Amit Nawalrai
I am not an ABCD, but an SBCD - a Spaniard Born Confused Desi. Born in the fabulous Canary Islands, I was naive or ignorant to think that life gets better outside the Islands. I blame Hollywood movies for that! I wanted to see the world, so at the age of 14 I went to boarding school which to date, is the best decision supported by my parents (today, I am in my late 40s and still believe this). Boarding school is an accelerator program to transform Mummy’s boy into a Man ready to face the real world. Thirty years later, I have lived and worked in London, New York, Miami, Bangalore, Hong Kong, Bombay and now Santiago, Chile, where I reside with my wife Chandini and my 3 rascals, Gautam, Reyan & Aman.
Work wise, I am a jack of a few trades and master of none. From investment banker, to real estate developer, starting a .com from a garage, to being evicted from hospitality assets in India by gangsters… lets just say it has been a rollercoaster of emotions and skills learnt along the way.
The last decade for me has been much more stable, with one focus, building a consumer electronics brand that has grown through the boom of smartphones and ecommerce.
But to explain how and why the idea of Indian Explorers came about, I need to go back a few years to share how I got hooked into podcasting in the first place.
Sometime in 2019, I was driving to work and saw a recommendation of a podcast on Twitter (now “X”) called “The Knowledge Project”, by Shane Parrish. I recognized the guest, Naval Ravikant, CEO of AngelList. I enjoyed listening to this episode just as much as I enjoyed watching Goonies or Die Hard for the first time. I was hooked. The content was so valuable, relatable and entertaining, that I now listen to podcasts more than I watch football (soccer) on TV and that is saying a lot for me as a die-hard Real Madrid fan.
From there, I started following all sorts of creators, from the famous Joe Rogan & Mr. Beast to lesser known but equally entertaining Ali Abdaal and MeetKevin. Since my business, mobileHUT, is a consumer tech company, I added MKHBD to the mix as well. More recently, I have been hooked on a show for entrepreneurs by two charismatic young gents, Sam Parr and Shaan Puri. In My First Million, they brainstorm business ideas and give great advice or as they call it “golden nuggets”, free advice valued at a cost. Pivot, is also favorite podcast of mine when the co-hosts are not bashing Elon Musk. Co-hosted by a tech journalist and self anointed lesbian and an NYU professor, the show is a must listen for anyone in the business of technology. Clearly, it’s not just platforms like Netflix and HBO Max living their best era. Becoming a podcaster or a YouTuber are now full time career aspirations for millions worldwide, including my eldest son.
The shows I have enjoyed for years are the ones with co-hosts. They are the ones where the chemistry is so good that when you listen to the conversation, it’s as if you are hanging out with them and at the same, laughing and learning.
If you watch or listen to one of the Indian Explorer episodes, it’s easy to see that Sabrina and I are opposite in many ways. Because our personalities and views are mostly contradictory, I approached her with the idea of Indian Explorers. But for us, it works!
My travels through life and social media have made it easy to keep in touch with so many people I’ve met through the years. Over time, I could see the compounding effect of hard work so many them have put into their professions and overall life. This has been so inspiring to me and I want to share these stories with others in the most honest and entertaining manner.
We would love to hear your feedback, even if it’s negative. We truly are enjoying every show and hope to learn along the way to keep making the content we produce more exciting and fun. Follow us and share this journey with us.
Sabrina Scott
When Amit (my favorite cousin) came to visit me in San Antonio, Texas over the holidays and said he wanted me to be his Indian Explorers co host, I initially thought “why me?”. Ok, I’m lying… my initial thought was “OMG YES! But, why me?”.
Chatty and social since I was a child, I jumped at the opportunity and I am elated that I did.
So far, I’ve met pretty fascinating and inspiring individuals on this podcast and am so glad I’ve had the opportunity to share their stories with people around the world.
My outlook has always been, if I can find time for something or someone good, find more time! And that’s why I’m here.
Prior to this podcast… well, way back when… I was born in Las Palmas, Spain where Amit was born and raised. I, on the other hand, didn’t grow up on this beautiful island. My family moved to the U.S. when I was just four years old.
I received my undergraduate degree at the University of Florida (Go Gators!) and subsequently received my Juris Doctor from the Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord, New Hampshire (a major culture and weather shock after growing up in Miami).
After getting my law degree, I worked as a legislative assistant within the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. Unforeseen to me, serving constituents would lead down a path of entrepreneurism and non-profit work.
After getting my law degree, I worked as a legislative assistant within the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. Unforeseen to me, serving constituents would lead down a path of entrepreneurism and non-profit work.
I moved to Texas with my husband, Noel, because the Sindhi entrepreneurial bug kept eating away at me. We launched several businesses and eventually the entrepreneurial success gave me the opportunity to move into the non-profit arena where I ran million dollar fundraising campaigns at both The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the American Heart Association.
I am now settled in San Antonio, Texas with Noel and the light of our lives, our daughter, Nyeema. I recently launched The 5 Spheres of Fit, a holistic lifestyle strategy I developed with Noel. Applying the 5 Spheres lifestyle strategy in my own life while juggling being a parent, wife, daughter, entrepreneur, Girl Scout troop co-leader. etc. etc. has brought a balance to help me succeed in my day to day life.So, why am I elated I added “podcaster” to my list of responsibilities? Not only because I love to chat with others but because I have learned something new from each of our guests. This podcasting journey has enriched my educational sphere like no other. As many of our guests have shared, we are constantly reinventing ourselves, so why not share and learn a thing or two from one another. Our goal with this podcast is to inspire and entertain our audience and I hope the conversations with our guests will inspire and entertain you just as much as they are for me.