Play To Potential Podcast

GUEST: In this episode of FLAVOUR-ful Lives, we explore the multifaceted journey of Vineet Panchhi, a true exemplar of embracing multiple identities. From his early days in Hotel Management at IHM Pusa to successful careers in Sales, HR, Singing, Jingle Creation, Movie Workshop Directing, Internal Communications, and Poetry, Vineet embodies the essence of not being confined by one identity. Learn how he defies the conventional path, demonstrating that our pasts do not have to define our futures. Join us as we delve into his story, featured in the Play to Potential book. The Book: Play to Potential - Lead a full life, become the best you (Published by Penguin RandomHouse) is now available to order (1-30 copies) on Amazon - https://qr1.be/29Z6 Published on August 2025. ABOUT THE BOOK:  Play to Potential offers a refreshing exploration of human potential, emphasizing discovery through play rather than work. Deepak Jayaraman weaves insights from his eponymous podcast, his coaching work and his lived experie

GUEST: In this special episode, we feature a candid and insightful conversation with Vineeta Singh, Co-Founder & CEO of Sugar Cosmetics, Mother of two young children, Shark Tank India judge, and a committed marathoner. What began as a thoughtful note of appreciation for the Play to Potential book turned into a rich dialogue on what it truly means to lead a full life. Vineeta shares how the book’s themes—especially around self-awareness, internal compasses, and pacing for the long game—resonated with her deeply. Drawing from her entrepreneurial journey and her experiences as a runner, she reflects on managing energy, saying no without guilt, and letting go of perfection. I hope you find this meaningful exchange with a curious and thoughtful reader useful. Published on July 2025.   ABOUT THE BOOK: Play to Potential offers a refreshing exploration of human potential, emphasizing discovery through play rather than work. Deepak Jayaraman weaves insights from his eponymous podcast, his coaching work and

GUEST: In this episode of FLAVOUR-ful Lives, we dive into a compelling conversation with Sumeet Mehta, CEO and Co-Founder of LEAD, a billion-dollar ed-tech company. Known for his pivotal role in my self-awareness journey since our days at IIMA, Sumeet’s story exemplifies the power of pausing to pivot. Discover how a strategic sabbatical set him on his path and how childhood experiences can hold the key to unlocking future potential. Join us as we explore the journey of an inspiring leader featured in the Play to Potential book. The Book: Play to Potential - Lead a full life, become the best you (Published by Penguin RandomHouse) is now available to order (1-30 copies) on Amazon - https://qr1.be/29Z6 Published on May 2025. ABOUT THE BOOK:  Play to Potential offers a refreshing exploration of human potential, emphasizing discovery through play rather than work. Deepak Jayaraman weaves insights from his eponymous podcast, his coaching work and his lived experience to share a powerful yet simple framework (

GUEST: In this episode of FLAVOUR-ful Lives, we feature Sucharita Mukherjee, CEO of Kaleidofin, a FinTech company empowering millions with affordable finance. Sucharita’s story is a powerful example of resilience as transformation rather than simply bouncing back. From her early career at LSR, IIM Ahmedabad, and top-tier banks in London to navigating a personal upheaval in 2008 that led her to co-found IFMR Capital (now Northern Arc), her journey shows the depth of inner work and strategic choices. Explore how she balances incubating three startups, parenting two young daughters, and leading Kaleidofin. Her story is one of adaptability, inner strength, and true potential, as highlighted in the Play to Potential book. The Book: Play to Potential - Lead a full life, become the best you (Published by Penguin RandomHouse) is now available to order (1-30 copies) on Amazon - https://qr1.be/29Z6 Published on March 2025. ABOUT THE BOOK:  Play to Potential offers a refreshing exploration of human potential, emph

GUEST: In this episode of FLAVOUR-ful Lives, we spotlight Soma Vajpayee, an inspiring art-based therapist whose journey exemplifies adapting and thriving through change. From being an IIMA graduate alongside her husband Bhavtosh Vajpayee to moving across various locations over the years, Soma has shown that being a 'trailing spouse' can be transformed into an empowering journey. Her story highlights embracing challenges, inner work, and navigating past demons to align passion and purpose. Discover how Soma's path brings to life the rediscovery process central to the FLAVOUR framework in the Play to Potential book. The Book: Play to Potential - Lead a full life, become the best you (Published by Penguin RandomHouse) is now available to order (1-30 copies) on Amazon - https://qr1.be/29Z6 Published on February 2025. ABOUT THE BOOK:  Play to Potential offers a refreshing exploration of human potential, emphasizing discovery through play rather than work. Deepak Jayaraman weaves insights from his eponymous p

