I’m so excited to be speaking today with Rene Subash, a South Indian Malayali food blogger whose cooking videos have been a viral sensation. She’s on a mission to make authentic traditional recipes less intimidating and more fun. Based in Liverpool, UK, Rene shares recipes passed down through generations of her Indian family, all while showing that South Indian cuisine doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious. Her approach is all about breaking things down, keeping it simple, and making traditional cooking accessible to everyone. We’re excited to dive into her story, her tips for stress-free cooking, and, of course, learning about her from a lens we can’t just see on social media. Let’s dive right into it.

Welcome, Rene!

To reach Rene for mentorship, her Instagram is @rene.cravings and her e-mail is renes.cravings@outlook.com

Thank you all for tuning in to the Break the Barrier podcast. If you liked this episode, please feel free to leave a review and share on your social platforms!

I’m so excited to be speaking today with Rianjali, a South Asian American singer, songwriter, and now producer hailing from Queens, NY. While in school, she was trained in Western vocals during her acceptance to the prestigious LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts. While speaking with Rianjali off the mic, I learned she was a former domestic violence case worker in hopes of becoming a mental health therapist. As someone who initially saw music as a passion project, her passion turned into a full-blown career as opportunities came knocking on her doorstep. And we’re not talking about small opportunities - we’re talking about opportunities to personally train with world-renowned AR Rahman in India, which had her think twice about her initial career aspirations, and she chose to take that flight and follow her dreams.

In this episode, we will highlight Rianjali’s music journey, how she learned to monetize in this space and create a career with multiple streams of income, any guidance she’s willing to share, and what’s in store for her future. Welcome, Rianjali!!

To connect with Rianjali for mentorship and her services:

Instagram: @rianjalimusic
Website: www.rianjali.com
E-mail: mgmt@rianjali.com

If you liked this podcast episode, please leave a review and follow me on Instagram @ambilyxx to stay up-to-date on the latest guests and content I post! Thanks for tuning in

I’m so excited to be speaking today with our one and only Ms. Lana Patel, an Afro-Indo-Caribbean trans woman who is a model and has been the face of brands like Pantene, Live Tinted, and HoliChic to name a few. She is also an activist in the LGBTQ+ space and leverages her social media presence to fight for trans individuals to have a seat at the table. Her mantra is that true liberation can only be achieved once each human being is seen as an equal.

I met Lana at a Brown Girl Magazine event back in May, and I loved her humble demeanor. It’s a full circle and beautiful moment for me to have her on the show to share her story.

In this episode, we will highlight Lana’s journey on how she found herself and became confident in her identity, how she decided to pursue modeling and the impact its made in her life, her social media presence and how she leverages it to do good for the world, and what’s in store for her future. Welcome, Lana!!

To contact her for mentorship/guidance:

Instagram: @lanapatelxoxo
Email: milianasingh@gmail.com

I’m so excited to be speaking today with Pooja Shah, a Kenyan-Indian-American woman who is a full-time photographer, creative director, and founder of TEMBO TONES: a multidisciplinary, creative studio focusing on photo artistry and brand design. Pooja’s cultural identity shapes how she sees the world and inspires her communications with BIPOC creative communities. Her photography explores the themes of nostalgia, identity, and slow living to honor and reclaim the experience of black and brown people. Her mission is to help entrepreneurs and storytellers of color craft impactful visual experiences and today, TEMBO TONES is recognized to work across various industries, creating imagery that is honest and intentional at every step.

I can’t wait for our audience to hear Pooja’s story and any gems she’s willing to share from her journey. Welcome, Pooja!

To connect with Pooja for mentorship and her services:

Instagram: @thelittletembo and @tembotones
Website: www.tembotones.com

If you liked this podcast episode, please leave a review and follow me on Instagram @ambilyxx to stay up-to-date on the latest guests and content I post! Thanks for tuning in

I’m so excited to be speaking today with Kajal Raju, the first South Asian woman to dance for the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. She just recently completed a year on this dance team, and she balances this career with a full-time role in tech as a Product Manager. She is passionate about amplifying South Asian voices in the arts and entertainment industry, and has so many gems to share with us regarding her journey.

