In the final episode of Season 7 which is also the 100th episode of Womenpreneur Asia, I had an amazing time being interviewed by Padmaja Vaswani who is an experienced entrepreneur and one who has been in the learning and development field for 30 years. 

Padmaja is the CEO and founder of Siksha Group based in Bangalore, India and she manages not one but three businesses. Siksha Group offers learning and development for companies globally. She is also the CEO of NEWS Navigation which specializes in executive coaching and organizational transformation solutions. Finally, she is the co-founder of WeMantra with Dr Abha Bhartia which enables individuals and organizations to identify and break barriers to co-create a diverse and inclusive ecosystem.

And I am deeply humbled that she helped me out with Episode 100. Thank you, Padmaja for co-creating this episode with me. If you wish to hear her story as an entrepreneur, check out Padmaja’s episode in Season 3, Episode 8. 

In this episode, she asks me questions about what I’ve learned from the women guests who have been on my show since 2020. I reveal the highs and lows of podcasting – the highs are the engaging interviews with some truly inspiring women in business while the lows are lessons for me to improve. I never let a mistake happen twice if I can help it. 

What I’ve Learned From Other Women Entrepreneurs

I shared about the rich tapestry of women entrepreneurs’ experiences, uncovering common threads of fears, doubts and challenges, regardless of their levels of success. In all my interviews, I have realised the universality of these struggles dispelling the myth that accomplished entrepreneurs are immune to moments of self-doubt.

Recognizing the difficulty women often face in saying no, I underlined the importance of prioritizing oneself in the entrepreneurial journey. Ultimately, resilience and perseverance are integral to the success of women in business. 

Why I Explored Podcasting

In this conversation, Padmaja also asks me about the medium of podcasting and its influence on my perspective and business decisions. With 20 years in web development. copywriting and marketing, I was searching for a new challenge. I found podcasting to be somewhat of a puzzle that I had to unravel for myself in the digital realm.

I chose podcasting because I was “scratching my itch” meaning I was an avid listener of podcasts and I was deeply curious about other women entrepreneurs’ stories. Incidentally, I attribute it to the unexplored nature of the platform for myself, the enduring and growing impact of audio and the convenience of multitasking while listening (for listeners).

I appreciate the intimacy of audio and its global accessibility and scalability. Scalability is of utmost importance to me as I work in the digital space. Audio is inherently a more comfortable format for women compared to video. Audio represents, too, a powerful and flexible medium for developing connections and creating intimate influence.

These were the reasons for choosing to create a podcast – actual factors that I used in my 7-minute pitch in Hawaii in 2019. It was the leadership programme from the East-West Center that helped me create this podcast.

Navigating the Highs and Lows

The podcasting journey is not without its challenges and this is where I candidly share my experiences after having created 7 seasons and 100 episodes since 2020.

Gaining recognition in the initial stages proved daunting especially when no one knew me and I didn’t have an iota of credibility. I remember a nasty incident with a potential guest who was utterly dismissive underscoring the fact that when you don’t have a track record, you face a tougher time.

Rapidly building up a track record in terms of episodes and quality conversations, being ruthless in editing episodes (ensuring the conversation is captivating and clear in its message), gaining a reputation as an above-average interviewer with a rock-solid profile, gaining media attention and being tagged and mentioned by friends and guests on LinkedIn helped to strengthen my podcast brand. For the record, most of my guests are kind and gracious barring the difficult one or two people who possess prima donna attitudes.  

It is therefore no surprise that I value authenticity and emphasize the importance of gauging values and rapport during my preliminary calls with potential guests. For me, it boils down to aligning purpose and chemistry in which I draw parallels between podcasting and business relationships; both driven by the shared goal of serving the greater good.

My Secret Sauce

Padmaja asks about my secret sauce for podcasting and I share how I am a big believer in systems and software. I unravel the layers of my podcasting process emphasizing the significance of a systematic approach with processes and clear steps.

From preliminary calls to recording, editing and finalizing episodes, I outline the meticulous steps involved including the software that I use for my ruthless edits. I can safely say that my secret sauce lies in a systematic process combining patience, humility, curiosity and rapport-building with guests and top-tier technology to create a high-quality final product – the podcast episode.

Additionally, I have a degree in Communications with a major in Journalism and 25 years of experience in the areas of interviewing, facilitating and speaking, not to mention helping clients produce business stories that are persuasive and credible. 

Empowering Aspirations and Collaborations

What surprises me is that my podcast has enjoyed a fair bit of popularity since it was launched in 2020. It comes from many quarters – from guests who tag me on LinkedIn to friends who are inspired and awed when they hear that I have my podcast on Spotify.

Most people come from two camps – the ones who want to be a guest on my podcast and the ones who want to start a podcast just like mine. For the second group, this begs the question – how to start a podcast?

It is for this reason that I am in the process of creating an ebook for aspiring podcasters but it’s not just about which microphone to buy. I place a strong emphasis on strategic thinking beyond technicalities. If you’re interested in the ebook, please sign up for my email list and I will announce more details later. 

In the convergence of entrepreneurial insights and podcasting adventures, I am proud of my 100 episodes and the women who have entrusted me with their stories. I am humbled and grateful that I can leverage my strengths to weave a narrative of shared experiences with the transformative power of storytelling.

It’s also exciting to collaborate with guests and more so do look out for more on this website.

Womenpreneur Asia is not about Krista Goon; like all the other community initiatives that I’ve started, I always believe in the bigger picture, the bigger impact, the bigger good that we can accomplish and that it’s not about me although I could be the catalyst.

Thank you for listening to the podcast and helping me get to 100 episodes. Here’s to the next 100 more!

The Womenpreneur Asia podcast is a seasonal podcast with 14 episodes per season. The upcoming season (Season 8) begins in May. While waiting for Season 8 to begin, check out the previous seasons of the podcast.