Niharikaa Kaur Sodhi

Founder @ AuthenticIN | I help you write online to attract opportunities | DM with 'GROW' if you want me to help you build your brand

A writer with over 3 million views/ month. :) An educator who has taught live over 150 people from 30+ countries, and has 12,000+ customers.

✉️ hi [at] niharikasodhi [dot] com

Coming to the 'story'...

I'm a writer. And with that, I also became an educator and entrepreneur.

I side hustled for 10 months in 2020 because something was missing. 

I refuse to believe you shouldn't be kicked to go to work when you wake up. I refuse to believe that you need to reach a certain 'level' to do high-impact work. Labels and designations aren’t exciting either. 

And I strongly believe that there's enough wealth we can all create if we play by the mindset of abundance and not scarcity.

We have a duty to be of service to other people. And we only have one chance at life to tap into our potential and unleash it.

So I quit my job in 2021 to write full time.

That led to:

• becoming a 22x top writer on Medium
• creating digital products 
• having a cohort-based course that's educated 100+ people across 30+ countries 
• getting accepted to LinkedIn Creator Accelerator Program 

As a writer, my purpose is to leave everyone healthier and happier. 

As an educator and entrepreneur, I want to help other creators level up their game and solve their problems.

I'm passionate about healthy living, reading, and mindfulness. I've also travelled to 24 countries and still have fear of flying.

I run two newsletters. Join thousands of people ⬇️
• On my life and self-improvement: https://niharikasodhi.substack.com/
• Side Hustle Saturdays: https://niharikaasodhi96.kit.com/profile


➡️ Collaborations:
Transparent pricing on https://www.passionfroot.me/nks

Twitter: @NiharikaSodhi

🚨PS: I have 25,000+ connection requests. If it's urgent, please send me an inmail. :)

Founder

I help writers become more consistent with my cohort-based programme that takes place 4 times a year.

Dear LinkedIn, I’m writing this post with two hearts in me. But by the time you read this, I’ll only have one.

(I wrote plenty of LinkedIn posts to publish after pregnancy with my pregnant-mind thoughts haha)

As I embark on this journey into motherhood as someone who had severe body dysmorphia and was overweight all their life, for the first time…

I’m in awe of the human body.

The strength of a woman.

The body that creates life creates an entire tiny human, which I don’t even know how I will handle.
(I’m so dependent on my mom, I feel I’m a kid myself!)

The past few months have made me respect my mom and all mothers so much more. Creating a life is the hardest thing I’ve been through.

It has challenged me on an emotional, physical, and spiritual level.
(More on this tomorrow)

But if you’re reading this - go give your mom a hug.

This is me 2 days ago - 20 days after delivering a baby and 16 kgs heavier. 

It’s the latter that’s bothering me. 

While I’m not cleared to workout until 6 weeks postpartum, between burps and feeds I’m reading a lot of 
- Postpartum workout progress 
- Postpartum workout plan
- ‘Bouncing back’ after delivery 

All this while weight loss is the least of my fears! 😏

I’ve already gone down from 85 kgs to 60 kgs earlier. 

I have been working out and eating healthy since the past 11.5 years.

I can 100% go from 79 to 63 kgs again. 

I know how to do and I’m actually super excited to do it because I remember how the journey of weight loss is more fun than reaching a goal weight 😌

I’m writing this because 🧐 the pattern I noticed in my thinking is similar to something I correct when I teach and my students are full of fears and doubts around their writing journey…

1️⃣ We treat others with kindness but forget it when it comes to ourselves. 
2️⃣ The idea of our fears and overthinking it is worse than reality. 
3️⃣ When you talk to yourself, think - how would your friend feel listening to all this? Your mind and body can hear you, treat it accordingly. 

I’m writing this to you today in case you need a reminder to give yourself grace, because that was my learning for this week :) 

Of course - my hormones may be working against me but it is what it is. 

___

PS: yes, being 5.9” and in winter clothes hides 16 kgs well. I’m aware that being tall can be a blessing but my back pain occasionally disagrees 🤣

PPS: SO good to step out for a meal and feel normal after months of hospital visits!

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Exactly zero people have asked me this question, but here’s why I started building on LinkedIn 😂

Firstly, it was random.

I was working at an MNC and writing articles on Medium. So I started sharing my articles.

Then, being my usually positive self, I started posting some positive notes. Sometimes I got 10-20 likes and I felt SO good.

However, I didn’t take LinkedIn seriously until… 2022. 

(I had ~40,000+ followers that time)

Until then, I was just
- Posting what I wanted
- Not using LinkedIn to generate clients
- However, clients still came to me because of my content

But when I started using it right, the game changed.

More on this tomorrow 🙂

DM me with GROW to build your personal brand.

Pregnancy shook me on a level I’d never imagined. I think it's the biggest roller coaster a human body can experience.

Continuing from yesterday's post…

🧠Mentally
- I was trying to be productive and failing
- I was SO angry, and I’m usually a really calm person!

😖Emotionally
- I was in shock for months
- I felt depths of sadness I didn’t know I had the ability to feel
- Had nights where I cried myself to sleep
- Sometimes I’d cry multiple times a day
- Other days, I laughed and laughed so much

💪🏼Physically
- ‘Being tired’ had a new meaning altogether 
- No two days were the same
- The above unpredictability annoyed me 
- Some days, I stayed in bed all day 


(I’m typing this in October’25 at 28 weeks pregnant because I’m writing my thoughts to publish later)

The waves of happiness and lows came in phases.

