52: My first year of podcasting with Sudha Singh

Shownotes: Something to celebrate before winding down for 2021. The Elephant in the Room podcast is a year old (slightly over actually:) 💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽 When I launched The Elephant in the Room last year, I knew that it was going to be a weekly podcast - that is the sum total of what I knew for certain. Beyond determination and hard work there was nothing else to recommend me or The Elephant in the Room. But, here we are 52 weeks later ......... And what a fantastic journey it has been 💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽I am full of gratitude for how far in my learning journey I have come, because people were willing and supportive of a newbie podcaster like me. I would like to thank each and every one of my guests for being an enabler, willing to share their knowledge and learning. With eagerness and anticipation I am now, looking forward to embarking on the next 52 weeks - to continuing to push the agenda on inequity and exclusion in our industry, in our workplaces, in society and in our personal lives. And to ensuring that I stay true and rooted in the purpose of the podcast. 
But, before that I am going to take a break, the year has been brutal and it has taken a toll on all of us including me. I am going to revive and recuperate with my cheerleaders (my wonderful children), count my blessings and be back in the new year with some exciting announcements. Meanwhile, if you are passionate about doing something, step forward and seize the moment. If I can, you can.......Don't let fear stop you. Memorable passages from the podcast: 👉🏾 Hey everyone, welcome back to the 52nd episode of The Elephant in the Room podcast. I really wanted to use this opportunity to review the past year. And what a momentous year it has been, with unexpected highs and some expected lows; of amazing friendships and brilliant networks; of saying yes to many things and being assertive about saying 'No'; of speaking up and leaving the reticence behind; of being awake and mindful to doing good and being a facilitator for positive change; of trying to rid myself and others of self limiting beliefs and giving myself the permission to fly. Yes, it has been a wonderful journey and I am full of gratitude. 👉🏾 A year and some days ago I launched The Elephant in the Room podcast. I was nervous, as expected and there was a huge amount of trepidation in my mind about launching the podcast. It was to do with the purpose of the podcast - this was to be my learning & listening project, but it was also an opportunity to create a platform for people to speak about their lived experiences, hear from experts on issues that are taboo and deserve to be mainstream. Did I have what it takes to successfully run such a huge project - to make a commitment to turn up week after week with good content; stories that people wanted to hear; advise that people would want to take on board. Would I be able to attract listeners and followers with my credentials and credibility? Then there was the sheer logistics, background research on the topics, identifying and lining up guests week after week, the technology - what sort of mic should I have; what platforms should I host the podcast on; what were the steps...... It all seemed liked a lot of risk to take; too much learning to do; too much faff.... 👉🏾 What kept me focused was the accountability to Janet Murray's wonderful network that I have had the privilege to be a part of. Janet is a fabulous leader, who believes in leading by example - she is committed, hard working and is constantly engaged in trying to figure out how best to bring value to the members in the network. In times when we are a bit lost, there is something to be said about being a part of something bigger - which helps you take one step after the other. So, definitely a big shout out to Janet. And I don't have to repeat how horrible COVID has been for people across the world especially for

Om Podcasten

The Elephant in the Room Podcast is a curated safe space to have uncomfortable conversations about the pervasive inequalities in society and our workplaces. The idea of the podcast was born from my sense of conflict about identity, self and the concept of privilege and fuelled by my own need to understand how my overlapping identities and experiences had impacted and would continue to impact my life chances. Two years ago I decided to ‘opt out’ to find my own purpose and focus on passion projects including learning about the systemic biases that are endemic in business and society. The Podcast is my very own listening project, a step towards being more intentional in my learning. The Elephant in the Room Podcast is for people who want to be a part of the change, for those who want to step up & speak out, for those who want to learn more about biases, barriers and best practice, for business leaders and for individuals, anyone who is interested in a fairer, more inclusive and compassionate society and workplace. Each week I will interview inspiring speakers from across the world on issues that are taboo and deserve to be mainstream including(but not limited to) systemic and institutionalised racism, discrimination based on further eight protected characteristics, poverty, mental health, climate change. The podcast will also talk about cognitive inclusion, culture, purpose, ethics and the importance of empathy, cultural intelligence and how conversations on identity and disadvantage would be incomplete without considering intersectionality. With the podcast I hope to share stories of people with lived experiences, stories that may have never been told, stories that galvanise us to take action for change and keep the conversations alive by raising the decibel on issues of inequity, inequality in our search for a fairer and more inclusive world.