Maximize Life with Mindset Pivots

Shruti Rustagi
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Shruti believes the key to Maximizing life and Leadership, is managing our MINDSET. Every week, she discusses the tools, techniques and the Mindset Pivots with everyday leaders, who have designed and made the most of their lives on their own terms.

  1. 6 DGN GELEDEN

    Episode 19: Mindset That Turns the Impossible into Possible with Thomas Varghese

    In this episode of the Maximize Life Podcast, I speak with veteran business leader Thomas Varghese, who brings over 40 years of leadership experience across manufacturing, textiles, and retail industries. Having spent over two decades with the Aditya Birla Group, Thomas has led multiple businesses across global markets and driven large-scale transformations. In this conversation, he shares the leadership mindsets and principles that shaped his journey - from people-first leadership and believing in transformation to empowering teams through trust and delegation. A highlight of the discussion is the remarkable transformation of the Harihar manufacturing plant, once considered one of the most challenging operations, into a benchmark for operational excellence and employee engagement. About Thomas Varghese: Thomas Varghese is a distinguished business leader with over four decades of industry experience. He spent 24+ years with the Aditya Birla Group, holding several senior leadership roles including Business Head of Domestic Textiles, Overseas Spinning, and Acrylic Fiber businesses. He also served as Managing Director & CEO of Aditya Birla Retail Limited, helping expand supermarket and hypermarket retail formats across India. An IIT Delhi graduate and Harvard Advanced Management Program alumnus, he is also an ICA-certified executive coach. His achievements have been recognized through several awards including the Asian Retail Congress CEO of the Year Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Manufacturing Today. For more leadership lessons by Thomas, see his youtube channel and connect with him on LinkedIn www.youtube.com/@thomasvarghese7737 https://www.linkedin.com/in/t-varghese Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction and welcome 00:15 - Thomas Varghese on his 45-year leadership journey 06:04 - Leadership mindsets that shaped his philosophy 12:02 - Major business transformation stories 17:26 - The Harihar plant transformation story 26:03 - Handling labor union challenges and a historic strike 33:03 - Cultural change and employee engagement turnaround 41:05 - Key leadership lessons from the journey 50:15 - Advice for the next generation of leaders 55:00 - Final thoughts and closing Key Takeaways Leadership begins with authentic connection with peopleBelieve that transformations are always possibleEmpower teams through trust and delegationFairness and transparency strengthen organizationsHard work, passion, and lifelong learning drive long-term success

    55 min

  2. TRAILER

    Episode 19 Teaser: Mindset That Turns Impossible into Possible with Thomas Varghese

    A glimpse into the upcoming conversation with Thomas Varghese on Episode 19 of the Maximize Life Podcast. In this conversation, he shares powerful leadership lessons on transformation, people-first leadership, and the mindset required to turn challenges into opportunities. Tune in to the full episode for the complete conversation. Connect with Thomas Varghese:YouTube: www.youtube.com/@thomasvarghese7737LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/t-varghese

