Portraits of Strength

Harry, The Anecdotist
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Everyday People with Extraordinary Stories

  1. 1d ago

    "I Felt Useless Until I Learned to Think in Pictures" with Haritha Chitta

    Haritha Chitta is an illustrator, animator, and storyteller whose art lives at the intersection of ancient wisdom and modern emotion. She doesn't think in words first, she thinks in pictures, and every idea she has arrives as an image before it ever becomes a script or a drawing. In this conversation, Haritha traces her path from an overthinking, image-obsessed kid in Chennai and Bangalore to the artist behind a body of work that's quietly helped thousands of strangers feel less alone. We talk about the "useless" years before she found her medium, the moment motherhood cracked something open in her, and what it actually means to build unshakable inner peace instead of performing it.Growing up across Chennai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad, and always being "the silent observer"How her role models shifted from Stephen Hawking to figures defined purely by stillness and self-awarenessThe years of feeling "useless" while searching for her purpose, even while surrounded by love and stabilityHow becoming a mother at the same time she discovered digital illustration changed everythingWhy she thinks entirely in visuals, and what that mental process actually looks like day to dayThe difference between seeking external validation and creating from her own internal compassHer definition of strength: unshakable peace that isn't shaken by good, bad, health, or diseaseWhat's next: a long-term project bringing Vedic stories to life through illustrationA Moment That Will Stay With You Haritha describes finishing a painting last November that she says she'd be at peace taking to her grave. One piece, decades of searching, and finally landing somewhere still. It's a quiet reminder that the work that matters most rarely announces itself.Connect with Haritha Instagram: @haritha_chittaListen & Subscribe Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs to hear it, and leave us a review, it genuinely helps more stories like this one reach the people who need them.

    "I Felt Useless Until I Learned to Think in Pictures" with Haritha Chitta

  2. Sep 3

    What Gymnastics Taught Them About Falling Apart with Freya, Hilly, Poorvi & Savannah

    Four teenage gymnasts. Two back injuries. Two elbow injuries. One truth they all discovered the hard way: strength isn't built in the gym, it's built in the moment everything falls apart. Hilly, Freya, Poorvi, and Savannah sit down to talk about the injuries that took them off the floor and what it actually took to get back on it. What We Cover How each of them found gymnastics, and why none of them think they chose it so much as it chose themWhat a normal week looks like when you're a teenager balancing school, work, and 12 to 16 hours of trainingThe exact moment each injury happened, told in raw, unfiltered detailThe surgeries, the casts, the six month recovery, the summer spent watching everyone else move without themHow they coped mentally when their bodies wouldn't let them do the one thing they lovedThe first day back in the gym, and the specific moment each of them thought "I'm back"How their relationship with the sport changed after almost losing itA Moment That Will Stay With YouOne of the girls kept a journal for three months during recovery, writing down one thing every single day that she was excited to do again once she got back to gymnastics. She still has it at home. It's the kind of quiet, private discipline nobody sees, and it's exactly what got her through. Listen & SubscribeAvailable now on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. If this episode moved you, leave a review, it helps more people find these stories.

  3. Aug 20

    Two Equals: Love, Respect, and the Courage to Change Course with Meera & Prashant

    About This Episode In this episode, Harry sits down with a couple whose journey spans continents, careers, and courage: Girija, an architect by training and a chef by passion, and Prashant, an AI product leader, marathon runner, and stage performer at heart. From building a life together in the US to returning to India and redefining success on their own terms, their story is about self-awareness, reinvention, and the quiet strength it takes to choose your own path even when it's uncertain. This conversation goes deep. We talk about growing up under very different kinds of pressure, the astrologer who told each of them separately that they had no future in education, and the years Girija spent building financial independence from the ground up. But this isn't just a story about two individuals. It's about what it looks like to build a life and a partnership at the same time, through career pivots, a return home, health struggles, and the daily discipline of choosing each other. What We Cover Two very different childhoods — Girija's rebellion against a joint family's expectations, and Prashant's constant moving and love of the stage The astrologer who told both of them, separately, that they had no future in education — and how they proved him wrong Girija funding her own education through tutoring and loans, and choosing architecture against her parents' wishes What first drew them to each other, from Prashant doing dishes at home to Girija refusing to fit any mold Moving from Chicago to India for Prashant's MBA at ISB, and later relocating permanently to be closer to family Girija's unexpected pivot from a 20-year architecture career into professional cooking, and how it started with learning to cook for herself in graduate school The moment Girija was told she was "as qualified as any chef" despite having no formal training Prashant hosting a global AI summit while sick, and what marathon running taught him about pushing through Girija's health struggles after losing her father and going through early menopause, and the two years it took to get answers What each of them leaned on the other for — and why mutual respect matters more than love in a long partnership Their advice to young couples: define happiness together, set boundaries with family, and let go of ego A Moment That Will Stay With You "I have to get education and get out. There's no way I'm going to be depending on somebody else's income." "I think if it was anybody else, I don't think our relationship would have survived, or I would have survived this." "You are stronger than yesterday. You are better than yesterday." "Often there may be love, there may not be respect. I think more than love, respect is important. Once you let go of the ego, that becomes the barrier for both of you." Connect with Girija & Prashant: https://www.instagram.com/prashant.ivaturi https://www.instagram.com/vankayakura_n_tales This episode is sponsored by Sri Krishna Jewellers ~ with over 50 years of craftsmanship, now serving the Dallas community from Frisco, Texas. Explore their collection at srikrishna.com or call +1 430-231-1111.

