104 episodes

"The Tamil Creator" is a podcast started by me (Ara Ehamparam) to celebrate, spotlight and learn about the brilliance among creators in the global Tamil community, with the end product being a conversation that is equal parts educational, inspirational and entertaining.

The Tamil Creator Ara Ehamparam

    • Business
    • 4.9 • 22 Ratings

"The Tamil Creator" is a podcast started by me (Ara Ehamparam) to celebrate, spotlight and learn about the brilliance among creators in the global Tamil community, with the end product being a conversation that is equal parts educational, inspirational and entertaining.

    EP #104: Sindu Sivapalan - Real Estate Investor Who Relocated From The GTA To The East Coast To Pursue Financial Freedom

    EP #104: Sindu Sivapalan - Real Estate Investor Who Relocated From The GTA To The East Coast To Pursue Financial Freedom

    Sindu Sivapalan (@sindusiva) is a real estate investor who made the bold move from the GTA to the East Coast (Moncton) with her husband while she was 8 months pregnant to pursue financial freedom.

    She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss having a ‘go with the flow’ mindset, what she learned from analyzing portfolios as a financial advisor, the benefits of East Coast living, having a passion for real estate from a young age, the importance of using your equity to work for you while making calculating decisions, and so much more.

    Follow Sindu:
    - Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sindusiva/)

    Timestamps

    00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Sindu Sivapalan
    02:46 - Relocating to the East Coast of Canada with her husband
    06:45 - The impact of her childhood; listing her parents home at 15 years old
    11:05 - How quitting her accounting job led to her obsession with real estate
    13:15 - Why real estate is a simple math equation
    14:52 - Her learnings from analyzing portfolios as a financial advisor
    17:58 - Building a multi-family investment portfolio with her husband
    21:35 - The Fire Movement; wanting to ‘retire’ early
    22:47 - What she plans to do with her time upon retiring
    24:00 - Has Sindu’s success convinced her family/friends to follow her blueprint?
    26:38 - The benefits of moving from the GTA to the East Coast
    31:02 - Does she miss Toronto and will she ever come back?
    32:06 - Her plan for the next five years
    33:45 - Her biggest learning lesson
    36:24 - Advice she would give her 16-year-old self
    36:46 - The personal legacy she wants to be remembered for
    37:09 - Creator Confessions
    39:47 - The Wrap Up

    Intro Music

    Produced And Mixed By:
    - The Tamil Creator
    - Yanchan

    Written By:
    - Aravinthan Ehamparam
    - Yanchan Rajmohan  

    • 40 min
    EP #103: Mano Kulasingam - Tech Entrepreneur Supporting Immigrant Founders As Managing Partner Of Flair Ventures

    EP #103: Mano Kulasingam - Tech Entrepreneur Supporting Immigrant Founders As Managing Partner Of Flair Ventures

    Mano Kulasingam (@manok4) is currently the Founder & Managing Partner for Flair Ventures, a VC firm focused on investing in early-stage startups with at least 1 immigrant founder. Previously, he was the co-founder and CEO of Digiflare which was acquired 10 years into the business by Accedo.tv.

    He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the impact of family (father/brother) in his life, the benefit of being a late entrant into a market, studying in Ottawa (a city that was once considered "Silicon Valley North"), succeeding with Digiflare through failure & eventually exiting, starting Flair Ventures to support immigrant founders, having a long-term mindset as an investor, and so much more.

