While editing, we made a change in the opening sequence - because you need to know the risks that Namrata took

From Boardrooms to Cheeseboards: How Curiosity Built an Unconventional Career

What happens when a management consultant with a successful corporate career decides to follow an unexpected passion and ends up building an award-winning artisanal cheese brand in Chennai?

In this episode of My First Job, we sit down with Namrata Sundaresan, co-founder of Kase Cheese, to explore a career journey that defies conventional expectations. From studying engineering and management, working in HR, marketing, research, and consulting, to discovering the art and science of cheesemaking, Namrata's story is a masterclass in curiosity, reinvention, and lifelong learning.

This conversation goes far beyond cheese. It explores how careers evolve when we remain open to opportunities, embrace experimentation, and allow our interests to guide us toward meaningful work. Namrata shares how travel, food, entrepreneurship, personal loss, and a willingness to keep learning helped her discover a craft that eventually became a thriving business with social impact at its core.

You'll learn how an unconventional idea became a scalable enterprise, why curiosity is one of the most valuable career skills, how artisan businesses can create sustainable livelihoods, and why success often comes from being willing to receive opportunities—not just seek them.

If you've ever wondered whether it's possible to build a career outside traditional paths, transition into a completely new field, or turn a passion into a business, this episode offers inspiration, practical insights, and a fresh perspective on what a successful career can look like.

Listen now to discover why some of the most rewarding careers are the ones nobody plans for.

What does a career in logistics really look like? How do products move across countries, industries, and continents? And what does it take to go from selling photocopiers to helping launch a cargo airline?

In this episode of My First Job, we speak with Kochat Narendran, a logistics and supply chain professional with more than 35 years of experience across automation, consumer electronics, freight forwarding, express logistics, and aviation.

Narendran shares how an unexpected career path led him into one of the world's most essential industries. From his early days at Xerox learning the fundamentals of sales and customer relationships, to helping build market-leading logistics businesses, he explains the skills that matter most in a rapidly changing world.

This conversation explores careers in logistics, supply chain management, freight forwarding, cargo transportation, international trade, sales, operations, and leadership. Narendran discusses how technology has transformed logistics, why relationship-building remains a competitive advantage, and how young professionals can create long-term career growth through adaptability and continuous learning.

You will also hear fascinating behind-the-scenes stories about global cargo movement, managing large operational teams, handling crises, building business networks, and the complex process of sourcing and launching cargo aircraft.

Whether you are a student considering an MBA in Logistics, a young professional exploring supply chain careers, or someone interested in how global commerce actually works, this episode offers practical insights, career advice, and real-world lessons from decades of industry experience.

Key Topics: Logistics careers, supply chain management, freight forwarding, cargo airlines, international shipping, sales skills, networking, leadership, aviation logistics, career development, operations management, and future opportunities in India's growing logistics sector.

What does it take to build a successful career when you don't come from privilege, don't speak fluent English, and don't have a clear roadmap for success?

In this episode of My First Job, we speak with Karaiadiselvan S., Managing Director of CADD Centre, whose journey offers powerful lessons for students, graduates, engineers, entrepreneurs, and young professionals navigating today's uncertain job market.

Rather than focusing solely on his rise from trainee engineer to business leader, this conversation explores the principles that created long-term success: continuous learning, adaptability, resilience, communication skills, entrepreneurship, and the courage to pursue opportunities others overlook.

Karaiadiselvan shares how a simple conversation with an HR manager changed the direction of his career, why he chose learning over salary, how he overcame the challenge of studying in Tamil medium, and the mindset that helped transform a small training organization into a global network that has trained over 1.5 million professionals.

Whether you're exploring engineering careers in India, looking for career guidance after college, wondering how to develop employability skills, or considering entrepreneurship as a career path, this episode offers practical advice that remains relevant regardless of industry or technology trends.

You'll learn:

• How to make better career decisions in your 20s
• Why learning compounds faster than salary increases
• The value of staying long enough to master a craft
• How communication skills can accelerate career growth
• What employers look for beyond qualifications
• Why successful people create opportunities instead of waiting for them
• How to build a meaningful and future-proof career

If you're a student, graduate, engineer, or young professional searching for real-world career advice, this episode provides insights that can help shape your next decade of growth.

Subscribe to My First Job for conversations that help you make smarter career choices and learn from people who have built extraordinary careers from ordinary beginnings.