  4. Aug 6

    The Mirror Is Enough with Pritha Lal

    In this episode, Harry sits down with Pritha Lal ~ HR professional turned authenticity life coach, global citizen, and mother. Pritha spent the first seven years of her life with selective mutism, unable to speak a word outside her own home. Raised across Kolkata, Kanpur, Delhi, Mumbai, and Kuwait, and now living in Utah, she's built a life and a career around a question she spent decades answering for herself: what happens when you stop looking outside yourself for permission to be okay? This conversation goes deep. We talk about the second-grade teacher who broke her silence in a single sentence, surviving the first Gulf War as a teenager with no word from her father for three and a half months, three car accidents in one month that led to an undiagnosed depression, and the moment in front of a bathroom mirror that finally pushed her toward the work she does today. This isn't a story about arriving. It's a story about learning, again and again, to trust yourself over the crowd. What We Cover Growing up selectively mute, and the second-grade teacher who handed her the class and changed everything Moving across five Indian cities and Kuwait, and what that taught her about difference vs. sameness Surviving the 1990 Gulf War, and 3.5 months without word from her father Choosing to remain childless for 15 years, and the judgment that followed her and her parents Three car accidents in one month, and the PTSD-induced depression she didn't know she had Her therapist's "strings" exercise ~ learning to cut the ties that let outside things control her The difference between confidence and self-trust Becoming a "recovering people pleaser" and what that recovery actually looks like The bathroom mirror moment that pushed her toward coaching Building "Be the Sequoia" ~ why authenticity is the root everything else grows from Writing a book on high-functioning depression in high-achieving people Rapid fire: favorite book, song, quote, and her definition of strength A Moment That Will Stay With You "For the first time in my seven years, I decide I am worth more than my silence." "The mirror is good enough for me to tell me how I look today. I don't need a compliment." "You cannot stay in your part of the forest forever. At some point you have to come out." Connect with Pritha Find her coaching practice, Be the Sequoia, and follow her journey online.  www.BeTheSequoia.com @bethesequoiacoaching Listen & Subscribe Available on Spotify and YouTube. If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs it today. A quick shout-out to today's sponsor, Sri Krishna Jewellers ~ over 50 years of craftsmanship, now serving the Dallas community from Frisco, Texas. Visit srikrishna.com or call 430-231-1111. Portraits of Strength is a podcast where everyday people share the extraordinary stories that shape their lives. Hosted by Harry, the Anecdotist.