ABOUT THE EPISODE Midlife is a phase when we find ourselves pulled in multiple directions—across work, home, health, friendships, and hobbies. In this session, Ravi Venkatesan delves into themes from Deepak Jayaraman’s recent book, Play to Potential. The book offers a nuanced exploration of how to unlock human potential—not just professionally but holistically—by embracing life’s highs and lows. Drawing from his acclaimed Play to Potential podcast and his experiences as a coach, Deepak introduces the FLAVOUR framework, a practical guide to navigating the intricate interplay of family, aspirations, values, and relationships. Deepak emphasizes that life is a team sport, with family serving as an essential support system. He argues that personal growth and achievement are deeply intertwined with our family contexts, a perspective often overlooked in self-help literature, particularly in cultures where family plays a central role. A key insight of the book is the recognition that life unfolds in seasons, shap

GUEST: In this episode of FLAVOUR-ful Lives, we feature Sangeeta Shahaney, an inspiring figure whose life journey exemplifies resilience and intentional living. Daughter of one of India's pioneers in Executive Search, Sangeeta initially chose the path of being a homemaker after marrying a sailor. However, the sudden loss of her husband led her to reexamine her life and navigate a transformative path that culminated in building a successful SAT coaching practice in Pune. Her story is a powerful testament to embracing reality, simplifying choices, and staying resilient. Discover her journey as highlighted in the Play to Potential book. The Book: Play to Potential - Lead a full life, become the best you (Published by Penguin RandomHouse) is now available to order (1-30 copies) on Amazon - https://qr1.be/29Z6 Published on January 2025. ABOUT THE BOOK:  Play to Potential offers a refreshing exploration of human potential, emphasizing discovery through play rather than work. Deepak Jayaraman weaves insights

GUEST: In the first episode of FLAVOUR-ful Lives, we engage with Ravishankar Iyer, a storyteller and podcast host whose journey embodies positivity, simplicity, and the pursuit of passion. Coming from an Indian middle-class background, Ravi’s love for stories began in childhood and set him on an unconventional path. Though he started traditionally—ranking 11th in CA and graduating from IIMA—he made deliberate, sometimes difficult, choices to follow his true calling. With deep inner work, he has found balance, understood ‘how much is enough,’ and crafted a life rich in meaning alongside his wife, Praveena. Ravi’s story, featured in the Play to Potential book, offers valuable insights into aligning passion with purpose." The Book: Play to Potential - Lead a full life, become the best you (Published by  Penguin RandomHouse) is now available to order (1-30 copies) on Amazon - https://qr1.be/29Z6 Published on January 2025. ABOUT THE BOOK:  Play to Potential offers a refreshing exploration of human potential,

GUEST: Ricardo Sunderland is an author and a CEO Transformational Coach with Egon Zehnder, a global leadership advisory firm. In this podcast, we discuss his latest book, "The Energy Advantage, How to go from managing your time to mastering your energy," Ricardo's life’s purpose is to help leaders connect to and manage their energy to become humane leaders. He coaches senior leaders to help them bring coherence to the way they lead, and to help them reach their full societal impact. In addition to his coaching work, Ricardo collaborates with Board’s Chairs and Nominating Committees during their CEO and C-suite succession processes. In our conversation, Ricardo discusses how we can tune into various levels of physical, mental and spiritual energy and access the “infinite power plant” within us. The seven levels include Level 1 - Felt sense, Level 2 - Love of self, Level 3 - Clarity of thought, Level 4 - Loving interaction with family and friends, Level 5 - Speaking and following your truth, Level 6 - Uncondi

This episode of Connecting the Dots is on Parenting - something we are all winging. We go to colleges, trainings and leadership development programmes for all sorts of capabilities, but there is none for parenting. In this episode, we learn from Roger Federer’s parents, Nandan, Nilekani‘s parents and many other successful leaders who reflect on their childhood. We also learn from some of the researchers on how we can be mindful as parents. If you have a child 10 years or above, the chances are, you will find this of value. We also realise you are short on time. So I have handpicked 10 nuggets from across the various episodes on parenting that I have found of value. Members can access it at https://www.playtopotential.com/playlist/DeepakJ/djs-picks-parenting. You can stay connected with the podcast by subscribing to the Email newsletter or to the Whatsapp distribution group. Details below. Email Newsletter (~1 or 2 a month): Join ~8500 + growth-minded individuals who take a baby step towards playing to th

