Something for the Soul

Sanju Pal
  • 5.0 (13)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED FORTNIGHTLY

The leadership podcast with a twist. As leaders, being open about our most difficult personal and professional experiences has the potential to be transformative. In this podcast, teachers from around the world who have become Founders, CEOs and C-suite level leaders of social enterprises making a positive impact in education, dive deeper than might be typical when discussing a challenge they have worked through. They share something for the soul. This podcast is humanising leadership and demonstrating the power we all have within us to get through life’s biggest hurdles to make positive change in the world. This is a podcast for anyone looking for a nugget of motivation every month. If you are interested in social innovation in any way then this podcast is for you. Sanju Pal is Founder of the education charity RISE. After completing the Teach First programme as a Maths teacher, Sanju went on to join Accenture, leading RISE’s teams in the UK and India in volunteer capacity whilst working full time as a management consultant. Sanju won the UK Asian Women of Achievement Award and was profiled in ‘Inspirational Women in Business’ by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. She was invited to meet Her Late Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace for the ‘Youth, Education and the Commonwealth’ reception, which honoured education activists from across the globe, and received the Prime Minister’s Points of Light Award. Sanju is a member of the Teach for All Social Innovators Community of Practice, the diverse voices of which she promotes on this podcast to inspire anyone, at any age, to be a social innovator and implement solutions to positively impact educational disadvantage around the world. Any questions? Email sanju.pal@rise-online.co.uk or reach out @sanjuthinks on Instagram and Twitter or connect on LinkedIn. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Emotional Boldness with Raoul Joshi

    04/11/2025

    Emotional Boldness with Raoul Joshi

    After a little hiatus I'm pleased to bring you this 3rd episode of Season 2, recorded during the Teach for All Social Innovators gathering in South Africa. Raoul shares the challenge he faced when pivoting from a career in management consulting at McKinsey to becoming a teacher on the Teach for Sweden fellowship. Through emotional boldness he followed his heart and intuition to pursue a new path in education, one that he had long thought of but took courage to navigate. Raoul talks openly about how the fear of failure stopped him from taking the road less travelled until a serendipitous moment led to a conversation that sparked him to be emotionally bold. I think this is such an important conversation that many listeners, particularly those working in corporate mainstream jobs, will relate to. Raoul talks about breaking free from the hamster wheel 'path of least resistance' to challenging the status quo and reskilling to a new career that is aligned with your dreams. Raoul's pivot from McKinsey has led to him founding Joshico, which partners with Swedish municipalities to design and deliver interventions that align schools, social services, police and healthcare around child welfare. Set up in 2023, Joshico’s programmes have already reached 11,000 school students and they are currently launching work with 3 new municipalities with a reach of 25,000 students. Raoul has also founded Puffin, an organisation that builds lightweight formative-assessment and feedback tools. Both of his ventures tackle systemic barriers to educational equity: Joshico at the policy and service-delivery layer, Puffin at the classroom and family interface. Raoul has co-authored a global study on the impact of artificial intelligence. This is a heart warming episode on creating a liberating career in the world of education. Guest speaker: Raoul Joshi, Founder of Joshico. If you enjoyed this episode then share it on your social media and tag @sanjuthinks on Instagram and Twitter or connect on LinkedIn. -- Social media: Sanju Pal @sanjuthinks RISE @risecharity Raoul Joshi @raouljoshi Joshico Teach for Sweden @teachforsweden Teach for All @teachforall Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    25 min