    3 min

  3. 1 MRT

    Episode 18: Self Regulate, Let Go and Lead Better with Jennifer Tantia

    In this episode of Maximize Live, Shruti sits down with Jennifer, a former aerial artist turned somaticpsychotherapist - to explore powerful lessons on self-responsibility, nervous system regulation, letting go, and navigating uncertainty. Drawing from her years performing trapeze and her 20+ years in private practice, Jennifer shares how balancing mid-air mirrors how we show up in relationships, leadership, and high-pressure environments. From understanding shame to reframing everyday triggers, this conversation offers both deep insight and practical tools you can apply immediately. If you’ve ever struggled with over-giving, holding on too long, or managing anxiety before important moments, this episode is for you. About Jennifer in her words - Jennifer Tantia, PhD is an educator, author and practicing somatic psychotherapist in New York City for the past 20 years. She served on national boards of the American Dance Therapy Association and United States Association for Body Psychotherapy, and was an adjudicator for the National Endowments for the Arts grants for Arts in Healthcare. She teaches somatic psychotherapy to therapists throughout the US, Europe and Asia. Her latest book, The Art and Science of Embodied Research Design (2021) received a distinguished Marion Chace Foundation publisher’s grant. Dr. Tantia currently teaches somatic psychology in the doctoral program at California Institute of Integral studies and is a certified meditation and dharma teacher through Tibet House. For more information, please visit www.soma-psyche.com.Specialities: Somatic or 'psychosomatic" symptoms not acknowledged or detected by conventional medical tests; body image difficulties, anxiety, depression, existential transitions and relationship difficulties.Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to Jennifer: From aerial artist to somaticpsychotherapist 00:59 - The difference between circus trapeze and aerial dance 02:06 - Lessons from trapeze: trust, balance, andself-responsibility 03:30 - Applying self-regulation in relationships and corporatesettings 06:07 - The plant analogy: knowing when it’s time to let go 07:50 - “Idiot compassion” and over-giving in relationships 09:28 - Personal story: losing a job without closure 10:49 - Shame vs guilt vs grief 11:36 - Expanding your capacity to hold discomfort 13:38 - How to build faith in uncertainty 15:31 - Shifting from “what if it goes wrong?” to “what if itdoesn’t?” 15:47 - The telemarketer story: choosing love over irritation 18:00 - Reframing road rage and choosing positive intent 19:52 - A simple nervous system reset: longer exhale than inhale

    21 min

  4. 23 FEB

    Episode 17: Redefining Success with Manoj Madhusudanan

    Success evolves over time but what truly remains constant? In this episode of the Maximize Live Podcast, I speak with Manoj Madhusudhanan, corporate leader, filmmaker, theatre practitioner, and lifelong learner about redefining success beyond titles, money, and milestones. From growing up in a remote village in Kerala to graduating from IIT Madras, pursuing theatre alongside a corporate career, attending film school in London, building (and shutting down) a startup, and creating award-winning films, Manoj shares lessons on resilience, clarity, and living in alignment. In this conversation, we explore: Why alignment with your values and energy defines real success How integrity shapes long-term growth What failure teaches about resilience and perseverance The idea that life is like a jigsaw puzzle - clarity comes later Why progress matters more than perfection The power of asking yourself better questions Manoj Madhusudanan is a corporate leader who has built and led global teams for more than 26 years. Manoj is a B.Tech from IIT Madras an MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur. He has had stints in India and the UK across companies such as Accenture, Evalueserve, dunnhumby and EXL, and also co-founded and led a B2B sales intelligence startup called Ziligence. Manoj is also a film maker and screenwriter, with his latest short film being an official selection at over 20 international film festivals, winning at four of them. In addition, he loves theatre, and has also been an actors’ coach over the years, training people on presence, voice, physicality and energy. Manoj is based in Gurgaon, India. Timestamps: 0:23 -  Manoj’s journey: village upbringing → IIT Madras → corporate leadership 4:40 - How his definition of success evolved: alignment with values & energy 6:00 - Creating meaningful impact through leadership & diversity transformation 7:16 - An early integrity test and choosing values over convenience 9:53 - Meditation, spirituality & harmony of body, mind and soul 12:19 - Startup journey, investor challenges & lessons in resilience 15:18 - “Connecting the dots backwards” & trusting the bigger plan  18:07 -  Progress over perfection & starting wherever you are 21:23 - The power of clarity and asking better questions 25:47 - Final success mantra: stay aligned, protect integrity, sleep peacefully. Success isn’t just about achievement. It’s about living in alignment and being able to sleep peacefully at night knowing you stayed true to yourself.

