Top Entrepreneur Anjula Acharia: The #1 Skill That Makes People Say YES (Use THIS Strategy to Turn One Conversation Into Multiple Opportunities)

Summary

Podcast Summary: On Purpose with Jay Shetty –

Top Entrepreneur Anjula Acharia: The #1 Skill That Makes People Say YES (Use THIS Strategy to Turn One Conversation Into Multiple Opportunities)
Released: May 6, 2026
Host: Jay Shetty | Guest: Anjula Acharia

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Overview:

In this candid and wisdom-rich episode, Jay Shetty sits down with powerhouse entrepreneur, investor, and cultural connector Anjula Acharia. From managing Priyanka Chopra Jonas to early investing in ClassPass and Bumble, Anjula shares her non-linear career journey and the skills that helped her turn conversations into opportunities. The discussion delves deeply into the art of networking, embracing multiple passions, learning from failure, reading the room, and the evolving demands of success in a rapidly changing world.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

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1. Finding Power in Not Fitting In

[05:42 – 12:20]

• Both Jay and Anjula discuss growing up as South Asians in predominantly white British communities, experiencing racism, and finding early inspiration in media representation (or lack thereof).
• Anjula’s pivotal childhood realization:

  “I hated TV. It’s ruining my life... The way people are treating me are based on what this box at home with four channels is telling everyone about me. These siloed, stereotypical stories about our people. And that changed my life.”
  (Anjula, 06:00)

• Her dream from youth: to manage Michael Jackson and “protect him” from media distortion—a theme that led to her work in representation and culture-building later in life.

2. From Outsider to Superpower

[08:31 – 12:20]

• Discusses being “mixed”—half Hindu, half Sikh—and how a lifelong sense of not fitting in eventually became an entrepreneurial superpower.

  “You not fitting in has kind of turned into your superpower... and that’s a superpower. It’s worked for you.”
  (Jay, 09:07)

3. Embracing the Mapless Path

[12:45 – 14:39]

• Anjula never had a set “goal” or map—she followed what she loved, let instincts guide her, and allowed opportunities to surprise her.
• Anecdote: How a side-project podcast/co-founded company (“Desi Hits”) turned into a viral success, which unexpectedly led to a $1M investment offer.
• Key takeaway:

  “You should always feel comfortable to talk about your ideas because you may not see something, but somebody else might see something.”
  (Anjula, 14:39)

4. The #1 Business Skill: The Power of Connecting

[15:05 – 20:12]

• Anjula breaks down practical, transformative networking strategies:
  • Just start talking to people—everyone feels awkward.
  • When you have nothing to offer, introduce people to each other.
  • By connecting others, you become invaluable, even if you don’t feel like you belong.
  • “People just saw me as a connector and people wanted me in the room because I made their lives easier.”
    (Anjula, 18:04)
• Jay echoes the impact of this approach in his own network after moving to LA, facilitated by mutual friend Payal Kadakia (founder of ClassPass).
• Advice for young professionals:

  “Feel confident to introduce people to other people... You will get value—my career is now built on bringing people value.”
  (Anjula, 19:31)

5. Mentorship: You Can't Force It

[20:28 – 24:23]

• Mentorship is most powerful when the mentor organically chooses the mentee.
• Anjula was mentored by Indra Nooyi (former PepsiCo CEO), who set clear ground rules: “My deal with mentorship is you have to do everything I tell you.”
• Reciprocal value is key:

  “Go and show them how powerful you are too. It’s a two-way thing. Make them want to mentor you, make them want you in their orbit. Show your value.”
  (Anjula, 22:50)

6. Instinct & Listening: Keys to Opportunity

[29:09 – 33:33]

• Trusting your instinct, especially when there’s “no map” for a path, is essential. Instinct is honed by active listening.
• Legendary producer Jimmy Iovine’s advice:

  “You use your ears in relation to your mouth. So you have two ears and you have one mouth... you actually listen more than you do or say. You have to listen to the constant conversations that are happening.”
  (Jimmy Iovine, as quoted by Anjula, 30:06)

• Example: Investing in ClassPass after noticing real-life shifting conversations around fitness.

7. Persuasion & “Reading the Room”

[35:48 – 41:36]

• Convincing and persuading others is less about slick tactics, more about curiosity, understanding the other person’s interests, and improvisation.
• Practical tip: Take improv classes to build confidence and adaptability.
• Classic fundraising lesson:

  “If you want money, ask for advice. And if you want advice, ask for money, because basically you’ll get the opposite.”
  (Anjula, 38:29)

8. Failure, Resilience, and Redefining Success

[73:17 – 80:22]

• Anjula opens up about experiencing business failure, marriage breakdown, personal health struggles, and public imposter syndrome.
• Turning point:

  “I just crumbled to the floor. And I prayed...and I heard these words: ‘Nothing’s going to change unless you change.’ ... I was one of those people. I believed...people should come to me and offer me jobs. And no one was coming. And then with my towel between my legs, I went back to Silicon Valley…”
  (Anjula, 75:19)

9. The Myth of Having Just One Goal: Multipreneuring

[52:44 – 56:02]

• Debunking the single-track career myth:
  • “This old rhetoric of you gotta do one thing, and you gotta have one goal…That’s the biggest lie ever.”
  • The future belongs to “five lane highway” multipreneurs—juggling several ventures, skills, and identities.

10. The Looming Shift: AI & Talent/Influence

[59:01 – 62:36]

• AI is fundamentally changing talent, culture, and media:

  “A lot of these influencers are going to go away...the future is going to be in AI and how we consume based on AI influencers. And the thing is, a lot of what you see…is actually AI and you don’t even know it.”
  (Anjula, 59:01, 59:44)

• The next frontier: Talent and creators who own their data, create their own AI-driven avatars, and monetize their digital persona.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Reading the Room:

  "You have to read the room. You have to see what’s going on around you... It’s not a one-way conversation ever."
  (Anjula, 02:16; 53:53)

• On Mentorship:

  “Mentors pick you. And I agree with that...Create pathways for that naturally and organically—build a relationship with someone you value.”
  (Anjula, 21:57)

• On Navigating Setbacks:

  "Sometimes you feel like you’re buried. But actually, you’ve been planted."
  (Anjula quoting her pastor, 77:42)

• On Measuring Value and Success:

  "[My career] is now built in bringing people value. And I get all the rewards for that."
  (Anjula, 19:31)

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Important Timestamps

• The Power of Media on Identity: 06:00 – 07:45
• Anjula on Feeling Mapless (No Goal): 12:45 – 14:39
• Networking That Works: 15:05 – 20:12
• Mentorship Picks You: 20:25 – 24:23
• Learning to Listen and Use Instinct: 29:09 – 33:33
• Pitching, Improv, and Confidence: 35:48 – 41:36
• Resilience After Failure: 73:17 – 80:22
• Multipreneur Mindset (5-Lane Highway): 52:44 – 56:02
• AI Shaping the Future of Influence: 59:01 – 62:36

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Final Five (Rapid Fire Q&A)

[91:41 – 93:07]

1. Best Advice:

   “If you want to raise money, ask for advice. And if you want advice, ask for money.”

2. Worst Advice:

   “To stay on one track, one path, and never pivot.”

3. What She No Longer Values:

   “People’s opinions.”

4. What She Now Values:

   “Alone time.”

5. One Law for Humanity:

   “Approach everything with love and kindness.”

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Episode Takeaways

• There is no standard “map” for success—embrace being “mapless” and let curiosity and instinct lead.
• The secret to powerful networking and opportunity: be a connector and add value, even when you feel you have nothing to offer.
• Mentors pick you—focus on building relationships and providing value, rather than just asking.
• Failure is not the end, but often the planting of new, greater possibilities.
• Effective communication and persuasion depend on reading the room and making every pitch a two-way conversation.
• The future, especially in talent and influence, will belong to those who stay curious and adapt quickly to technologies like AI.
• High standards matter, but they must be balanced with self-compassion and resilience.

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Tone & Language

The conversation is direct, open, wise, and filled with both actionable advice and deep vulnerability. Both Jay and Anjula share with empathy and candor—blending practical strategies with personal stories in a tone of encouragement and mutual respect.

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For Listeners

If you seek to turn conversations into collaborative opportunities, want to master networking and mentorship, or are navigating your own pivot or setback, this episode offers wisdom, inspiration, and practical tools from someone who’s lived each lesson—repeatedly.

Transcript

[Jay Shetty]

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[Anjula Acharya]

this old rhetoric of you gotta do one thing and you gotta have one goal and you gotta be focused on it. That's the biggest lie ever.

[Jay Shetty]

What's a business skill everyone should master? They want to be successful.

[Anjula Acharya]

You have to read the room. You have to see what's going on around you. The biggest issue that I see, young people in business, they think everything is one way. It's not a one way conversation ever.

[Jay Shetty]

Hey everyone. Welcome back to On Purpose, the place you come to become happier, healthier and more healed. Today's guest on On Purpose is the one and only Angela Acharya, trailblazing entrepreneur, investor and cultural powerhouse who's helped shape Global Careers, Billion Brands. Anjula is the founder of A Series Investments, an early investor in companies like Bumble and ClassPass, and the longtime manager of Priyanka Chopra, Jonas. And behind all of this, she is a dear, dear friend who I'm so grateful to welcome onto the show. Please welcome to On Purpose, Anjula Acharya. Anj, it is so great to have you here.

[Anjula Acharya]

Oh, my God, it's so good to be here.

[Jay Shetty]

We met for the first time around eight years ago when I first moved to la, actually. And one of the people that you've mentored and your dear friend, and now my dear friend as well, Payo Kadakia. We met through her. And honestly, the amount you've done for founders, for female founders, for artists, for our community, for the South Asians all over the world and beyond, that is amazing. And we're so grateful to you. And I know so many people who, whenever your name comes up and it's like, oh, yeah, she helped me with this and how she helped me with this. And I'm always discovering new people you've helped with stuff. And so I just want to say, you know, from me and on behalf of all of our friends, just how grateful we are to you, and you totally deserve to be here, and I'm grateful and happy that you're here.

[Anjula Acharya]

Oh, my God. Thank you. Well, I mean, I just want to tell this quick story that when I first met you, I was super skeptical, and then you did something so dramatic in my life without me even knowing it, which was my sister, who, rest in peace, died a few years ago, struggled through multiple sclerosis and then died of cancer. She never got to talk to you, and I really wish she'd had. And that's my one regret. We never got to FaceTime with you. But she literally told me that she wouldn't have made it through those two years of her life without you. And that was just so incredible, and it seemed so insane to me because I knew you, and I was like, oh, my God, this guy's had so much impact on one of the people so dear to me. And she was doing this so quietly, like she was listening to you every single day just to get through life. And. Yeah. Anyway, so you have had such a big impact in our family's life, and I will always honor that.

[Jay Shetty]

Oh, I wish I got to speak to her, too.

[Anjula Acharya]

I know.