There’s nothing I’ve experienced that’s as challenging. 

For someone who loves routine and getting things done + thought they were aware and emotionally regulated - this was a humbling experience.

Moving ahead, I’m sure motherhood will teach me a lot.

I just created my most vulnerable piece of content EVER. It's taken me 2 weeks to have the courage to hit publish 🫠 

I haven't felt this scared... or vulnerable, in a very long time.

As always - I try to talk about things that should be spoken about. 

This time, that topic isn't about living an intentional lifestyle or workplace.

My reason for creating this is when I asked my mom: "Being pregnant is so difficult. How has no one addressed this?!"

She replied, "humare zamaane mein aise baat nahi karate the." (Translation: we didn't talk about this in our times).

So I guess it's time we talk about it 🙂 

Link in the comments if you want to check it out ⬇️

My favourite part about being a solopreneur is the small things, really. Stuff like:

1. It’s so cold in Delhi in winters that I’m in a blanket after lunch and become a burrito. Then I have chai around 4pm and slowly get out. Afternoon siesta everyday!

2. Unlimited family time. No money will ever give me my time with loved ones. It’s why I don’t work for over 3 hours.

3. Working on projects I like and with people I learn from. Life is too short for toxic teammates.

When your soul feels good, life feels better :)

You could be the reason you aren’t getting enough sales. I know you don’t want to hear it, but if you want to print more cash, you should.

Continuing from yesterday’s post… it was ONE person who made me take LinkedIn seriously.

I was in a Summit 21 call, which is a course I conducted back then, and someone asked me, 

“Why don’t you talk about your course on LinkedIn?”

I replied, “Why would I?”

He said, “It took me 7 months to figure out that you conduct this course. It would’ve really helped me if I'd known about it earlier.”

That’s when I realised that my 
- fear of sounding too salesy, and 
- being afraid of selling
…was holding me back from more sales.

And when I started taking LinkedIn seriously, everything changed. I finally had USD five-figure months and worked with some excellent people who I enrolled to learn from me… but I learnt so much from them.

Now, I shamelessly talk about my services because why the heck not?

Sometimes, the bottleneck in your customer journey is your fear.

So would you give more weight to your fear or your bank account? It’s a choice, and I prefer the numbers in my bank acc tbh.

__

Here’s a FREE 5-day email course to help you: https://lnkd.in/gkiA-bR9

Yes, there is an ‘easy place’ to start a side-hustle. Take it from someone who’s created content on multiple platforms for years.

LinkedIn is the easiest place to start a side hustle because:

- The audience is already in a business mindset. They open LinkedIn for... work, duh.
- You don’t need to build an audience from scratch... they’re already here.
- Organic reach is still generous compared to other platforms (ahem - reels).
- All you need is your profile and a post.

Tbh in my experience, it's the easiest place to grow on. 

It took me MUCH longer to grow on Medium and X!

And no, LinkedIn hasn’t paid me to write this (how I wish!).

I’m writing this purely in public interest because so many people have a big goal for 2026 that fades off my mid-January. So if you’re looking for ‘easy’, it’s this.

I’ve never felt this grateful to be a solopreneur as I did last year when I found out I’m pregnant. I was sick to death.

(As you can kinda see in this photo)

For anyone who’s been through this journey - first trimester can be testing.

It tested me on a spiritual, emotional, and physical level.

I was unable to eat and unable to retain anything I ate. Mentally, I was experiencing depths of sadness I didn’t know I had in me to feel.

The hormonal surge, weakness, sadness…all added up.

And because of the work I do, I was able to do absolutely NOTHING till I felt better. That was 6 weeks of:
- Weakening nausea
- Lying down most of the time
- Dealing with oversleeping or insomnia

My respect for every woman out there who has been through this shot up because I was just a weakling who was getting crushed till my soul.

Tomorrow, I’ll talk about why I think solopreneurship is empowering for women.

Every time someone says, “My LinkedIn views have tanked,” it’s adorable. 

You take one look at their profile. 

It’s not LinkedIn. 

It’s not the algorithm. 

It’s the posts. They lack value. 

More like:

“Here’s what I think”
“Here’s what happened with me”
“Here's what I did last weekend.”

There’s so much ME ME ME 📢  

Who cares about you?

Humans are narcissistic. We only care about ourselves. 

A protocol I follow and teach is -

Before hitting publish, ask yourself - is this valuable for the reader?

If not, hit delete. 

Harsh, but you’ll thank me later. 

__

PS: Get your LinkedIn Growth Toolkit here - https://lnkd.in/g6us9ttd

My definition of wealth changed in 2022.

During my 9-5, I correlated ‘wealth’ to:
• Appraisals
• Promotions
• Better projects
• Getting recognised
• Working with the ‘top’ people

As a solopreneur, I’ve realised that wealth is:
• Owning your time
• Doing  work you truly enjoy
• Having an empty calendar > zoom calls
• Having passive income (I do this via ebooks)

No one definition is better than another, just like we’re not the same people with identical strengths.

We’re all on this blue ball with 71% of water for different reasons. 

