In this episode of Magical Mornings, we featured Malavika Varadan who is an RJ, musician, fitness enthusiast, Ted Talk speaker and more. Malavika Varadan is a celebrated RJ who created a huge fan following in Bangalore hosting a show on Radio City. And now, she is just as popular as co-host of the show Breakfast No. 1 on City 1016 in UAE.
Here's the interview of Malavika with UnitePod.
Q. Can you tell us about the journey you have travelled so far? What were your stepping stones and how were you molding them?
Malavika: Okay, something about my vibrant journey so far, well I started in print media. I started out as a journalist for the Hindu and then moved onto an education based job when I was in college where I was creating educational material, instructional educational material which was mostly for schools back when E- learning was still new and fresh. Then I moved to radio and now I am back as an entrepreneur and back in education. One of the take away has been that all jobs have come together to help me at this point of my life which includes a combination of drama, public speaking, radio, media, writing, education, instructional design, economics, psychology and basically all the things which I have studied and have found a way back to.
Q. What are the best resources which helped you along the way?
Malavika: The best resources that have helped me along the way have definitely been my connections. I have found that my sister having studied entrepreneur herself and her MBA were crucial in helping me in owning and running, buying up new business and all of the connections with the people I have met along the way have helped create and sustain this new project that I am currently working on.
Q. That sounds really awesome and I think it doubles some real good advices for our budding entrepreneurs out there. Your initiative, the Hive, is really something out of the box and cool. What was your motivation to start it?
Malavika: I didn’t start the Hive. It was started by two very dear friends of mine, Gimish and Jarshna Thakar. They both are very passionate about theatre and they wanted to start a school for kids. I was teaching drama with them while they were on the business and then they decided to move to Canada. They were looking for people to buy the business and that’s how I put my hand up and said that I could try. That’s where the idea came from and soon after that I was able to buy it; an already existing, running, profitable, sustainable business and more.
Q. Wow, that really sounds like a courageous move to step up like that. Speaking of stepping up, if you can step into my shoes what will you ask yourself which I didn’t?
Malavika: I would have asked myself what would I want my younger self to have known and the answer will be to trust my intuitions, to judge my judgment, to create a team with people who are empowered to take decisions, to be able to really utilize collaborations in the best way possible and to understand that the buck should not stop with me or the person at the top of the food chain. It should really be each person's prerogative to be able to solve, analyze and grow while running a team or an organization.
Q. You work along with different brands and with kids as well. How do you balance these two extremes and tackle the mind frames of both sides since they are different?
Malavika: Yeah I work with different brand s as well as kids. I find that the two things are very different as I said to my ex-boss last year. It’s like one half of my world consist of fireworks because its short, filled with bursts, its a wow factor, and entertainment while the other side is like gardening because education is one of those things which take time to bear fruits. But it’s something that stands with you for several decades to come and I am very aware of that. When you plant a sapling, you don’t go and ask it every day if it has made any progress. You have to sometimes just wait it out till the time is right to bear fruit. That’s what I learn from these two very diversely different habits.
Q. What message would you want to give to our listeners and where can they connect with you online?
Malavika: Well, to stay in touch with us, the Hive has its door open for the kids and the adults to take part in drama and public speaking workshops. Its prerogative to use drama as a tool to help create a more well-informed, empathic and well-rounded individuals who can speak up for their ideas and those around them. This is basically the mission of the Hive. You can connect with me on Instagram through my tag @MalavikaVaradan or through the Hive's Instagram tag @liveathive. I would be happy if all the kids and adults who are tuned in can be a part of this amazing story we have been building in this amazing city of Dubai.
Q. What Malavika is doing for the kids is really amazing. Thank you so much for joining in today Malavika!
Malavika: Thank you so much for joining us today and listening to the podcast till the end. I am honored that you guys invited me as your guest. I would love to be on anytime you choose so call me back soon. Thank you.
That is a wrap on Episode 12 of Magical Mornings featuring Malavika Varadan. She became a TEDX speaker all the way from a journalist in the Hindu and has run a very sustainable business so far.
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