Best RainKraft Podcasts (2025)

1
S7E8: Why Networking Feels So Fake: Awkward, Overrated, and Absolutely Necessary? 41:12

8d ago41:12

41:12

Tired of “working the room”? Same.This episode is for all of us who’ve been to a networking event and left with… exactly one name and a sore jaw. What if networking didn’t feel like performance theatre? What if we could just be ourselves?In this episode of Small Talk: Work Play Build, Subha and Hasita tear apart the myth of professional networking.…

1
S7E7: Saying No Without Guilt: Set Boundaries at Work and Home 33:54

24d ago33:54

33:54

Why is the word “no” so hard to say—even when we’re overwhelmed, out of time, or just not up for it?In this episode of Small Talk: Work, Play, Build, hosts Subha and Hasita dive into the uncomfortable but essential skill of saying no—at work, at home, and everywhere in between. From people-pleasing at the office to emotional labour at home, we expl…

1
S7E6: Why Engineering is the New Cool - Aerospace, Space Missions & Women on the Shop Floor 1:23:35

1M ago1:23:35

1:23:35

What does it take to put a bolt on Mars? Or build an aerospace legacy from scratch?In this episode of Small Talk: Work, Play, Build, we’re joined by Ankit Patel, Group CEO of the Ankit Group—a man whose company manufactures the fasteners that literally hold India’s spacecrafts together. From telephone screws in the 70s to parts that flew with Manga…

1
S7E5: Will AI Take Your Job? Truths You Need to Hear! 35:39

2M ago35:39

35:39

There’s a lot of noise right now about AI replacing humans. But how much of that is fear… and how much is fact?We recorded this episode in March 2025, at a time when Google was laying off employees from its developer relations team — while also posting jobs for AI content specialists. Talk about mixed signals.Subha and Hasita unpack the headlines, …

1
S7E4: Success Metrics Are Changing - Are You Keeping Up? 35:56

2M ago35:56

35:56

How to Escape the Success Trap (Before It’s Too Late!) Success used to mean climbing the corporate ladder, securing promotions, and chasing ever-growing paychecks. But in 2025, are these metrics still relevant?With economic shifts, evolving workplaces, and changing personal priorities, how we define success is undergoing a transformation. At the ti…

1
S7E3: Why Workplaces Need a New Playbook with Maya John - Small Talk Work| Play | Build 1:14:19

3M ago1:14:19

1:14:19

Who really decides how we work? The employees, the leaders, or just the loudest voice in the room? Post-pandemic, companies are still trying to figure out where and how work should happen. Should employees return to office full-time? Is hybrid the perfect middle ground, or just a logistical nightmare? And what about the generational shift—why does …

1
S7E2: Building a Business at the Bottom of the Ocean - Small Talk Work| Play| Build 37:49

3M ago37:49

37:49

Some people run marathons. Some paint. Some DJ at weddings. And some, like Hasita, spend enough time underwater to log 100+ dives within two years. In this episode, Subha and Hasita talk about the growing movement of people reclaiming their time outside of work—not just for vacations, but for pursuits that shape who they are. From balancing client …

1
S7E1: The Death of DEI after working 70 hours a week - Small Talk Work|Play|Build 34:47

4M ago34:47

34:47

If everyone pursues a 90-hour workweek, who’s going to stare at the wives?As 2025 rolls in, one wonders when a conversation about work has become a conversation about genders once again. At the time of recording this episode in January 2025, the US Presidential Inauguration had just taken place. Mark Zuckerberg went on The Joe Rogan Experience and …

1
Trailer - Small Talk: Work | Play | Build 3:34

4M ago3:34

3:34

Welcome toSmall Talk: Work, Play, Build! Now in its sixth season, the Small Talk podcast has won multiple accolades and a steady fanbase over the past five years. Your hosts,Subha Chandrasekaran andHasita Krishna have experience creating podcasts that have consistently ranked in the Top 5 of their respective categories- because we’re committed to g…