This episode of Connecting the Dots deals with Judgment - Making sound decisions amidst complexity. VUCA - (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous) is a term that is used to describe the state of the world. Some people use BANI - (Brittle, Anxious, Non-Linear, Incomprehensible). Whatever the terminology, it is fair to say that the world has gotten more grey, nebulous and harder to predict. Sound judgment, today, is arguably more relevant than ever. Tune in as we peel the layers on this nuanced topic.  You can stay connected with the podcast by subscribing to the Email newsletter or to the Whatsapp distribution group. Details below.  Email Newsletter (~1 or 2 a month): Join ~8500 + growth-minded individuals who take a baby step towards playing to their potential with the emails from the podcast.  https://lnkd.in/d6TfFch4  Whatsapp (~1 or 2 a week): We share snippets from the podcast. With the Connecting the dots series, we will share nuggets around related topics as we move forward. Just add +91 85914 5212

This episode of Connecting the Dots deals with STAYING RESILIENT THROUGH QUAKES. We explore what it takes to be resilient as an individual and go on to examine what it takes to create a resilient culture in an organization. Very often, even the notion of resilience is misunderstood. We examine the nuances in what the term means. Is it “bouncing back” to something or using the quake as an opportunity to shape-shift to something else. In the fragile and brittle worlds we live in, being resilient is turning out to be a super-power. Tune into this episode to learn and grow!  You can find nuggets on resilience from various speakers here - https://www.playtopotential.com/tags/resilience  00:00:25 - Intro 00:03:04 - Roopa Kudva - Clearing IIMA twice 00:05:58 - Dheeraj Pandey - Early formative years, including retaking JEE 00:08:08 - Atul Kasbekar - Being Tenacious through the Transition 00:22:21 - Deepa Malik - Dealing with the two possible fatalities 00:29:34 - Ramesh Srinivasan - Dealing with Lifequakes 00:34:42

This episode of Connecting the Dots deals with Building Habits that stick. This is that time of the year when your new year resolutions meet the rough and tumble of your life. Having a process that ensures that you work towards your outcomes is critical. As James Clear says, we don’t rise to the level of our goals. We fall to the level of our systems. We shine the light on how we can all build habits that stick.  While this episode is a compilation across many speakers, if you want to tune into the various nuggets around this theme of harmonising across work and other elements of life, you could visit - https://www.playtopotential.com/tags/habits  You can stay connected with the podcast by subscribing to the Email newsletter or to the Whatsapp distribution group. Details below.  Email Newsletter (~1 or 2 a month): Join ~8500 + growth-minded individuals who take a baby step towards playing to their potential with the emails from the podcast.  https://lnkd.in/d6TfFch4  Whatsapp (~1 or 2 a week): We share sn

This episode of Connecting the Dots deals with BREATHING LIFE INTO WORK. A lot of us, consciously or sub-consciously end up putting work on our pedestal and relegate the other elements of life to a distant second. In this episode, I share some of my learnings (from the 102+ episodes and from my lived experiences) around how focusing on Health, Personal Relationships, Social Impact work and Guitaring have helped me get better at my work!  While this episode is a compilation across many speakers, if you want to tune into the various nuggets around this theme of harmonizing across work and other elements of life, you could visit - https://www.playtopotential.com/tags/work-and-life  You can stay connected with the podcast by subscribing to the Email newsletter or to the WhatsApp distribution group. Details below.  Email Newsletter (~1 or 2 a month): Join ~8500 + growth-minded individuals who take a baby step towards playing to their potential with the emails from the podcast.  https://lnkd.in/d6TfFch4  Whatsa

This episode of Connecting the Dots deals with IDENTITY. When we look at issues around transitions, reinventing ourselves and navigating the pulls and pressures of mid-life, the key often is in reflecting on our identity. This episode, we go deep into how we think about Identity and how sometimes, we end up caging ourselves and end up being a prisoner of our own lack of imagination around our identity.  While this episode is a compilation across many speakers, if you want to tune into the various nuggets around this theme of Identity, you could visit - https://www.playtopotential.com/tags/identity You can stay connected with the podcast by subscribing to the Email newsletter or to the Whatsapp distribution group. Details below.  Email Newsletter (~1 or 2 a month): Join ~8500 + growth-minded individuals who take a baby step towards playing to their potential with the emails from the podcast.  https://lnkd.in/d6TfFch4  Whatsapp (~1 or 2 a week): We share snippets from the podcast. With the Connecting the do

