The true essence of a city is not in the famous monuments it houses, or the delicacies available in the crowded bylanes, nor is it its proximity to the sea, mountains, or beaches. The true essence of a city are the people it houses – their spirit, their often-unheard stories, and their unrealised/realised aspirations. In this episode of Take aPause, Varun Duggi talks to Karishma Mehta, the founder of Humans of Bombay. She shares her journey from as a post-grad student in the UK to returning to India to follow her passion for writing, and the need to tell heartfelt stories. Karishma recalls a time when reticent actor Aamir Khan was brought to tears during an interview and confesses that she was purely driven by the organic flow of conversation and not the need to probe. Karishma has given a voice to the diverse and often unheard perspectives of Mumbai's residents. Each post on Humans of Bombay provides a window into the lives and experiences of individuals, capturing the emotions, struggles, and triumphs that make up the fabric of the city. Despite its success, Karishma remains dedicated to maintaining the authenticity and intimacy of each story, showcasing the power of storytelling to bring people together, and shining a light on the complexities of the human experience. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:00 What was Karishma Mehta's Childhood like 03:20 What sparked the idea behind Humans of Bombay 09:44 Being a good listener 14:35 Growing with Humans of Bombay 17:10 Karishma Mehta's advice for her 21-year-old self 21:10 The secret of manifestation 26:00 On good and bad 31:40 How Karishma Mehta deals with effects of the stories 33:51 On her Founder journey 36:15 Focusing on Moments that matter 38:00 Probing out the story 40:45 Karishma Mehta's relationship with self-doubt 43:50 Taking aPause #varunduggi #karishmamehta #humansofbombay ABOUT VARUN A creative entrepreneur turned content creator, Varun is one of India’s leading conversationalists in the modern business, personal development, and creator landscapes with over 1 million podcast listens. The author of the bestseller Everything Is Out of Syllabus, he’s the host of Advertising Is Dead, one of India's most popular business podcasts with over 300,000 listens in 2021 alone, as well as co-host of Think Fast, an irreverent business podcast that has ranked #3 on Apple’s Podcast Marketing Charts. In 2009, he co-founded The Glitch, India’s largest ‘digital-first’ creative agency. 🌍 WEBSITE https://varunduggi.com/ 🎙PODCASTS: || Take A Pause with Varun Duggirala || https://pod.link/1506368376 || Advertising Is Dead || https://pod.link/1440706394 || Think Fast || https://pod.link/1596432556 FOLLOW VARUN ON SOCIAL MEDIA: 📸 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/varunduggi/ 🐣Twitter https://twitter.com/varunduggi 📝 LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/varun-dug... 📰 Subscribe to his newsletter on https://varunduggi.com/