Drop your Noise

Kirti

Tired of the constant noise? Welcome. I'm Kirti, founder of Kirtana168. Shortlisted for Podcast of the Year at the Women in Business Awards 2025, this show is a space to pause, strip away the information overload, and look at how we actually connect. Through a mix of solo insights and relaxed, conversational episodes with guests from all over the world, we share raw experiences and real wisdom on how to navigate life, culture, and communication. Whether you're an individual trying to find your voice or a leader guiding a team, it’s time to hit pause. ⏸ Think. Talk. Thrive

  1. 3 days ago

    Modesty Is Not a Restriction — Rehma on Style, Body Change & Self-Acceptance

    Rehma sees what most people miss. In part two of this conversation, the stylist reads Kirti's wardrobe like a memoir — spotting the London blazers, the shift to free-flowing colour, the body that changed and the self that grew with it. They talk about styling through perimenopause without fighting your body, why modesty is built on cultural awareness, intentional styling and emotional wellbeing, and how to tell cultural appreciation from appropriation. Rehma shares why she wore black to stay invisible for thirteen years — and what made her finally choose colour. A conversation about clothes that turns out to be about acceptance, identity, and the quiet courage of letting yourself be seen. 00:00 Back with Rehma, part two 01:01 Styling when your body changes 01:35 Rehma's conversation with her own body 03:35 Letting go of clothes that no longer fit 05:34 Stop forcing your body 06:14 Perimenopause as a season, not a problem 08:25 Conservative London, vibrant Dubai 09:39 Modesty is not a restriction 10:24 The three pillars of modest fashion 13:46 Appreciation or appropriation 15:43 Wear it for yourself, not to fit in 18:30 The boldest thing she ever wore 20:32 The magic of colour 21:11 Rehma reads Kirti's wardrobe 24:00 One suitcase, two lipsticks 29:23 Do we hide our journeys in our clothes? 29:49 Thirteen years of wearing black 33:13 Dressing to be seen 34:14 What she'd tell her younger self 35:16 The one thing she'd leave behind Drop Your Noise — shortlisted for Podcast of the Year, Women in Business Awards 2025. Hosted by Kirti Daryanani.Subscribe and join the conversation on Substack. #ModestFashion #SelfAcceptance #Perimenopause #StyleAndIdentity #DropYourNoise

    38 min

  2. 12 Jun

    From Color Shaming to Self-Contentment: How Rehma Rebuilt Her Confidence Through Styling

    Rehma grew up being told her dark skin tone made her less — less worthy of color, of fashion, of choosing how she showed up in the world. In this episode she sits with Kirti and traces the long road from that to self-contentment: the comparisons, the silence she learned, and the makeover that turned out to be about far more than clothes. This is a conversation about skin tone bias, confidence, modesty and style, and what it takes to finally look in the mirror and mean it when you say you look good. Part one of two. Would you like to find out more on how to pause the pressure of what's expected of you and find a fresh way to speak your mind? Connect with us : https://link.kirtana168.com/podcast About Rehma Mirza Rehma Mirza is a Sustainable Style Consultant and the Founder of The Self-Investment System™, a purpose-led framework that integrates self-awareness, confidence, styling awareness, and mental wellbeing. She is recognised as a pioneer in the GCC for linking mental wellbeing with styling awareness through structured workshops and educational programmes for both youth and adults.She is also a contributor to ISO 45003 (Psychological Health & Safety at Work) recognition within a government organisation in Dubai. Her work focuses on empowering individuals to build self-trust, emotional intelligence, and intentional self-presentation through culturally respectful, accessible tools that support long-term wellbeing, confidence, and future readiness. www.stylebyrehma.com, stylebyrehma (Instagram), Rehma Mirza (Linkedin) Time 01:16 — How Rehma got here, and why 01:21 — Growing up the "different" one: gender bias in an orthodox home 02:27 — When color comparison entered the family 04:00 — Learning that pleasing others was the only path 04:53 — "You don't fit that role because of your color" 06:42 — Falling into depression before she had a word for it 09:54 — Labelled difficult, sensitive, too much 10:17 — Kirti's side: comparison cuts from the other direction too 12:09 — The marriage market and the cost of comparison 14:58 — Married at 21, still dressed by everyone but herself 15:52 — "Are you really happy?" — the question her husband kept asking 17:23 — Mirrors, breaking points and self-harm 22:25 — Pregnancy, melanin and the cruelty of people close to her 24:22 — Normalizing the negativity until it stops sounding like harm 26:40 — The pivot: Dubai, depression, and a gift she didn't want 27:45 — Two hours of weeping in a stylist's chair 28:40 — "We need to get your head fixed first" 29:34 — The eye-opener: every color she'd worn was wrong 31:32 — Turning her own makeover into a way to help other women 33:57 — Inner alignment and outer presence 34:53 — Happiness vs. self-contentment: the word that changed things 36:39 — Kirti's own story: yoga, weight, perimenopause and lost confidence 38:57 — Styling for a body that keeps changing 39:24 — The question that carries into part two