In this episode, we will highlight Kajal’s journey on how she moved across the country from California to North Carolina to pursue NBA dancing, how she balances her corporate role with NBA dancing/friends/family/and everything in between, and what’s in store for her future. Welcome, Kajal!

What does breaking the barrier mean for Sweta? "It's intersecting passion with purpose," she answers.

The guest on today’s episode is very special to me, as she’s one of my dear friends. Sweta Sridhar is a woman who wears multiple hats. During the day, she works as a Product Marketing Manager in the financial services and technology industry, and by night she is a career coach and digital content creator. She has made noteworthy accomplishments in the media space including partnerships with L’Oreal, H&M, Amazon, Liquid IV, Bumble, and other fast-growing Fortune 100 brands. I truly have no idea how she manages to do this all while sending me detailed voice notes throughout the week checking in on me while also training for a half marathon. She’s not only a powerhouse woman but a great friend I’ve been blessed to have in my life.

In this episode, we will highlight Sweta’s journey on how she started in the content creation space, learn what inspires her as she shares her tips and tricks on taking aesthetic photos and landing huge brand deals, and what’s in store for her future. Welcome, Sweta!

To connect with Sweta and her services:

E-mail: contact@swetasridhar.com
Instagram: @sweetathansugar
Website: www.swetasridhar.com (coming soon in 2023!)

If you liked this podcast episode, please leave a review and follow me on Instagram @ambilyxx to stay up-to-date on the latest guests and content I post! Thanks for tuning in

I’m so excited to be speaking with Neha Dharmapuram, an emerging actress and well-established TikTok dancer who used the pandemic to pour into her passion and creative outlet which is dancing. Her passion for Bollywood is impressive and contagious as she now has over 85,000 followers on Tiktok and over 28,000 followers on Instagram. I personally met Neha in New York City during a launch party for AAVRANI’s Vitamin C oil, and she was easily memorable with a kind, humble demeanor.

As a Master's graduate, she had to make a tough call with either continuing a career in corporate or pursuing her passion full time - and she chose the latter. I am so proud of her for taking on her FIRST but certainly not last Broadway gig by playing a role in the new DDLJ Come Fall in Love The Broadway Bound musical in San Diego, California! Please check her out and show her all the love.

In this episode, we will highlight Neha’s journey on how she decided to quit her corporate role, how she navigated the challenges of pursuing acting, how the pandemic shaped her career including TikTok brand deals, and what’s in store for her future. Welcome, Neha!

To contact her for guidance/mentorship:

Instagram: @neha.dharma
TikTok: @neha.dharma

If you liked this podcast episode, please leave a review and follow me on Instagram @ambilyxx to stay up-to-date on the latest guests and content I post! Thanks for tuning in

I’m so excited to be speaking today with Nimrita Chavla who goes by Nim. She is the founder and CEO of a startup skincare spa called NC Skin located in the Chicagoland area, which she self funded after working for 4 years in corporate finance. During her journey to quit her job and pursue her passion full time, she remembers experiencing countless visits to estheticians and dermatologists and initially gave up hope on someone being able to help her with her skin for her brown skin tone. This is what drew her to this field, and she’s made it her mission to want to be there for any person looking to achieve results with their skin! She especially wants to make herself available to all the brown girls and guys who need a trustworthy estie bestie to help them better understand their skin and use the right skincare products.

In this episode, we will highlight Nim’s journey on how she decided to quit the 9-5 corporate life, how she navigated the challenges of starting her business, and what’s in store for her future. Welcome Nim!

To contact her for guidance/mentorship:

E-mail: ncskintherapy@gmail.com

Instagram: @ncskin_ and @nchavla

If you liked this podcast episode, please leave a review and follow me on Instagram @ambilyxx to stay up-to-date on the latest guests and content I post! Thanks for tuning in