While the society tells us to one believe in one definition for everything (especially success, wealth, and relationships), I hope 2026 is the year you find *your definition* of these words.  

Once that happens, I promise that you'll find the joy of alignment with your inner-self.

Woke up to 7000 subscribers and I know you think it’s a small number. 

YouTube is a place where chanels with 100K+ subscribers are common, but here’s something I have always thought of: 

- picture 10 people in a room 
- now picture 7000 people in a room!

For an introvert like me, anything more than groups of 3 is a party 😂 

So I’m grateful for every person who follows me because they invest their limited time on this earth into my work 🙏🏼

And yes - I know I’ve failed to be consistent here. It is what it is, I’m only a writer at heart 😌

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This is my first month of motherhood, and I caught myself in a thinking pattern similar to my college and corporate days. 🤦🏻‍♀️ 

In month 9 of pregnancy, I was dying for the baby to come out already 😅 I had had enough!

Which made me realise how I’m living a lot in the future. 
(I had lots of time to myself, and hence lots of reflections)

Listen...I’m hardcore into visualisation.

During my corporate job, I visualised myself in the mountains working on a laptop. It signified a sense of freedom to me. 

(I don't work on vacations, btw)

After that, as a freelancer, I visualised owning my time and being financially independent. 

I became a solopreneur, and the above happened. 

Now I visualise lots of things I won’t tell you just yet 🤫 

But in the past month, I thought...
How nice it’ll be for this baby to grow quickly and sleep at least 6 hours! 🫠 🤣 

Again, I lost hold of the present. 

Her hands will never be this small again, and she’ll never be a newborn again. 

How silly of me to look at the next step instead of living in the present - 
To cherish this little girl 🎀 

I wish I had lived more in the present 
• during my undergrad, as I was excited to study abroad in postgrad
• only to be unhappy and want to finish my MSc so I can earn money
• to be dissatisfied in my job because I wasn't earning enough, lol

Looking forward to the next step never ends. 

There's always a next step that looks more comfortable, only to look back and wish 
• you hugged tighter
• stressed lesser
• lived fuller 

Finding a balance between visualising + living in the present is what I want to cultivate more in 2026. 

__

PS: Out for my first coffee with a friend, after months!

I don’t visit the gym the first 5 days of the year because it’s crowded by all those who want to get fit. And then, they fade…

It’s why New Year’s resolutions don’t work out.

Personally, I started mine 2 months before the new year so I can
- Get a flavour of it
- Try to be consistent
- Start the new year with a bang

Resolutions aren’t enough; systems are.

Instead of focusing on WHAT you want to do, focus on HOW you’ll do it. And WHY is it important?

That’ll make it much easier to show up consistently.

Promise :)

Someone's LinkedIn content tells you a lot about their personality. I'll show you how you can know someone is insecure.

Insecure folks:
• Shit on others to feel better
• Try to talk down about a segment
• Dwindle around negative content (misery finds company)

So every time I see someone laughing at a segment of people, I figure they're insecure in some way. It's an unhealthy coping mechanism to feel better about yourself by pushing others down.

Secure people
• Write for the joy of writing
• Never crib about the algorithm
• Rise by lifting others and being of service

So next time you read online, you can learn a lot about someone through their content. And it's not their fault because social media does a great job with comparison and making you feel 'less'.

In this hyperstimulated world, I hope you can find balance and attract abundance.

You're designed to win, feel good, and be healthy.

Go on, shine!

Everyone loves saying “new year, new me” 👀

But you and I both know most resolutions don’t survive week 3.

This is why I avoid the gym during the first week of January. 🤷🏻‍♀️

It’s crowded with people who: 

-  Set a resolution
-  Decide “this is my year”
-  Fall of the wagon by day 10
-  Procrastinate and wait for the next January to start

This is why I stopped setting New Year’s resolutions a while ago. 

Because I know those who are truly committed don't need the calendar’s permission to change their life. 

Setting a resolution is not enough. 

You need a system to ride the wave of your new habit till the end of the year. 

In tomorrow’s issue of Side Hustle Saturdays, I’m dropping the prompt you need to:

➡️ build a system you actually stick to throughout 2026
➡️ stay consistent without depending on motivation
➡️ actually follow through this year

Join 14,000+ readers here 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/gy6UnjRQ

Two important things you shouldn’t apologise for at work:

- Saying no to extra hours
- Prioritising your health 

Personal story: I had a colleague call me at 10 am once, even though work didn't start until 11:30 am. I was in the middle of holding a yoga pose. 

I thought it was urgent and called back. She called me to ask me to email her something. 

What a bummer. I stopped picking calls out of working hours thereafter (something which wasn’t appreciated).

Remember - You’re NOT paid for sacrificing well-being and working like a machine. You’re paid for 8h/ day. 

Literally everything can come and go, but health first, ALWAYS. 

That’s there to stay forever… and no amount of money can fix it once it goes down.

Quick check-in: We’re 9 days into 2026. Are your goals moving or already slipping? Be honest 👀

Every January looks the same:

New goals. Fresh motivation. The internet throwing 20 ‘life-changing’ routines at you.

The part nobody talks about is:

You can buy every template on the internet and still live the same year on repeat. That’s why most resolutions die by February 🙁

What matters is the foundation: your mindset 🧠

This is the slippery slope most people fall into. 