  2. 15/08/2025 · BONUS

    Sanju thinks about racism, breaking convention and community

    Sanju thinks about racism and what we can do as individuals to combat discrimination of black and brown people, inspired by the guest episode with Jacob Adams, Founder of Inner Spark Learning Lab. Celebrating South Asian Heritage Month, Sanju talks of the ways she has embraced community and co-founded The Bangali Story in the spirit of the theme 'Roots to Routes'. This episode speaks to the notion of breaking convention, and empowers anyone listening to do exactly this, with Sanju highlighting her work to change the law for women with endometriosis. The 'Sanju thinks...' episodes are released on the 3rd Thursday of every month. They contain Sanju's reflections on the challenge that the guest speaker has shared earlier in the month so make sure you've listened to that episode first! This episode was released a little later than usual and recorded on 24th July 2025. If you enjoyed this episode then share it on your social media and tag @sanjuthinks on Instagram and Twitter or on LinkedIn. -- Social media: Sanju Pal @sanjuthinks RISE @risecharity Jacob Adams @elsnakeob Inner Spark Learning Lab @innersparklab @sathnamsangera @kiran.landa @anoushkad6 @jasminesamra99 @1928institute @shalinapatel @sushmajansari @anishaparmarstudio @rheatulipartridge @runnymedetrust @shabnabegum25 @crowdjustice_ @neelamheerashergill @cystersgroup @reachacademyfeltham @awaawardsuk @loveliff @caryrajinder @rimadas13  @southasianheritagemonth_uk @smokeandlime @playsamosa @aiyyoshraddha @mohua_chinappa @thebangalistory @damsel.collective  @tulipsiddiq @pointsoflight @indogenius  @housegospelchoir @neerscreenprints @westlondonsinf @vegetarianbrowngirls @aakashodedracompany @ranikhanum.kathak @rushilmusic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    56 min
  3. Positive Disruption with Jacob Adams

    01/07/2025

    Positive Disruption with Jacob Adams

    It's wonderful to be able to bring you this 2nd episode recorded during the Teach for All Social Entrepreneurs gathering in South Africa, on my Birthday no less! Jacob shares his experience on the Teach for America programme in a black majority school in Brooklyn, here high poverty levels meant over 95% were on free or reduced cost lunches. He witnessed how rigid discipline policies and top-down control stripped black students of their autonomy. Resolute in his ambition to bring his students an education where they could harness their potential rather than be hindered, Jacob was a disruptor. He challenged the norm by breaking convention and implementing his own methods and ideas for education, despite them not being aligned with the school's rules. Jacob leans into vulnerability to unpack how the strong identity he built as a bi-racial person, gave him the strength of courage to stand by his values and beliefs to be an exemplary teacher, centred in positive disruption. As a positive disruptor, Jacob has founded Inner Spark Learning Lab where black and brown students have the opportunity to be involved in hands-on, community-driven learning projects designed to foster critical thinking, self-awareness, and social impact. Utilising an holistic approach that integrates STEAM `Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics, Inner Spark Learning Lab has grown to annually serve over 1,500 youth through their direct service programs. They have over 30,000 beneficiaries through their curriculum and professional development programs, igniting a ripple effect that extends to schools, families and communities across California. Jacob is recognised as an inspirational leader, having been honoured with multiple fellowships including from 4.0 Schools, Black Equity Collective and Science Sandbox. In this episode, Jacob's humility shines through and makes his words even more empowering - you're going to love listening to him! Guest speaker: Jacob Adams, Founder and Executive Director of Inner Spark Learning Lab. If you enjoyed this episode then share it on your social media and tag @sanjuthinks on Instagram and Twitter or connect on LinkedIn. -- Social media: Sanju Pal @sanjuthinks RISE @risecharity Jacob Adams @elsnakeob Inner Spark Learning Lab @innersparklab Teach for America @teachforamerica Teach for All @teachforall Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    27 min

  4. 19/06/2025 · BONUS

    Sanju thinks about her life's work, family support and identity (and beauty!)

    Sanju thinks about what it means to commit to your 'life's work', the importance of family support and how identity and feeling beautiful is rooted in the sense of possibility to take action, inspired by the guest episode with Quim Sabrià, Co-founder and CEO of EdPuzzle. This is a chunky episode highlighting the connections made that have inspired me to take action recently - take a look at all the social media links below to connect with the amazing people I talk about! The 'Sanju thinks...' episodes are released on the 3rd Thursday of every month. They contain Sanju's reflections on the challenge that the guest speaker has shared earlier in the month so make sure you've listened to that episode first! If you enjoyed this episode then share it on your social media and tag @sanjuthinks on Instagram and Twitter or on LinkedIn. -- Social media: Sanju Pal @sanjuthinks RISE @risecharity Quim Sabrià @quimsabria  EdPuzzle @edpuzzle Empieza por Educar @empiezaporeducar Teach for All @teachforall R Labs South Africa @rlabsza Wendy Kopp @wendykopp Natasha Porter @natasha_unlocked Ruth Penfold @ruthpenfold Jhumur Ganguly @jhumur.ganguly Mohua Chinappa @mohua_chinappa James Biggin-Lamming South Asian Sisters Speak @weare_sass Sohini Banerjee @smokeandlime Anita Bhagwandas @itsmeanitab Megha Joshi @meghamillions Giulia Reichmann @djuleeah Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    40 min
  5. Taking Action with Quim Sabrià

