Just ping me below and I'll take things ahead from there! Instagram -> instagram.com/chuckofalltrades Twitter-> twitter.com/chuck_gopal Email -> [email protected]

Welcome to the first second of Ask Meta, the bonus segment of this podcast where I answer your questions on careers, freelancing, productivity and whatever else you think I am qualified to answer! This time, questions about side hustles, choosing jobs, and figuring out what one is good at. I'd love to answer your questions. Just ping me below and I'll take things ahead from there! Instagram -> instagram.com/chuckofalltrades Twitter-> twitter.com/chuck_gopal Email-> [email protected] See you next week with more Ask Meta!

Welcome to the first second of Ask Meta, the bonus segment of this podcast where I answer your questions on careers, freelancing, productivity and whatever else you think I am qualified to answer! In this episode, I answer questions from Aishwarya (on planning for future work as a freelancer), Shehzad (about the value of an MBA and building a career in the creative field) and Akshay (a thoughtful question about growth as a freelancer). I'd love to answer your questions. Just ping me below and I'll take things ahead from there! Instagram -> instagram.com/chuckofalltrades Twitter -> twitter.com/chuck_gopal Email -> [email protected] See you next week with more Ask Meta!

Welcome to the first episode of Ask Meta, the bonus segment of this podcast where I answer your questions on careers, freelancing, productivity and whatever else you think I am qualified to answer! In this episode, I answer questions from Abhijit (on moving to another country), Vaishnavi (on why I got into digital marketing / freelancing), Prem (on how to build a name as a content strategy consultant) and an anonymous question (on when to quit a job). Great first set of questions to kick this series off, and I hope my answers make sense! I'd love to answer your questions. Just ping me below and I'll take things ahead from there! Instagram -> instagram.com/chuckofalltrades Twitter -> twitter.com/chuck_gopal Email-> [email protected] See you next week with more Ask Meta!

I appeared as a guest on my own show, Simblified! I chat with my pals Naren, Srikeit and Tony about Getting Meta. How it came about, what my learnings were and our own takes on productivity. It was a deeply personal chat with the gang I usually joke around with and I hope you enjoy it! Ask Meta! Have a question for me? Something related to careers or productivity or mental models I could help answer? This is a new segment I'm going to try out in a couple of weeks. Mail me any question at all you have (don't worry about how you structure it, we can figure that out). Mail me at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you! You can also reach out to me on: twitter.com/chuck_gopal instagram.com/chuckofalltrades

I appeared on Ashdin Doctor's excellent podcast, The Habit Coach to talk about Getting Meta and why I decided to start it, along with a few learnings from there. We did two episodes and I'm sharing them both here (cross-promo!). The interviews first aired on The Habit Coach in August 2021. This is the second of a two-part series, and the first part was out last week. If you enjoyed the interviews on Getting Meta till now, I'm sure you'll enjoy these, and you should also check out The Habit Coach as it's an excellent podcast about habits and improving one's life in meaningful ways. It was an honour for me to be on the show! Ask Meta! Have a question for me? Something related to careers or productivity or mental models I could help answer? This is a new segment I'm going to try out in a few weeks' time. Mail me any question at all you have (don't worry about how you structure it, we can figure that out). Mail me at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you! You can also reach out to me on: twitter.com/chuck_gopal instagram.com/chuckofalltrades

I appeared on Ashdin Doctor's excellent podcast, The Habit Coach to talk about Getting Meta and why I decided to start it, along with a few learnings from there. We did two episodes and I'm sharing them both here (cross-promo!). The interviews first aired on The Habit Coach in August 2021. This is the first of a two-part series, and the next part will be out next week. If you enjoyed the interviews on Getting Meta till now, I'm sure you'll enjoy these, and you should also check out The Habit Coach as it's an excellent podcast about habits and improving one's life in meaningful ways. It was an honour for me to be on the show! Ask Meta! Have a question for me? Something related to careers or productivity or mental models I could help answer? This is a new segment I'm going to try out in a few weeks' time. Mail me any question at all you have (don't worry about how you structure it, we can figure that out). Mail me at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you! You can also reach out to me on: twitter.com/chuck_gopal instagram.com/chuckofalltrades

