Tuckered Out with Ami Thakkar Ami Thakkar Raval: Podcaster and Writer

Neelu Kaur is an author, facilitator, NLP and executive coach, and a wellness and burnout management expert. She combines leadership development, neurolinguistic programming, and burnout management to offer her clients a healing hybrid of research-based professional development skills intricately intertwined with the wisdom of Yoga and Ayurveda. Neely’s book, Be Your Own Cheerleader, is an Asian and South Asian woman’s cultural, psychological, and spiritual guide to self-promoting at work to get your professional needs met.

Guys, this book is a must-read, even if you're not in a corporate environment. Join me as I sit down with Neelu to discuss her unique approach to focusing on the mind in the workplace, healing our relationship to mental health, and how she continues to overcome the cultural, psychological, and spiritual challenges we all face daily.

My fourth guest for my South Asian author series is Sj Sindu.

As a genderqueer Sri Lankan American novelist and riveting short story writer, SJ Sindu is one of the most exciting young voices out there today. Her first novel, Marriage of a Thousand Lies, won the Publishing Triangle Edmund White Award for debut fiction and was named an American Library Association, Stonewall Honor Book. SJ’s upcoming book, The Goth House, is a collection of stories that focus on queer joy, as well as shocking cruelty. You know we love a good paradox. In today’s episode, we talk about her upbringing in Sri Lanka, her memories of the Sri Lankan war, and how much that trauma is incorporated into her writing. And I obviously couldn't resist asking her if she loves MIA as much as I do. Find out how she navigated the many intersections of ‘other” she found herself within, the hilarious last-ditch effort she made to throw her Brown parents off her trail, and what she hopes to inspire in younger generations through her work. 

Once labeled as the ‘Face of Failure’ by The New York Times, Suneel Gupta is a best-selling author, renowned speaker, Harvard Medical School visiting scholar, and host of a global documentary series (presented by American Express Business Class). Suneel has studied leaders around the world to discover and share simple, actionable habits that lift our performance and deepen our state of well-being.

Suneel has recently released Everyday Dharma, a guide through 8 essential practices for finding success and joy in what you do. A very penetrative and digestible read based on Hindu philosophy, I cannot stress enough on how relevant, healing, and insightful it was for me.

He joins me today to talk all things dharma (your essence or your calling), concepts we formulate around successes and failures, and if in fact, everyone does find what their true calling is.

My next interview for our South Asian author series is with the indomitable Hitha Palepu.

Hitha is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, CEO of Roshan Pharmaceuticals, and a lover of all things Mr. T and Taco Bell. From a young age, Hitha’s parents encouraged the belief that she didn't have to be just any one thing but her dreams would require hard work and diligence no matter what. Today we discuss how she wrote her book, We’re Speaking: The Life Lessons of Kamala Harris, in two months, why your relationship with your partner is the second most important, the clever way we can borrow confidence, and her experiences with the Vice President.

Priti Tanna is the author of I Married A Coconut, a coming-of-age story turned memoir that explores Priti’s journey through navigating the dichotomy of being a first-generation Indian American. It is an incredibly insightful book about growing up South Asian and having to walk the tightrope between two seemingly opposing cultures. Today, we talk more about her book and how Priti found her path as a writer, what her childhood was like, the pearls of wisdom that came out of her healing journey, her approach to dating and marriage, and why our lives are so parallel.

In honor of Pride Month, our team would love to highlight some of our favorite episodes featuring trailblazers from the LGBTQ community.

Hailing from Dallas, Texas, Maneesh Goyal is a self-acclaimed "insatiable people-person," and was determined to open the next great restaurant in NYC, which had to be Indian given his roots. That idea mixed with his desire to fulfill his fathers legacy, one that started in the 80s with the first Indian restaurant—India House—in Texas, led him on a journey of self-discovery of who he truly is and love for where he comes from.