  5. Jul 23

    Born to Do Great Things with Tejaswini Vaidya

    What does success look like when you stop counting it? In this episode, I sit down with Tejaswini, VP of Financial Services at InComm Payments and co-owner of Zest Kitchen and Porch here in Utah. She's a tech and operations leader with 20+ years in fintech. A restaurateur. A wife and mom. And someone who told herself at 5 years old, "I'm born to do great things." We talk about growing up as the eldest daughter in a middle-class Indian family, moving to a new city every three years, and the quiet lessons her father taught her without ever saying them out loud. She shares how a health scare last year changed the way she leads, why she believes consistency beats motivation every time, and what finally gave her permission to pause. Fun fact: the morning we recorded this, she worked a server shift at her own restaurant because no one showed up. Then she sat down and gave me this conversation. That's the whole episode in one moment. What we cover: Growing up across India and learning early that everybody is different, but at the end of it, all of us are the same Her father's unspoken lesson: talent means nothing without hard work Learning about stocks, bonds, and mutual funds at 18, and why women need to be in those conversations How her definition of success went from grades, titles, and promotions to slow mornings and Tuesday evening walks Why she calls herself a follower disguised as a leader Opening two restaurants while climbing the corporate ladder, and the humility that came with it The health scare that taught her to trust her people and let go of control "It's lonely at the top" and why nobody tells you the truth once you get there Her advice for anyone afraid to take a risk: know your why, calculate it, and ask yourself how badly you want it Timestamps: 00:00 – Cold open 01:24 – Meet Tejaswini 02:41 – Childhood in India and being the silent, ambitious eldest daughter 05:00 – A new city every three years 09:02 – Her father, her biggest influence 12:07 – Learning finances at 18 14:19 – How her definition of success evolved 20:21 – Early signs of leadership 24:55 – Why open restaurants during a corporate career? 30:02 – The health scare that changed her leadership 33:13 – Every decision is a calculated risk 35:12 – Why high achievers struggle to pause 38:18 – Consistency over motivation 41:36 – Advice for anyone afraid to take the leap 46:27 – Rapid fire round 49:10 – Closing thoughts Connect with the show: Follow @portraits.of.strength.podcast on Instagram New episodes on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts Today's sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Sri Krishna Jewellers. Over 50 years of craftsmanship, now serving the Dallas community from Frisco, Texas. If you have someone special worth celebrating, check out their collection at srikrishna.com or call 430-231-1111.

  6. Jun 26

    Choosing Joy: A Mother, a Son, and the Dance That Saved Her with Sarika Nayak

    In this episode, Harry sits down with Sarika Nayak — IT professional, Bollywood dance instructor, community builder, and mother to Ranch, her son on the autism spectrum. Born and raised in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, Sarika has been dancing since she was three years old, training for over a decade in the classical Indian dance form Odissi under a guru who shaped not just her art but her spirit. Now rooted in Salt Lake City, Utah, she leads the Bollipop dance community — a space she built from scratch that has become, in her own words, a home away from home. This conversation goes deep. We talk about what it felt like when Ranch was first diagnosed, the silence and isolation of those early days, and how dance became the lifeline that pulled Sarika back. But this isn't just a story about surviving hardship. It's about what it looks like to choose joy — deliberately, repeatedly — and how that choice ripples outward into everything you build. What We Cover Growing up hyperactive and happy in Bhubaneswar, and a mother's quiet wisdom in channeling that energy into Odissi The "Indian checklist" — academics, job, marriage — and the buried dream of dance that never quite went away Moving to Utah in 2014, Ranch's diagnosis at eighteen months, and the first time Sarika felt truly low How a recreation center instructor's offhand suggestion sparked the Bollipop community in 2015 Reimagining milestones, accepting different timelines, and what resilience actually looks like for a special needs parent The Bollipop community as mutual healing — comeback moms, IT professionals, people who just need to move What autism has taught Sarika about unconditional love, purity of heart, and living without judgment Her advice for parents just beginning their autism journey: get the diagnosis, accept it on your own timeline, and know that you are the difference Why staying passionate isn't selfishness — it's the thing that keeps you showing up A Moment That Will Stay With You "I think I never left dance. And I think it was mutual — dance never left me." "When you look at a heart rate monitor, it's the ups and downs that tell you the person is alive. If it's flat — he's dead. Life is that. If you have the ups and downs, you're actually living." "Ranch has come into my life to make me a better person." Rapid Fire Favorite book: Autobiography of a Yogi Favorite song: Love Me Favorite quote: "Miles to go before I sleep" — Robert Frost Favorite movie: Titanic Greatest fear: That Ranch won't know what to do without her Philosophy of life: Be happy. Make others happy. Everything will magically change around you. Connect with Sarika Find her and the Bollipop community on Instagram and in Salt Lake City, Utah. Listen & Subscribe Available on Spotify and YouTube. If this episode moved you, share it with someone who needs it today. A quick shout-out to today's sponsor, Sri Krishna Jewellers — over 50 years of craftsmanship, now serving the Dallas community from Frisco, Texas. Visit srikrishna.com or call 430-231-1111.