In the season finale of Getting Meta 2021, I am absolutely thrilled to have Srini Swaminathan as a guest. Srini is extremely active in the social service space - having organised several fundraisers, Covid reliefs, was on-ground for the farmer protests, was a part of Teach for India, and so so much more. But even if you exclude that, there is so much to talk to him about - he’s an active marathoner, he’s cycled from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, and Kutch to Guwahati. He is also just an incredible guy. Eternally optimistic, lots of stories… He started life in poverty but he’s led a very rich life. He’s recently written a book on sustainability as well, which happily, coincides with the release of this episode. In this interview, we speak about: His childhood and how that shaped him Asking why - and how that has driven everything that he’s done His motto for social service - Show up consistently, serve, share genuinely. How he himself changed: From a sheltered life in poverty, to a dauntingly huge college, to oil fields in Venezuela, leaving a lucrative job to become a teacher, to endurance sport. Learning from bad experiences. Starting with an expiry date in mind & planning for worst case scenario Near death experiences - four of them (!) and what he learnt from that How he went from having asthma to finishing 28 full marathons And finally… Staying positive Everything Srini: Twitter: https://twitter.com/srini091 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/srini091 AboutMe: https://about.me/srini091 His book about sustainability: https://amzn.to/2UIU7h4 References made during the show, not in order: “What will I do about it” an Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CA8PM6EJxOx/ On his cycling trip across the country: https://yourstory.com/2018/03/srini-swaminathan-marathon-solar-schools/amp Getting Meta links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40Vo30aQilVrxEOkoSmDjx?si=pCOPeJlcR0uN_g2ZZs8iLQ&dl_branch=1 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/getting-meta/id1573882113 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGF0aWMuYWRvcmlsYWJzLmNvbS9mZWVkL2dldHRpbmctbWV0YS54bWw IVM website: https://shows.ivmpodcasts.com/show/getting-meta-y2rb-RtSzWNdzZ8i99R2Q Follow your host on: Twitter: twitter.com/chuck_gopal Instagram: instagram.com/chuckofalltrades Email: [email protected]

I speak to my friend and someone whose work I’ve admired for a long time - Lavanya Mohan. Lavanya, who many might know as lavsmohan, used to run one of India’s funniest blogs about a decade ago, called ChutneyCase. Since then, she has transitioned into a very interesting niche - personal finance from a woman’s point of view in India. In between, she has also been a freelance writer for several publications, on topics ranging from culture to humour to finance. For me, it was a pleasure to speak to her since it wasn’t just a great conversation with lots of insights, but also a chance to catch up with a Friend. In this interview, we speak about: Storytelling and how that was the root of everything that followed in her life How her writing evolved How the biggest shift in her life happened quite unexpectedly How not to be scared of money or finance (especially looking at finance through the lens of something you are already passionate about) Building niches, but trying whatever you can Taking advantage of your situation, and not being bummed out you’re not being where the action is How “explain it like I’m 5” is the ultimate test of whether you’ve understood something Productivity, routine, setting personal goals, and finding your “creative best time” How audiences determine the content - direct, even! - that a creator might do Everything Lavanya Mohan: Her Twitter: http://twitter.com/lavsmohan Her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lavsmohan The website on personal finance she runs, Penn Money: http://pennmoney.com/ The articles she wrote for The News Minute under the moniker Rupee Rani: https://www.thenewsminute.com/author-articles/Lavanya-Mohan References made during the show, not in order: Narendra Shenoy’s old blog: http://narendrashenoy.blogspot.com/ What is Bullet Journaling: https://bulletjournal.com/pages/learn The case study I wrote about the protein bar brand, The Whole Truth: https://thehardcopy.co/and-nothing-but-the-truth/ Getting Meta links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40Vo30aQilVrxEOkoSmDjx?si=pCOPeJlcR0uN_g2ZZs8iLQ&dl_branch=1 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/getting-meta/id1573882113 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGF0aWMuYWRvcmlsYWJzLmNvbS9mZWVkL2dldHRpbmctbWV0YS54bWw IVM website: https://shows.ivmpodcasts.com/show/getting-meta-y2rb-RtSzWNdzZ8i99R2Q Follow your host on: Twitter: twitter.com/chuck_gopal Instagram: instagram.com/chuckofalltrades Email: [email protected]

