On Episode 88 of the #LearningStories podcast we chat with Shruti Sah. She is an entrepreneur, documentary film maker, branding professional, community builder and baker. She completed an undergraduate degree in English Literature at Delhi University, followed by a graduate degree in Mass Communication at Christ University. She then spent eight years in the corporate world as a branding, PR and communication professional. During this time she also started building and working on projects that brought people together around food, books and public spaces. Theses projects include the Third Base Bakery, Bookmark Dating App and Pint of View Club. Apart from these projects she co-founded, Cubbon Reads and steered the silent reading movement across the globe with 120+ chapters in 70+ cities. She also works independently as a documentary film maker. In this episode we spoke about her professional journey and stories from her childhood and college years that shaped her thinking over time. You can find her on Instagram and Linkedin.

Show Chapters

(00:05 ) - Podcast Introduction

(00:30 ) - Guest Background

(01:10 ) - Stories from your childhood

(01:15 ) - "I was quite a rebel kid"

(02:00 ) - "Me and my sister learned Bharatnatyam from a young age"

(04:00 ) - How did you develop a passion for baking from a young age?

(06:10 ) - What made you chose English Literature as a college major?

(09:10 ) - What was your experience studying Mass Communication at Christ University?

(11:10 ) - Taking a career break to explore other projects and interests

(12:00 ) - How did you learn documentary film making from scratch as an adult?

(13:00 ) - How did you grandfather influence and shape your thinking?

(16:00 ) - My first childhood business project of selling toffees

(18:20 ) - How did your parents influence and shape your thinking?

(20:20 ) - My childhood friends and nurturing those bonds

(21:20 ) - "Allahabad was a very small town and everyone knew everyone then"

(22:00 ) - Memories of Early Life in Allahabad

(27:10 ) - What was your experience studying English Literature at Delhi University?

(28:10 ) - "Allahabad and Delhi are very different cities"

(29:10 ) - On college friendships

(31:10 ) - "English Literature does not offer you a clear career path"

(32:10 ) - What extra curricular activities were you involved in at Delhi University?

(34:10 ) - What books do you remember reading and studying at university?

(38:10 ) - What was your experience in the corporate world for eight years?

(39:10 ) - "I knew I get bored and could not do the same thing for long"

(40:10 ) - "I worked at Edelman in Gurgaon for three years

(41:10 ) - What was your experience working in a Public Relations roles for 3 years?

(43:10 ) - What was your experience working as a Brand Strategist at LBB?

(47:00 ) - What was your experience working as brand manager for 3 years?

(48:00 ) - "I had a lot of work life balance and explored other projects during this time"

(50:00 ) - What is the story behind Cubbon Reads?

(54:50 ) - Why did people from other cities want to recreate Cubbon Reads?

(55:50 ) - The power of silent reading communities

(58:20 ) - "Bringing people together brings me so much joy"

(58:40 ) - The story behind my home bakery project

(59:15 ) - The story behind the Bookmark Dating App

(59:35 ) - "I love talking to people and meeting new people

(1:02:40 ) - Documentary Film Recommendations

(1:09:30 ) - Book Recommendation

(1:11:30 ) - Closing Notes

Show Links

Shruti on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrutisah/

Shruti on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shrutisah/

Third Base Bakery - https://www.instagram.com/thirdbase.bakery/

Cubbon Reads - https://www.instagram.com/cubbonreads/

Pint of View - https://www.instagram.com/pintofview.club/

Bookmark App - https://www.instagram.com/bookmarkappco/

Show Description

#LearningStories is an audio and video show where we interview a diverse set of learners from the 21st century.