Meet Mohua Chinappa, the dynamic force behind The Mohua Show, a podcast that has blossomed from humble beginnings in 2020 to a powerhouse in the media and content creation industry by 2024. What started as a small endeavor during the pandemic, housed in a tiny studio tucked away in a narrow alley, has now evolved into a beacon of success, boasting its own studio and amassing over a million downloads.
Transitioning from homemaker to multifaceted content creator, Mohua's path has been both challenging and deeply fulfilling. Notable achievements include being acknowledged by Priyanka Chopra on
Instagram and earning a place among India's top 15 podcasts led by women. Join us as we explore Mohua's remarkable story and the impact of The Mohua Show on the podcasting landscape.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your family?
I was raised in Shillong and Delhi by extremely erudite parents, their passion for the arts and literature had a huge impact on my upbringing.
My son Neel who lives and works in London is my lifeline and remains my favourite human being ever on this earth.
I am a believer and a dreamer. If I set my mind towards a goal, I leave no stone unturned to achieve it.
As I age, I am spiritually becoming aware, that we all have a brief period on this planet and we can endeavour to give our best till we occupy space here and leave a legacy behind for others to discover their talents and grow from the foundation we create.
Have you had any formal training or family business?
I am an English Honours graduate and then did my masters in journalism. I have always enjoyed the media and communication space more than accounting, medicine or engineering as career choices. Storytelling is my passion.
My late father was an ambitious man and he had quit his job to start a consulting business, which failed miserably. He was always vehemently against me starting anything on my own. I didn’t question this ever. Till one day I decided to live up to my own mistakes and own up to them if I failed. With much resistance from everyone around, except my son Neel Mandana, I decided to start my own content and marketing career.
How did you come up with the idea for your business, and what was the process of turning that idea into a reality?
After my break of being a homemaker, when my only child left to study abroad, I faced the cruel reality of an empty nest and began questioning my purpose. The world I woke up to after a decade of total bliss between school pick ups and football games, was all about technology. I found myself feeling lost and inconsequential. I tried to find a job. But no firm was willing to hire a homemaker. So after few months of realising that I was unemployable, I decided to embark on my own, started to write for brands, do voice overs, wrote my books and started the podcast. Everyday I learnt about the benefits of technology and applied it to my business. I started my Facebook account in 2017 and there was no looking back since then.
Everyday I took on new challenges and applied the philosophy of Kaizen which is incremental change each day in my daily life.
This made the journey very rich.
Also I remain inspired in the extraordinary stories found among ordinary people and that was a huge catalyst for me to bring forth these stories of resilience, courage and determination.
How have you grown as a leader since starting your company, and what have been some of the key lessons you've learned along the way?
As a leader, I have learnt to delegate work and trust others with deliverables. I have learnt to give space to my co workers. I think kindness and humour go a long way in helping people feel at ease at work.
Eventually each of us share similar goals of growth and if you can tap into their inner energy and potential as a leader, a large chunk of the work is done.
Can you tell us about a time when you faced a major setback or failure in your business, and how you overcame it?
I have been cheated by a publisher who took large amounts of money from me without any intention of bringing out my book. I was in a vulnerable place at that time. So I trusted her with my heart.
The lesson I learnt was to question without fear. Because if any associate is uncomfortable answering relevant questions or withholds information that’s important for your business, is a red flag, that must not be ignored.
But I am grateful for my failures as they are my best life lessons.
How do you stay motivated and focused on your goals, especially during challenging times?
I am wedded to my work so the question of not being motivated doesn’t arise. During challenging times, I buy myself a coffee and indulge in some retail therapy and get back stronger into my work.
How do you balance your personal life with the demands of running a business?
I rebooted when my child got older, so there is no balance really that I need to navigate any longer. I am a caregiver to my ageing Ma, so there are times I feel challenged. But if one wants, one can compartmentalise the self and others to prioritise what makes you groove, then the path can be achieved.
There are many women who do government jobs, are teachers, street cleaners, nurses, etc and they find the time to dress up, cook, clean and earn for their families too. So it’s astounding how intelligent and smart, women all across the world are.
My mother retired from a government job and everyday she cooked, looked after the home, dressed extremely well and caught her bus on time to reach office. I grew up watching this, so time management isn’t a factor that I remain unfamiliar with.
What are your plans for the future of your business, and how do you see yourself evolving as a founder and leader?
Definitely growth is what I look forward to.
The Mohua Show is extremely elated to announce its first ever overseas association with Bridge India, an award-winning progressive non-profit think tank dedicated to discourse on public policy.
The ‘India Story’ abroad is often presented through a narrow lens, be it focusing only on business and the economy, society or policy landscape. Given its diversity, everything about India, and its polar opposite, is true in unison. Bridge India seeks to highlight and celebrate this nuance, to help India-watchers understand India better.
The Mohua Show is committed to bringing forth the unique stories of Indian entrepreneurs, artists, writers, thinkers, social workers and more such commendable people.
With Bridge India, The Mohua Show will provide a larger platform for UK stories to reach the Indian diaspora and vice versa.
If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Be okay to be disliked.
What's the most unconventional thing you've done to grow your business, and what was the result?
I haven’t done anything unconventional that is note worthy. But yes, I agree I started my career in my late 40s, which can be considered unconventional.
As an author, I wrote my first book in hospital corridors where my parents took turns to be in and out of the ICU. I used to plug on my earphones and listened to western classical music to enter my sacred stream of consciousness to write my book, finish the edits and also take breaks to see if my parents were not sinking.
If you wish to view this as unconventional then maybe that this path I embarked upon was different from others.
What's the most important lesson you've learned from a failure, and how have you applied it to your business?
As I failed in judging people, and lost money, I decided to never ever loose sight of who I am and my integrity as a person. I make it a point to encourage my team and put others before me. I am conscientiously aware that I must never do whatever wrong was done to me.
I am not myopic of my personal success. The businesses I am creating, I do hope that the team can take it forward post my retirement.
What's the most meaningful compliment or feedback you've ever received from a customer, and why did it resonate with you?
Most of my guests find it easy to open up with me and this humbles me tremendously.
Just recently we finished an interview with an author who wrote back saying he had the most pleasant experience of interacting with me on my podcast. This really made me happy.
If you had to choose one thing that makes your company truly unique and sets it apart from the competition, what would it be, and why?
The Mohua Show brings forth unheard stories of people who have swam against the current.
I am elated to be a part of their extraordinary journeys in their seemingly ordinary lives.
Find Mohua Chinappa on Social Media and other platforms:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohua-chinappa/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/mohua_chinappa?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Mohua Chinappa
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mohuachinappa
Award Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cirebo8vUSR/?igshid=MDM4ZDc5MmU=
Speaker Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zap1sxAlb_Y
Hope you enjoyed reading Mohua Chinappa’s story!
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