  7. Jun 11

    The Strength to Choose Yourself with Suha Lingam

    Guest: Suha Lingam — Managing Principal of Digi Trunk, former digital marketing leader at Studio McGee, Intermountain Healthcare, Zale Jewellers, and Claire's. MBA from BYU, digital marketing training from Cornell. Survivor of domestic abuse and someone who chose to rebuild life entirely on her own terms. Episode Summary: Suha's story begins long before the boardroom. Born in Sri Lanka, raised between India and the U.S., she grew up carrying the weight of generational trauma, cultural expectations, and a family defined by survival rather than thriving. Her parents escaped war. Safety was the ceiling. Ambition wasn't in the vocabulary. What followed was decades of quiet unlearning — about what strength means, what loyalty actually requires, and what it costs to finally trust yourself. Suha opens up about leaving a domestically abusive marriage, not because she had found herself, but because she became a mother and couldn't unsee what she was seeing. She talks about the compartmentalization that got her through, the vision of a better life that kept her going, and the surprising grief of healing — the relationships, beliefs, and versions of herself she had to leave behind. Today, she's intentionally stepped away from a two-decade corporate career to simply figure out who Suha is. Not the digital marketer. Not the immigrant daughter. Not the wife. Just Suha. This conversation is about what it takes to stop defining yourself by your roles, set real boundaries with the people you love most, and build a life in alignment with who you actually are. Key themes from this conversation: What "strength" meant growing up — and how that definition has completely transformed. The role of intuition as the clearest compass she has. Why healing costs you relationships you never expected to lose. How becoming a mother gave her the courage she couldn't find for herself. The difference between surviving and thriving — and the decades it took to claim the latter. What it means to be "complete on your own" before inviting anyone else in. Why she stopped caring about how her LinkedIn looks — and why that matters. Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Sri Krishna Jewellers — over 50 years of craftsmanship, now serving the Dallas community from Frisco, Texas. Visit srikrishna.com or call 430-231-1111.

  8. May 29

    The Woman Who Said No to the Checklist with Rajyalakshmi Kola

    What does it look like to build a thriving company in a male-dominated industry, stay grounded in your identity, and still make time to dance? Rajyalakshmi Kola — co-founder of Sunworks Energy, IIT Madras and Virginia Tech alumna, and a force in India's renewable energy sector — joins Portraits of Strength for a conversation that is equal parts grounding and inspiring. With over 12 years of experience and more than 1,400 megawatts of solar capacity delivered, Rajyalakshmi has built something remarkable — not just professionally, but personally. In this episode, we explore: The woman behind the work. Rajyalakshmi traces her roots to her grandmother — a doctor, Red Cross volunteer, and MLC who was working until the age of 80, back when that was virtually unheard of for a woman. Growing up with that model of strength shaped everything. Navigating a male-dominated path — from day one. The gender ratio didn't start at the boardroom. It started at IIT prep, where women made up less than 10% of her class. Rajyalakshmi shares how she got used to being the only woman in the room long before she co-founded a company — and how that prepared her for the moments that would have rattled someone else. The assumption that almost made her walk away from a client. A prospective client once opened a call by asking which of her partners was her husband. She stayed composed through that half-hour conversation — and then called her partners the moment she hung up. What happened next says everything about her character and her team. Why she came back to India. After graduating from Virginia Tech around 2009–10, Rajyalakshmi tried to find work in the US in her field. When the opportunities didn't materialize, she made a deliberate choice: travel, see the country she'd been living in, and leave with no regrets. Then she went home and built something extraordinary. Leadership lessons from scaling to 100 people. The math and engineering were never the hard part. People management was. From delaying a necessary firing for six months to learning how to build a culture that holds at scale, Rajyalakshmi is honest about what they got wrong and how they course-corrected. The proudest moment she almost dismissed. When four board members from a company — each independently reaching out through their own networks — all came back with the same name: hers. She called it small. We disagree. Dance as a lifeline. Rajyalakshmi has been dancing since she was two and a half years old. Bharatanatyam, contemporary, hip hop, belly dance — she has trained in them all. After a 25-year gap, she picked Bharatanatyam back up during COVID, starting from scratch alongside six-year-olds. She performs regularly with a small troupe in Hyderabad and dances at weddings when asked. No hesitation. CrossFit as the foundation. What started as a way to become a stronger dancer became a non-negotiable daily ritual. She does her own programming, meets her crew every morning on a terrace in Hyderabad, and credits the discipline of movement with pulling her out of the most anxious period of her professional life. Advice for South Asian women caught between expectation and ambition. Stop explaining yourself to people who aren't listening. Find the path of least resistance, move forward, and stop waiting for permission that was never yours to need. Connect with Portraits of Strength 📺 YouTube | 🎙️ Spotify 📸 Instagram: @portraits.of.strength.podcast Portraits of Strength is proudly supported by our Founding Sponsor - Sri Krishna Jewellers.

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Everyday People with Extraordinary Stories

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  • Creator
    Harry, The Anecdotist
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Harry, The Anecdotist
  • Show Website
    Portraits of Strength