Welcome to CONNECTING THE DOTS - Episode 3. The first two were on Internal and External Self-Awareness. This one is on Listening! How do we listen to others, ourselves, our heart, our body, our inner voice and much much more. The quality of our listening can have a significant impact on the lives we lead!  While this episode is a compilation across many speakers, if you want to tune into the various nuggets around this theme of Listening, you could visit - https://www.playtopotential.com/tags/listening  You can stay connected with the podcast by subscribing to the Email newsletter or to the WhatsApp distribution group. Details below.  Email Newsletter (~1 or 2 a month): Join ~8500 + growth-minded individuals who take a baby step towards playing to their potential with the emails from the podcast.  https://lnkd.in/d6TfFch4  WhatsApp (~1 or 2 a week): We share snippets from the podcast. With the Connecting the dots series, we will share nuggets around related topics as we move forward. Just add +91 85914 52

Welcome to the second episode of CONNECTING THE DOTS. We pick a theme for every episode and try and look at that topic from multiple lenses. Where appropriate, I also try and bring in my experiences as a Coach and a Sounding Board and from my journey as well. In this second episode, we discuss External Self-Awareness. How do we tune into the feedback that we get from the outside world and become a better version of ourselves? The question worth asking in this context is - How 360 is our 360?  While this episode is a compilation across many speakers, if you want to tune into the various nuggets around this theme of self-awareness, you could visit - https://www.playtopotential.com/tags/self-awareness  You can stay connected with the podcast by subscribing to the Email newsletter or to the Whatsapp distribution group. Details below.  Email Newsletter (~1 or 2 a month): Join ~8500 + growth-minded individuals who take a baby step towards playing to their potential with the emails from the podcast.  https://lnkd

Welcome to the first episode of CONNECTING THE DOTS. We pick a theme for every episode and try and look at that topic from multiple lenses. Where appropriate, I also try and bring in my experiences as a Coach and a Sounding Board and from my journey as well.  In this first episode, we discuss INTERNAL SELF-AWARENESS. Barry Schwartz (Author of Paradox of Choice) states that in a world of abundance, two things happen - 1) Decision-making becomes complex 2) You experience FOMO. Self-Awareness, I believe, is the steering wheel that can help us navigate through life where we experience close to infinite supply, whether it is career choice possibilities, educational combinations, entertainment, credit cards or even Podcasts!  While this episode is a compilation across many speakers, if you want to tune into the various nuggets around this theme, you could visit - https://www.playtopotential.com/tags/self-awareness  You can stay connected with the podcast by subscribing to the Email newsletter or to the Whatsapp

GUEST Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. This quote is attributed to Viktor Emil Frankl, an Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, devoted his life to studying, understanding and promoting “meaning.”  Carol Kaufman and David Noble give us practical tools that we can use to make the ‘space’ count.  Carol and David have authored Real-Time Leadership - Find Your Winning Moves When the Stakes Are High. In the podcast conversation they expand on the 4 step MOVE framework which lays out the various ways in which leaders can be deliberate in the way they go about playing the role of a leader. Published in May 2023. HOST Deepak Jayaraman, the host of this podcast series, works with Leaders and Organizations with a growth mindset and helps them play to their full potential. He strives to spend significant upfront energy in understand the nuances of the context and then armed with the mutual trust and understanding of the context,

NUGGET CONTEXT Carol and David speak about their M.O.V.E framework; M – Mindful, O – Options Generating, V – Validating the Vantage Point, E – Engage and effect change. The key, they say, borrowing from Viktor Frankl, is to create the space between stimulus and response. This is a “sampler” of what a nugget looks like in our podcast. While we have a few nuggets on popular podcast platforms, entire library of Nuggets (Categorised by themes) is available at www.playtopotential.com in the Members section. To understand more about membership benefits such as Curated Nuggets, Hand edited Transcripts, Customizable playlists and Learning Community, please see the Video here. GUEST Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. This quote is attributed to Viktor Emil Frankl, an Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, devoted his life to studying, understanding and promoting “meaning.”  Carol Kaufman and David Noble give us practical tools that