1
Visibility Matters: How Sharing Achievements Fuels Growth 21:20

9M ago21:20

21:20

Visibility isn’t just an advantage—it’s a necessity. Think about leaders like Kamala Harris. Her rise to prominence hasn’t just been about the work she does behind the scenes, but about how visible she’s made that work now. Harris has skillfully crafted a presence that not only highlights her achievements but also adds credibility to her role. In t…

1
Gain Visibility at Work or be the Turkish Olympic Shooter! 21:54

10M ago21:54

21:54

Do we just show up to the Olympics and shoot our shot? Ironically, all the visibility Yusuf Dikeç gained as he grabbed a silver medal in Olympic Shooting was for looking like he just woke up and decided to walk into the Olympic arena. But, this wasnt his first rodeo! It was his 5th. He first participated in the Olympics in Beijing representing Turk…

1
Taking the First Step from Idea to Action 22:54

10M ago22:54

22:54

Join Coach Subha Chandrasekaran as she introduces this season's focus on the non-linear nature of career growth. Whether you're a mid-management professional, a leader in transition, or someone early in your career looking to accelerate your growth, this season is designed to provide you with actionable insights and inspiration. In this conversatio…

1
The Bridge Every Vision Needs 20:16

11M ago20:16

20:16

Join Coach Subha Chandrasekaran as she introduces this season's focus on the non-linear nature of career growth. Whether you're a mid-management professional, a leader in transition, or someone early in your career looking to accelerate your growth, this season is designed to provide you with actionable insights and inspiration. In this episode, Su…

1
The Strategic Pivot: Seeing the Big Picture 19:41

11M ago19:41

19:41

Join Coach Subha Chandrasekaran as she introduces this season's focus on the non-linear nature of career growth. Whether you're a mid-management professional, a leader in transition, or someone early in your career looking to accelerate your growth, this season is designed to provide you with actionable insights and inspiration. In this episode, Su…

1
Trailer: Careers are Curvy - a Small Talk production 2:08

12M ago2:08

2:08

Welcome to a new season of "Small Talk for Rainkraft," where we embrace the theme "Careers are Curvy." Join Coach Subha Chandrasekaran as she introduces this season's focus on the non-linear nature of career growth. Whether you're a mid-management professional, a leader in transition, or someone early in your career looking to accelerate your growt…

1
Career Lift-Off: Best Moments from Small Talk in 2023 21:21

1+ y ago21:21

21:21

Hey, Smalltalkers! As we wrap up 2023 on 'Small Talk with Rainkraft- Career Lifting Conversations,' we see that we've delved into intentional conversations about careers, transitions, and the ever-evolving workplace. From discussing layoffs to embracing failure, comfort zones, and practical tips, we've covered it all. As we step into 2024, I hope t…

1
Choosing How to Shape Your Year 16:28

1+ y ago16:28

16:28

Join Subha and Hasita as they reflect on the transformative experiences of the past year. Hasita shares her journey into deep-sea diving and the profound impact it had on her life choices. Subha delves into the importance of focus, sharing insights from her own introspective journey. Together, they explore the evolving nature of work, breaking free…

1
Job Search Strategies for Mid-Career Professionals 21:49

1+ y ago21:49

21:49

Explore the mid-career curve with Subha and Hasita as they discuss the challenges of leaving a familiar job or just jumping into the job market. Delve into the complexities of navigating change, crafting a compelling resume, and articulating career goals. Join this exploration of career transitions, offering practical advice for those contemplating…

1
Brewing Flexibility: Decoding Coffee Badging at the Workplace 20:55

1+ y ago20:55

20:55

Subha and Hasita explore the nuances of the evolving workplace dynamics amidst the return-to-office mandates. They delve into the concept of coffee badging, where employees meet in the office for a cup of coffee to signal their presence. The conversation navigates through the challenges faced by employees and companies in adapting to new work model…