In this episode, I speak to Meeta Malhotra, someone who dons many hats. Currently, she is the founder and editor of The Hard Copy, an excellent publication on branding and design which I write for, and through which I have gotten to know her well. But before that, she made a name for herself as a partner at Ray & Keshavan, India’s once-premier design agency, before it was sold to advertising conglomerate WPP in 2013. From then, Meeta has been a serial investor, entrepreneur and mentor. I’ve had some excellent conversations in the last two years with Meeta thanks to the work I’ve done for her publication, and I count myself fortunate to be able to do so, benefiting from her wisdom and experience. I was very keen to have her on this show not only to get her insights but also to talk about something apart from what we always end up talking about! In this interview, we speak about: How if fundamentals are in place, everything else works out. How to charge a premium beyond having technical skills. How to not be scared of making mistakes On the two methods of reading - the rabbithole and the hurdle race Building the ability to zoom out and looking at the larger picture The power of compounding and how to go about “networking”… And what IS a network, in the first place? Two things that you need to survive over the next few years - adaptability and resilience Everything Meeta Malhotra: Her Twitter: http://twitter.com/meetamalhotra Her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meeta_malhotra The Hard Copy, which she edits: https://thehardcopy.co/ Her personal website: https://meetamalhotra.com/ A talk she did in March 2020 on awareness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L282QAC6Kg References made during the show, not in order: The Great Influenza by John Barry (book): https://www.amazon.in/dp/B08CGSJT44 The article on The Hard Copy on virtual concerts: https://thehardcopy.co/the-future-of-live-entertainment/ Getting Meta links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40Vo30aQilVrxEOkoSmDjx?si=pCOPeJlcR0uN_g2ZZs8iLQ&dl_branch=1 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/getting-meta/id1573882113 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGF0aWMuYWRvcmlsYWJzLmNvbS9mZWVkL2dldHRpbmctbWV0YS54bWw IVM website: https://shows.ivmpodcasts.com/show/getting-meta-y2rb-RtSzWNdzZ8i99R2Q Follow your host on: Twitter: twitter.com/chuck_gopal Instagram: instagram.com/chuckofalltrades Email: [email protected]

