Hear Me Roar with Ashveen Kohli // Championing successes of ethnic minority heroes

Have You Heard? is where the Pod Bible team meet the people behind the podcasts you may not have heard of yet. While the Oh. My. Pod. section in the magazine gives a quick shout out to shows of that ilk, Have You Heard? aims to go deeper in an effort to spread awareness for shows that deserve more exposure! We recently heard from Ashveen Kohli, host of a podcast sharing incredible stories of success, Hear Me Roar with Ashveen Kohli.

Who are you and what’s your podcast about?

Hear Me Roar with Ashveen Kohli is the only British podcast that actually champions the success stories of our ethnic minority heroes. We’re talking about real life legends that are our generations first brown ‘insert title here’! Our guests are winners and overachievers in their industries and communities.

Oftentimes, minority podcasts only focus on the traumas and difficulties inherent to our situation as minorities. The Hear Me Roar Podcast is about bringing to light our successes; to encourage our listeners to be bold and follow in the footsteps of the great achievers in our communities!

What was the first podcast you ever listened to?

The Receipts podcast was the first podcast I listened to and loved straight away, as it is for a lot of others. It’s like being on the sofa with the girls and a glass of wine!

Why did you decide to start podcasting in the first place?

I spent my career in investment banking being the only brown woman in the room. I always felt like there was a lack of relatable role models for people like me in the workplace and in the media. The podcast just began as a way to start meaningful conversations with people I could learn from. It just so happened that a lot of people were craving these conversations from our guests as well.

Ashveen Kohli with an upcoming guest Jaye Parson, Fashion Designer: Ashanti, Floyd Mayweather, Jhene Aiko.

Which podcasts do you take inspiration from?

I regularly ask myself ‘what would the Ikonn’s do?’, so The Ikonn’s podcast is definitely one that I’ve always found personal growth from. This wife/husband duo have a mindset that I really think is rare to come by, particularly on social media. They’re honest and very intentional about the topics they choose to discuss. Their podcasts are generally about their numerous businesses and their eco-friendly actions, personality behaviours and a bit of mindfulness thrown in. I feel like they’re the best kind of influencers out there, as it’s all authentically them.

Who’s your dream guest for the podcast?

So the Hear Me Roar producers and I sat down at the very beginning and actually made a dream guest list of people we will hopefully have on! Michelle Obama is probably at the top of my list, but there’s also Naga Munchetty and Gurinder Chadha.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as a podcaster?

To listen… like really listen. A lot of the time we go through life not really hearing other people and giving the response we think is correct, but since our podcast involves interviewing each of our guests (and whilst they might be in serious or casual environments), I’ve definitely learnt to drop the rigidness, and instead, just listen to them. Something I think the Buddhists have gotten right: “When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen you may learn something new.”

Ashveen Kohli with Tom Walker from Veenpool Media & Studios (Episode 17) on Start a successful Tech business with minority business clients.

Which episode would you say is the perfect introduction to your podcast?

Probably ‘What it’s like to be a Brown Doctors in the NHS’ because you’re sitting down with friends and having a real chat about the stuff you’ve been dying to ask your Doctor but never really do. Its also very personal, a bit sassy and a whole lot of saucy too!

I also think for the more CEO-savvy listeners, ‘How to be a Tech Entrepreneur’ with Tom Walker was a lot of fun! It was recorded very late into the night in the studio, and it was such an easy conversation, and it also covered a lot of my favourite topics, including business, technology, and talking about the examples set by reigning captains of industry, e.g. Nike’s, Phil Knight!

Where can the Pod Bible readers find out more about you?

The podcast is available on all platforms, including Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Google, and Youtube! Just search “Hear Me Roar with Ashveen Kohli”. Check out our Instagram handle @HearMeRoar_Pod or email me directly if you want at ashveenkk@gmail.com!

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