1
Redefining Failure and Embracing Growth 21:19

1+ y ago21:19

21:19

Join Subha and Hasita, as they engage in this conversation about the complexities of failure. They discuss the impact of social media on our view of success and failure and explore the three types of failures – preventable, complex, and intelligent. The duo challenges the conventional wisdom of 'fail fast,' emphasising the power of language in miti…

1
How to Influence with Impact - Answer the ‘So What?!’ 19:59

1+ y ago19:59

19:59

Have you ever found yourself in a meeting wondering, "What's the point of all this?" If so, you're not alone. In today's episode, we dive deep into the world of meetings and ask a fundamental question: Are meetings wasted opportunities? We discuss the power of asking "WIIFM" (What's In It For Me), a crucial concept in understanding the motivations …

1
Crisis Management: Who are you in a crisis? 20:30

1+ y ago20:30

20:30

Join Subha Chandrasekaran and Hasita Krishna in this week's episode as they reflect on navigating a family health crisis and how it revealed different roles within their family. They discuss the traits of crisis leaders, effective communication in tumultuous times, and whether you can build for crisis leadership. Whether you're a natural leader or …

1
What makes a great mentor, and how can you find one? 21:14

1+ y ago21:14

21:14

What makes a great mentor, and how can you find one? Join Subha Chandrasekaran and Hasita Krishna as they delve into the power of mentorship in career growth. Discover the secrets of finding the right mentors, building trust, and creating a supportive ecosystem for your professional development. From navigating confusion to becoming a mentor yourse…

1
Silo-Busting Strategies: Building a Collaborative Workplace 22:34

1+ y ago22:34

22:34

Have you ever wondered what happens when the pressure to innovate or succeed collides with organizational silos? Join us as we unravel the intriguing dynamics of invention, high performance and collaboration in this episode of Small Talk with RainKraft. I'm Subha Chandrasekaran, a career growth coach. Can breaking down silos lead to breakthroughs? …

1
Insights and Strategies to Navigate Career Transitions 25:43

1+ y ago25:43

25:43

Are you feeling like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole in your career? Join us as we delve into the Art of Career Transitions in this episode of Small Talk with RainKraft. I'm Subha Chandrasekaran, a career growth coach. Let's decode the challenges, opportunities, and strategies behind making those leaps in your professional journey. Tun…

1
The Best Career-lifting Conversations of the Season | Highlights of Small Talk Season 4 | Career Growth Podcast 28:14

2y ago28:14

28:14

In this exciting season finale of Small Talk with Rainkraft, we've compiled the best moments from Season 4, featuring Subha and Hasita, as they share their expert tips for career growth. From handling layoffs to managing difficult bosses, this episode covers it all. Plus, discover innovative strategies for goal setting and cultivating executive pre…

1
S4E11 - How to ‘elevator pitch’ a good story about yourself 19:12

2y ago19:12

19:12

You may not judge a book by its cover. But you will judge it by the book blurb - the short description at the back of the book. Similarly, your pitch is your own blurb. It is the world’s first impression of you. Make it your best version till the next version comes along!In This Episode | Discussion Points (00:00) What to pitch (02:14) Your 10-seco…

1
S4E10 - Why Startups Need a People Strategy 21:31

2y ago21:31

21:31

In the beginning, startups have nothing but an idea - and a team of true believers who hope to bring it to reality. Everything is riding on the success of that team. And yet ‘HR’ is the last thing that any startup thinks about, perhaps it implies bureaucracy. So here are some reasons to think otherwise and a few steps that startups should undertake…

1
S4E9 - How to enhance your career by cultivating Executive Presence 23:30

2y ago23:30

23:30

You know how some people can walk into a room and behave as though they own it? Well, in this episode we discuss how you, too, could become one among them, by developing the elusive Executive Presence. In This Episode | Discussion Points (03:55) What is Executive Presence and why do you need it? (06:43) Deconstructing executive presence. (13:08) Ho…