    Follow Mano:
    - LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/manok/)

    Timestamps

    00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Mano Kulasingam
    00:59 - How he got into entrepreneurship and tech; his father and brother
    03:23 - Pop culture’s impact on entrepreneurship, creating Digiflare in 2008
    08:29 - Finding the right co-founder; why it’s like a marriage
    10:59 - What Digiflare was and why Mano created it
    12:48 - How much luck is involved in a company’s success?
    14:04 - Apple Benefiting from Blackberry’s work; Mano benefiting from Netflix
    15:04 - Why he and his co-founder chose to sell Digiflare
    17:20 - The M&A process
    18:04 - Why trying to sell a business is like managing two companies at once
    20:14 - Minimizing the number of people who knew a deal was being worked on
    21:39 - Transitioning from employer to employee upon selling Digiflare
    24:23 - The feeling Mano had when he sold his company
    26:33 - Launching Flair Ventures; investing in immigrant founders
    29:21 - Ventures are relationships and networking; investing in 7 of 400 companies
    32:35 - How Mano allocates his time; fundraising, content marketing, and more
    34:25 - His 10-15 year plan for Flair Ventures; aiming for 23 companies
    37:37 - Being tempted to create again; keeping an open mind for the right opportunity
    38:57 - His biggest failure/learning lesson; the Tamil mentality of showing no emotions
    42:43 - Advice he would give his 16-year-old self
    43:24 - The personal legacy he wants to leave behind
    44:07 - Creator Confessions
    52:50 - The Wrap Up

    Intro Music

    Produced And Mixed By:
    - The Tamil Creator
    - Yanchan

    Written By:
    - Aravinthan Ehamparam
    - Yanchan Rajmohan     

    • 55 min
    EP #102: Fiona Kingsley Boyer - Stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma (Cancer) Survivor & "Love Scarborough" Campaign Ambassador

    EP #102: Fiona Kingsley Boyer - Stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma (Cancer) Survivor & "Love Scarborough" Campaign Ambassador

    Fiona Kingsley Boyer (@fi_kingsley) is a Development Officer for the Scarborough Health Network Foundation (SHN, @shnfoundation) and cancer survivor.

    She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss surviving Stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancer, the survivor spirit of Scarborough and trying to improve its misunderstood reputation, her experience finding out she had cancer while pregnant & going through chemotherapy, being part of a team that's raised more than half of the $100 million dollar goal for the "Love Scarborough" campaign, having a greater appreciation for the value of time, and SO much more.

    Follow Fiona:
    - Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fi_kingsley/)

    Timestamps

    00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Fiona
    01:04 - Fiona speaks on her early upbringing and being diagnosed with cancer
    03:27 - Her role as Development Officer for SHN foundation
    05:39 - SHN’s campaign: "Love Scarborough"
    08:03 - The impact of "Love Scarborough" so far
    10:38 - Being featured on billboards and television
    14:18 - How she found out she had cancer
    20:01 - Managing her emotions when she was diagnosed
    22:20 - Her chemotherapy treatment process; 16 4-hour sessions
    27:01 - The biggest difference between Fiona pre- and post-cancer
    28:25 - "My Dharma" by Ahash; how the short documentary came to be
    30:44 - Explaining her cancer to her daughter
    32:39 - Fiona’s plans moving forward
    35:00 - Feeling super connected to the Tamil community; support she receives
    37:31 - Advice she would give her 16-year-old self
    38:04 - How she wants to be remembered by friends and family
    39:34 - Creator Confessions
    47:47 - The Wrap Up

    Intro Music

    Produced And Mixed By:
    - The Tamil Creator
    - Yanchan

    Written By:
    - Aravinthan Ehamparam
    - Yanchan Rajmohan    

    • 49 min
    EP #101: Jay Vasantharajah - Buying Multi-Million Dollar Tech Companies As Founder & Managing Partner At Atlasview Equity

    EP #101: Jay Vasantharajah - Buying Multi-Million Dollar Tech Companies As Founder & Managing Partner At Atlasview Equity

    Jay Vasantharajah (@jayvasdigital) is the Founder & Managing Partner at Atlasview Equity, which buys multi-million tech-enabled businesses.

    He joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the importance of saving up your first $100K, waiting on the "fat pitch" opportunities as described by Warren Buffet, transitioning from a job at Deloitte to starting his agency where he saw one client IPO for $450 million dollars and another get acquired for $2 billion dollars, Atlasview's playbook after acquiring a company to fuel growth, the importance of “escape velocity” in investing and building trust in business, being inspired by Mark Leonard who founded Constellation Software and much more.