[Jay Shetty]

I. I really do. And I, you know, I feel so humbled by statements like that because she was fighting a much tougher fight than anything I'VE been in myself. And so I always feel very humbled that she's the one who did the real work. Like, she was the one who's doing the real fighting. And thank you for sharing that with me always. And yeah, my. My love and prayers and meditation for her and your family right now as well. But I wanted to dive in because you have such a fascinating story. And one of the things I like to do on. On purpose is to really understand how people became who they became. Because I think people hear the resume, they see you, they see the success, and you just assume that people just always had it and knew what was going to happen. And then when you peel behind the scenes, you realize it wasn't like that at all. I wanted to start by asking you, what's a childhood memory that stands out to you that you would say defines who you are today?

[Anjula Acharya]

You know, I think defines my entire journey and everything. And you're gonna know this cause you went to school in England and around the same time as me. I think I'm gonna show my age a bit. But you remember that TV show, Grange Hill, of course, right? Yeah, of course, if you're British. Everybody knew Grange Hill.

[Jay Shetty]

Yes.

[Anjula Acharya]

So there was this TV show, Grange Hill, and I would always get bullied at school for being the packy. And me, my brother and sister, grew up in a completely white environment. We didn't grow up in London or anywhere like that. We were in Buckinghamshire. So I was always bu. For being a Paki. I mean, like, literally spat on, kicked, punched, like, you name it, went through it all and. But what I noticed was there was this TV show, Grange Hill, and like, everyone watched it. Everyone watched the same four channels, right? So there was this one episode about this girl who was Pakistani, and basically it was so, like, stereotypical. It was. It was just bad. And the next day I got bullied so much harder. And everyone. I can't remember what her name was, but everyone was call me that name. And going, is that what your mom and dad are like? Is that what you're like, is. I remember just coming home from school and being just, you know, wrecked and thinking, I hate tv. It's ruining my life. And the way people are treating me are based on what? This box at home that has four channels is telling everyone about me. These siloed stereotypical stories about our people. And that changed my life. And I, from that moment was like, one day I used to sit on my windowsill in England and look at the stars. And one day I'm gonna And by the way, I used to think that Michael Jackson was really poorly treated. And I was like, one day I'm gonna be Michael Jackson's manager and I'm gonna take care of him and I'm gonna protect him. And I think that that was such a life changing moment for me that knowing that media and I couldn't articulate it in that way then, but knowing that media impacted the way I was treated on a day to day basis and the respons impact of that.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, it's. And it was such a real experience. I feel for us in our generation. For sure. Like I had that growing up. I went to a predominantly non Indian school because of the area I grew up in. And I think I was one of like three Indian kids in my class growing up in primary school. And I was bullied for my weight, I was bullied for my color, I was bullied for the way my lunch smelled because sometimes my mum would make me Indian things. And I remember that experience and then I remember thinking just how many slurs our parents went through as well. Having gone through even earlier than us. And that was the reason my parents gave me and my sister names that no one can make fun of in England. It was like Jay and Amy just to make. Just to make us have an easier ride than they did.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

Because that's how worried and concerned they were that we would get bullied.

[Anjula Acharya]

But you know, the other crazy thing though is I was also bullied at home within our community because I was mixed. I was half Hindu and half Sikh and for the Sikhs I wasn't Sikh enough and for the Hindus I wasn't Hindu enough. And I also grew up in such a white environment that I didn't speak like a lot of the Indian Londoners. Right. And in any scenario I like just did not fit in. You know, it was always that feeling of isolation.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. I mean you've had such an untraditional career since then and I almost feel like you not fitting in is kind of like turned into your superpower.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

Because now you don't fit in as well. And that's. That's a superpower. It's. Yeah, it's worked for you. It's helped you be multiple things. When did you find that you started to realize you were becoming more confident in your differences and when did they start to feel like a tool and an approach and a method that could lead to more.

[Anjula Acharya]

You know. Only until I got to Silicon Valley and I raised money.

[Jay Shetty]

Wow.

[Anjula Acharya]

For an original idea. So me and my ex Husband. We. We founded this company called Daisy Hits, which is kind of around time you met me. And it was a podcast that went viral. Actually, we were in podcasting way before anyone was in podcasting. So it was a podcast that went completely viral. And all these VCs started chasing me for money. And it was basically a mashup of culture. So it was like we were playing a lot of music. So there's a lot of hip hop with Bunger, it was like Bollywood with R and B, it was like, you know, drum and bass. And it was just like a mashup of all the music that we loved that I felt growing up represented me right. Like, I remember this moment when I first walked into a nightclub in London when I was at university. And turned out later that that was my. My husband. He was a DJ at. At university. And he was just playing this mashup of, like, Bunger and hip hop. And I remember dancing to it, just going, wow, this is me. Like, this is me. Like, this is who I am. Like, it just felt really like a moment. And it's so funny. Cause much later on, I explained this to Jimmy Iovine. For those of you who don't know who he is, he was a founder of Beats by Dre and Interscope Records, which, you know, was behind, like, some

[Jay Shetty]

of the Eminem, 50 Cent, like, most legendary. All the people I grew up on that I'm like, massive fan of.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah, Dr. Dre, like, everyone. Like Lana Del Rey, like, you name it, Lady Gaga. Anyway, and I told him this other moment that feels similar to that, where when Punjabi MC and Jay Z jumped on that track together, which was on the underground forever, like, Beware of the Boys was on the underground forever in Desi circles, South Asian circles. But when Jay Z jumped on it and mashed that up and created that new track, and it became sort of mainstream pop hit. I feel like I remember being in London and everybody driving, used to drive with their Indian music and their windows up. And there was this just moment where all the windows came down really slowly because everyone was like, even the white person in the car next to me is playing the same song. And I told Jimmy Iovine that moment, I was like. It was just this, like, moment where everybody felt accepted and everybody felt part of the same thing, you know? And you feel it now when you go to a concert or whatever. Like, everyone there is enjoying the same thing and focused on the same thing. And you feel this sense of community. Well, we never felt that we belonged in that community until that moment. So music's always been such, like, a significant thing to me in terms of connecting people and putting people together. But to answer your question, raising money and people going, I'm going to back that idea of this element of fusion and everything you are. Which it doesn't fit into anything. Like, it wasn't all Indian, it wasn't all. Wasn't all British, it wasn't all American, it wasn't all, you know, any one thing. Right. It was just a mashup of everything. And then to, yeah, raise $5 million against. That was pretty amazing.

[Jay Shetty]

That is, yeah. If someone. If someone's listening right now and they're thinking, angela, you know, I'm at university or I'm about to graduate, maybe I'm 30 years old and I've been working for nine years. I'm not really sure about what I'm doing. What advice would you give to them to find their unique voice? Because what you found was something that represented you and you were able to monetize it and create more from it. What advice would you give to someone who's in that 20 to 30 range?

[Anjula Acharya]

Firstly, I just want to say I call myself Mapless, right? I never had a map. And, you know, you still listen to these types of podcasts. Not yours, but, well, you know, people go, get your goal, figure out your goal, get your, you know, your map to your goal. And I'd be like, but I don't know what my goal is. I don't know what my journey is, because I don't have a goal and I don't have a destination, so I don't know how to get there. So I never had a map, I never had a destination, anything I've done. So the thing that you have to do, because I didn't even know there was a business idea in this, I'll tell you the fundraising story and this will explain. So I was an executive search finding CEOs for startups, and I worked with a bunch of VCs. We founded this podcast. It went viral. In your daily life, you never just talk about one thing. You never just talk about business. So I'm talking to this VC and I'm going, he's like, what else is going on? I'm like, oh, my God. Me and Ranch did this podcast and it went completely viral. And, like, you know, we have like 250,000 downloads on iTunes. And I was just chatting about it, right? But I was genuinely super passionate about it, because that's my thing. So the next day, I get this exploding term sheet from him. He asked me to send him the itunes report. And he just. I'm so curious, would you send it to me? And I go, yeah, I had nothing to hide, so I sent it to him. And then the next day, he sent me an exploding term sheet for a million dollars for quarter, quarter of the company. And I was just like, I was flabbergasted. I didn't know what to do. I was like, this is insane. Like, but then he was like, your husband, he had a job at Intel. He's like, he has to give up his job. This is the conditions of this term sheet that you both have to do this again. Because he was a tech guy and I was just the ideas person, right? And I was like. So I come home to my husband. I'm like, you have to give up your job. And he was like, for what? And I was like, for this? But we're gonna get a million dollars, I'm gonna start this company and blah, blah, blah, blah. And I had to convince him to do it with me. But. But the point of that is to say, you should always feel comfortable to talk about your ideas because you may not see something, but somebody else might see something.

[Jay Shetty]

Totally.

[Anjula Acharya]

You know what I mean? So.

[Jay Shetty]

And also the collision of the idea, because you're working a job, doing executive search, you have a job.

[Anjula Acharya]

Correct.

[Jay Shetty]

And it's not that your job was useless and a waste of time and you didn't have value, because I think a lot of us, sometimes you get into a job and you go, I'm in this dead end job. I hate it. It's the worst. But you never know how that job could connect you to something. Like, you didn't know when you were gonna mention this podcast you both had that actually someone you were connected to through your job.

[Anjula Acharya]

And also. Yeah, right. And I thought it was kind of a silly hobby. And the only reason I set up a company around it was because my dad was convinced we were gonna get sued for copyright, so. Because we were playing all this music without licensing. So my dad being my dad, who's highly litigious, was like, you need to get a company around that so they can't sue you and take your home. And that was the only reason I did it, because my dad was freaking out about it because we were getting momentum. And he was like, all those music companies are going to come after you turn out all those music companies later wanted to invest in the company. And it just sort of like took off from there. But going back to your question about Advice, Like, I would say a couple of things, like, I want to teach people how to network. Like, that's something that I think is really critical. So when I first I moved from London to Silicon Valley, I was in my late 20s and I'd. I'd had a career in executive search and advertising, and I went to Silicon Valley and I knew absolutely no one. Like, I didn't even know. My God. Like, it was bad. And I was like, dropped into Silicon Valley and I was just like, oh, my God, I'm gonna die here, because I don't know anyone. So someone mentioned, like, literally someone in my building who, you know, I lived in a. In a. In a. An apartment building, said, oh, there's these South Asian meetups for tech people. And I was like, well, not really in tech, but, you know, I could just go and see if I can meet people. So I went. And after, like, probably a year, I was running those things and it was all VCs and entrepreneurs, and I, like, just created my own. And the way I did that was. So let's just say I know no one in the room and I meet you and I go, oh, hey, Jay, how are you? What do you do? Blah, blah, blah. And trust me, I know that takes confidence. But everyone. I heard it on one of your podcasts. Everyone's feeling shitty.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Anjula Acharya]

Everyone's like, doesn't know who to talk to. Everyone's got that name tag on there, thinking, God, who am I going to speak to? This is so awkward. So just. Just have that bravery to go up to that first person and talk to them. So I did that. I go, what are you in? And the guy was like, I can't remember, but he was. Let's just say he was in, like, software for healthcare. Right. So I was chatting with him. I had nothing to offer, I had nothing to give. I was literally just, like, doing some headhunting stuff in England. It was. It was. It was not good. So anyway, so I just chatted with him, and then, you know, people would come in and I would, like, meet someone else and I. They would be like. I was like, do you do. And they'd be like, oh, I'm an investor in tech health care. Right. So, oh, my God, you need to meet this person. And then I would put them together and they would have a conversation. Now, sometimes it would lead to absolutely nothing.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Anjula Acharya]

But on the odd occasion, it led to something, and a couple of people got funded based off those introductions that I did.