But you don't have to be one of them. 

Tomorrow, I’m sending out the 12-month blueprint to reinvent yourself to the 14,000+ readers of Side Hustle Saturdays. 

This one’s for you if you want to:

➡️ Stay consistent beyond January 2026
➡️ Stop reliving the same year again & again
➡️ Do the inner work that actually moves your life forward

If you’re looking for a sign to stop sleepwalking through another year…

Join here  👉🏻  https://lnkd.in/gy6UnjRQ

If you want to make something of this one life, do this and I promise you’ll be a different person in 12 months.

1. Learn about an abundance mindset. The scarcity one is holding you back from success.
2. Find your ikigai; it will give you a direction and purpose to follow.
3. Know + embrace yourself, then capitalise on your strengths.
4. Find your negative belief systems and you’ll realise you’re a powerhouse of potential when you fix them.
5. Spend more time with people you love, they won’t be alive forever.

I know it sounds simple. 

But when you’re aware of the above and work on rectifying the gaps, all areas of your life will begin to prosper.

If I had to give my 22yo self corporate lessons, it would be this:
(this could trigger those in higher designations - sorry not sorry)

- Only a few colleagues are your friends; give yourself time to figure that out instead of opening up too quickly.

- Your company will replace you in a day, so try to be damn good at your job.

- Always have a second income source, it may feel like work right now, but your future self will thank you for it.

- The senior folks may enjoy ego games, but you have a life and shouldn’t stoop as low. 

- Don’t stop being fit and prioritise your health over everything else. You don’t want to be another manager with a potbelly.

- HR is to save the company, not you.

Honestly, I only followed the one around ego games and being fit.

Everything else was a lesson learnt later.

Hello, Connections,

Thank you for visiting my profile.

With over 5 years of industrial experience as a microbiologist and more than 13 years of consulting expertise in Product and System Management Standard certification, I have honed my skills in implementation, documentation, and training for organizations at all levels.

However, my life took a beautiful turn when I embraced motherhood, just like many others.

It ignited a deep passion for storytelling, leading me to launch my own podcast called @Story Tales. 

Through this endeavor, I have discovered a new identity for my voice and an immense love for captivating narratives. 

Today, I am a multitasking professional who excels in various aspects of content creation, including content writing, social media management, translation, dubbing, podcast production and distribution, voice-overs, and more.

Storytelling has not only brought joy and fulfillment to my life but has also taught me the art of engaging and meaningful communication.

My journey has been marked by creating award-winning podcasts that resonate with listeners, fostering brand credibility, and establishing personal authority. 🚀

As a full-time mother and an enthusiastic Solopreneur, I cherish my dual role. 

I am blessed with two beautiful daughters who not only bring joy but also appreciate and respect my dedication to my profession. I am a storyteller who can write, tell, and understand your story. 

I have the ability to craft compelling narratives, convey them with passion and authenticity, and empathize with the experiences of others.

If you need captivating stories or assistance in any of the mentioned areas, I am here to bring your ideas to life. Now I am official podcaster for all kinds of podcast. 

In my role as the host of ADFAR Tech Venture, I have produced and distributed compelling content for the IT tech and solution provider industry. 

My passion for podcasting has led me to become a sought-after Podcast Coach and Consultant.

Currently, I am actively managing very good assignments in storytelling, content creation, brand management, and podcasting with reputable organizations. 

If you are looking for someone to bring your stories to life, build your brand's identity, or create impactful podcast content, I am here to collaborate and make it happen. 

Let's connect and explore the possibilities!

Check out my kids' storytelling podcast: Storytales https://story-tales.hubhopper.com/

For blogs and write-ups: https://medium.com/@storytales22

For all kinds of projects: https://linktr.ee/Sonal_22

Sonal Shah

Yesterday, not just yesterday, but many times, I’ve been asked one question.
And today, I’m finally sharing my answer. Yes, you can correct me if I’m wrong.

Are Degrees Important for a Content Writer?

Many people ask me, will you understand our product, process, or people?
So here’s my answer to all of you. I know I’m not a writer by degree, I’m a writer by passion. Maybe a degree can open doors, but it can’t teach you how to hold someone’s attention.  It can’t teach you rhythm, empathy, or the art of making words feel human.

Similarly, a degree might teach you how to write, but it’ll never teach you what’s worth writing. I’ve seen many people who are far more qualified than me, maybe they know grammar, structure, and storytelling frameworks better than I do,  but not how to make someone stop scrolling and feel something.

Because real writing doesn’t live in textbooks. It lives in curiosity. 
In the way you observe people.
In how deeply you listen before you type a single word.

The best writers don’t just know how to write well,
they feel what should be written.

As we all know, education gives you the foundation, 
but experience is the pulse.

Real writers read the silence in between.
They understand how people think, buy, dream, and doubt.
And no degree in the world can measure that instinct.

And if you look back, 
Shakespeare never had a formal degree, yet he defined storytelling for centuries. 

Tagore walked away from formal schooling, yet became India’s poetic soul. 

Premchand never held a literature degree, yet his words shaped our social conscience.

Mark Twain left school at 12, but his words became the conscience of America.

Charles Dickens had no university education, yet he shaped human empathy through fiction.

R.K. Narayan turned ordinary moments into timeless stories without a formal writing background.