    Follow Jay:
    - Twitter (https://twitter.com/jayvas)

    Timestamps

    00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Jay Vasantharajah
    01:29 - How seeing his father build small businesses inspired Jay
    05:15 - From commerce to accounting/side hustles and his own business
    11:54 - How he secured customers as a consultant
    12:47 - The importance of getting to your first $100,000
    17:46 - Starting small and being consistent versus diving into the deep-end
    19:37 - Atlastview Equity; what it is, what companies they purchase, etc.
    23:59 - How many deals Jay had to look at before closing two acquisitions
    27:36 - Why Jay and his company are lucky buyers
    34:54 - The time Jay spends on building his business; newsletter & networking
    39:11 - How Jay sources funds to purchase companies 
    45:27 - Attracting the energy that you want around you & mitigating risk
    49:32 - Atlasview’s playbook after acquiring a company; growth plans
    57:57 - Being inspired by Mark Leonard/Constellation Software & others
    01:09:25 - Where Jay sees himself in the next 3 years
    01:12:09 - Advice he would give his 16-year-old self
    01:14:08 - Personal legacy; how Jay wants to be remembered by friends/family
    01:16:36 - Creator Confessions & Advice for owners who want to sell their business
    01:28:08 - The Wrap Up 

    Intro Music

    Produced And Mixed By:
    - The Tamil Creator
    - Yanchan

    Written By:
    - Aravinthan Ehamparam
    - Yanchan Rajmohan      

    • 1 hr 28 min
    EP #100: Ara Ehamparam - Podcast Host, Entrepreneur & FIRE Believer

    EP #100: Ara Ehamparam - Podcast Host, Entrepreneur & FIRE Believer

    Ara Ehamparam (@araehamparam) is the podcast host of "The Tamil Creator".  He's an entrepreneur, FIRE believer and admirer of creators.

    On this momentous 100th episode of #TheTamilCreator, Ara's wife, Claudia (@claudiangele), turns the tables on our usual host to find out more about him. They explore why he started "The Tamil Creator" podcast, special messages from his best friend & guest on EP 44 of the podcast @vas_saranga [founder of @theonlineactor] as well as his favourite (& only sister) Shagana, how he got the nickname "Tamil Nelly", his various entrepreneurial ventures, his unparalleled passion for Google calendar, the value of giving more than you take, his innate desire to embody the message of Nike, and much more - you don't wanna miss this episode!

    Timestamps

    00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Claudia Ehamparam
    00:39 - Claudia introduces this week’s guest, Ara Ehamparam
    02:17 - Ara talks about how his early childhood led him to become an entrepreneur
    04:45 - Being born in Sri Lanka and moving to Canada (Montreal/Scarborough)
    06:30 - A special message from Ara’s favourite (and only) sister, Shagana
    07:28 - Why Ara wants to be a guest on "My First Million"
    08:01 - Why Ara pursued entrepreneurship after obtaining an engineering degree
    09:51 - Why Ara prioritizes ownership or time; Alfred, Mr. Money Mustache, FIRE, etc.
    11:47 - Ara breaks down the FIRE movement
    14:58 - The difficulty of convincing Claudia to jump onboard with FIRE
    15:43 - Why “Tamil” is in so many of Ara’s ventures; his connection to the community
    16:53 - The origin of Ara’s ventures; TamilCulture.com, MyTamilDate.com, "The Tamil Creator" podcast, etc.
    20:21 - Meeting Kevin O’Leary along his Continyou Care journey
    21:11 - How Ara balances his time between work, passion projects, and personal life
    22:43 - Being unafraid of failure and sticking with his commitments; how he does it
    24:15 - Valuing execution more than ideas
    24:34 - Is “dad guilt” a thing and does Ara experience it?
    25:58 - Ara’s greatest learning lessons in the past 3-5 years
    27:01 - How Ara goes about “relationship-building” aka networking; give more, take less
    28:21 - How Ara earned the nickname “Tamil Nelly”
    31:28 - Advice he would give to his 16-year-old self; Tamil Nelly
    32:40 - How Ara wants to be remembered by friends and family
    33:32 - Why he is dedicated to showcasing Tamil talent in society
    34:33 - Creator Confessions
    42:57 - Ara’s vision for the future of The Tamil Creator podcast
    43:40 - Guest of EP44 (aka Ara’s BFFL) calls in one last time
    45:46 - The Wrap Up