    01/06/2025

    Taking Action with Quim Sabrià

    Hello and welcome to Season 2 of Something for the Soul! I’m delighted to bring you this first episode recorded during the Teach for All Social Entrepreneurs gathering in South Africa! My first guest this season is going to blow you away, as he did me during our very first conversation on the first night of the conference in Cape Town. We grabbed some time between sessions to talk about changing your life - by taking action.  Quim talks with such heart about how a conversation with his grandma about the challenge he was having with his students provoked him to shake things up in his classroom - he actively listened to his students and their parents to understand barriers to learning. It compelled him to take action and build a solution. This led him to the journey of co-founding the edtech platform EdPuzzle at the age of 23 with his 3 best friends, who he had known since they were toddlers. He took a leap of faith and moved from Spain to the United States in seek of support from Silicon Valley startup accelerator Y Combinator and raised $4 million to launch EdPuzzle. Quim made a decision aged 18 that he would commit his life to education and now in his mid-thirties he remains resolute in his ambition to change the world. Quim's journey into educational innovation began as a teacher through the Empieza por Educar program in Barcelona where he sought to use interactive video content in the classroom. Taking action has led Quim to expand EdPuzzle globally and serve millions of teachers and students across more than 150 countries. Quim talks so beautifully about how he was able to make bold decisions because a different 'perception of risk', which he attributes to the unwavering support of his parents. Quim's story is one of relentless pursuit for enabling children to have an excellent education, he says it is the clarity of commitment that keeps him going on the hardest days. This is an episode that will get you moving and shaking and taking action! Guest speaker: Quim Sabrià, Co-founder and CEO of EdPuzzle. If you enjoyed this episode then share it on your social media and tag @sanjuthinks on Instagram and Twitter or connect on LinkedIn. -- Social media: Sanju Pal @sanjuthinks RISE @risecharity Quim Sabrià @quimsabria  EdPuzzle @edpuzzle Empieza por Educar @empiezaporeducar Teach for All @teachforall Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    24 min

  6. 27/06/2024 · BONUS

    Sanju thinks about expectations, overwhelm and nature

    Sanju thinks about expectations, inspired by the episode with Blazhka Dimitrova, in particular career expectations and society's expectations that are ever more apparent on social media. She reflects on the feeling of overwhelm, which she has experienced this month, and the tools used to help her, such as meditation (yoga nidra), solitude, disconnecting from communication notifications, poetry, playing the violin, spirituality and her expression of Hinduism including listening to the Gayatri Mantra. Sanju thinks about the serendipity of her conversation with Blazhka and how signs have been pointing towards spending more time in nature. The 'Sanju thinks...' episodes are released on the 3rd Thursday of every month (but this month on the 4th Thursday!). They contain Sanju's reflections on the challenge that the guest speaker has shared earlier in the month so make sure you've listened to that episode first! This is a longer episode that is the last one in this season, and expresses gratitude for all the guest speakers thus far: Richard Wilson, Natasha Porter, Neha Sahu, Fahd Jamaleddine, Anca Margineanu and Blazhka Dimitrova. Go back and listen to these insightful episodes if you haven't already. If you enjoyed this episode then share it on your social media and tag @sanjuthinks on Instagram and Twitter or on LinkedIn. -- Social media: Sanju Pal @sanjuthinks RISE @risecharity Blazhka Dimitrova @blagadiary Blagichka Zero Waste @blagichkapastry Village Farm @farm2ubg Teach for All @teachforall Jania Geoghegan @janiageoghegan Ruth Penfold @ruthpenfold Laura Hearn @laura_lhearn Websites: Madrinha Trust Ernest Read Symphony Orchestra Lina Ramchand Lightwave Therapy Tansy in the Wild Wild Geese by Mary Oliver is licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    39 min
  7. Setting Expectations with Blazhka Dimitrova

