#FLY‪!‬ PRERNA GOEL

Introducing the latest episode of the podcast "Fall in Love with Yourself"! In this episode, we have the pleasure of talking to the incredible Pashmeena Barker, a former model and now a kindergarten teacher and special education master's graduate. Pashmeena has worked with renowned designers and choreographers, appeared in prestigious publications, and was even part of the Elite agency in Dubai for a year.
But that's not all - Pashmeena has also remained fabulous in her 40s by prioritizing self-care and mental wellbeing. She believes in leveraging the power of self-love to live life to the fullest and encourages others to do the same. Besides yoga and staying physically fit, Pashmeena loves spending time outdoors and teaching children - it brings her the greatest joy.
Join us as we delve deeper into Pashmeena's inspiring life philosophy and learn more about her journey of falling in love with herself. Don't miss this episode full of positivity and motivation!

Meet our guest- Jeff Courtney, and listen to her story of what keeps him fiercely fabulous in his 40s.

From Jeff:

"By the time we reach our forties, we’ve inevitably lived through some highs and lows, we’ve been surprised by how great the good times can be and how rough the low times can be.  We’ve probably also identified what we like – the people, things, jobs, places and activities that give us energy – and what we don’t like.  And we are probably responsible for things we care about; whether children, parents or both, a partner, friends, a career.  

We also have agency.  By the time we’re in our forties we know things, we have skills and experience, networks and earning power.  We can make a dent in the world if we know where to focus our energy.  

I think few of us get advanced warning about how these dynamics can crash together in the “sandwich years”.  It’s an amazing time to face new challenges – caring for older parents and growing children – get back to basics in taking care of ourselves and our most important relationships and really deciding what’s important for the next stage of life.  

I’ve discovered amazing places, hobbies and friendships in my forties.  I’ve rediscovered entrepreneurship, community, nature and the joy of spending quality time with loved ones.  I’ve also learned first-hand about the pain and the power of grief and the gift of clarity it offers if you commit to the process.  To quote Saul Bellow, “Death is the dark backing that a mirror needs if we are to see anything”.

If our thirties are often about achievement and the drive to compete in “the game”, our forties can be about choosing and enjoying long term games with long term people.  If we focus on taking care of ourselves, taking care of others and purposefully building the world around us, our forties can be extraordinary."

About Jeff:

Jeff has lived on three continents, which probably helped fuel his curiosity and love for exploring.  He has been fortunate to have extraordinary people in his life, from family to friends, which have made the good times that much sweeter and the rough times easier.  His first job was in an early-stage startup.  His second job was in a large corporate.  The rest of his career has blended the two in a mix of entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial roles building new spaces or helping established businesses thrive in disruption.

Meet our guest- Schonali Rebello, and listen to her story of what keeps her fiercely fabulous in her 40s.

From Schonali:

"I've never called this self-care, but it's what the world calls it now.

My grandmother told the teenage-me that if I did not focus on keeping myself happy all the time, every day, no matter what life threw at me, I'd regret it.

Because life is filled with nasty surprises and grief and hard times, for everyone. It is up to us to find the silver lining, the ray of hope, the sunshine on the dark days.
And nobody else can find it for you, but you.

So, every day through the week I spend time indulging myself in different, (mostly) low-cost, high-maintenance ways.

From unhurriedly detangling, and setting my curly, difficult hair after a shower twice a week, to 15 mins a day on basic make-up and dressing for the day I want, to waking up while the world sleeps for a run under the trees in my local park, to football with my community of women who play together, to boxing with the same trainer for 11 years, to regular, progressive weight training, to yoga – slowing everything down to focus, to drinking and dancing with friends & family every weekend, there is always time for me in my life that is filled with others.

I get my best ideas – for work and life – when I'm doing my make-up, focusing on getting that eyeliner equally right! Or when I'm running in the park with Latin dance music playing in my headphones.

Every spare minute – I’ve learned to stretch time! – that I spend alone with myself or for myself, makes me a better person for everyone else who needs me."

About Schonali:

Schonali began writing stories at the age of 7 and became a feminist a little earlier than that. 

She discovered my passion for equity and justice in her Women’s Studies 101 during her first year at Knox College, IL, USA and then found her calling as a writer so added Creative Writing as a major, and finished with a double major.

A xennial constantly moving countries all through childhood and adolescence due to world events like The Gulf War, and family events like her mother becoming the EA to one of India’s biggest businessmen in a newly emerging Indian economy, she (generally) thrive in environments that are vibrant, fast paced, and demanding.

With an ability to adapt to various multicultural work spaces, and an indefatigable fire in the belly to change the world, her previous role culminated after six happy years, to once again turn her eyes to a road yet untraveled. From 2014-2021 she was an instrument member of JobsForHer – India’s end-to-end platform for every woman who wants to start, restart or rise in her career. She served in various capacities there, starting as the first content writer, organizing the writing desk, moving on to to creating the design & video team, and overseeing the marketing team as the Brand Custodian of the company, until she was asked to lead the company's next venture, women in leadership. 

A firm believer in the value and beauty of education gleaned from every experience, connection, and challenge, JobsForHer formed the perfect bridge between for her various guiding principles – a company fueling a socio-economic revolution across India. Over her last two years there, she launched and headed The HerKey Club – a members-only club for women who like to lead instead of follow. A club where women become leaders. Together. 

Now, Schonali leads Employer Brand globally for Visteon, a 20+ year old auto-tech company at the epicenter of a mobility revolution that will completely change the way we interact with our vehicles, reduce the number of car accidents and fatalities, and make the world a cleaner place. 

A new year comes with a renewed focus, a new direction and a new angle for my podcast. One thing remains the same- it is all about self-love, self-discover and self-acceptance. Just with a little twist!

In this season, I am going  to peal the onion on the dreaded 40s! I want to change the perception that life stops at 40 by bringing the stories of 10 incredible humans who totally prove that age is just a number. 

Stay tuned, this one is def going to be a treat!

So keeping up with a slightly different format, here's the snippet of my conversation with another of my guests Jyoti Jashnani.

Check out what I feel about self-love and after finding self-love, I have stopped trying to fill my life with things to make myself happy!

So keeping up with a slightly different format, here's the snippet of my conversation with another of my guests Anupama Shivacharya

Check out what I feel about self-love and how loving yourself is not about going easy on yourself but being kind to yourself!