    40 min

  3. 5 Jun

    Styling, Pressure, and Voice: Kirti on Self-Expression Across Cultures

    Kirti breaks down the pressure to look and act a certain way, sharing stories about shame, family, and everyday criticism. Keywords How does cultural pressure affect women's confidence?  Speaking up when feeling judged for appearance  Emotional impact of family comments about weight  Kirti Drop Your Noise styling and well-being episode  Handling criticism about appearance at work  Tips for dressing across different cultures  Women's voices in multicultural workplaces  Indian family expectations for women  Why do clothes affect self-esteem?  Stories about hiding due to shame  Real talk about skin color and beauty standards  Finding identity while living abroad  Multicultural challenges for professional women  How do casual comments affect self-worth?  Effects of cultural beauty pressure on speaking up  Tagscommunicationwomen at workmulticulturalfamily pressureself-esteemspeaking upappearanceshamestylingKirti  Timestamped chapters 00:00 Why talk about styling and well-being?  00:45 Clearing out old photos in Curacao  01:19 First memories of college friendship  02:04 When appearance shaped opportunity  02:45 Family criticism and pressure  03:35 Childhood shame and secret eating  04:11 Aunties, skin color, and judgment  05:05 Male allies and encouraging confidence  05:51 Switching from suits to yoga clothes  07:01 Second-guessing sharing discomfort  07:10 The lasting influence of outside comments  08:23 Why styling still matters  09:36 Finding style in different countries  10:17 Clothing, confidence, and well-being  11:21 Closing thoughts

    11 min

  4. 14 May

    Finding Your Voice: Women, Vulnerability, and Being Real on LinkedIn

    How much of your voice are you leaving out online? Annie shares stories of working with women on visibility, the messy reality of putting yourself out there, and the things we’re worried about but rarely say out loud. Kirti and Annie get honest: comparison, confidence, what actually works on LinkedIn (hint: it’s not just posting daily), and how being a little bit more yourself might be the most valuable thing you can do—in business and beyond. Get our latest releases and behind the scene thoughts: https://kirtana168.substack.com About Annie: Annie Meikle is a communications strategist with 17 years of experience helping brandsand senior leaders articulate their narrative with clarity and confidence. She began hercareer at the start of the region’s social media era, where she helped establish theSocial@Ogilvy practice at Memac Ogilvy. As Head of Content at OgilvyOne, she led workfor global brands including Sprite, IBM, SAP, Volkswagen, Kotex and Sony Mobile, shapingcontent designed for real audience engagement in the Middle East.In 2016, she co-founded The Social Shop by Aurora, a Dubai-based social media agencyfocused on corporate and consumer communications in sectors such as technology,aviation, retail, and health. Over time, the agency developed a niche in delivering high-impact social strategies to B2B companies.In 2023, Annie launched Meikle Communications to focus on strategic thought leadershipfor corporates and senior executives — particularly on LinkedIn — alongside employeeadvocacy and social media enablement programs. Her work blends narrativedevelopment, executive positioning, and practical execution frameworks that help leaderscommunicate with influence and purpose.