[Jay Shetty]

Wow.

[Anjula Acharya]

And they were just like that. So by the end of, like, the night because. And someone taught me how to do this. I was just connecting all these people. People just saw me as a connector and people wanted me in the room because I lives easier.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Anjula Acharya]

So go back to one of your other podcasts I heard today about talking about being in service. I didn't actually mean to be in service. I was just insecure and didn't know what to say to anyone and had nothing to offer to the conversation. So I was like, if this person talks to me about this and this person needs this, I can just put them together and pretend like I'm great, right?

[Jay Shetty]

No, but I love that because it's such a. It's so important, like, whether it's service or value. The point is you were adding value to other people's lives, and the best way you could do that at that point when you felt you didn't have anything to offer personally, was to connect them with people. And that's huge because I think we often feel like, oh, if I introduce that person, that person, then they won't want to help me and not realize. Right.

[Anjula Acharya]

I'd never even crossed my mind.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. But a lot of people feel like that. A lot of people are like, I won't connect people. And I think that's rubbed off on people that you love. Like, for example, when I came to la, if I didn't know Payal, I wouldn't have met so many of my early friends here.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

And like, because she was connecting me. So I met Jeremy, I met you. I met so many other people because of her. And so it's such a contagious thing as well, where the people you're working with and you're friends with also end up having that quality, which. Which is such a beautiful quality. That's amazing. I love that.

[Anjula Acharya]

You know, I never understood people that had guardrails up about introducing people to people. Like, I never understood that because I was like, this makes you more valuable.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Anjula Acharya]

Like, it's such a deep quality to be able to connect people with people and it's such a value. And then people want you around all the time. How many times you've heard in conversation are you going to meet that person? They're a connector.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Anjula Acharya]

You know what I mean? Like, that is like, it's, it's. It's such a valuable thing to be a connector. So, anyway, so just going back to your initial question about, you know, young people listening to this podcast, I think it's really critical that you feel confident to introduce people to other people and be curious and find out what other people are doing and see how you can add value along the way. You will get value. Like, I think about my career is now built in bringing people value. And I get all the, you know, I get all the rewards for that. Like whether it's a return on investment in an investment of two people that puts together on investment that I made or a connection that I made. Like, I just feel like it. It really pays in dividends.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, I agree. Agree. Any other tips on good networking? Because I think you're spot on. I think a lot of people now think networking's either handing your card out, which is like an old model of it, or people think networking is like asking someone to just be your mentor.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

And that doesn't work either. Any other good advice for networking?

[Anjula Acharya]

You know, just on the mentor thing. So my mentor is Indra Nui. And I'm. It's a funny story how I met Indra. So I happened to be on some Forbes list with her and an ex boyfriend who I was dating worked for PepsiCo. And then he forwarded it to Indra and just said, oh, my girlfriend's on this list with you. And she was like, oh, I'd really love to meet her. And he sort of called me and he was like, indra wants to meet you. And I was like, that's amazing. Like, I want to meet her. Of course, it's Indra Nooy who is the CEO of PepsiCo at that time. So anyway, I met her and she was, was, I mean, God, so incredibly lovely to me. And I couldn't understand why. Honestly, I was like, what value do I bring to this woman? And actually turned out she really wanted me to meet her daughters. And she was like. She said something really funny. She was like, this woman broke a Bollywood star in America. And it's hard enough to break a juice brand. That's what she said. She was like, it's hard enough to break a juice brand, but this girl broke a Bollywood star in America. And I was like, oh, that's so funny. Anyway, so then I, I, you know, we stay in touch. She makes me dosas. She's like, amazing. She becomes like a mom. I would call her more my godmom than a mentor now because she really sort of like, mothers mean the nicest way. And anyway, but then one day she said to me, she goes, I want to mentor you. And I was like, okay, that's amazing. And she was like, but my deal with mentorship is that you have to do everything I tell you. If I tell you to do something, you have to do it. So she goes, you have to commit to me that, that you would do what I told you to do. And I was like, that's a really big undertaking. Like, she has probably only ever told me once to do something, not to do something or do something. And that's been really valuable advice. But anyway, my point is to mentorship is she always says mentors pick you. And I agree with that. I, I picked Payal Kadakia, the founder of ClassPass. Like I met Pyle, she pitched to me and I decided I wanted to mentor her. And I decided that she was someone I wanted to put a lot of time into. And then I, I mentored her. And I think that you have to allow mentors to pick you. And I, it's really hard because, you know, we speak at a lot of conferences and people come up to me and lots of young girls come up to me and say, will you mentor me? Will you mentor me? And I'm just like, well, you know, actually no, you know, and it's, and I just feel like you've got to build a relationship with someone. I, I never asked Indra to mentor me. Like, did I want her to mentor me? Hell yeah, who wouldn't? But, you know, I, I don't know. I create a pathway for that to happen. And I think that's what you have to do. Create pathways for that naturally and organically build a relationship with someone who you value. And also I would say in mentoring, like when I first met Indra, she was launching her book and she, she wanted like mothers to, you know, write the blurb for them. And I was like, oh, what about Mindy Kaling? What about, who else did I get? I got Mindy and then someone else. I can't remember who else now. But the point is, like, I brought value to her too. It wasn't a one way street. And I think that when you're looking for mentors, go and show them how powerful you are too. It's a two way thing. Make them want to mentor you, make them want you in their orbit. Show your value. And I think that's what I've done my entire life is like really show value to people. Actually not doing it purposefully, just doing that because I guess I'm in service, you know.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, I've never heard someone put it like that. I love the idea the, that the mentor picks you and you're so, so right. Like there are people that I just feel genuinely good about whether it's their idea, whether it's their energy, whether it's just their spirit. And I'm like, yeah, I'm going to spend more time talking to this person than anyone else. Even if someone was more eager or more. Whatever. It wasn't that it was. You're so right. No one's ever said it like that before. I've always heard other things about mentorship. But you are absolutely right that you can't convince someone to give you their time and invest in you and focus on you in that way.

[Anjula Acharya]

Look, you can't convince someone to love you. Yeah, right. In the same way. I think I got that out of your eight rules. Like you can't make some. You can't love someone harder to make them love you. Right. Or whatever that is like. And it's the same with mentorship. It's like you can't force someone to do that.

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[Anjula Acharya]

The funny thing about Payle, when she came to me, she wanted to raise money. I was probably one of the few South Asian women at that time that had raised venture capital. So she was kind of came to me because I'd raised capital and she wanted help. And that's the journey that we sort of ended up going on to. But what was interesting was I said to her, I was like, where are you going to work with this idea? And once I've committed to mentoring and helping out, I was like, where are you going to work? And she was like, in Starbucks. And I was like, I have two desks in my office. You can have them. You know what I mean? And then she was with me every single day, and we were like, you know, kind of going through, like, it was just. I was sitting at my desk, she was sitting at her desk, and she'd be like, hey, Ang, what do you think about this idea? What do you think about that? So. But I. I loved every single minute of that experience. And I would say, you with Pyle And I. She was called me her mentor. But I would say, we're like, she's my. She mentors me now. She taught me how to pivot. I never knew how to pivot before I met her.

[Jay Shetty]

Wow. Talk to me about. I want to talk about pivoting in a second. Talk to me about how you pick people you mentor. Because I think it's important for people to hear that too, knowing that your mentor picks you. But, like, what was it about Payo? What was it about other people that you've worked with that you went, I'm going to put my time and energy into this person.

[Anjula Acharya]

You know, with Pyle, I just. She always says that. She goes, you knew who I was before I knew who I was. I just knew she was a star. It's that je ne sais quoi. It's that magic. It's that Essence. I just knew she had all the combination. She was charismatic, she was fun, she was smart, she could figure things out. I could see her brain work. It's so funny. I was playing this game sequence with a bunch of my friends once, and Paya walks in and she just like, wins a game in one second. We didn't even teach her how to play the game. And I was just like, how did you do that? She goes, I don't know. You told me I need to make a sequence. And I did it. She's just so brilliant. Like, her brain is so brilliant. And I saw that. It's like I could literally see the wills turning in her mind. So I think it's a combination of things. And like, I say, it's very hard. It's so instinctual, like, so much. My career has been about instinct, like, and for me, it's just instinct.

[Jay Shetty]

I wanted to talk about instinct because I love what you said about the idea that you never had a map.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

And I completely agree with that.

[Anjula Acharya]

For my life, I probably never had one either.

[Jay Shetty]

You don't, you don't get, get. You don't do what I'm doing if there's no map for this because it didn't even exist. Same with you. Like, there's no map for this and there's not many case studies to be able to have a map. Right. A map is when someone scaled a company from this to this and that to that. And it's been done before. But when you're doing things that you're kind of finding your own way. I love that you said you followed your instinct and you definitely, from the amount of time I've spent with you, I feel that with you and you always follow it, regardless of what's going on. Talk to me about how you built up trust in your instinct, because I think everyone's looking for a map. And what you said earlier, you said people need goals because you need something out there to drive you. Instinct is you driving yourself from here. It's almost like inside out rather than outside in. Where did you learn to find your instinct? Listen to your instinct, drive from that instinct. Where did that come from?

[Anjula Acharya]

The whole Mapless piece? I just didn't have a choice. So then I had to make decisions through my life. And they, I don't know, they were just made through instinct because I didn't know how else to make decisions. But one thing I will tell you, which is a brilliant piece of advice that I've lived my life on, but it came later in Life. So it doesn't answer your question. Exactly. Because I start. I started working with my instinct way before this. But Jimmy Iovine always said to me, I said to him, you know, you're so brilliant at seeing around corners. How do you see around corners? How do you know what's coming next? And. And he looked at me and he said, it's the thing that you do. And I go, what do I do? I don't know what I do. What do I do? And he said, you use your ears in relation to your mouth. So you have two ears and you have one mouth. And I was like, okay. And he goes, I've watched you. You listen. You listen a lot. He said, you say a lot and you do a lot. He said, but you actually listen more than you do or say. And he was like, you have to listen to the constant conversations that are happening. So one of the other reasons why invest in ClassPass, our dear friend Rohan Oza, who we. No, he walked into my apartment one day and he was like, oh, I just went to Soul Cycle. It's like, amazing. And I was like, soulcycle, What's Soul Cycle? And he was like, you know what Soul Cycle is? And everyone's quitting the gyms and going to Soul Cycle. And I was like, oh, okay. And then it was at that time that people were literally quitting gyms and going to Barry's Boot Camp and going to these, like, appointment, you know, fitness classes. I was like, oh, that's so interesting. And everyone was like, I'm going to Pop Physique. I'm going to Berry's Boot Camp. I'm going to this, I'm going to that. So when Pyle came to me with this open table for classes at that time, the way people were finding classes, where they were literally calling up the class provider.

