1-Day to the 'Small Town Bigger Dreams' - In conversation with Shweta Maheshwari

Hello everyone, welcome to another live session. And if you have not already noticed, this is the second time I'm going live. I'm just trying to catch up on the missed session, so I couldn't hold myself back and wait for tomorrow. So today we have another interesting guest which I'm pretty sure you're gonna be amazed when she speaks. From heart. And I've been really, really inspired. Those who know my YouTube channel, there's already an inspirational interview done with her. And if you're not, then go and check out inspirational interview with Sweta Maheshwari. Yes, Sweta Maheshwari is our guest today. And if I give a brief introduction of Sweta, Sweta is an award-winning author, a speaker, a thought designer, uh, person who's a life coach. She's also conferred with India Prime Author Award, associated with education industry, working with Allen Career Institute as ESOL faculty. She's moving ahead in her life, touching lives through her writing and speaking skills, and loves reading, traveling, nature, blogging, and spending time with the family. Her motto is Involve to Evolve, and we're going to talk about that. But also, she's a bestseller author for two of the books, which I'm going to ask her. So, good to have you here. Thank you so much for accepting the invite.

Thank you so much, Haritosh Srivastav. It's always a wonder, it's always nice, a privilege to talk to you. Uh, and all the best for your book, which is going to launch tomorrow. All the very best, all the very best. Though I have read, the Kindle version of it, but I'm going to buy this, uh, paperback also as soon as possible for me. I'm gonna do it.

Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Uh, so talk to us about your journey. I know about your journey. I've interviewed you, but for the people who are watching you for the first time, talk to us a little bit about your journey.

Uh, my journey right now, I can say it's— I am sailing in a very high boat right now these days. Yes, but the things were not that easier for me. Life was not easy on me. But yes, I overcame each and every situation, whether it was related to my education as a child, as a girl child in the family, to even facing the financial problems. Means because my father had some kind of like financial— means I had some depression time, or he has faced a lot of, you know, losses in his business. But I overcame every situation. And then yet after 15-20 years, life hit me hard in the form of some kind of, you know, I should say that trust factor. But I overcame each and every situation. Yes, I went a lot deep down into depression, depressive situation also. But the way, uh, no, I, I don't want to say that it was a single-handed journey. I was totally supported by my family, my friends, and I met a great mentor on my who really helped me to come out of the situations. And today I am here, as you all know, as Haritosh Srivastav introduced, a best-selling author, an award-winning author. So things are going on smooth, fine, and great. And now I have no regrets regarding my past or anything. I'm very happy.

All right, and that's what we want you to be, happy and charming as always. So let's talk about— you have published two of the books, right? So She Met Life, which I've read, and it's an amazing book. And Life at the Red Cross Road, which I still need to buy one, but only when I get free I will do that, certainly. So tell us about your experience. How did the creative side of, you know, Sweta started developing? When did you think about writing a book as such?

Means, I, I, what I feel, because now when some people ask like means when you jot down or when you write, means how the emotions or how the things are so fluent or so quick. So I can say that it's not a journey that I have started 2-3 years back when I started writing book. I think it has somewhere— it has started when I was a child. I remember my, you know, grandma's friend, she used to come to our house to make, make me write the letters to her, you know, family members, her sons, daughters, and yeah. Means, you know, initially I really get irritated, means why she comes every day, I have to write every day letter like I was in standard 7, 8. But as I grew, I, I literally find a connection with her, you know, I started understanding her emotions. So, but after that, you know, I didn't think of this way that I'll write something, a book. And moreover, I was a kid. But when in 2018, I don't know when, my mentor asked me to create goals for you I, I wrote this like, I'll accomplish writing a book. I think there was something in my subconscious, maybe some writing skills or maybe some kind of thing that I should display some emotions, and I was able to do that. So journey was smooth, no doubt. I don't say that I started 3 years back. I think it has started long back when I was child, I think.

Yeah, right. And since I am very close to the launch, I'm gonna ask you this question. What was your feeling when your book was getting launched, did you also have jitters, or it was like you were always confident it's gonna be a bestseller?

At that time, I was not at all confident that it is going to— I was just happy that yes, my book got published. I remember when my publisher sent me those, no, books that they give as, you know, author copies. Yeah, yeah, author copies. And when it came to my home and my son was like— and I, I have means, I have asked for a lot of books like around 100 books I have asked, means I, means I want that. And my son was like, Mama, is it possible? Like, your picture on the books. That was a moment when your son is really feeling proud of you.

Yeah.

