59. Jane Bertch - La Cuisine Paris
Piece Of The Pai
“We all have the right to try something different, to express ourselves, to challenge ourselves,” says Jane Bertch, owner of La Cuisine Paris and author of the memoir “The French Ingredient.” In this episode, she joins Nesha Pai to share her journey from banking to entrepreneurship in Paris. Jane explains how a vision during a low point in her life led her to create La Cuisine Paris, overcoming skepticism from her family and the French community. She emphasizes the importance of listening to the universe and dreaming big, even in challenging times. This episode also delves into...
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58. Sripal Jain - India's #1 Accountant
Piece Of The Pai
“For me, success is that you really enjoy certain things and then you don’t even complain about it,” says Sripal Jain, a first-generation entrepreneur and co-founder of Simandhar Education. In this episode, Sripal shares his journey from working at corporate giants to founding an educational institute that offers alternative certifications and practical skills for accounting graduates in India. Sripal discusses his motivation behind Simandhar Education, addressing the high failure rate of the Indian Chartered Accountancy exam and limited career options for graduates. He emphasizes...
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57. Tamara Edwards- PR + Personal Branding Expert
Piece Of The Pai
Tamara Edwards, Founder and Principal of Tamara Edwards and Co., spent a decade working in public relations for several prominent congressmen in Washington, DC, a fast-paced, highly-choreographed environment that required a great deal of nimbleness and strategic thinking. Once she moved back to her native Chicago, she realized that communication in the rest of the world took on a very different form from the esoteric manner of “the beltway,” yet the same elements for developing political campaigns could also be applied to creating PR packages and personal branding strategies for...
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56. Megan Sumrell-The Pink Bee
Piece Of The Pai
As an entrepreneur, are you struggling to effectively manage your time? Well then, you’re not alone! In today’s episode of Piece of the Pai, host Nesha Pai sits down with Megan Sumrell, owner of The Pink Bee to discuss the importance of weekly planning and how to reimagine the concept of self-care so you can prevent overbooking and feel confident about your commitments. Prior you commit to chasing your grand aspirations, Megan suggests learning how to first conquer your daily and weekly challenges. By setting yourself up for success on a weekly basis, you are able to take a step back and...
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55. Ashley Theis - The Constant Wayfarer, Luxury Travel Advisor
Piece Of The Pai
In this episode, host Nesha Pai engages in a heartfelt conversation with Ashley Theis, renowned as The Constant Wayfarer. Their conversation dives into Ashley's remarkable journey as a travel concierge and the hurdles she overcame while building her own enterprise. Unveiling the misconceptions surrounding travel agents, Ashley explains the invaluable contributions they make to the happiness of their clientele. Ashley's journey testifies to the strength of pursuing passion and embracing risks. After working in various jobs, she courageously pursued her dream of becoming a travel advisor....
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54. April Simpkins - Chief HR Officer + Mental Health Advocate
Piece Of The Pai
April Simpkins, Chief Human Resources Officer for Quest Co, is on a mission to break the stigma surrounding mental illness and promote mental wellness in the workplace. Following the passing of her beloved daughter, Cheslie Kryst, Miss USA 2019, who battled depression for years, April has since dedicated her life to advocating for mental health. With unwavering conviction, she calls for the normalization of conversations about mental health in the workplace, urging employers to create a safe haven for employees to openly express their struggles without fear of judgment or stigma. From...
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53. Tali Kogan - Stylist & Empowerment Coach
Piece Of The Pai
“We women operate the best when we feel the best. When you've put this amazing outfit on that makes you feel amazing, this is when you become magnetic, and this is when you become unstoppable,” shares Tali Kogan, Chicago-based premier fashion stylist, empowerment coach and founder of Tel Aviv Couture. Fifteen years ago, Tali was an overweight accountant wearing dark, baggy clothes to hide her unhappiness. When she began to change her physical appearance, she stepped into her full feminine power and her entire life transformed. Now she empowers other women to shine authentically through her...
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52. Edith de Belleville-Your Paris Tour Guide
Piece Of The Pai
“That's what I call the Paris effect. You were in Paris, and you changed,” shares Edith de Belleville, native Parisian, official Paris tour guide, University professor, and published author. Edith spent many years as an attorney before deciding at the age of 50 to return to university for her official tour guide license. Now, she shares her love of Paris and its fascinating history with tourists in French, Spanish, and English. Deeply inspired by Parisian women of the past, Edith wrote her first book, in French, entitled The Beautiful Rebels of Paris ("Belles et Rebelle" Editions du...
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51. R. Michael Anderson-Leadership Expert
Piece Of The Pai
“I was trying so hard to be who I thought other people wanted me to be. I spent so much energy wanting to be accepted or wanting to look cool or look successful, but that wasn't authentic,” explains R. Michael Anderson, serial software entrepreneur, author, leadership coach, and speaker with advanced degrees in psychology and neuroscience. Michael went from being a self-proclaimed ‘bad leader’ to quite literally writing the book on leadership mindset. Learning how to be a more effective and authentic leader was life changing for Michael, and now he aims to help other leaders put their...
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50. Meredith Dean-The Dean's List
Piece Of The Pai
“Even as a young person, I was in rooms where I never thought I would be. So I said, ‘If I can do this, I bet other students can also do it’,” shares Meredith Dean, founder of The Deans List, a Charlotte-based digital branding and career consulting agency focused on building a strong community of empowered individuals. Meredith started The Dean’s List as a side hustle while working a full-time job with Levine Children’s Hospital and has recently moved to running her business full-time. Now, she empowers entrepreneurs of primarily female and minority owned small businesses to make...
info_outlineEntrepreneurship requires a special kind of person, but that could be anyone from anywhere. That includes a young Gaurav "G" Patel, who immigrated to the US when he was just ten years old and knew no English. Today, at 38 years of age, G Patel is one of Raleigh's hardest-working and most well-known figures in the hospitality industry. G is the founder of the Eschelon Experiences hospitality group, co-founder of Social House Vodka, and commercial real estate expert with CityPlat.
Listen to today's episode of Piece of the Pai to hear G Patel talk to host Nesha Pai about a wide range of topics including how G was able to become an entrepreneur despite the cultural and language barriers of immigrating to the US at a young age. G also talks about what success means to him (hint: it's not measured in awards or recognition), what motivates him each day, and the irreplaceable value of experience.
Connect with G on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. Visit his website at gpreneur.me.
Visit City Plat at cityplat.com and Eschelon Experiences at eschelongexperiences.com