[Jay Shetty]

Really?

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah. Like, you would a restaurant, like back in the day, before there was open table or resi, you would be calling the restaurant, right. Seeing what availability you had. So when Paul.

[Jay Shetty]

God, I forgot about. I'm like, completely. It's crazy how quick things change.

[Anjula Acharya]

So when Payo said to me, oh, yeah, you know, it's basically a platform. It's kind of like open table for classes. That was exactly what she said to me. And. And literally, like days before, Rowan Rohan had been in my apartment going on about everyone's going to classes. And then I just moved to New York and I was trying to find a gym, and I was like, should I join Equinox? And everyone was like, no, no, no. Just Go to these classes, go to this, go to that. Like, so again, like, that's just me listening.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, so that's great.

[Anjula Acharya]

So when I, I made that decision to invest in Pyle, it was like me just doing a lot of listening and my instinct going, all the clues are telling you. Yes. And there was another time that happened when I first started working with Priyanka. I signed her to a record label with Jimmy Iovine and we were gonna turn her into a pop star. And, you know, we did a bunch of records and, you know, it just wasn't hitting. It wasn't working. As he kept telling me, we were like 22, 20 years too early. That's what he said. He was like the whole sort of South Asian music scene. He was like, I get what you want to do, but you're 20 years too early.

[Jay Shetty]

He's probably right about that timeline.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah, this was like nearly 20 years ago. So with Priyanka, like, so, you know, people were like, oh, well, that's done then. That's not going to work. She should go back to India and whatever. And I was like, no, this woman is like one of our most celebrated actresses in India. Like, you know, she was incredible. And at that time I started listening to conversations. What was everybody talking about? And everybody at that time was talking about about how to get away with murder and Grey's Anatomy and all of these, like, Scandal and all of these shows where, you know, they were, they had these diverse female leads and it was like the golden age of television and television was coming back and you had Academy Award winning actors acting in tv, which was previous to that considered like down there, you know what I mean? So it was this huge cultural shift happening with Teleru. So, you know, I pitched pre about doing a TV show and at first she was really like, not into it. She was like, you know, I'm a movie actress. Like, you know, we do movies and in her mind was TV in India was X. But you know, like I said, we were in this like massive global shift where TV was in this different place. So anyway, I convinced her to go and we auditioned for Quantico and eventually she got it and that became her show. And that was an ABC drama where I'd convinced the couple casting director that this was her next female diverse lead. So. But again, if I hadn't been listening to what everyone was talking about, I wouldn't have had the instinct to go, we're not gonna do any more music. We're gonna go and hit television.

[Jay Shetty]

You explained that so well. That, that is a great piece of advice because I always think about it as. There's three types of people. There's the people that consume patterns, there's the people who see patterns, and then the people who create patterns. And it's almost like most of us are just watching. So we're watching the shows. We're going to Soul Cycle. Y doing all the things but we're not noticing which the person above does, where they're like, oh, I can see everyone's going soul cycle. What you just said everyone's going soul cycle. Like there's patterns here. And then you've got the people like yourself and Payal and others who go and create patterns, which is like, oh, okay, we're going to build the thing that everyone will actually do this pattern through that we see.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

And most of us just stay on like level one where we're like, oh, yeah, I want to go soul cycle. I want to drink Matcha. I want to. Whatever it may be. But there's two levels above where someone's looking down going, oh, yeah, this is what I'm going to build. And. And that's great advice from the time that we've spent to together. You're just so good at convincing people of stuff. Like, I feel like you're just, you're so convincing. You're. But it's honest convincing. Like, I don't think it's a. I don't just think it's a fake technique. It's not like it's. You're not like that. It's like it's very. You're passionate about the stuff you do.

[Anjula Acharya]

By the way, I didn't fake it till I made it.

[Jay Shetty]

Okay, so. So talk to me about what are the skills that you need to persuade and convince people to see what you see?

[Anjula Acharya]

Well, so first thing I would say, anybody in life, in business, business should go to drama school, right? And I don't mean drama school. Like, that should be your degree. I mean, you should go to improv. Like, if you have any form of anxiety at all, you need to get yourself into an improv class. Because improv, you know what improvisation is, right? You just jump into a scene, right? So you and I would be in a scene and we'd just create a scene and we'd just go on the fly. And I wanted to be an actress. Like, that's what I wanted to be. But it was really difficult for a brown girl in the, the 90s to be an actress in England. So I Decided I didn't want to be poor. That was also a big driver for me. I was like, I don't want to be poor and be trying to go from audition to audition when there's very limited roles for me. So I want to be a rich businesswoman. I never actually decided at that point. I wanted to be in. In. In the movies or in talent or anything like that. I just wanted to be in business. But one thing I will say to you is that whole, like, improv has just been amazing. Just allowing myself to be thrown into any situation and be able to swim in it, like. And if I didn't, like, know what I was doing, I would fake it. And I know there's a lot of controversy around that, and I'm sure you guys have discussed it, and I'm sure you've had people on your show say, that is a terrible thing to do, but I did fake it. And it started with my body language. It started with my. The way I speak. It started with all these, you know, small cues that you pick up from people. Like, it's so funny. Like, even just this. Like, the way I'm sitting right now, like, this is my inner innate comfort. I'm. I'm very comfortable with you. I'm sitting with all my body language open. My legs are crossed, however. But when I was, you know, in early business situations where I didn't feel confident, you know, how I'd want to be was like this. Like, I would want to be all closed up, but I would force my shoulders back, I'd force my arms out. I would, you know, sometimes do this, because that's just a sign of confidence. Like, you. You. You feel good in your own.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, I felt immediately when you did that. That's crazy.

[Anjula Acharya]

I mean, I've always.

[Jay Shetty]

So silly, and it's so crazy, but it does.

[Anjula Acharya]

Women is such an easy thing to do. It's kind of like, yeah, I could take it or leave it. Like, that's basically what I'm saying. But the way to convince people was a couple of things. Like, so, you know, I've raised a lot of money through my career for other people, for myself, for different projects. I'm honestly, I'm sort of a bit of a ultimate fundraiser. And someone gave me this piece of advice very early on, and they said, if you want to raise money, also advice. And if you want advice, also make money. And I use that through my whole life. So I know.

[Jay Shetty]

Say that again. That's so good.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah. If you want money, ask for advice. And if you want advice, ask for money, because basically you'll get the opposite. Yeah. So now, now, now people are going to watch this and go, oh, she was selling to me that time. Okay. There are times when I sold to people using that technique. But the truth is, like, now I'm at this point where I can't help raising money. Like, literally, like, I just talk to people. They like, offering me money all the time. It's so insane. For any venture, any idea, I'll go, I idea. And they're like, do you want to raise money for that? And I'm like, no, I don't raise money for that. But the point is, is, like, you've really just got to be so passionate and curious about what that person's interested in. So, I'm sorry, I'm trying to go back to the question of how. How are you convincing? How am I convincing? So first off, I'll figure out what you're interested in. Like, I will never talk to some. Someone about something that I don't think they're interested in.

[Jay Shetty]

Such an important point.

[Anjula Acharya]

And I will also test things. Right. So again, I'm a really good like, like body. What's that called? Body reader.

[Jay Shetty]

No, body language.

[Anjula Acharya]

Body language reader. Yeah. So, like, I can see immediately if I bring something up and you're not interested, your body language will tell me in a second. Right? So first off, I will. I know my audience. I read the room. I know my audience.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Anjula Acharya]

And I will only talk about things that are relevant to that person. So once I know my audience and I know that person's interested, I just look for all the cues about what lights them up, what's interesting to them, and I only go keep going on the things that I think they're interested in. So it's just a constant, like, checking in with your audience. Like, I watch people sell and they'll just be like, okay, so I've got this idea and I want to do this. I'm going to do this. And this is this, and this is how much money is going to make, and this is why it's so good and blah, blah, blah. And they've zero checked in with me. They're not even looking at me. I could be looking at my phone, I could be looking away, but they just keep going because they think that's their two minutes to get to me. And, like, they're just going to keep going, keep going. And, like, I wish they'd just stop and check in with me. Say, does it even interest you or what do you think about that or whatever? So I think part of it is that. So I think it's just constantly checking in. And then I think it's just like being so curious. It's not a one way conversation ever. And if it's a one way conversation, you're in trouble. Like, selling is not a one way conversation. Like, I remember when I first went for my first sales job, the woman interviewed me and she said, okay, I want you to sell me a movie. And I go, okay. She was like. I said. She goes, think of a movie that you've seen in the last month and sell it to me. And I go, okay. And I go, what kind of movies are you into? And she goes, I like thrillers, I like blah, blah, blah. And I go, okay, what kind of thrillers do you like? Like, what was the last movie you watched that you loved? And she goes, how did you know how to do that? And I go, what do you mean? She goes, well, you asked me questions rather than go, I saw this movie on Saturday and it was X, Y, Z and it was so good and you should go and watch it. I was like, I don't know. I don't want to sell you something that's not interesting to you. Like, I've watched quite a few movies in the last month. Any one of those could be good for you. So I think it's just being really curious about your audience too, and then approaching it with passion and seeing what lights their eyes up and seeing. Seeing what they're passionate about.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. I mean, the best case study of it is probably how did you connect with Priyanka? Because that was. That was a vision you had for her to like. Because, you know, like you said, Priyanka is an amazing, huge Bollywood actress at the time. And it's not easy to convince stars to come over and even want to attempt having a career here, let alone having a great career here. Yeah, talk to me about that.

[Anjula Acharya]

Well, that's like such a funny story because that is nothing like what I just told you because. So what happened with Priyanka? It's a funny story. I saw her on TV at my mom and dad's house years and years before I was even in the business. And I looked at her and something spoke to me.

[Jay Shetty]

Miss World or.

[Anjula Acharya]

No, no, no. She was in this movie called Bluff Master and she was doing this hip hop spoon.

[Jay Shetty]

I know that movie.

[Anjula Acharya]

And I just saw on TV at my mom's house in England. And I don't know, this thing clearly was my destiny. Because I just go to my mum, oh, who's that? And my mom goes, that's Priyanka Chopra. And she's like this huge star in India, blah, blah. And I just filed it away. Cause I was in tech, I was doing a bunch of other things. I hadn't even founded Desi Hits at that point. It was way before. And I just filed it away. Anyway, years later, I'm sitting in an office with Jimmy Iovine and we'd just done all the music for Slumdog Millionaire and It was top 10 in 10 countries. And it was like this big global hit. He was so happy. And he was like, I listened to you and it worked. And he was like, he's. It was just. He's. He's that guy. He's like, full of, like, life and ambition. He was like, what are we doing next? And I just go, jimmy, you know, there's this woman, Priyanka Chopra, that I saw on TV ages ago, and she's this huge star and blah, blah, blah. And we start YouTubing videos of her. And he goes, can she sing? And randomly at that time, I was launching Lady Gaga in India.