1
S4E8 - Dealing with difficult bosses, clients, and colleagues 21:20

2+ y ago21:20

21:20

Spending long hours with difficult people and forcing yourself to put up with them isn't healthy or sustainable. How can you better understand what is happening in such interactions? How do you know when a ‘bad’ boss isn't really just someone with a different working style - and how do you align your styles for better outcomes? And what do you do w…

1
S4E7 - It's not always about the money! 24:04

2+ y ago24:04

24:04

“I gave her a raise, yet she left.” Dual careers and an increased appreciation for work-life integration sparked during the pandemic have made employees think about work more broadly than just a pay packet. This makes it tougher to retain the good folks and the need of the hour is more honest conversations about what really excites the person in yo…

1
S4E6 - What To Do When Your Manager Needs Managing 18:46

2+ y ago18:46

18:46

So you’ve expanded your team, and yet you find yourself having to defer important things to handle day-to-day questions? The answer might lie less in behaviour and more in process. Whether you're a new manager of managers or an experienced one looking to improve your skills, this episode will provide valuable tips and strategies to help you lead yo…

1
S4E5 - “Where do you see yourself in five years?” 21:49

2+ y ago21:49

21:49

"Where do you see yourself in five years?" is THE dreaded interview question. And you know what, it's okay not to have answers! Your career path is exactly that—a path. One that deserves exploring. In this episode, Subha and Hasita discuss the evolution of career paths and how they’re not all that linear these days. In This Episode | Discussion Poi…

1
Holiday Crossover: Damn Good Storytelling 24:51

2+ y ago24:51

24:51

It’s the holiday season! And that means it’s time for something special! This week, we’re excited to bring you the first-ever crossover episode with our sister podcast The Damn Good Marketing Podcast. In this episode, Subha and Hasita discuss a topic dear to both their hearts: the power of storytelling and its ability to make life, career, and medi…

1
S4E4 - Can we do goal setting differently this year? 22:10

2+ y ago22:10

22:10

Every year around this time, we take stock of our achievements versus the goals we had set. But are we going about it the right way? Are we disappointing ourselves by being too narrowly focused on specific aspects of life, ignoring other achievements? Are we reaching for the unattainable? Should we do things differently this time around? We talk ab…

1
S4E3 - How not to take a layoff personally 22:04

2+ y ago22:04

22:04

Winter is coming (sorry, we know this is so passé), and this season it seems to come with a wave of mass layoffs. It’s quite terrifying because of how untimely and arbitrary they are. Layoffs are just business, not personal. We all know this. But when you get laid off unexpectedly, and it throws a curveball in your career, how can you help but not …

1
S4E2 - Why do I struggle to delegate? Here's a mindful approach for every busy professional 21:13

2+ y ago21:13

21:13

Do you find yourself doing a lot yet feeling like the work never ends? Are you still doing things that you mastered a few years ago or in your previous role? On most days, we’re rushing to tasks that need immediate attention rather than thinking about the bigger picture. And this often affects the way founders, senior professionals and leaders dele…

1
S4E1 - Your career doesn't need the pressure of being your passion! 20:21

2+ y ago20:21

20:21

Your career and your passion can be two very different things! Welcome back to Season 4! We're starting with one piece of career advice that can derail the best of us! We've often heard that if you make a career out of your passion, you'd never have to work a day in your life. But then again, we've also heard it said- find your passion, and let it …

1
Bonus - Serena and Sebastian and Identity Clarity 18:34

3y ago18:34

18:34

Some events just have us making a mad dash to the podcast studio! Not just because we want to talk about them but because we have already been talking about them! Our first bonus episode this season was on the infamous Adam Neumann and his story, seen through WeCrashed on Apple TV. Well, he's back, asking for more money and getting it too! We also …

1
S3E21 - It's OK to Quit, Right? 21:46

3y ago21:46

21:46

For far too long, in the corporate world, we’ve glorified what now seems like the wrong ideals. “Keep at it”, “do or die”, “there is no trying”,… and the list goes on. But what about the virtues of stepping away, taking a break, or just knowing when we’ve outgrown something. One of the worst things we can do to our careers is to keep at things whic…