And yeah, that was, yes. And then I, I launched book, and even it was a grand launching when I did, for at least for She Met Life, because Life at the Crossroads, when I launched, it was Corona period, so I didn't go for any physical thing and all. But for Yes, I, I went for a huge function and it was— means everybody, even when I spoke about my book, everybody loved it. And I remember that day was the beautiful day in my life when I shared the stage even with Swaraj Singh, where he— yeah, so where we both did something. He was doing something and I was like, uh, I launched my book. It was the wonderful day of my life. Yeah, the 2nd October 2019.

Wow, wow. 2nd October 2019. Okay, it's gonna be 2nd November 2021 for me at least. But irony is that I still don't have the author copy. The international shipping takes its own time. I think one of my, yeah, one of my readers has already got a physical copy while I'm still waiting for that to arrive in UK. But yeah, this is life. Yeah, it's— that's how it goes. So tell us a little bit more about She Met Life. What, what is the story behind the She Met Life and what exactly you are trying to accomplish with that book?

Yeah, yeah, She Met Life, you know, it tries to give a lesson of transformation. It going to get— it is going to give a lot of hope, positivity. It is going to give you all the blessings like you need in life when especially when you are down, when you feel that life, everything is going against you, when you feel destiny is against you. But how to keep moving even if the destiny is against you, if the people around is against you, if the situation, everything is against you. That going— that book is going to give you that support, that positivity, and what to do in fact to come out of any situation. Though it was a situation that Sophia, the main character, has faced in the book, But if means if any one of you, like my viewers, like I want to say any one of you is facing any kind of situation, you will find out how to come out of it, how Sophia came out of it. And she had given even practical lessons what she did. So this, the book is going to give you a lot of hope, positivity, and how to come out of your bad things in your life. When, you know, destiny is pulling you down and you really want, I, I will shoot myself, and how Sophia did this was, this the book is going to tell you.

Yeah, and I've read that and I love the ending part of, to say, last 15-20% of the book. That was amazing. So yeah, I'm not gonna reveal any secret for the viewers, but you should go and check it out. It's an amazing book. And I say that because I, I, I'm not a fiction reader, for say, I've not read any fiction except She Met Life in like last 10-15 years or so. I used to be, when I used to be in college, it used to be Sidney Sheldon, Dan Brown fan. But after that I have rarely read any fiction books. So I, after a long, long time, I read 3 Met Life and it did not disappoint me. So thank you for that. Now, uh, tell us about What Is Life at Crossroads. I believe it's, it's recently launched, right? Not too long.

Yes, yes, yes. Life at the Red Crossroads is all about same the guy, means he had faced a lot in his life and he had, he was facing a lot of, you know, losses in his business. And he also too came to a point where he felt like where his dreams were shattered. But then he met one of his friends who changed his life. Now, how that man, his friend, changed his life is, uh, is, you know, amalgamation of 5 real life stories. Means his friend made him to meet 5 people who really had come over, overcame those situations And then he want to like— the book conveys this message that how by making a decision and just sticking to your decision, you can rock your life. It's all about choose and cling. Means in life we come across a lot at the crossroads, means we never understand which decision is right. I mean, sometimes it happens, we never understand that which, which road is correct for me. But here the book says choose any one of it because no decision is wrong. It's your willpower, it's your, you know, internal determination that can make your choice the best for you. So choose anything, whatever you have chosen, cling to it, remain cling to it, and definitely, you know, life will bless you with success with whatever you want. So choose and cling is the main motto of this book, Life at the Red Crossroads. Life at the Red Crossroads means You are at a crossroad, but choose any of the road and just keep moving. Keep moving.

Wow, that sounds so interesting. I'll definitely get a copy once I'm available. Now, I do have to say, when you were narrating this, I— it did remind me of Robin Sharma's book. And I'm not trying to find a parallel or anything, but I have read his book, The Leader Who Had No Title. In that, you have 4 different personalities, and the person who's going through the crisis and trying to learn the leadership lesson. Uh, his mentor takes him to the 4 different people who are not so-called big, but they have achieved so much in life, and he, he learns from that. So yeah, kind of parallel which came when you were speaking about that came to my mind.

That book only inspired me to write Life at the Red Crossroads. And yes, but the thing is, here you will find true life stories, you know, people, those even, uh, there are, uh, means I, I can tell you, if you people can even Google right now, Bunch of Fools You know, this is an organization in, uh, Raipur, and how they took the decision of keeping their city clean. Until today they are cleaning it. And even there is a story of a teacher, a math teacher, who is just 2.5 feet tall, and how he took his decision in life. And today he is rocking in his city as one of the greatest teacher. And the third story, the story is all about transgender also, whose parents have— means they have thrown her out of her family at the age of 14, but then she rocked. And how she made— like, she's, uh, she didn't reveal her identity in the book, but how she became, you know, a savior for not only herself but to the people, you know, of her community also. And there is also the story of a guy who was thrown out of his house by his father because of his extravagant nature, but then how he rocked. And today he is helping his family, is one of the richest person of his city. So these are true life stories that how means they have faced something and how they took decision and how they rocked their lives. So the book is all about purpose, means how even you can, you know, enhance your financial mindset also. The book is all about means your mindset. So this book is really— I love Life at the Red Crossroads also. If you really want to get motivated, now the book is for you all.