[Jay Shetty]

Wow.

[Anjula Acharya]

And I was working with these two producers, Salim and Suleiman, and they had. Had just recorded a demo with Priyanka. Randomly. Again, it was all destiny. I feel like this is all destiny. I said to them, oh, do you know Priyanka? And they were, of course. And I was like, do you think she can sing? And they were like, actually, we just recorded this demo. So I go, do you mind sending it to me? And they were like, no, we can't really do that. Blah, blah, blah. And I don't know, I convinced them because I'm convincing to send it to me. And I promised them it would only be me that would listen to it and maybe one other person. So I send it to Jimmy and he goes, well, she can sing. And he goes, let's just do it. And I go, what do you mean, let's just do it? He goes, well, let's sign her to record deal. And I go, I don't even know her. And through, like, different people. Actually, I think it was through Salim. I got to her and I. Yeah, I remember doing this phone call with her, and it was the worst phone call ever. She was in this jungle recording this movie, and she was in that very actual state of mind where she didn't want this young girl from America with this English accent trying to convince her to be a popular star. Like, yeah, she wasn't that so anyway, I was trying to convince her to be a pop star, and I was like, hey, look, I'd love to sign you. I'd love you to bring you to America, blah, blah. She barely said anything on that call. So I put the phone down, I called Jim, and he goes, how did it go? I go, terrible. Like, I just talked and talked and talked. And, you know, I think she had very little to say to me. And anyway, I don't know. I get a call later from her manager at that time, Natasha Powell, and she was like, yeah, Priyanka. And I was like, what? She was, like, practicing. And that was the one time that I feel like my cells was terrible. I didn't ask her any questions. I was so nervous to talk to her, and I just talked at her. But I don't know. Something worked. It worked, it worked.

[Jay Shetty]

It worked. All these years later, how does it feel, you know, when we think back to that little girl who was bullied for her culture, for her background, for how she looked, and then to go on to work on helping that culture be so prominently displayed in so many different art forms, Whether that's music through Slumdog Millionaire or businesses like class bars or, you know, Priyanka Chopra in movies and TV in America. Like, how does that feel now?

[Anjula Acharya]

You know, it's so funny, someone said something to me the other day about this, and they were like, oh, you were never trying to fit in. You want to be able to fit into your culture. Like, I remember Lady Gaga. We put her in a sari. She came to India and. And she loved this saree. It was made by Tarun Dhalani, and she loved it so much that she turned it into four different costumes. So she performed that. She wore it in the day, then she had a stylist chop it up and turn it into something else. Then they chopped it up again, turned it into something else. And at the end, it was a bodysuit that she performed in. And I remember she was coming off stage and she held my hands, and she goes, how did I do? And I was just like, like, my God. Like, how did you do? You're amazing. But I remember just being like, she's here in India with me wearing a sari that's now turned into a bodysuit. But it was just this evolution of this outfit was just kind of the evolution of my journey of. Of bringing this culture to everyone. And I always believed that if celebrities. I do believe in celebrity endorsement, it works. If celebrities endorsed our culture. And it's. I know, a Lot of people criticize me for and say you shouldn't need that endorsement from other people and you shouldn't need this. But when you've been bullied your entire life and called a packing, beaten up and spat on and all sorts of things. Yeah, you do. I'm sorry. I needed that. And I just like in that moment just felt like I don't need it anymore. Now I'm good. Now I've got all of you guys to be in my culture versus me spending my whole life being in your culture. You know what I mean? And it's fun. Like I was talking to a friend of mine, he was just saying to me, like, it's just amazing how you've spent your life really bringing people into your culture versus trying to figure out how to be in theirs.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. And I love that because I think that is the only way of doing it. And you want to be on the same page where your culture and someone else's culture is more evident, like it's more present. Whereas you're absolutely right. And I feel like for people in America, it was even harder for when I meet, when I met, and you probably felt that when I met South Asians in America, I realized that they'd had no representation. Whereas in England we started to see things because of people like yourself and others. We had things like BBC Asia Network, we had artists that were rising. We had all of that at that time, at least.

[Anjula Acharya]

Correct.

[Jay Shetty]

And in America they didn't have that and they're only 4% of the population. So it was such a small group of people that any room you walked into, people didn't know whether you were, what background you were from.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah, right.

[Jay Shetty]

Like being Indian in England was still known, but being Indian here wasn't like people didn't really know what that was.

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[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah when we first came to America one of the things that we noticed was you either had Indian kids that were mad into Bollywood and were really deep. Right. And the they were called FOBs. Like people called them bobs fresh off the boat and they were really like, you know, really Indian. And I wouldn't say that I really related to them because I was very British and also very Indian but blah blah blah anyway. And then you had these kids that completely shunned the culture.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Anjula Acharya]

And just completely embraced American culture and I was somewhere in between and I wanted to find a pathway for those for them to meet in the middle and desi hits was very much about that. I was like, oh, these kids that, that like, you know, and if I'm mashing up like hip hop with Bollywood or I'm mashing up Bhangra with, you know, I don't know, whatever type of music, that's where that meeting happens. So that was really sort of an observation that I had very early on. And I wanted to bring those worlds together for. Even for Indian kids.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. But knowing you, I know you don't feel the job is done.

[Anjula Acharya]

No, not at all. I mean, do you?

[Jay Shetty]

No, definitely.

[Anjula Acharya]

Do you feel a job is done?

[Jay Shetty]

No, of course not. Of course. Was not.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah, no, I definitely don't think that our job is done. I mean, I won't. Until everything just feels completely normal. And I think we still see things that are South Asian go, oh my God, look at that. Look at that. You know what I mean? We still like surprised when we see things. We shouldn't be surprised. We should feel completely integrated.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Anjula Acharya]

And as one.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. What's a business skill that you think everyone listening should master if they want to be successful? Successful in business, I think really like

[Anjula Acharya]

learning to communicate ideas, you know, throughout my entire career and having people pitch to me. And, you know, you have to become masterful at pitching your ideas in a way that is not boring, it's not all consuming, which is not all about you. But again, going back to that thing I said to you about finding out what someone's interested in, like, you've just got to be really good at a two way pitch path. You know, I think the biggest issue that I see, young entrepreneurs or young people in business, they think everything is one way and it has to be a two way highway. And then the other thing that I think people really need to juggle. So you're. You're interesting because I think you're part of this new group of what we call multipreneurs, where these. So there used to be this whole thing that you do one thing, you have one goal, you pursue that one goal and you do that one thing. I think times have really changed. I think the indus. The industries have changed where you can now be doing multiple things. So you're the CEO of Juni, Right. You're a podcast host. You could tomorrow be an actor. You could be tomorrow do a million things. Right. But that doesn't mean you give up each thing to do that other thing.

[Jay Shetty]

Yes.

[Anjula Acharya]

And I think that's the world we're in now where you don't have to give up what you were doing to become this new thing. You can do it all. I have a music label, I have an investment company. I, you know, you know, do so I, I mentor people. I, I actually am a founder for two businesses. Like I do so many things. And I think that you also, in this new world have to be used to being like a five lane highway.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Anjula Acharya]

And I think people that are a five lane highway and have cars in different lanes going at different speeds and maybe one hasn't even started yet. Be okay with that. Like, don't like this old rhetoric of you got to do one thing and you got to do that one thing and you got to have one goal and you got to be focused on it. You know, one of the as I think I had, which again Pyle taught me out of the whole pivot thing was like when I first started one of my companies, I was so adamant that I had to reach this one goal and if I, you know, I couldn't pivot, I had to stay focused and if I just stayed on that one thing, eventually it would work. Well, that's the biggest lie ever. That's not true at all. You have to read the room, you have to see what's going on around you and you have to pivot. You can't be focused on one thing all the time. So I think, think like being successful in today's world is really learning that I always say be the, be the five lane highway.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I, I feel like it's almost like you start with one thing that allows you to become somewhat. And, and it's, that's the point. It's not becoming at the end of it, but it's like you build one thing somewhat substantiating who you are and what you're doing and then you get this ability to spread yourself across these multiple things and become that multi hyphenate. And, and I think you're right that that idea of just stay to one thing or just start with everything is also confusing because if people just do seven things in the beginning, it's like, well, what are, what are you communicating? What do you actually believe?

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

And what's working? So you're right, it's somewhere in the middle of like, like I feel like that like I start. My world has been built in content and podcasting and social media and now I have the ability to do lots of different things because of that. Or when you have an actual, who becomes a very successful actor now they have the ability to go and build a business or, you know, do something else. And so I think you're right.

[Anjula Acharya]

And by the way, to that point of a talent manager now, before, you know, talent managers that just managed an actor and getting that person jobs. Now as a talent manager, you gotta be building businesses, you've gotta be figuring out brand deals. You've gotta be like doing so many things because, you know, I can't remember who just went out and said this. I think it was Sydney Sweeney recently. She was like, you know, the films don't pay the. The bills. You know, the films just don't pay the bills anymore. Like the whole industry, the movie industry with streaming and everything has changed. Like residuals and malties and all of those are wiped out now. Like the way the business is is so different. So that means you have to do like all these other things, you know, and what we've seen is like, you know, huge stars making more money off like their beauty business than anything else. Right. Like, so you look at someone like Rihanna, correct? Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

You're like, wow.

[Anjula Acharya]

Or what's her name? Selena Gomez. I like actor, singer, entrepreneur, rare beauty. I mean, like, it's incredible. And I think as a talent manager now, like, I mean, I'm lucky because I came from that world. My background was venture and venture capital and like, and founders and, you know, helping people build businesses and all of that. And then prior to that my experience was in advertising and prior to that I was in sales. So for me, like as a talent manager, I'm not struggling at all. I'm actually really lucky and happy that I get to use all my skill base with talent. But I think now, like, everybody has to be on this, as I say, five lane highway.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. How early did you get involved in Bumble?

[Anjula Acharya]

Oh my God. You know, it's so funny, you know, everyone's posting those things right now about what were you doing in 2016? Yeah, well, it's a crazy story because in 2016 both Whitney Wolf and I were on the Elle magazine's Women in Tech. And I remember again that whole thing about listening and watching and observing. I remember looking at her and reading about Bumble because we were both in that magazine, magazine and going, oh, that's like brilliant. Like she's brilliant. Like I. And actually much later on in the journey when she wanted to expand to India was when was when I got involved and Pre was the face of that Priyanka.

[Jay Shetty]

That's very cool.