Even Maya Angelou, who never went to college, wrote verses that healed generations.

They all wrote not from certificates, but from life.
From pain, observation, and truth.

A degree proves you can learn.
But your portfolio proves you understand, and that’s far more important.

Writing isn’t about qualifications.
It’s about connection.
It’s about translating thoughts into feelings, and feelings into action.
And that’s not something any syllabus can define.

So, if you’re hiring writers , don’t look for degrees. 
Look for impact. For voice. For words that stay with you.

And if you’re the one writing, stop doubting your worth because of what’s missing on your résumé. Your experience is your degree. 
Your body of work is your certification.

A degree can teach you to write.
But only life teaches you why.

Sonal Snehal Shah

The Mom Who Turns Life Into Lines | Ghostwriter l Social Media Strategist / Podcast Host & Producer | Voice Translation & Dubbing Enthusiast Recorded 5 Podcast / with 1.5 lacs downloads / 57 countries.

Yesterday I was making dhokla.
Added Eno to make it fluffy and spongy.

My daughter asked,
“Why Eno?”

Before I could answer, she said,
“Is this why Gujarati people have big stomachs?”

I froze.

She continued, very thoughtfully:
“Because dhokla is soft and fluffy … so stomach also becomes soft and fluffy?”

I tried explaining fermentation.
Air pockets. 
Texture.

She said,
“So basically… Eno makes dhokla fluffy.
And fluffy food makes fluffy tummy.”

The dhokla came out perfect.
My reputation did not.

Moral of the story: 
In Gujarati households,
Eno doesn’t just work on batter.
It works on lifelong stereotypes.
And no explanation will ever save you.

People in Afghanistan are crazy about kite flying, but the Taliban had banned it. They considered flying kites to be against religion. 

Despite the strict ban, some people still flew kites in secret. 
One boy was flying a black kite from the roof of his house on a cold night. 

A soldier saw him and asked,
“Flying kites is strictly forbidden here. Then, why are you still flying one?”

The boy replied,
“When the kite flies, my heart flies with it.”

The soldier let him go and said, “Fly one kite for me too.”
Even a soldier understood that some things are too human to ban.

That is what Uttarayan teaches.
Not every string is meant to be pulled tight. Some dreams need space to move. Some people need room to breathe. Some relationships fall apart not because there was no love, but because there was no slack. And still, the sky keeps a corner reserved just for your joy.
No matter how heavy life feels below.

I read it, Once Anaïs Nin said it best:
“Let your dreams fly free like kites. You never know what they may bring back for you.”

Today Lets wish, the bravest thing is not holding on harder. It is trusting what you love enough to let it rise. 🪁

Happy Kite flying day.

There were, more than 20 people on the terrace. I’m often seen as composed between that groups, the reason, I never showcase or I even dont find the need too. But most importantly. They know me as good Professional. Measured. Certain. But this is also me. 
Sitting on the floor. Hands in flour.
Making Bajri rotla the way it’s always been made.

No this was not performance. 

Many people say I can’t. Lets picture it , and we will show to everyone, that you can't. But they look at the surface and decide the depth.

My husband doesn’t explain me to them. He simply says,
 “You don’t know her. She’s the best at this.”
And that’s enough.

Because the most meaningful validations never come from crowds.
They come from the one person who has seen you in all your forms
and still knows who you are.

Some people are born into big stories.
Some spend years trying to build one.
And some are suddenly pushed into a story they never planned for.

If you look closely, the best stories don’t start with ambition.
They start with interruption.
A moment that wasn’t convenient.
A responsibility that wasn’t asked for.
A turn in the plot that forced a decision.

Most people don’t feel ready in those moments. 
May be I didn’t.
And maybe you didn’t either.
But that’s the strange thing about stories and about life.

You don’t become the main character by preparing endlessly.
You become one by staying in the story when it gets hard.

Greatness isn’t dramatic.
It doesn’t announce itself.
It shows up, in the choice to continue, even when walking away would be easier.

When I got married, I believed real love meant being each other’s everything.
Everyday roses, chocolates, and that Hindi movie–wala drama of love and kisses. But real life is very different.
It’s not that we hadn’t seen our parents, neighbors, and others.
We just never believed ours would also be made of everyday struggles.

Our's also the routine kind, no, nothing special, most of the time, the conversation starts with:
Sometimes he say,
 “Did you lock the door?”
 Sometimes me,
 “I packed your lunch.”

 Sometimes it’s simply,
 “Let’s do this together. Let’s go together”

And now it’s,
 “How are the kids?”
 “Homework done?”
 “How was the parents / teacher's’ meeting?”
 “How are mummy and papa?”

And sometimes, just the familiar silence.

After passing years together, Now I know real love means being each other’s safe place. We never say “I love you” at night, neither in the morning. But while leaving the home, his eyes are searching for me. When I am at client's space, he asks me have you taken the lunch, when I am tired, he say kids to not to talk loud or do not disturb me. 

That’s how the real love shows up here.

He doesn’t try to fix me. I don’t try to fix him.
Many times, we disagree, disconnect and then give each other the space. 

To recognize that love needs breathing too. 
It means we have learned how to return. To ourselves. To each other.

And now we knew that our relationship isn’t built on romance.
It’s built on practice.

Our differences taught us patience and empathy at large. 
Not to fix each other but how to listen.

