What does it take to walk away from corporate and build something aligned with who you truly are?In this episode of Be Anomalous, I sit down with Deepa Mani — former IT consultant turned founder — to talk about leaving stability, building a cultural dance institution, and launching a beauty brand that centers people of color instead of treating them as an afterthought.We talk:• Founder loneliness & imposter syndrome• Bootstrapping from scratch• Protecting your energy• Marketing yourself with confidence• Building in seasonsIf you’re navigating a pivot or building something unconventional — this one will resonate.Follow for weekly conversations with founders and creatives building outside the lines.Be bold. Be real. Be anomalous.

In this episode of Be Anomalous, Mayssa Chehata — founder and CEO of Behave Candy — shares what it really looked like to rebuild her life while building a company from scratch.In the span of a single year, Mayssa got married, divorced, checked a parent into rehab, and continued growing her business — all while navigating the emotional and financial realities of entrepreneurship.This conversation goes beyond startup strategy. We talk about:- Growing up between cultures and learning adaptability as survival- Leaving a high-paying job to step into uncertainty- The nervous system side of entrepreneurship no one prepares you for - Why women deserve to want money, power, and influence — without shame- Trusting intuition when logic alone isn’t enoughThis episode is for anyone building something — a company, a new chapter, or a version of themselves that feels more honest and aligned.If you’ve ever felt like life and work were happening all at once, this conversation will meet you where you are.Subscribe to @iamsaimenon for more honest conversations with founders, creatives, and cultural disruptors building outside the lines.

In this episode of Be Anomalous, Jessica Williams joins me for an insightful conversation about how culture, community, and psychology shape the brands we trust. Jessica is a senior brand and marketing leader who has spent her career inside some of the most influential companies shaping modern commerce. She currently leads Brand Marketing at Shopify, where her work sits at the intersection of creators, founders, and community-driven entrepreneurship—helping millions of entrepreneurs around the world build and grow sustainable businesses. Before Shopify, Jessica held leadership roles at Coinbase, where she helped build and lead the company’s first brand team following its public listing, and at Visa, where she worked across product, partnership, and brand marketing on global initiatives tied to the Olympics, FIFA, and the NFL. But Jessica’s perspective doesn’t come only from the rooms she’s been in . She grew up in a home where her mother ran a psychology practice out of their living room—surrounded by athletes, high performers, and people navigating mental health challenges. That early exposure shaped how she understands behavior, ambition, and decision-making—and why she believes marketing isn’t just a business function, but behavioral psychology in action. In this conversation, we talk about what it really means to build influence without being the loudest voice in the room. About why “playing it safe” is often the most dangerous strategy. About how creator-led brands succeed—or fail—based on authenticity and community. And about how ambition evolves as life, leadership, and responsibility grow. This episode is for founders building from scratch and for corporate leaders navigating power, culture, and change from inside the system.

If you’re building a brand, a career, or a life that doesn’t fit neatly into a box, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Be Anomalous, Aparna Piramal Raje joins me for a rare, deeply honest conversation about ambition, mental health, and what happens when success — as we’re taught to chase it — stops working.

Aparna grew up in Mumbai, studied at Oxford and Harvard, and became a CEO in her twenties. From the outside, it looked like she had followed the “right” path.

But inside, the cost was mounting.

Living with bipolar disorder for over two decades, Aparna shares what it really takes to navigate mental health while carrying ambition, expectations, and leadership roles — and how she learned to move from chasing the outer scorecard of validation, titles, and approval to trusting an inner scorecard rooted in meaning, craftsmanship, and sustainability.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• Mental health as a medical condition — not a personality flaw

• The pressure to appear “normal” while struggling internally

• Why achievement alone doesn’t guarantee fulfillment

• Leadership is a set of everyday habits, not heroic moments

• The role of support systems — beyond crisis moments

• Redefining success in a way that protects your well-being

We also discuss Aparna’s books Chemical Khichdi and Working Out of the Box, and how writing became a way for her to make sense of her life — and offer others a path forward.

If you’ve ever felt like you were doing everything “right” and still felt deeply misaligned — this episode is for you.