    Intro Music

    Produced And Mixed By:
    - The Tamil Creator
    - Yanchan

    Written By:
    - Aravinthan Ehamparam
    - Yanchan Rajmohan      

    • 47 min
    EP #99: Shaminy Waran - Entrepreneur Who Created A Luxury Hair Collection While Managing The Demands Of Motherhood & A Full-Time Job

    EP #99: Shaminy Waran - Entrepreneur Who Created A Luxury Hair Collection While Managing The Demands Of Motherhood & A Full-Time Job

    Shaminy Waran (@sham.waran) is the entrepreneur behind the Sham Waran Luxury Hair Collection.

    She joins Ara on this week’s episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss the impact of growing up as an introverted middle child, how she deals with "mom guilt", helping customers who have severe health conditions like alopecia, not wanting to jeopardize friendship for the sake of business, not being a big risk taker but risking $30,000 to give her business a chance to grow, being a people pleaser when she was young, and much more.

    Follow Shaminy:
    - Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/sham.waran/)

    Timestamps

    00:19 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Shaminy Waran
    01:45 - Did Shaminy’s childhood spark her entrepreneurial fire?
    04:10 - Being introverted as a child
    05:32 - Listening versus being loud; its impact on securing sales?
    07:53 - How Shaminy entered the world of makeup and hair
    10:30 - Doing makeup and hair less after launching her luxury brand
    11:51 - What led her to launch Sham Waran Luxury Hair Collection
    15:55 - What her business model looks like
    17:23 - Find a vendor to source grade 10A hair (the highest quality)
    19:34 - The growing demand for her rental program
    20:49 - The connection between hair and confidence
    24:32 - Does she have any business partners?
    26:19 - Dealing with ‘mom-guilt’ and how she copes; slowing down
    30:48 - Maintaining friendships with her busy schedule
    32:30 - Starting her business during COVID-19; having a physical studio
    34:39 - How Shaminy went about building her team
    37:39 - What success looks like to her three years from now
    38:34 - Plans to expand her rental program to all ethnicities/hair textures
    39:31 - Doing custom and pre-orders
    41:53 - One of her biggest learning lessons in the past few years
    44:07 - Advice she would give her 16-year-old self; follow your gut
    46:04 - The personal legacy she wants to be remembered for
    47:06 - Creator Confessions
    51:42 - The Wrap Up

    Intro Music

    Produced And Mixed By:
    - The Tamil Creator
    - Yanchan

    Written By:
    - Aravinthan Ehamparam
    - Yanchan Rajmohan       

    • 52 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
22 Ratings

22 Ratings

Bennnyvee ,

Amazing Podcast

Ara brings a fresh perspective to the podcast space and interviews the giants in industry. You will always come out of a podcast learning more than you did and will be grateful for it. The podcasts will push you to also achieve your full potential in whichever industry you are in.

Thas Y ,

A refreshing view into the Tamil community

If you are looking for another tech podcast you have come to wrong place; however, if you need to reboot your mind with everything other than tech then you have come to the right place. The host does make reference to Tamil food and some cultural norms. So if you are not from the Tamil community or have not spent inordinate amount of time with the community these may be alien to you. If you want to reconnect with the community in a way that keeps up with the evolution of this community as a diaspora this is an amazingly refreshing podcast for you.
BTW this is also a great place to find the best kothu rotti places in TO!

drg_xv ,

Great interview

Great interview with Suresh. First time listener!

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