We both has different with dreams, fears, and egos too, but then we also knows that we are two very different people too. We didn’t merge into one identity. We built a partnership between two whole individuals.

Without reshaping each other, without shrinking ourselves, we grew slowly, imperfectly, but together. 

Happy anniversary to us.
Grateful for a life still in progress, with shared jokes, unresolved arguments, small hugs, mistakes, and second chances. Real love doesn’t shout to be seen. It stays, shows up, and becomes home.

“𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝘁.”

When I had my first child, I used to tell myself, that I am doing this for her.  
The late office works. The skipped lunch to go early at home.
The constant rush. The exhaustion we normalize.
Because providing feels like love.

But within an year, I understood, this is race and I do not want to be part of it. Because for me love is simply presence. physically, emotionally and mentally. Not one who is financially present.

It is showing up when the child needs your hands, your lap and moreover, the warmth, that says I am here for you, always.
It is being there for the stories that do not wait.
It is listening when the day was hard and the world felt big.

Mothers feel this in their bones. I still remember when I used to come home, she used to dance on the door, she used to laugh at me when I was just removing my shoes. Not just as mother, but many times her father also know it in the guilt between meetings.


Children feel it when the house is full, but something is missing. And even bosses know the truth, though they rarely say it out loud. Because, deadlines move. Roles change. and Businesses adapt.
Childhood does not.

No company remembers who stayed late. 
But every child remembers who came home on time.

So choose the work that fits the life you want your children to remember.
Be there while you still matter this much. Be in the photos. Not just the provider behind the scenes. 
Be the memory. Not the sentence they say years later:
 “My mom was always working.”

Money can be earned again. Time cannot.
𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀,
𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸.

Yesterday, during a family conversation, a simple thought hit deep:
"Who’s looking for a job, and who’s looking to do what they were born to do?"

That line touches me the most. It gave me goosebumps and made me think on my own life.

At the age of 6, I loved sitting with magazines, newspapers, trying to rewrite the world in my own words.

Sometimes, I scribbled thoughts about life, dilemmas, and dreams not for anyone, not for a book, but simply because that’s who I was.

In college, I began writing a diary, pouring my thoughts onto paper. That passion continues even today. Back then, I didn’t know I could be a good writer.

It was simply my love for writing, putting thoughts into words.
Then came responsibilities, family life. 
Many things got changed and something got forgotten, but yet few things still the same. writing was one of that. 

I wrote letters to my husband on every occasion about feelings, about everything. Even today, sometimes, I still write to him. Of course, he’s right here with me, but that act still makes me feel something nostalgic and full.

In 2013, my first article was published in Mom and Me magazine just sharing my motherhood journey with the world. And then, by 2020, I had officially stepped into the professional writing space.

But in one corner of my mind , I’ve always been a writer at heart even if I didn’t fully realize it back then. 

Yes, I had a corporate job for more than 15 years. But deep down, I always wanted more. Not more work, but more life.
Time with my kids. My in-laws, my parents and my family. My husband.

And work that didn’t require me to ask for permission to live.
I wasn’t chasing a job. I was choosing a life.

Then came The Story Tales. My creative freedom.
A space to grow without asking. A life where my work reflects who I am.
And maybe, just maybe, that’s what we’re all really looking for not just a role to fill, but a soul to fulfill.

This made me think some people are looking for a job, and some are trying to do what they are truly born to do.

So, what about you are you chasing a job, or are you building the life you were born to live?”

#mylifemystory

We don’t tell stories to be seen.
We tell them to stay intact.

Before visibility, there is coherence.
Before audience, there is self.

Storytelling is not performance.
It is preservation.

Of identity.
Of leadership.
Of personal history.
Of legacy.

This is where ghostwriting lives.
Not in polishing words,
but in holding a story steady
while life keeps expanding.

Because 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 don’t make us visible.
They 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲.

Our first responsibility is not to the world. It is to ourselves.
Yet somewhere along the way, we were taught that looking inward is selfish.
That choosing yourself means you are cold. Self-absorbed. Unkind.
So we learned to abandon ourselves quietly.

To stay in places that hurt. To call endurance love. To call silence maturity.
But the truth is this Until you sit with yourself, until you heal what aches
until you learn how to be whole on your own, you will keep attracting relationships that feel familiar, not healthy.
Not because you are broken.
But because something inside you is asking to be seen.

There is no need to judge these experiences.
No need to label them as bad, dirty, or wrong.

Even the toughest relationships carry meaning.
Even the ones that drained you.
Even the ones that confused you.
Some of us don’t learn through softness.

We learn through impact. Through intensity. Through loss.
So when a lesson arrives loudly, it is not there to stay.
It is there to teach.
And when you finally understand what you will accept and what you will no longer carry you don’t need revenge or closure or explanation.

You just need to go back home.

Home is not another person.
Home is not being chosen.
Home is not being needed.
Home is you. Yourself. 

Others are welcome in your life. They can sit with you. Walk with you. Lough with you. Share with you. or may be they can love you too. 
But they are not the source of your joy.
They never were.
That has always been your responsibility.

When everyone is sharing their 2026 goals and work plans, I was writing my own and thinking what should i do more, achieve more and I saw this. 
And it stopped me to rethink, to rethink what I want to achieve, not always professionally but now something personally.