    37 min

  5. 23 Apr

    Emotions Aren't the Problem. Ignoring Them Is. — with Lillian

    You've been told to leave your feelings at the door. But what if that's exactly what's breaking your team? Lillian is a change management specialist with 35 years of experience working across the Netherlands and the Caribbean. In this conversation, we get into why emotions keep getting treated as a problem to solve when they're actually the most useful information in the room. We talk about why change keeps failing even when the methodology is perfect, what happens when leaders outsource their instincts to AI, and the one question Lillian asks junior managers that always gets a laugh and then opens everything up. This is a conversation about efficiency, trust, and what it actually costs to stay human at work. Drop Your Noise is shortlisted for Podcast of the Year, Women in Business Awards 2025. Hosted by Kirti Daryanani, founder of Kirtana168 and creator of the PAU...SE. methodology 00:00 Are you outsourcing your social intelligence to AI?01:17 Lillian introduces herself, 35 years of change before it had a name04:03 The speed problem: AI, efficiency, and why faster isn't always better06:23 Why emotions got left out of change management11:10 Resistance isn't a problem. It's information.12:01 The seating story: how one small blindside derailed an entire team22:00 The AI in the meeting room, when a leader consulted ChatGPT instead of asking the person in front of them29:29 When methodology replaces gut instinct33:45 Why high-performing leaders have been conditioned to see emotion as inefficiency39:53 Emotion is just information. That's it.47:38 Change fatigue is real and the antidote isn't mindfulness51:07 Lillian's practical moves: how to talk about emotions without saying the word54:11 Professional maturity and what it means to not take things personally57:16 Nobody can lead change they haven't accepted in themselves first1:02:27 The unwritten rules: the one question that tells you everything about where emotion is being suppressed

    1hr 4min

  6. 5 Apr

    You have an opinion. But where did you actually get it from?

    We're living in an era of bite-sized information and big opinions. And most of us have no idea how little we're actually working with. In this solo episode, Kirti shares something she's been sitting with - the cost of reacting before we understand. Travelling between Dubai, Europe and the Caribbean, she's been in the middle of conversations where assumptions have replaced research, and quick takes have replaced real understanding. This one is about what it means to tame confusion. She talks about what happens when a community built on many cultures teaches you to listen first. Why directness matters. Why incomplete information is one of the quietest forms of harm we do to each other. And why she herself is stepping back from technology — not as a strategy, but as a necessity. Plus — a preview of what's coming with Lillian on leadership, change, and what it means to stay human when everything around you is disrupting faster than you can process. especially times like in geopolitcal tension in the Gulf region. Plus, get an exclusive introduction to the new Pause Phrases practice, a powerful tool for transforming inner conflict (like anger and guilt) into respectful, loving interactions.

    12 min

  7. 18 Mar

    Humanity, Humor and Humility in negotiations and life

    Kirti sits down with Roshanak,an international lawyer with a vibrant multicultural story to talk about the real power of humanity, humor, and humility in negotiations and everyday life. From growing up between Iran and Italy, to building trust in Dubai’s diverse business scene, Roshanak shares how her family’s values shaped her approach to fear, belonging, and professional success. Expect real talk on how laughter helps break down barriers, why dropping your ego matters in high-pressure deals, and what it actually means to show up as yourself in a global world. Warm, candid, and practical. Keep in the loop: https://link.kirtana168.com/podcast Roshanak has lived a life shaped by movement, strong influences and high expectations, learning early on how to navigate different environments with curiosity and independence. Her experiences across countries and cultures have given her a wide lens on people, relationships and what really matters.Alongside a demanding professional life, she has always been drawn to art, culture and creative expression — interests that keep her grounded and offer a different way of understanding the world. These influences sit just as comfortably with her love for structure and problem-solving as they do with imagination and humour.She is married to Francesco, whose Italian dolce vita approach brings warmth and lightness into everyday life. Today, she balances intensity with perspective, ambition with enjoyment, and seriousness with an ability to laugh — at life, and often at herself. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-roshanak-bassiri-gharb-46471a15

    1hr 3min

  8. 12 Mar

    Why “lighten those damn fears” changes everything, even during chaos

    When panic and uncertainty rise,especially during regional conflict ( Dubai, UAE) or family pressure, most people default to anxiety, guilt, and hyper-alert routines. Kirti found relief by using a “pause phrase”: “Lighten those damn fears.” Instead of masking fear with forced positivity, she leaned into humor, clear requests with family, and practical mindfulness. This shifted her mindset from reacting to navigating. Real composure comes from loosening the grip, accepting care, and working through the moment. Simple pauses and a sense of humor offer steadier ground.

    12 min
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Trailer

About

Tired of the constant noise? Welcome. I'm Kirti, founder of Kirtana168. Shortlisted for Podcast of the Year at the Women in Business Awards 2025, this show is a space to pause, strip away the information overload, and look at how we actually connect. Through a mix of solo insights and relaxed, conversational episodes with guests from all over the world, we share raw experiences and real wisdom on how to navigate life, culture, and communication. Whether you're an individual trying to find your voice or a leader guiding a team, it’s time to hit pause. ⏸ Think. Talk. Thrive

Information

  • Creator
    Kirti
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    92
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Kirti
  • Show Website
    Drop your Noise