[Anjula Acharya]

And yeah, it was amazing. Like what was interesting, it was that all the other dating apps had been really unsuccessful in launching in India, in getting the female demographic on the apps. And actually that's been the case for India in general, where whether it's Facebook, Instagram, whatever, all of these platforms have really struggled to get women onto the apps. So what she was already coming with was this very strong female story which allowed that to happen. And you want to hear the funniest thing? Priyanka's brother met his wife on Bumble no way.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. So cool. I love that. Yeah, that's awesome. What do you see? You gave this brilliant principle earlier, the question you asked Jimmy Iovine, I want to ask you, what do you see around the corner now? Like, what are the patterns? What are the sequences you're noticing now that young entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs of all ages who are listening right now, could be like, oh, she's just giving me an insight into what's happening.

[Anjula Acharya]

I mean, the thing is, now it's all AI, right? That's the future. And I think what's super interesting and challenging and scary for a lot of people is I think a lot of these, the influencers are going to go away. And I was working with this company that was telling me that they had tens of thousands of AI influencers that they spread across basically social media channels to sell products. So I feel like the future is really going to be in AI and how we consume based on AI influencers. And the thing is, a lot of what you see, I don't know how much time you spend on Instagram or TikTok, but a lot of what you see is actually AI and you don't even know it.

[Jay Shetty]

You know, I mean, there's. So I've seen some of those AI influences.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

It's scary how many followers they have already, how many comments they get, how real some of them look. And at the same time, you know, they're not human, but people are still following them. And I find that fascinating.

[Anjula Acharya]

Well, the reason that people still follow them is because they've hacked the algorithm and data and they know exactly what people are interested in. Again, it goes back to, like, my whole thing, like, figuring out what someone's interested in before you try and tell them something. Right? These, these AI influences have all the data to know what people are interested in. Interested in. So they'll serve you exactly what you're interested in. Scary.

[Jay Shetty]

What does that mean for the era of talent, celebrity talent management? Like, do you plan on having an AI talent management company where you only manage AI people?

[Anjula Acharya]

Like, you know, what I would like to see, I would like to see a time when talent owns their data and talent that, that creates all of these AI influences. But also talent can create their own AI influences based on them, you know, whether it's their alter ego or whether it's actually them. I would just like to see models of ownership be created. This is coming, whether we like it or not, this is happening. Right. So how do you get ahead of it and how do you build for a future? You know where that's going to happen? I mean, look, talent, if you think about it, is like in a really interesting place anyway because you've got all these like a list act who, you know, didn't know that all these influencers were gonna come along and destabilize their business. Right. Like before it was like you were one of a number of actors who would get all of the endorsement deals. Now I have companies that tell me that they don't even want people to endorse their companies because they'd rather work with micro influencers because that's how they actually see product move, you know, with very specific niche audiences that want those certain things. So I think the whole industry has kind of really been shift from that perspective. So this is just another shift that's going to come along. But I think that, you know, smart actors are really going to figure out how to have ownership and maybe they'll have a suite of their own actors, maybe they'll create their own agencies of AI individuals based on a lot of their own data, you know.

[Jay Shetty]

Absolutely. And so yeah, all the founders out there or companies need to be thinking about the incorporation of AI in their talent strategy, in their media strategy.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

And you're right, it's already here. I always think about that. People always ask me about, about it and I'm like, you know, it's, it's kind of like the social media conversation we had 10 years ago.

[Anjula Acharya]

Correct.

[Jay Shetty]

It's, it was already there and it's going in that direction. So all we've got to do is learn how to use it more ethically, more safely, more securely. Modest models of ownership.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

As you rightly said, that's how we have to think about it. Rather than this fear mongering of like, oh my God, it's.

[Anjula Acharya]

And also how you can scale yourself.

[Jay Shetty]

Yes.

[Anjula Acharya]

Right. Like if, like, let's just say, for example, you know, I'm a, I'm an actress and people love me for my fashion, I could build a whole damn business on my fashion through AI and not even have to massively participate in that. Like, yeah, you know, I could, you know, whatever my interest is or whatever I want to do, I can build a business off of that with very little resource of myself, using AI, like, and monetize that. So, like, I think, you know, the most critical thing is just having for talent is to have really smart people around them that can help them figure out how they use what they have and use AI to scale it.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. Of all the businesses you've scaled, Bill invested in, what has been the critical reasons for success or failure?

[Anjula Acharya]

It's always down to the founder, really. Yeah. It's always down to that individual. Always. The founder is everything. Like, you know, their instinct, their. Their decision making, their desire to shift or not shift or move, their ability to raise money, their ability to influence people. Yeah, it's always the founder. And that's the thing. Like, often I've invested in founders where I've said, I don't even think this is the right thing. And actually, Jimmy taught me this. I've said to founders, I don't think what you're building is the right thing, but I believe in you, and you're gonna be brilliant and you're gonna do something amazing, and I just see that in that founder. When I first founded Daisy, this is such a crazy story. Jimmy gave me millions of dollars, and two weeks later. I've told this story a few times. I'm sitting at lunch with him and Jay Z, and he tells me the business is gonna fail. And I said, oh, I was so embarrassed. You can imagine, like, sitting with Jay Z and Jimmy Iveine and he tells you your business is gonna fail. And I was, like, so embarrassed and flustered and surprised, and I didn't know what to say, and I just said, so why did you give me money then? And he goes, cause you're an album. Not. Not single. And he goes, this is your first single. It's not going to work, but that's okay. I want to be in business with you.

[Jay Shetty]

Wow.

[Anjula Acharya]

It's so. It comes down to the founder. It comes down to the talent. It's all about talent.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. You've. I mean, you've built these amazing relationships where it feels like so much incredible wisdom and also great mentorship.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

People have taught you so much. Obviously, you're.

[Anjula Acharya]

By the way, I'm in the market for a new mentor. I know. I really am. So does anyone out there that wants to mentor me? Yeah. I feel like I'm at a different stage in my life, and I want to A mentor, really? Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

The mentor has to pick you, so.

[Anjula Acharya]

Exactly.

[Jay Shetty]

That's why I'm putting it out there on the podcast. Yeah.

[Anjula Acharya]

Here we go.

[Jay Shetty]

We're going to manifest.

[Anjula Acharya]

I mean, what a platform to put it out.

[Jay Shetty]

We're going to manifest.

[Anjula Acharya]

I love.

[Jay Shetty]

But that's such a great. I mean, even you saying that is so beautiful because it just shows just that coachability, that humility, that starting from the bottom that, you know, that that needs to be there constantly.

[Anjula Acharya]

Always.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah, Always. Always. I mean, that's the other thing. When you think about the five line highway, which is my new thing right now.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Anjula Acharya]

I like, it is like, you know, all of those cars are going at different speeds, but not all of those cars have a mentor, you know, have an instructor. Like, I'm doing new things all the time and I'm not afraid of that. That's my, you know, I know. I see that in you. Like, you're doing new things all the time. And I watch you and I'm like, I love that. Like, you're starting a drink brand. You know, you're doing like this, you're doing that. And that's the thing. I want to be surrounded by people that do that. But then that means I'm always doing something new and I need mentorship. Like, I don't think we're. We'll ever be done there.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, absolutely. And that's actually what creates so joy in life because you're meeting new people, you're in a completely different room, you're in a completely different environment, and it's. I. I constantly, like, one thing I sign off a lot of my stuff with is this is just the beginning. And I love repeating that to myself so many times because it's. It's such a fresh. There's something about the beginning that is so exciting.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

And it's like if you always stay connected to that feeling, life just continues to not. You don't get jaded, you don't get bitter, you don't get slowed. You just constantly feel this zest for life. And I feel that with you, like, as someone who's had so many successful business, like even sitting with you today when, whenever we talk, you always just so passionate and excited about stuff. And I'm like, that's amazing to have had so much success but still be that way. What do you think is the key to you not having become jaded or bitter with the business or sometimes people be like, investors are like this and stakeholders are like, like what allowed you to rise above that negativity.

[Anjula Acharya]

That's such a good question. I mean, don't get me wrong. I want to be really clear because I don't want people to listen and be like, she's always happy, and blah, blah, blah. Not always happy. Like, you know, I have my d. I've had moments of mass depression, and I have had moments having to pick myself up, like, off the ground, having complete, like, feeling like I have nothing. And I'm happy to talk about those moments in the joyous moments. I think it's just the excitement to do something new all the time. Like, by the way, you're such deep questions, like. Yeah, I think it's just the desire to be doing new things and challenging myself, even though that is really scary. Like, I have moments where you said something in a podcast about, like, whenever you're doing something new, you feel like an imposter. Yes, I feel like an imposter most of the time.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Anjula Acharya]

Because I'm always doing something new. So I always feel like, what right do I have to be in this room? What right do I have to be, you know, doing this? But then when I look at all the entrepreneurs, ah, this is it. I've got the answer to your question. What really, really inspires me is that you can topple massive industries and businesses with a new lens. So I always use Pyle as this example, right. Because she's gonna listen to this and be like, oh, my God, they're just talking about me.

[Jay Shetty]

But we love you, Payal.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah. Seriously. She disrupted a whole industry. Industry. Not because she knew the industry, not because she had any experience in it, but she had a different lens on it. And that, to me, I've got goosebumps. So exciting.

[Jay Shetty]

Yes.

[Anjula Acharya]

That you can topple a whole industry just because you have a different perspective on it that nobody else had. And you're willing to go out on a limb and say it and do something about it.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Anjula Acharya]

Like, how exciting is that?

[Jay Shetty]

Absolutely.

[Anjula Acharya]

Like, think about all these, like, drinks that have come into the market. Like, you know, and of just like, my idea friend Rohan, like, who founded Vitamin Water. Right. Well, he was one of the founding team. So he, like, saw this opportunity to basically, you know, disrupt Coke and all the energy drinks and everything they were doing, and he did it and he sold it to them for, like, $4 billion. Like, you know, Jimmy, like, disrupted sound with Beats headphones. Like, it's just like, to me, it's like, I think that's where all my energy comes from. Entrepreneurs that just have a completely different lens on life and go with it. And. And then you see them disrupt an entire industry. Like, how can that not excite you? By the way? Last thing, with no experience.

[Jay Shetty]

Yes.

[Anjula Acharya]

They do it with no experience. The amount of times I hear people say, my nephew said this to me, I did. I just want to stay in this job for two more years so I get some experience so I can then go and do this. I said, do it now.

[Jay Shetty]

Yes.

[Anjula Acharya]

I said, you don't need any more experience. Like, you need a different lens, you need a different perspective. That's what's going to make you stand out. You don't need more experience.

[Jay Shetty]

Yes. I remember reading Salim Ishmael wrote this book called Exponential Organizations. And it was in the early days of the rise of Uber, the rise of Airbnb. And he was talking about how Airbnb in its first five years or 10 years had access to more real estate than hotel brands that had been around for 50 years, to your point. Or Uber had access to more taxis and drivers than taxi companies had had for decades. And it was like instantly.

[Anjula Acharya]

You know, we used to say this thing in, in sort of like tech circles, we used to say this thing where, you know, Airbnb is the biggest hotel company with like, no hotel.

[Jay Shetty]

Yes. Yes.

[Anjula Acharya]

And Uber's the biggest, like, transport company with no cars.

[Jay Shetty]

Exactly.

