From Speech Therapy to TEDx - Dharshani Sivakumar on Rejection, Redirection, Reward and Resilience

Описание: Episode length: 1:06:45
Hosts: Sathish Kumar & Vanitha Senkurichi
Guest: Dharshani Sivakumar — TEDx speaker, NLP practitioner, corporate trainer, image consultant, artist and coach.

Episode summary

Dharshani shares her powerful journey from a child who began speaking late to becoming a TEDx speaker and transformational trainer. We cover the messy, real work behind visible success — discipline, inner transformation, NLP practice, image & brand building, and the mind–body connection. Dharshani also explains practical routines, how she uses creative metaphors (like baking) to teach emotional intelligence, and her vision to make personal development affordable and accessible through an NGO for children.

Chapters & timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Change Preneurs Podcast — Hosts introduce the show format and today’s guest.
01:11 Dharshani's Journey to Becoming a Speaker — Early life, speech therapy, the love for stage and the moment that confirmed her path.
04:21 The Role of Discipline in Success — Why discipline (not motivation) and consistent small actions build lasting change.
08:25 Overcoming Childhood Challenges — How schooling, social boxes and open schooling helped her grow.
11:27 The Impact of TEDx on Career Growth — What changed after TEDx and why finish-before-announcing matters.
17:20 The Importance of Inner Transformation — Internal work vs external achievements; how inner changes created opportunities.
20:16 NLP and Its Role in Personal Development — Dharshani’s deep NLP experience and how it accelerated her transformation.
26:14 Image Consulting and Brand Building — Practical advice on positioning, identifying target audience and why image is the final layer of inner work.
39:50 The Connection Between Mind and Body — Sleep, diet, emotional suppression and skin/health — why body is part of psychology.
42:52 Daily Routines for Health and Well-being — Dharshani’s day: early wakeup, Inner Engineering, yoga, study, art, sleep routine.
47:51 Reading and Learning: Personal Growth — Favorite non-fiction and children’s books that inspire creative thinking.
51:10 Inspiration and Influential Figures — Speakers and creators she revisits; why her journey is her biggest inspiration.
54:30 Perseverance and Resilience in Life — Stories of applying repeatedly and turning rejections into redirections.
57:28 Defining Success: A Personal Journey — Success as service: seeing transformation in others as the true measure.
59:04 Future Aspirations: Building an NGO — Dharshani’s plan to teach life skills and make programs affordable for children.
01:01:17 Driving Change: Emotional Intelligence — Her mission: create emotionally intelligent, confident people who can build lives and livelihoods.

Key highlights & memorable lines

“Clarity doesn’t come before action — as you begin to walk, the way appears.”
Dharshani’s unique teaching metaphor: wet ingredients = negative emotions, dry ingredients = positive emotions — mixing them becomes emotional intelligence through baking and art.
Practical: celebrate small milestones, pick top 3–5 priorities, and reward yourself along the way.
Daily health rules she stresses: early sleep (deep repair window), morning sunlight, hydration, whole foods, and a consistent routine.

3 Practical takeaways for listeners
Start small, stay consistent: pick 1–3 daily actions and make them non-negotiable — discipline beats motivation.
Use simple NLP tools: anchoring and reframing can change daily habits (e.g., bed = sleep, not phone).
Inner work first, image later: invest in emotional & psychological work before polishing external branding or appearance.

For coaches & aspiring speakers
Build presence by doing the inner work (discipline + practice) and using consistent performance opportunities (live sessions, MCing, campus events).
Don’t announce until you finish — complete the work before seeking external validation.
Use creative metaphors to teach complex emotional topics — Dharshani’s baking + art model is a great example to adapt.

Recommended links & resources (suggested)
Books mentioned: Start With Why, The Compound Effect, Deep Work, The 80/20 Principle (search on your preferred bookstore).
Dharshani recommended revisiting powerful TED/Talks and speaker videos — particularly ones that model vulnerability and craft.(If you’d like, we can add direct links to Dharshani’s TEDx talk and social profiles — tell us and we’ll include them.)

Contact Dharshani

Want Dharshani for a workshop, corporate training, or speaking engagement?

Email id - [email protected]

LinkedIn -   / dharshani-s