    27 min

  5. 10 FEB

    Episode 16: Step into Clarity with Arvind E

    In this episode Arvind, the founder of Athletesbnb shares about his non linear journey of starting with startups and moving to corporates, stints in the Not for Profit space and starting up again. We talk about Simplifying the complex by taking just one step to bring clarity, learning from mistakes, Positive thinking in the goodness of world and high agency that lets us believe we can always find a solution. About Arvind in his words - I have over 20 years of experience in starting and managing businesses, as well as selling SaaS and B2B solutions. As a sales leader and entrepreneur, I am passionate about growth and innovation in the Internet and services industry. I have a proven track record of building and executing GTM strategies, managing customer success and account management, and leading sales teams in North America and India.I use my expertise in SaaS and B2B to support other startups and enterprises in the same domain. I am always on the lookout for new opportunities and challenges to create value and make an impact in the market. You can reach him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/arvindeshwarlal/

    24 min

  6. 25 JAN

    Episode 15: Trust your Inner Compass & Defeat Fear

    In this episode of #MaximizeLife, I speak with Rajesh Ivaturi about what entrepreneurship and life really looks like when we stop playing by the book. His Success Mantra - Trust your instincts, unlearn fast, and build from who you are, not who you think you should be. What stood out: • Corporate credentials matter less than personal conviction • The real work isn’t strategy - it’s managing fear, doubt, and inner noise • Authenticity beats templates every time • Your strengths, not your weaknesses - are your growth engine. So shore up your strengths and just get good enough on your growth areas. Rajesh in his own words - Someone who has taken a lot of risks in life, some of which paid off very well and the rest are WIP Best way to reach him is through connecting with him on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajeshivaturi/

    36 min

  7. 18 JAN

    Episode 14: An Unscripted Life with Nandini

    In Episode 14 I spoke with Nandini Rao, someone I knew from 20 years ago, having done a 7 weeks long playback theatre workshop with her. We chatted about the place of art and creativity in our lives, not just as a way to unwind but also as a place to reflect, build objectivity and create resilience. How we are thankful that our lives are unscripted. We also talked about: • Running two careers for 11 years before going all in • Rebuilding identity after personal and professional loss • Using creativity to process emotions and lead better • Why “adulting” less can actually make you stronger Nandini Rao is a Global Communication Professional , Theatre Director & Trainer , Corporate facilitator, and changemaker working between the Netherlands & India. With over 20 plus years of professional experience, she uses her true passion of theatre and storytelling to spark learning, leadership, and social connection. She is the Co-Founder of Yours Truly Theatre and the voice behind Life Unscripted. Nandini has worked with international companies, organisations, educators, and communities across Europe and India. Her work is rooted in creativity, dialogue, and using the arts to shape more inclusive spaces. The best way for listeners to reach her is https://www.linkedin.com/in/nandini-rao-34184513/

    54 min

  8. 11 JAN

    Episode 13: Leadership Lessons from Ramayan with Anil Chilla

    Ramayan is one of the most important and widely read ancient Hindu scriptures and epic poems. In this episode with Anil, we chat about the executive communication framework, how ethics play a big role in leadership, The Shad-Guna or 6 strategies framework for any situation and lastly about how the definition of success and purpose evolves in life. More about Anil - A corporate leader over the last 25 years who has led multi-market digital businesses and digital transformations. From strategy to execution. From launching ecom businesses in 10 markets to running large >125M businesses. In roles such as Chief Digital Officer in L'Oreal, Head of Asia-Pacific Ecommerce in Levi's and Dell. He is now an author and teacher decoding timeless wisdom from Ramayana and Mahabharata. He helps simplify these complex texts and share practical lessons that leaders can apply in daily work and life. With the help of his books, teaching and speaking his vision is to: 1. Bridge Ancient Indian Knowledge with Modern Leadership. To help rediscover Ramayana and Mahabharata as a practical guide for aspiring leaders. 2. Democratize IKS based leadership education in schools, colleges and Universities. Best way to reach him is LinkedIn: //linkedin.com/in/anilsrinivas, Instagram: @iks.for.modern.leaders

    59 min
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Shruti believes the key to Maximizing life and Leadership, is managing our MINDSET. Every week, she discusses the tools, techniques and the Mindset Pivots with everyday leaders, who have designed and made the most of their lives on their own terms.

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