[Anjula Acharya]

And Class Pass is the biggest fitness company with no gyms.

[Jay Shetty]

Yes.

[Anjula Acharya]

Like, we used to say this, actually, that we, that came about when we, when we started working on Class Pass. We were like, what is this going, what iteration of the world is this going to be? Oh, this is going to be the biggest fitness company with no ge.

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[Public Investing Ad]

support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets, which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI, it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year round over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public and Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors llc. SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures this

[Radhi Devlukia]

is Radhi Devlukya from A really Good Cry A lot of wellness routines start with motivation and end somewhere between week two and a half. Used supplement Draw Groons was created to make daily nutrition simpler. Instead of pillow oils or chalky green drinks, groons packs over 20 essential vitamins and minerals, greens and prebiotics into a snack pack of delicious gummies. It feels approachable and not demanding. The convenient comprehensive formula supports gut health, beauty, energy, immunity, recovery and cognition in one daily habit. Groons contain 6 grams of fiber which is more than 2 cups of broccoli and the ingredients in Groons are backed by 35,000 research publications medications, which is part of what makes the formula so intentional. Groons is vegan, gluten free, dairy free, nut free and made without artificial colors or flavours. Plus it's methylated so key nutrients like B12 and folate are in forms your body can actually use. It's comprehensive nutrition designed for routines you can actually stick with. Get up to 52% off with code CRY at Groons co. That's code [e-mail].

[Jay Shetty]

You have this get up and go attitude. What's been able to knock you down?

[Anjula Acharya]

Failure. You know I failed multiple times. My first business daisy hits that I raised all that money for and Jimmy Iovine got behind and told me it was going to fail but I didn't believe him when he told me that it did fail. And I remember like you know, I was living here in LA at that time and I just, you know I'd raised money from. That was my first time raising real money and I'd raised so much money from people I was just really embarrassed to tell them. It felt and I I was scared and I I just saw myself as a complete failure and I thought no one would ever believe in me again. Like I thought I was done. I thought it was over. My career was over and I was gonna go and have to get a job in, I don't know, McDonald's or something. Like, I just didn't know what the future held after that. And also going through a breakdown of my marriage. I was also gone through a journey of infertility. And in every way, whether it was my business, whether it was my marriage, whether it was my body, I felt. And my sister got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at that time, and then later breast cancer. In every part of my life, I just felt nothing was working and I was a failure. And, I mean, it just brings back so much emotion. But, like, yeah, I just felt like a total failure and then. But I also was quite high in my prior profile. Like, I was in magazines, people were talking about me, and I was doing podcasts. So I also felt like a massive imposter at that time because I was like, I don't deserve any of these accolades. You know, I was Billboard woman in music. I was this, I was that. And I just held women in tech. And I was just like. I'd gotten really good at selling to a point where I didn't believe it myself. I hit rock bottom. I remember sitting in my closet in la. I just crumbled to the floor. And I prayed. I'd started going to this amazing church here. It was called One Church la. It's now called Potter's House. And there was the pastor there, Pastor Toure, who you met.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. You introduced him.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

Wonderful man.

[Anjula Acharya]

Amazing. And I always say, like, he, like, saved my life. Like I say at that time, like, he saved my life. And I remember just praying, and this is gonna sound crazy, but I'd never heard God's voice before, ever. And I didn't think it was possible. And I heard these words which were, like, nothing's going to change unless you change. And I genuinely, and I see this in a lot of young people, they expect the whole world to change around them, but I'm this and I'm that. And they validate to themselves who they are and what they are and the reason why they shouldn't change. But the whole world should change around them. Everyone's attitude should, like for them to be successful. And I was one of those people. I believed that I had this big profile. Yes, my business had failed. Yes, my marriage had failed, yes, my body had failed. All these things in my life had failed. But I had this profile, so people should come to me and offer me jobs or whatever. And no one was coming, no one was coming to offer me a job. And then with my towel between my legs, I went back to Silicon Valley and started asking people. And by the way, at that point I was also managing Priyanka, but she hadn't taken off. I spent like seven years, you know, working, working, working, and nothing had taken off. Everyone with any celebrity, everybody always thinks the moment they took off was the moment it started. Yeah, but that's, you know, really not the case. Like, you know, you've got managers and talent working for years. And she was, you know, had this very successful career in India, so she was going back and forth, but I was sitting here like, you know, banging away, trying to make something happen. So anyway, it was a really, really tough time. I went back to Silicon Valley with my towel between my legs and I just, I put my ego away and I asked for jobs and eventually I got an entrepreneur in residence, a fund called Trinity Venture Ventures. And within a couple of months, they offered me a partner role there, which was amazing. But in the meantime, by the way, everyone was offering me money, which I had no idea. People were like, well, what's your next business? What's your next idea? And I'd be like, why would anyone trust me with money again?

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Anjula Acharya]

And everyone kept telling me that my failure was going to make me like. Like everyone in Silicon Valley was like, what are you talking about? Like, I was so, I was so honest about my vulnerabilities. I was like, why would you give me money when I just had a failed business? They were like, did you not learn something from that? Yeah, your next one will be better. And, you know, it's so funny, only

[Jay Shetty]

years later, that's amazing.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah. Only years later when, oh, and then when Priyanka popped, I remember Jimmy called me and he goes, I told you, you wrote an album. Like, so the hardest thing is when it all comes at once. Like, for me, like I was going through infertility, I was going through a broken marriage. Trying to pull it together. Didn't work. Who, as someone I'd been with for like 19 years, you know, it wasn't like a short term thing. I'd moved from continents with that person. And now we're amazing friends and we, you know, we still have an incredible relationship. And then to have a business which was so publicly celebrated, I think that's the hardest thing, right? When something's publicly celebrated, celebrated, and it's failing and you know it's failing before anyone else does and you're going out to all these events and everyone's treating you like this really successful person and you're like, I feel like a complete failure right now. And yeah, it was just. It all came at once. And then I remember reading this beautiful quote and it said, sometimes you feel like you're buried, but actually you've been planted. And I definitely was planted. And I remember Pastor Ture talking about that, saying that you feel buried, but actually you're planting. And yeah, I. I re. Shifted everything. I let go of my ego. I asked people for things, I asked for help. I told people I was vulnerable. Like, I put everything out there very honestly, which, like, three months before, I was a different person.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah.

[Anjula Acharya]

But I decided to change because I'd got that message. To change.

[Jay Shetty]

Wow.

[Anjula Acharya]

So I changed everything.

[Jay Shetty]

Where did you start?

[Anjula Acharya]

I started by asking people for jobs and then sadly, you know, I separated from my husband. That was the first that was separation. I changed everything. I uprooted everything. I lived in my friend's basement for three months. Everything changed. My surroundings, me, everything. I stripped myself down to nothing.

[Jay Shetty]

I mean, that sounds like the most difficult. And at the same time, as you said, planted moment where, like, you're literally going through this moment where you're stripping away, changing everything, which is so unsettling to the whole identity because you're like, wait, my self worth was. I was married. My self worth was. I was a successful entrepreneur. My self worth was. Maybe I'd be a mum one day or, you know, whatever. Yeah, all of a sudden all of that's changed because you got a shift and so you're like, well, who am I now?

[Anjula Acharya]

I was so brave. Like, I can't even believe I did it. I literally changed everything. But I got those words. And honestly, those words were not me. Like, that wasn't me talking to myself. That. And there was only one other time that I feel like I've actually spoken to God. God spoken to me. You know, it hasn' happened again. I keep waiting for it to happen. Hasn't happened again. But, yeah, it was a very clear message.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. Well, you kept mentioning destiny earlier as well. And I was thinking that, you know, when you think about depression and destiny, it's. It's interesting that you've had those points in your life where you've also been able to trace, oh, that was destiny. Or that was destiny. I connected that. And it's. It's interesting that sometimes the unlock to those are in your lowest moments. Like the unlock of that destiny, the unlock of that growth. I used to have a mentor would always tell me he'd be like, jay, you. You'll realize your potential when you're in pain.

[Anjula Acharya]

Oh, gosh, yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

And I'd be like, oh, no, man. I'm like, proactive. I'm like. I was like, come on, man. Like, I'm, like, organized. I don't need pain to be organized. I don't need pain to be find my potential. I'm already winning. And then when I went through pain, I was like, oh, got it. Like, he was so right that it was. It was pain that was the doorway to my potential. I didn't even know that I had a gear 7 that I could lock into, and I was in pain. And it's. And it's amazing because you think about it and you go, yeah, I thought I was going to break in that moment, and that break was my breakthrough. Like, that moment that I thought everything was going to fall apart. That was the moment where everything start after change, after shift, not in a magical, transcendental way, but in a way of, like, turning it around. Did you ever feel underestimated as a woman in business? And how did the infertility play into that world as well? Because I know there's so much judgment and shame and guilt around that, both in our culture, both just in society in general.

[Anjula Acharya]

I've always felt underestimated. Not in America. It's really weird. I felt underestimated my entire life growing up in England and all of that by family. I think my family really underestimated me because also, I didn't do the whole, you know, very traditional for South Asians is like, I didn't do medicine. I didn't, you know, I didn't do, you know, engineering. I didn't do all the traditional things that lead to success. So when I said, I want to do a theater studies degree at one of my foundations, like, looked like, oh, God, she's gonna really amount to nothing. You know, that was definitely something that was put on me. The only person that ever told me a counter story to that was my sister. My sister always believed in me and told me that I was gonna be someone. Yeah. So, yeah, I always felt underestimated. I think I didn't feel that way moving to America. It's funny, you know, America's like, I love America. Not right now with Trump, but in general, I love America. But I felt like this given me a place to, you know, I really believe in the American dream. Like, I think anyone can come here and succeed. And we've talked about this, like, what we've done here, we don't think we could have done in England from the infertility side. You know, it's been a really long journey. Like, just beating myself up and, you know, it's so funny. I was listening to Nick Jonas's song Gut Punch, and there's a line in it, it says where. How could I be so mean to myself? Or something. I've been so mean to myself about it. I've felt like my body's completely failed me. And people will say to me all the time, like, oh, you didn't want to have children, or. And I don't want to get into why I didn't have children or, you know, whatever. But, yeah, it's. It's been. It's been a tough journey.

[Jay Shetty]

I think you just hit the nail on the head that we're all going through things, but it's how we talk to ourself when we're going through those things that makes all the difference.

[Anjula Acharya]

Everything.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. Because everyone we know in the world is going through something, and it's how they talk to themselves about it that has. Makes all the impact, makes all the difference. And I absolutely agree. It's the. It's. To me, it's one of the most important skills is being able to talk to yourself in a way that pushes you forward and keeps you grounded without overhyping yourself, but hurting yourself. And I think we kind of only know how to do both. Like, I know how to hype myself up before this meeting, or I need to hurt myself when I'm doing something wrong. And we don't know how to help ourselves and actually have this healthy inner dialogue which is healing conversation and compassionate and empathetic and connected and.