I just love it, not because it was funny, but its more of honest.

Be less entitled.
Stop romanticizing everyone.
Allow happiness without guilt.
Stop self punishing.
Live, instead of only surviving.

We plan what to achieve. Rarely do we confront who we need to stop being.

Real growth isn’t always about discipline. Sometimes it’s about unlearning patterns we’ve lived with for years. These goals won’t appear on resumes.
But they change how you love. How you work. How gently you move through life.

So here’s a different question for 2026 not career targets. Not planners or vision boards. If you gave yourself six months for one inner shift , like no applause, no validation, no approval, what would it be?

Video curtesy : Prime video

I live in a joint family. Some days the house is full of people but the relationship inside it feels very low. There is always someone who needs something. Parents. Children. Responsibilities. Work. And everything in the home. 

Some days the family becomes the priority before the relationship even gets a chance to breathe, no there is nothing wrong but every other things are priority. Life fills every corner. But our own relationship as couple comes on the last thing of the list. Yes the hardest things to maintain in the joint family is you and your partner's relationship. 

Joint family looks good on outside but sometimes you are lost in it, so I have had to learn something very deliberately.

Love does not stay alive on its own, but it has to be maintained. Not with flowers, and parties and many outgoings, but with simple small stubborn act of closeness. Respect is where it starts love. 

Not the formal kind, the kind that says you are not just my partner, you are a whole person. 

You have your own thoughts, tiredness, dreams and flows, and yes may be for that many times, the family system reduce the bond in the relationship roles. 

But, then there is compassion. Most days when we feel distant, I will not be angry nor overwhelmed, but instead I ask to myself, what is wrong with us. 

I try to ask what might be heavy for you today. And then there is intimacy.
Not just sex. Human closeness. Sitting together or just simple walk, or just eye to eye looks or touching him. I choose to look at my partner not as part of my to do list, but as a human being I want to keep knowing.


I know and I felt too, people can survive without sex but they can not survive without touch. So this is what I practice in my own life.

In a full house, in a busy marriage. In a real relationship. I protect small moments of us. because love is not lost in big fights. it is lost in small neglects. and I refuse to let that happen. 

This is not romance for me, but relationship maintenance.
And that is how love survives inside real life.

This week the pressure has been intense. Not just from work, but from life, family, and everything around it. Their exams are going on, my husband has a lot of onsite work, my parents are unwell, and everything feels like a constant hustle. So I wake up early and try to complete the pending tasks.

Again she comes behind me, and asked me, “Mama, rest now.”

Then she said,
 “Mama, why do you work so much?” It wasn’t a complaint. It was curiosity.
 
So I said,
 “Because I like building things.”
She thought about it for a second and said,
 “But you already built us.”

Then she asked, “Now what do you want to build?”

Children don’t see careers. They see presence.  They don’t measure success in money or titles.  They measure it in whether you are there when they look up.
I wanted to explain ambition. Independence. The future.

But what she was really asking was simpler: “Am I safe in your attention?”

That question lives inside every relationship we will ever have.
Not just with our children. With partners. With friends. With ourselves.

We keep telling the world who we are through our work,  while the people who love us are quietly asking, “Do I still matter here?”

That is the real balance of parenting. Not between home and career,
but between doing and being. Between building a life and being present inside it.

So today, I worked a little less. And I listened a little more.
And somehow, that felt like progress too.

While I am working, she is working on my hair.

𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 is not a motivational slogan for me.
It is the moment, that I earned and leaned lot later.
It has tought me to not bargain with myself at all.

I have seen, most people do not struggle because they lack talent. They struggle because they keep showing up in rooms that teach them they are replaceable. They keep lowering their voice, their prices, their standards, their boundaries, just to stay included. I did that too.

Then I started paying attention to what happened when I respected my own words. When I stopped explaining myself to people who had no intention of understanding. When I chose clarity over approval. My work changed.

My confidence did not become louder. It became steadier. The same thing happened with my thoughts. I realized how much of my ambition was being sabotaged by inner negotiations. Not fear of failure, but fear of being seen trying. So I stopped asking whether I deserved more and started acting as if my time, ideas, and energy were already valuable.

And 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, That one took the longest. Being present all the time, is not about showing up everywhere. It is about choosing where you belong. Who gets access to you. Which conversations deserve your attention. Which opportunities align with your values rather than just your ego.

Storytelling, content creation, podcasting. These are not platforms for me. 
They are practices. Ways to listen deeply, speak honestly, and connect without pretending. Knowing your worth does not make you superior.

It makes you unavailable for anything that requires you to shrink.

If you are building a life where your voice, your work, and your time actually matter, you will recognize this without needing it explained.

𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵.

Not everything deserves your emotional energy. No, do not get me wrong, its not detachment, but its discernment. 

Detachment disconnects.
Discernment chooses.

It shows up first in relationships. You stop trying to be understood by people who are committed to misunderstanding you.
It shows up at work.
You give your depth to what actually matters, not to every opinion, urgency, or noise dressed as importance.
It shows up in content.
You stop explaining yourself to invisible audiences and start writing from alignment, not reaction.

And eventually, it reaches identity.
You no longer shape yourself around every room you enter.
You stay intact, even when not mirrored.

This isn’t withdrawal from life.
It’s a refusal to leak yourself everywhere.