    01/06/2024

    Setting Expectations with Blazhka Dimitrova

    Blazhka shares the challenge she had feeling the weight of other people's expectations, namely her family and friends, when she decided to choose a path that was different to what they expected for her. I think this is something that we can all relate to which is why this is such a powerful episode. Blazhka shares the work she did to identify the values she had and also the values she wanted to have - she realised the former were driven by external expectations and not her own. She highlights the things that have assisted her when she is feeling conflicted on expectations, such as being clear on her motives, taking time for daily reflections and considering what is happening in her body when she is experiencing certain emotions, using learnings from the Huberman Lab podcast. Blazhka talks through the journey she went on to setting expectations that make her happy and have led her to an inspiring new chapter for her restaurant Blagichka, the first zero-waste restaurant in Bulgaria. Get to know Blazhka in the first half of the podcast as talks about where her drive and motivation around a zero waste philosophy began as a student at Sofia Univerisity. She shares how she combined this passion with teaching on the Teach for Bulgaria programme to enable a learning experience for her students that led to starting Blagichka. The restaurant gives disadvantaged young people the opportunity to work in their kitchen and develop key skills. Blazhka beautifully describes how she has gone back to her roots in the village to establish a circular approach to the restaurant's sustainability as she goes through an exciting re-launch on 1 June 2024. It's a simply wonderful story. Guest speaker: Blazhka Dimitrova, Founder and CEO of Blagichka in Bulgaria. If you enjoyed this episode then share it on your social media and tag @sanjuthinks on Instagram and Twitter or connect on LinkedIn. -- Social media: Sanju Pal @sanjuthinks RISE @risecharity Blazhka Dimitrova @blagadiary Blagichka Zero Waste @blagichkapastry Village Farm @farm2ubg Teach for Bulgaria @teachforbulgaria Teach for All @teachforall Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    59 min

  8. 30/05/2024 · BONUS

    Sanju thinks about crisis response, problem solving and side-hustles

    Sanju thinks about how we can respond to crisis, anchored in the motto "start with something", that Anca Margineanu shared. Sanju reflects on how we can all have an important cause that we feel strongly about in our own community or further afield that we can support through social action - this is the foundation on which RISE is built, solving for the education crisis in rural India. She thinks about problem solving at the centre of changing the world through social innovation and how more people dedicating their time to a social mission as a 'side-hustle' has the power to effect real change. Sanju believes that anyone has the capacity to be a social innovator at any scale and encourages you to get in touch if you want help with getting started. The 'Sanju thinks...' episodes are released on the 3rd Thursday of every month (but this month the 5th Thursday!). They contain Sanju's reflections on the challenge that the guest speaker has shared earlier in the month so make sure you've listened to that episode first! If you enjoyed this episode then share it on your social media and tag @sanjuthinks on Instagram or Twitter or on LinkedIn. -- Social media: Sanju Pal @sanjuthinks RISE @risecharity Anca Margineanu @ancamargineanu3 Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest @utcbro Teach for All @teachforall Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    20 min
See All (17)

5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

The leadership podcast with a twist. As leaders, being open about our most difficult personal and professional experiences has the potential to be transformative. In this podcast, teachers from around the world who have become Founders, CEOs and C-suite level leaders of social enterprises making a positive impact in education, dive deeper than might be typical when discussing a challenge they have worked through. They share something for the soul. This podcast is humanising leadership and demonstrating the power we all have within us to get through life’s biggest hurdles to make positive change in the world. This is a podcast for anyone looking for a nugget of motivation every month. If you are interested in social innovation in any way then this podcast is for you. Sanju Pal is Founder of the education charity RISE. After completing the Teach First programme as a Maths teacher, Sanju went on to join Accenture, leading RISE’s teams in the UK and India in volunteer capacity whilst working full time as a management consultant. Sanju won the UK Asian Women of Achievement Award and was profiled in ‘Inspirational Women in Business’ by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. She was invited to meet Her Late Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace for the ‘Youth, Education and the Commonwealth’ reception, which honoured education activists from across the globe, and received the Prime Minister’s Points of Light Award. Sanju is a member of the Teach for All Social Innovators Community of Practice, the diverse voices of which she promotes on this podcast to inspire anyone, at any age, to be a social innovator and implement solutions to positively impact educational disadvantage around the world. Any questions? Email sanju.pal@rise-online.co.uk or reach out @sanjuthinks on Instagram and Twitter or connect on LinkedIn. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Sanju Pal
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Sanju Pal
  • Show Website
    Something for the Soul