[Anjula Acharya]

But I have a question for you, actually. Can I do this? I don't know how you were raised exactly. I've heard some of your stories, but we generally were raised quite tough. Right. Like, all the racism I dealt with, I didn't come home and talk to my parents about it because they were dealing with it themselves. Right. And they didn't have the tools to deal with it themselves. So then, you know, I spent my whole life, all my relatives, saying, oh, you're gonna. You know, you're gonna be the trashman. You're gonna be this, you're gonna be that. You're gonna amount to nothing. Because I wasn'. I was terrible at school. So we've grown up with all of this, like, negative talk at us, telling us that we're not going to amount to anything. And here we are. Amounted to quite a Lot and done pretty well for ourselves. Right. And. And so now I'm, like, so confused about this.

[Jay Shetty]

I get where you're going with this. Yeah.

[Anjula Acharya]

Because I see all of these parents, all my friends, egging their kids on, only giving their kids positive, like, all this good stuff. And I'm like, yeah, you know, are they gonna have any grit? Are they gonna be able to survive in the real world? Like, I know. I'm so curious.

[Jay Shetty]

It's a great question.

[Anjula Acharya]

And then I think of myself and I'm really good at talking to myself terribly. Like, I'm really good at beating myself up. I'm. I'm the best at it. Right. And if I don't do something the way my expectation of myself is, I'll, like, really have a go at myself. And. But then I'm. Sometimes I wonder, is that what makes me successful? Is that what makes me driven? You know? So I'm curious, how does it one deal with all of that?

[Jay Shetty]

So I think a lot of successful people in the world today are successful because of their trauma. And what happens then is you can't even be happy in your success because you're doing it to prove someone else wrong or you're doing it to prove yourself right, or you were doing it to show people what you could do. And I'm not saying you. I'm just saying in general.

[Anjula Acharya]

No, no, I'm definitely that person.

[Jay Shetty]

No, no. And then.

[Anjula Acharya]

No, no.

[Jay Shetty]

And then what happens with that is you can't even be happy with your success because you know this as well as I do. Just because you now became successful, no one, not everyone turns around who hated on you and goes, well done. You know, you really. No one's going to do that because everyone's busy living their own lives like no one really was anyway. So I think at one point that trauma has to transform into purpose, into mission, which. Which is what yours is. You're being harsh on yourself. Like, yours is always, oh, no, I

[Anjula Acharya]

love to be myself.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, yours was always a mission. It was purpose driven. You wanted to. You wanted to make a shift and a change for people that look like you and felt like you and came from where you were. But I agree with you and that's what I was saying. The opposite of what we're seeing now is Molly coddling, hyping. And that doesn't do anything for you because now there's no challenge. And so what we really need is challenge love. Challenge love. It's like when Jimmy saw you fail and he. And you were already embarrassed and upset that you failed. And he said, no, you're an album, not a single. That was love when you failed.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

So when we fail, you need to be held, but you still hold yourself to high standards. And so the way I look at it is we've got to help young people and everyone, but we have to help young people and ourselves hold ourselves to high standards and then have high grace when it goes wrong. Because if you don't have the high grace when it goes wrong. The best example of this was Roger Federer talked about this at Dartmouth at his commencement speech at the university. And he said that when I'm playing a point, it's the most important point in the world. He goes, as soon as I win or lose the point, it is the least important point in the world. Like, I have to play the point. Like, my life depends on it. And as soon as that point is over, I'm going to move on to the next point. Because if I'm thinking about that last point, I'm not going to be able to play this point, and then I'm going to lose the next point again. And he was just like, that's the only way. And I think it's more about, rather than hype and encouragement, it's more about teaching people to be present and teaching people to have high standards and then teaching people that, hey, if you failed once, like in Silicon Valley, well, just. What's your next idea? Let's go. So I don't think it's like, oh, you're amazing. Don't worry. Like, you know, Jimmy wasn't like, you're amazing. You're so special. And this was just a tough moment in the. It wasn't like. It was like, no, you failed, but let's go again. You know, And I think that's the mindset that we need is not Molly coddling and fake loving and over fake compassion, which only makes people weaker.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

You know, and it would have done that to you. So anyway, I don't know if that makes sense, but.

[Anjula Acharya]

No, it does. I mean, it's a thing I, you know, I battle with also. Like, you know, my therapist always says to me, angela, could you be more compassionate to yourself? And I'm like, but then would I have any ambition if I was more compassionate to myself? Like, I gotta beat myself out when I fail so that I. Yeah. Do better next time. Like, I don't know.

[Jay Shetty]

It's just like, I get it, I get it. And I. And I think. And that's what I'm saying. You have to have high standards. If you don't have high standards, you never achieve anything. Great.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

But then you have to have high grace, because that's actually what it does. What high grace does is your rebound times quicker. So if you have high standards, but then you have high hatred for yourself, you actually can beat yourself up for longer and kind of stay in that dark place. Whereas if you have a high grace period, then you're like, all right, let's rebound. Like, so you're rebound. But I get what you're saying, too. Like, I have high standards. I'm. I'm harsh on myself. I'm not. I'm not easy on myself. I've just learned to talk to myself as a coach and a mentor would talk to me. Me. Not as a hateful person would talk to me.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

And I think there's a difference in that.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

It's like, if my coach saw me perform badly, I played a lot of sport growing up, had a lot of coaches in other areas of my life. Like, my coaches would never just be like, you suck. You're the worst. Like, they would never say that.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

But they'd be like, jay, did you notice that you were one inch away from where it would have been great? Like, they would point to the detail.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

Of improvement. They wouldn't point to like, oh, you saw. You're the worst. That was the worst performance. They would never say stuff like that. So I think it's being your own mentor, just as you would never have said that to Payal or never have said that to Priyanka or, you know, you'd have just pivoted.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah. I mean, it's funny now, though. So now I'm with my fiance, Farhan Ahmed, who is running for assembly in District 66, New York City, by the way.

[Jay Shetty]

Oh, wow. Amazing.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

That's incredible.

[Anjula Acharya]

But he's been a firefighter, as you know, for like, 20, 20 years. And what's so interesting now, whenever, like, it's. He's really shifted my perspective on life because before, I would be like, really in the moment of, like, oh, my God, I failed, or this happened or that happened. And now, like, that saying of, like, well, you're not. We're not saving lives. You know, now that really. Yeah. Now that's really meaningful. Like, that whole phrase. I mean, he just retired to. To run in politics. But, like, prior to that, like, you know, I spent. We've been together, like, four years, and, you know, four nights of every week, I would just. Don't know if he's coming home the next day, you know, and every night before I'd go to bed, I'd make him text me and tell me that he's safe so far. But I didn't know waking up in the morning if he'd still be there.

[Jay Shetty]

Like, so it's a lot of anxiety.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah, a lot of anxiety. So that's actually sort of shifted a lot of my perspective on my anxiety about my failures or whatever. Like, it's, it's this been really meaningful journey.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. That's beautiful. I love your relationship and I'm so happy to hear how he's having all this beautiful impact on you. It's nice.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

It's amazing to hear Ang we. You've been amazing. I mean, talking to you about the wins, the successes you've given great business advice. We've learned how to network from you. We've learned how to be more convincing, persuasive. We've learned how to never give up and at the same time learned about the human behind all of it. We end every episode of On Purpose with a final five. These questions have to be answered in one sentence maximum. So, Anjula Acharya, these are your final five.

[Anjula Acharya]

Oh, my God.

[Jay Shetty]

The first question is, what is the best advice you've ever heard or received?

[Anjula Acharya]

Yes. If you want to raise money, ask for advice. And if you want advice, ask for money.

[Jay Shetty]

I like that. That's really. I'm going to use that now. Question number two. What is the worst advice you've ever heard or received?

[Anjula Acharya]

To stay on one track, one path, and never pivot, and you'll get to your goal eventually.

[Jay Shetty]

Great answer. Question number three. What's something that you used to value that you, you don't value anymore?

[Anjula Acharya]

People's opinions? No, I used, yeah, I used to really value what people would say about me, and now I don't so much.

[Jay Shetty]

Question number four. What's something that you didn't value before that you deeply value now?

[Anjula Acharya]

My alone time.

[Jay Shetty]

Interesting.

[Anjula Acharya]

Now, my alone time used to scare me so much. I used to hate being alone. And I think that's a lot of childhood trauma and a lot of things. So I used one sentence. But yeah, now I, I, I really love it now. It's something, something I crave.

[Jay Shetty]

That's a beautiful thing to get comfortable with, isn't it?

[Anjula Acharya]

That time taking me forever. Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

Well, you're doing good. Yeah.

[Anjula Acharya]

Finally.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. Fifth and final question. We ask this to every guest who's ever been on the show. If you could create one law that everyone in the world had to follow,

[Anjula Acharya]

what would it be to approach everything with love and kindness.

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah. The golden rule, mate.

[Anjula Acharya]

I bet everyone says that, right?

[Jay Shetty]

No.

[Anjula Acharya]

Okay, good. Yeah. Imagine in the world how it would be if everyone approached everything with loving kindness.

[Jay Shetty]

Totally. And. And I think that's actually goes back to what we talked about. The reason why we struggle to approach other people with love and kindness is because we don't know how to be with ourselves. With love and kindness.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

Because we're harsh on ourselves. We're harsh on everyone outside of ourselves. So all of that pain is coming from within. It's not coming from we hate everyone and we love ourselves. It's actually coming from we hate ourselves. Exactly. And then we're putting it out there.

[Anjula Acharya]

Yeah.

[Jay Shetty]

And so that loving kindness requires. That's why that inner dialogue is so important. And so. And Julia Chara, you are amazing.

[Anjula Acharya]

Thank you so much.

[Jay Shetty]

One of my heroes. I'm so grateful for you. I can't wait to see what you go off and do next. Can't wait for you to find your mentor through this. Usually people come on here trying to find a partner. You already have that. So I'm like, usually that's what people announce.

[Anjula Acharya]

But applications welcome. If you can mentor me, please reach out to on purpose.

[Jay Shetty]

I love it. I love it.

[Anjula Acharya]

What's the email?

[Jay Shetty]

Yeah, everyone who's been listening and watching, make sure you go and follow an on Instagram where she does share parts of her journey. And if you don't already, go and check out her businesses. We will put the websites and the links in the comment section. Should you wish to apply, should you wish to ask her to be your mentor. Should you wish to do whatever you want to do. We will put them there so you can check them out. Ange, again, thank you so much for being such a dear friend and inspiration and being here with so much love and kindness as well and being so open.

[Anjula Acharya]

Love you.

[Jay Shetty]

Love you too.

[Anjula Acharya]

Thank you.

[Jay Shetty]

If you're ready to take control of your finances, create freedom on your. Your own terms. You want to hear my conversation with Cody Sanchez?

[Anjula Acharya]

If you want to be successful today is that there's really. There's two type of people. One type of person will be really successful, and one type of person will never be successful until they change their mentality. And. And we call these fixers versus freeloaders.

[Jay Shetty]

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[Anjula Acharya]

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