Emotional energy is finite.
Where you place it decides who you become.
And the deep work is not learning how to give more of it.
It’s learning where not to.

Yesterday, I was on a client call, discussing 𝗧𝗢𝗙𝗨, 𝗠𝗢𝗙𝗨, 𝗕𝗢𝗙𝗨.

My daughter overheard and jumped in to ask,
“Are you talking about food?”

I apologized to the client for the interruption, but since he knows my daughter, he just smiled and said,
“Not exactly… but kind of.”

Then suddenly he said,
“Can you explain this in an easy way for your daughter, so it’s easy for both of us?”

And this is what I explained to both of them 👇

Imagine you open an ice cream shop 🍦

𝗧𝗢𝗙𝗨 is when people see your shop for the first time.
They don’t know you.
They’re just curious.
So you smile, wave, and let them taste a spoon.

𝗠𝗢𝗙𝗨 is when they come back and ask,
“What flavours do you have?”
You explain. You share stories.
They start trusting you.

𝗕𝗢𝗙𝗨 is when they say,
“Okay, give me two scoops.”

My client immediately said,
“Ohhh. I trust you. Let’s do this.”

My daughter said,
“Oh. That’s easy.”

The client laughed.
Then said,
“That’s the clearest funnel explanation I’ve heard.”

And I guess that’s the best thing about marketing.
If a 10-year-old can’t understand it, your customer probably won’t either.

Complexity just sounds smart in meetings.
Clarity converts.

Both got it.
That’s my funnel.

Yesterday, my daughter asked why I always look tired.

I said, “I’m fine.”

But later, when she slept, I realized she wasn’t asking about my day.
She was asking about my life.

Funny how kids read the things we hide from adults.

This morning, I didn’t check my phone first, do not write about what I thought, but I checked myself.

Small pause and Big clarity.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗳𝗳𝘀, 𝗽𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲...
𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?

Honestly, it’s probably because you’re tired. No, you are not lazy, nor insecure too, but just tired. 

Life happened.
Kids. Parents. Responsibilities that don’t care about visibility or “putting yourself out there.” ( the people who knows me, knows this how I am stuck but still I survived) 

May be You’ve learned that being seen has a price and silence feels cheaper.

So you tell yourself you don’t have time, Or that your story isn’t that interesting, or that everyone else has already said it better. 

Meanwhile, someone is getting laid off for the first time.
Sitting in their car.
Staring at their phone.
Wondering how they’re going to explain this at home.

They scroll. They listen.
And they end up taking advice from people who haven’t been hit yet. 
No, not because those people are wrong, but because you are silent. 

What they actually need is someone who’s been through it. Someone who knows how it feels when the plan stops working.
When confidence disappears. When you keep going anyway.

You don’t need to teach. You don’t need to inspire. Just talk. Just share and say what you wish someone had told you back then. 

Because every time you don’t, someone else thinks they’re the only one struggling. And they’re not.

You know that.

Today my daughter asked me a simple question.
“Mumma, what is a niche?”
I didn’t explain the word. I told her a story. 

I said, you love drawing, right? 

Some days you draw flowers.
Some days animals.
Some days faces.
And some days you don’t feel like drawing at all. 

Now imagine someone tells you:
“You can only draw butterflies.  Only butterflies. Because that’s how you grow.”

She looked at me and said,
 “But then I’ll get bored.”

Exactly.
Growth doesn’t come from choosing a small box too early.
It comes from exploring wide enough to know what truly holds you.
When you are learning, your job is not to specialize.
Your job is to notice what keeps pulling you back.

Similar way, we rush people to “find a niche”,  when what they really need is range.
A niche is not something you decide.

It is something that reveals itself after enough curiosity, repetition, and lived experience, and when you force it too early:
- You perform instead of think.
- You copy instead of discover.
- You stay safe instead of grow.

It’s not narrowness the world rewards. It’s self-awareness. And self-awareness grows through exploration.

I told her this before she walked away:
“First, become interesting. The direction will find you.”

I think a lot of adults need to hear that too.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗦𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗨𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱

Success gives structure to the outside of a life.
Titles. Milestones. Recognition. Proof.

But naming is an inner act.
And most people never pause long enough to do it.

As a 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿, I notice this pattern often.
Highly accomplished people who can describe their work in detail,
but hesitate when asked to describe themselves.

They know the role they play.
They know the destination they were aiming for.
What feels unclear is the journey in between.

Because along the way, stories get compressed.
Detours are edited out.
People who once walked with you quietly fall out of the frame.
And the version of you that changed in transit never gets named.

That’s where the unease comes from.
Not from lack of success.
But from an unfinished narrative.
This is the work I do.

I don’t write to decorate achievements.
I listen for the story underneath them.

The one that names your becoming.
The turns you didn’t plan.
The companions who stayed.
The ones who left.
And the destination that changed shape as you walked toward it.

Sometimes, people don’t need a new title.
They need their story told back to them, clearly, honestly, and whole.

If any part of your journey feels unnamed,
perhaps it’s not clarity you’re missing.
𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘀 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆.

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The Battle

Niharikaa Kaur Sodhi

Sonal Shah

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taplio

The Battle

Niharikaa Kaur Sodhi

Sonal Shah

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Niharikaa Kaur Sodhi's LinkedIn Performance

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