Awesome, awesome. Thank you. Now I do have to ask this question. I asked this question earlier with Kanika and Shefali, who are the authors that I invited. Now, what is your writing process? Do— are you like a consistent writer, every day writing a few pages at particular time, or you are like more of a spontaneous writer that, no, whenever you feel like, okay, I need to write something, you'll grab a pen and paper and write something and then move on? So what is your writing process?

Yeah, you know what, now after 3 to 4 years of writing, I feel that my writing stages, you know, it, it has gone a lot of, you know, ups and downs. When I started writing She Met Life, because I knew it wasn't easy for, you know, first-time writer, how to go it. Then at that time I had made a goal for me, like 200 to 300 words every day I'll jot down, whatever be. And I fixed a time for me. Similarly for Life at the Red Crossroads, I did like that because I have 5 stories. So I chose like, yes, one story I'm gonna finish in 1 to 2 months. Like I give myself this time, or I'll share it with my mentor or my friend to whom, like, you know, he was reading my drafts also. But now, right now, the book I am working on, I feel like I should write this book whenever I feel like writing. And, and even the people, those who are reading, like my friend or something, they were like, this book is gonna be a magnum opus, and I don't want that. Like, you should fix some goal for it, or, you know, do something like that, that you're gonna write in hurry. Take 1 or 2 years. But the way you are writing right now, this book, this may prove a turning point in your— maybe, I don't know what may happen to the book, but yes, those people, those are reading draft, they are saying me. And this may be because I am writing in a free mode, means free, you know, mindset, because I'm not setting any goal. You know, sometimes when you set goals, no, you are anxious and you anyhow try to complete. And this book I'm writing whenever I feel like, yes, today is— I'm in a mood And then I don't even think of time, whether 1 hour, 2 hours, 3 hours, then I keep on writing for that. Yeah. Cool.

Cool. I think we all evolve with the way we start writing. Yes. Is the thing. And that's your mantra as well. Involve to evolve.

Involve to evolve. Yes.

Awesome. Now I know we have limited time and as much as I would like to talk to you, we can talk for a few more hours. I'll have to end this. So I'm gonna ask you one last question. What is your message for anyone who is— who's the reader of Small Town Bigger Dreams? What is that one message Sweta Maheshwari wants to give to the reader of Small Town Bigger Dreams?

Yeah, definitely. I would like to give— means the message the book, the title of the book is giving itself, you know, Small Town, Small Town Bigger Dreams. I too belong to a very, very small town, and you know, earlier there were times when we small town people used to feel, yeah, it's not possible for us. You know, big city people, they can do. But yes, now Haritosh, you have proved it. And somewhere I can say I am also on the same roads. So guys, just keep dreaming, keep dreaming. Don't think from where you belong to, what your roots are, or even whatever the situation you are facing. Just involve to evolve. Have big dreams, even, you know, and involve yourself in those dreams and achieve it. And this is what Haritosh— I know because I have read your book also. The lessons, 21 lessons that you have given through your book is saying the same thing.

Yeah, absolutely. Thank you so much, Sweta. It was indeed an honor and pleasure to have you. Uh, really love the conversation, so I'm, I'm dying to talk more, but we don't have time. So we'll definitely find out some more time.

Yeah, sure, definitely. We'll keep on talking.

Yeah, and we do keep talking. I feel like every other occasion we keep talking, but Yeah, thank you so much. Somewhere, some places, some panel discussion, some meeting. But yeah, so thank you so much once again, Sweta. And this was Sweta Maheshwari Live for my 21-day quest to launch our Small Town Bigger Dreams, which is launching tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow is the day.

Uh, so I think White Falcon is your publisher.

Yes, yes, yes, White Falcon. They are amazing.

They are amazing, amazing people. Yes.

Yeah, I wanted to ask them to come and join us live, but it seems the festival time is going on. But I will get them sometime. Uh, the services have been amazing. So that's another topic for another day. But yes, until next live, keep learning, keep growing, and keep going out of your comfort zone. This is Haritosh Srivastav. I'll be back tomorrow for sure with some more amazing things to come and with the launch of Small town, bigger dreams. Take care and stay safe.