1
S3E20- Small Talk with Neeraj Kakkar- Drinks, memories, and selling a story at scale 37:48

3y ago37:48

37:48

As the CEO of Hector Beverages, Neeraj Kakkar has created one of the most iconic beverage brands to come out of India in recent times- Paper Boat. If you’ve substituted the making of aamras and panakam this past summer with Paper Boat’s beverages, this episode tells us the story behind building and scaling a business. What does the true journey of …

1
S3E19 - The Challenge of Building and Changing Careers 22:22

3y ago22:22

22:22

For many of us, there’s a fundamental challenge in identifying the difference between a job and a career. Should we commit to one field and become the best in it? Should we go wide and learn as much as possible? When is a good time to switch careers? And most importantly, when we’re ready to switch, just what do we do? In this episode, we address a…

1
S3E18 - Being a multipotentialite and curating your digital presence - with Nandita Iyer 34:42

3y ago34:42

34:42

When you don't define yourself just by your professional qualifications or limit yourself to one job/one hobby, the possibilities are endless. Author, much-loved food blogger, columnist, and a medical doctor by training - these are just some of the many hats Nandita Iyer wears in the digital realm. Known by many as Saffrontrail, Nandita follows eve…

1
Bonus Episode - WeCrashed, Work Cultures, and where the best-laid plans go awry 17:12

3y ago17:12

17:12

Have you had a chance to watch WeCrashed on Apple TV+ yet? If not, we’d strongly recommend that you do, definitely for Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway (and Apple’s insane production quality). Also because the story of the rise and fall and eventual consolidation of WeWork has a lot of lessons for us in culture, vision, founder personas, and when a dre…

1
S3E16 - Do you know how to say No? 18:48

3y ago18:48

18:48

The ability to turn down things we’ve outgrown, things we don’t want to be doing, and things we never wanted to do but got cajoled into, is one of the most underrated skills of our century. We are, after all, saddled with information at every turn, and saying ‘no’ feels like a lost opportunity with many ramifications. In this episode, we discuss he…

1
S3E15 - Creating Organisational Resilience by Being a Perpetual Learner - with Srideep Kesavan 32:40

3y ago32:40

32:40

To turn around one business is a big deal in itself, but what do you do when you find yourself in situations where you need to turn several businesses around throughout your career? Srideep Kesavan, CEO of Heritage Foods with career-defining stints at Coca-Cola and Olam International, is no stranger to growing a business in the face of adversity, a…

1
S3E14 - Are you a new face at the old workplace? 18:44

3y ago18:44

18:44

You know the saying, one person's Google Meet is another person's poison. Some of us have started working with new companies during the pandemic and are only now beginning to see our colleagues in a real-world environment. Maybe we enjoy the luncheons and drinks; maybe we don't. Perhaps, it is hard to keep the luncheons going as a new Zoom meeting …

1
S3E13 - Why does a voice inside my head keep telling me I'm not good enough? 17:40

3y ago17:40

17:40

We all have fears and many times these fears save us from doing something dangerous. Some fears turn into limiting beliefs - negative judgments about ourselves that we hold to be true. Hold so strongly that we say no to good opportunities because we believe that we aren't capable and hence decide not to give something a try. Are you saying yes to a…

1
S3E12 - Getting Smart About Artificial Intelligence - with Kashyap Kompella 51:49

3y ago51:49

51:49

Everywhere you look there is talk of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it will change all our lives. For the better or is there danger lurking behind the hype? And do we really understand what AI means in the many apps and tools we use? Are science-fiction movies defining our expectations or will the Metaverse really be our next holiday destinat…

1
S3E11 - Going from Zoom to the Room 19:03

3y ago19:03

19:03

Hybrid work has a particular penchant for being trickier than it sounds. Do we over-communicate when we aren’t all around each other? Can we leave a notification be and let it do its job? How do we talk to each other when one person is virtually available and the other wants to be in an actual room? These are some questions we try and answer in thi…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

RainKraft Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen