I am a reluctant podcast host. I really don’t feel I have the right voice, tone, inflection, or whatever is required to create a voiced presence online. 

I try to have these podcasts still because I believe it’s important to try things in life that you may not necessarily think you are good for but which are good for you. 

For Season 2 of The MyndStories Minis Podcast, I have no specific guest list. Unlike the main show, I choose the guests for these conversations randomly. I hardly prepare, and these conversations are mostly unscripted, apart from the few questions I think of belatedly asking as per the briefing. 

In choosing a guest, I have no particular process to follow. Perhaps, it’s the way they write online. Perhaps, it’s my personal connection with them. Or maybe, they really wrote a compelling pitch, as in the case of Hansika Tyagi. (Also one of the most poignant conversations I have had, given that Hansika would pass away a few months after this show was recorded)

So, how did I choose Shantesh Row, copywriter and CCO of Slant Advertising, for Episode 1 of Season 2?

The Universe rewards you in random ways for seemingly random choices. 

Reality is that I had been in awe of Shantesh’s unfiltered writing on LinkedIn. Here was a masterful copywriter, able to spin magic in even a silly post. It wasn’t that Shantesh had 25k followers on LinkedIn. It was that he didn’t seem to care about having followers: he was here to write, voice his thoughts, and that he would do, no matter what the metrics. 

And above everything else, Shantesh came with a refreshing take on life. A luminous approach to chaos. A visible love for living. 

It’s not often that I meet people who make me laugh. Shantesh did that. All through this podcast, which is now the most-downloaded one ever on our show. It even eclipsed Prachi S Vaish, psychotherapist and the Co-Founder of Emotional Wellness Initiatives talking about dating and relationships! 

I don’t normally listen to my podcasts, so do me a favor and listen to this for me. 

Because you might need a laugh too.

Perhaps, you might chuckle along.

Perhaps, we may all learn to lighten up, as Shantesh suggests. Maybe, we will find it in ourselves to lean into the chaos. To find the clarity in the confusion. To live this one precious day to our fullest. 

Finding the fun in life with Shantesh Row | The MyndStories Minis

With light and love,

Smitha