I speak with entrepreneur and “good guy of the Indian startup scene”, Dhimant Parekh. He’s the founder and CEO of The Better India and The Better Home - the former is a media company that shines a spotlight on people making a difference, and the latter is a line of sustainable home-cleaning products. His LinkedIn bio starts with “I love to build useful stuff from scratch.” When I floated the idea for this show on Twitter last year, more than one person wrote in saying I should definitely have him on the show. And that was a good idea - Dhimant was called, by one of those people, as the “most productive person I know”. Apart from running these two seemingly different companies, he also has a lot of outside interests - theatre, reading, the startup scene in general, quantum physics… all in all, great guest material for my humble little show. What I spoke to Dhimant about: How one's upbringing can really shape what they do in the future On how parallel interests can rub off on each other Finding your own work style (Dhimant, admittedly, is not a calendar-oriented person) Why the most important skill today is the ability to narrate a story How his company dealt with the pandemic and overcame several odds Positivity and finding hope in a time like this His various interests: from PASCAL to quantum physics.  Everything Dhimant Parekh: Twitter :- https://twitter.com/dhimant LinkedIn :- https://in.linkedin.com/in/dhimant The companies he founded The Better India :- https://www.thebetterindia.com/ The Better Home :- https://shop.thebetterindia.com/ Dhimant’s article about surviving and thriving as a business during Covid-19 YourStory :- https://yourstory.com/2020/08/business-advice-startup-founders-covid-19/amp References made during the show, not in order: Dhimant’s thread about how he imbibed empathy from his dad Twitter :- https://twitter.com/dhimant/status/1305138048431251461 The Pomodoro Technique, which Dhimant references, but doesn’t necessarily espouse website :- https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique Dhimant’s love for quantum physics can be seen in some of his Twitter threads - here is one, on one of the most famous equations of all time  Twitter :- https://twitter.com/dhimant/status/1293591687910981633 Buy Dancing Wu Li Masters by Gary Zukov - a book which Dhimant recommends to get introduced to quantum physics Goodreads :- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64794.Dancing_Wu_Li_Masters Amazon :- https://www.amazon.in/Dancing-Wu-Li-Masters-Overview/dp/0060959681 The books of Brian Green website :- http://www.briangreene.org/books-and-writings/ Mindscape - Sean Carroll’s podcast website :- https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/ Arrow of Time - Sean Carroll’s post website :- https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/blog/2004/10/27/the-arrow-of-time/ Dhimant’s blog Medium :- https://medium.com/@dhimant/ The first post he wrote on it, which is referenced Medium :- https://medium.com/@dhimant/how-we-founded-a-positive-news-organization-325574001d1a An article your podcast host wrote about The Better Home in The Hard Copy Link :- https://thehardcopy.co/from-content-to-commerce-the-better-home/

Today, I speak to a batchmate, friend and inspiration - Pallavi Barman. Pallavi would absolutely hate it if I said something like "fitness influencer", so let's just say that she's very much into fitness, is a nerd about knowing her own body, is authentic about what she shares on her social media. It’s equal part relatable and inspirational for anyone trying to live life a little fitter every day.  But she’s much more - she’s the head of marketing and operations and HRX and I have never seen anyone embody a company and its ethos more than her. She's also done several other things that have shaped her, and has been through enough ups and downs in her personal life, to draw lessons from. And the most exciting part is that she’s still WIP - and is looking to do a lot more, including a PhD. What I spoke to Pallavi about: Why discipline is the foundation of everything else in her life. How she found fitness as a way to tackle depression and loneliness Doing things consciously and getting to know one's body rather than following a fad How she inadvertently but successfully became a key opinion leader for her brand, HRX Not letting gender / motherhood or anything else define her Her dreams and things that are WIP How she uses running time to work out scripts and choreography!  Everything Pallavi Barman: Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/pallavi_barman LinkedIn : https://in.linkedin.com/in/pallavibarman An interview she did with Mint : https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/46rvup2kVBYdHjX4ICHI5N/A-fit-individual-is-focused-organized-and-sharp.html An interview on running during the lockdown : https://hrxbrand.com/blog-details/24/Staying-Motivated-Amidst-The-Lockdown References made during the show, not in order: The Attributes by Rich Divine Goodreads : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53733101-the-attributes Amazon : https://www.amazon.in/Attributes-Hidden-Drivers-Optimal-Performance-ebook/dp/B08FQWPQ86/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= The Four Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss Goodreads : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/368593.The_4_Hour_Workweek Amazon : https://www.amazon.in/4-Hour-Workweek-Expanded-Updated-Cutting-Edge/dp/0307465357 Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell Goodreads : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3228917-outliers Amazon : https://www.amazon.in/Outliers-Story-Success-Malcolm-Gladwell/dp/0316017922 Getting Meta links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/40Vo30aQilVrxEOkoSmDjx?si=pCOPeJlcR0uN_g2ZZs8iLQ&dl_branch=1 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/getting-meta/id1573882113 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9zdGF0aWMuYWRvcmlsYWJzLmNvbS9mZWVkL2dldHRpbmctbWV0YS54bWw IVM website: https://shows.ivmpodcasts.com/show/getting-meta-y2rb-RtSzWNdzZ8i99R2Q Follow your host on: Twitter: twitter.com/chuck_gopal Instagram: instagram.com/chuckofalltrades Email: [email protected]