When we recorded this conversation, Kaylee Lieffers was pregnant.Today, she’s a new mom — and the conversation feels even more relevant.Kaylee is the co-founder of Blanka, a beauty-tech platform that has helped 20,000+ entrepreneurs launch their own beauty and wellness brands by removing traditional barriers like high minimum order quantities, inventory risk, and complex logistics.In just a few years, Blanka became one of the top-performing apps in the Shopify App Store, raised an oversubscribed seed round, and built real infrastructure for founders who didn’t have access before.In this episode, we talk about: • What it actually means to scale a business • How leadership changes when thousands of people depend on your decisions • Why most founders misunderstand scale • And how to keep clarity when your personal life and professional life are evolving at the same timeThis is a conversation for founders, operators, and anyone building something meaningful — especially if life doesn’t pause while the business grows.If you’re new here, I’m Sai Menon, and I started Be Anomalous to have honest conversations with people who are building in real time, without the noise or performance.If this episode adds value to your life, please subscribe.I take that commitment seriously — and I promise not to waste your time.

In this episode of Be Anomalous, Farah Meghji joins me for a grounded, honest conversation about identity, reinvention, and what it really means to navigate healthcare when the system isn’t designed to guide you.

Farah grew up as the only South Asian kid in a small town outside Toronto—raised by immigrant parents who believed in education, sacrifice, and blending in to stay safe. But her life and work eventually pulled her in the opposite direction: toward visibility, voice, and building something that challenges the way healthcare has always been done.

We discuss the tension that many of us carry—wanting to fit in as kids, then spending our adulthood unlearning that survival strategy. Farah shares how her worldview shifted as she moved through school, work, motherhood, and caregiving—until she realized the “rules” of healthcare aren’t neutral. They reward confidence, access, and self-advocacy. And most people aren’t taught how to do any of that.

That’s what led her to co-found Unum—a company built on a simple but radical idea: lived experience is expertise. Not as a nice-to-have. As something that should shape decisions, policies, and solutions.

We also get into the role AI is already playing in healthcare—how it can help patients translate complex information, prepare for appointments, and advocate more effectively—without replacing the human heart of care.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed inside a system that expects you to “just know,” this episode will make you feel seen—and better equipped.

In this episode of Be Anomalous, Cici Stefanova shares her journey from growing up in Scotland to building a brand that landed in Sephora — and how the very insecurities she once tried to hide became her greatest strength.We talk about identity, feeling different, learning in public, and the quiet confidence that comes from building anyway — even when you don’t feel ready.This isn’t a highlight reel.It’s a conversation about turning self-doubt into clarity, curiosity into momentum, and difference into power.If you’ve ever felt like you didn’t quite fit — and wondered if that disqualified you — this episode will challenge that belief.What You’ll Learn • How Cici’s upbringing shaped her perspective and resilience • Why insecurity can sharpen intuition instead of weakening it • What it really takes to go from idea to Sephora • How to build confidence after you start, not before • Why being different is often an advantage🎧 New episodes every Monday and Thursday.Subscribe for honest conversations with founders, creatives, and cultural disruptors building outside the lines.Be bold. Be real. Be anomalous.

In this episode of Be Anomalous, Charlotte Trecartin— founder and CEO of CharCharms — joins me to share the real story of how she built one of the fastest-growing accessory brands in the country without funding, connections, or a roadmap.

Charlotte didn’t wait for permission. At 20 years old, during the height of the pandemic, she followed a tiny spark — a simple frustration with a hair tie and a water bottle — and turned it into an eight-figure brand now sold in Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Urban Outfitters, and more.

We talk about what most people don’t see: the two years she hand-made every product by herself, the discipline behind posting cringe-worthy TikToks until something hit, the emotional cost of building publicly, and the mindset it takes to act before you have certainty.

Charlotte breaks down the reality of scaling fast, being first to market in a category that didn’t exist yet, navigating early retail deals, managing money while bootstrapping, and learning how to lead a team while still becoming the person her company needs.

If you’ve ever had an idea you couldn’t shake — or felt underestimated because of your age, background, or lack of credentials — this episode will give you the push you’ve been waiting for.

This is a masterclass in audacity, momentum, and trusting yourself in the moments that matter.