Half Indian, Half Normal

The Stories We Tell Ourselves

What happens when you say something as a joke…

and then realise it reveals something much deeper?

Writer and poet Ramanique Ahluwalia joins me for an honest, powerful conversation about identity, belonging, and the quiet pressures that shape us.

From growing up between cultures to navigating sexuality without the words to describe it, this episode is full of moments that will stay with you.

What we cover:

🔥 Joking about being "half normal"

and why it was a painful moment.

🔥 Fitting in vs. being yourself

the messy reality of figuring it all out.

🔥 The pressure to conform

why we seek validation, even when it hurts us.

🔥 Taking back pride

the joy of a defaced Pride flag protest.

🔥 Owning her identity on her terms

why it took years to feel like her full self.

Real human stories have the power to change

How we see ourselves and each other.

This episode is for anyone

Who has ever felt ‘not enough’:

Not Indian enough,

Not straight enough,

Not anything enough.

And for those who want to understand the world through someone else’s eyes.

🎧 Listen now.

Listen on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-class-of-their-own/id1732288997
Watch on:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@aclassoftheirownpodcast/podcasts
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7Apq2pSbmvytPjABrlidpN?si=4d62eba56abb45ad
Social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aclassoftheirownpodcast/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aclassoftheirownpodcast
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aclassoftheirownpodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aclassoftheirownpodcast
Website:
https://www.aclassoftheirownpodcast.com
Host: Mira Magecha
https://www.linkedin.com/in/miramagecha
https://www.instagram.com/mira_magecha
Creative Director: Alex Payne
https://www.instagram.com/alexjamespayne
Editor: Josh Partridge
https://www.instagram.com/joshfilmmaker
Music: Jay Witsey
https://www.instagram.com/jay.witsey
Episode bought to you by: Trust Lab formerly play for change
https://www.trustlabhq.com
https://www.instagram.com/trustlabhq
https://www.linkedin.com/company/trustlabhq

Ever feel like you're just making it up as you go?

You're not alone.

What happens when you stop chasing what you should do.

And start figuring out what actually makes you happy?

Dave Buonaguidi is back.

From career highs and failures to social media, money, and the strange stigma of just being happy, this conversation goes deep (with a few Pringles analogies thrown in).

It's as raw, funny and unexpectedly deep as the first.

We talk about midlife wake-up calls, creative risks, and why some people look like they want to punch you in the face when you say you’re happy.

From social media chaos to the 80 summers rule.

This one’s packed with the kind of insights that hit you days later.

We talk about:

🔹 Happiness guilt:Why people don’t trust it when you say you’re doing great

🔹 Purpose vs. ambition:

Using drive for something meaningful, not just more work.

🔹 Midlife wake-up calls:

When your priorities shift and everything looks different.

🔹 Creative satisfaction:

Why making things (even badly) matters more than success.

🔹 The 80 summers rule:

A perspective shift that might change everything.

It’s honest, funny, and packed with insights you’ll want to sit with.

No life hacks, no fluffy motivation, just a real conversation about what makes life feel good.

*** Contains swearing ***

Listen on Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-class-of-their-own/id1732288997

Watch on:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@aclassoftheirownpodcast/podcasts

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7Apq2pSbmvytPjABrlidpN?si=4d62eba56abb45ad

Social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aclassoftheirownpodcast

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aclassoftheirownpodcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aclassoftheirownpodcast

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aclassoftheirownpodcast

Website:https://www.aclassoftheirownpodcast.com

Host: Mira Magecha

https://www.linkedin.com/in/miramagecha

https://www.instagram.com/mira_magecha

Creative Director: Alex Payne

https://www.instagram.com/alexjamespayne

Editor: Josh Partridge

https://www.instagram.com/joshfilmmaker

Music: Jay Witsey

https://www.instagram.com/jay.witsey

Episode bought to you by:

Trust Lab formerly play for change

https://www.trustlabhq.com

https://www.instagram.com/trustlabhq

https://www.linkedin.com/company/trustlabhq

Would you let Fear hold you back?

If it was the only thing standing between you and the life you want.

In part two, Nishma Patel Robb gets brutally honest about ambition, reinvention, and finally backing herself.

🔥 From blagging her way into a dream job to leading at Google.

- She shares the hustle, the fear, and the reality

💰 "Without money, you don’t have choice"

- The mindset that shaped everything

📖 Work bucket lists & big pivots

- Taking the risk from financial security at 50

💔 A breakup before the bitterness

- Ending her marriage the right way

👊 Fighting the gremlins

- Self-doubt, confidence, and getting out of her own way

No sugarcoating, no clichés, just the real, messy, and sometimes terrifying path to building a life on your terms.

Turning 50 the milestone for change.

Listen on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-class-of-their-own/id1732288997
Watch on:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@aclassoftheirownpodcast/podcasts
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7Apq2pSbmvytPjABrlidpN?si=4d62eba56abb45ad
Social media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aclassoftheirownpodcast/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aclassoftheirownpodcast
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aclassoftheirownpodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aclassoftheirownpodcast
Website:
https://www.playforchange.co.uk/aclassoftheirownpodcast
Host: Mira Magecha
https://www.linkedin.com/in/miramagecha
https://www.instagram.com/mira_magecha
Creative Director: Alex Payne
https://www.instagram.com/alexjamespayne
Editor: Josh Partridge
https://www.instagram.com/joshfilmmaker
Music: Jay Witsey
https://www.instagram.com/jay.witsey

Episode bought to you by:

Trust Lab formerly play for change

https://www.trustlabhq.com

https://www.instagram.com/trustlabhq

https://www.linkedin.com/company/trustlabhq