In this episode of Be Anomalous, Aparna Piramal Raje joins me for a rare, deeply honest conversation about ambition, mental health, and what it actually takes to redefine success on your own terms.
Aparna grew up in Mumbai, studied at Oxford and Harvard, and became a CEO in her twenties — following a path many of us are taught to admire and aspire to.
From the outside, it looked like success. But inside, something wasn’t adding up.
Aparna lives with bipolar disorder, and for over two decades, she has navigated manic episodes, depression, long periods of remission, and the quiet, daily work of building a life that prioritizes sustainability over validation.
Most people don’t talk about what happens when the “right” path starts costing you your well-being. Aparna does.
She doesn’t romanticize struggle. She doesn’t simplify mental health. Instead, she offers a clear, grounded look at what it means to stop living by the outer scorecard — titles, credentials, approval — and start trusting an inner one rooted in meaning, craftsmanship, and care.
In this conversation, we talk about leadership as a set of everyday habits, not heroic moments. About mental health as a medical condition — not a personality flaw. And about the courage it takes to choose success that actually fits the life you want to live.
If you’ve ever felt like you were doing everything “right” and still felt deeply misaligned — this episode is for you.
🎧 Listen to the episode:
What You’ll Learn
Why mental health is so often mistaken for a personality problem
What it feels like when even professionals don’t have clear answers yet
The difference between the outer scorecard and the inner scorecard
How leadership is shaped by habits, energy, and relationships
What real support looks like — beyond crisis moments
Why sustainability matters more than spectacle
How to redefine ambition without abandoning it
Favorite Quote
“There is a pleasure in being mad, which few but mad men know.”
Favorite Book
📖 How Will You Measure Your Life?
A book that helped Aparna rethink success beyond external achievement and focus instead on meaning, values, and long-term fulfillment.
In This Episode, We Cover
(00:00) Introducing Aparna — beyond titles and credentials
(03:00) Growing up with expectations and ambition
(07:00) Living with bipolar disorder and early denial
(12:00) Mental health as a medical condition, not a flaw
(16:00) Harvard, ambition, and the pressure to be “normal.”
(21:00) Leadership as habits, not heroic moments
(26:00) The outer scorecard vs. the inner scorecard
(32:00) Support systems and “daily download friends.”
(38:00) Writing Chemical Khichdi
(44:00) Redefining success through craftsmanship
(50:00) Advice for young founders and leaders
Referenced in This Episode
Chemical Khichdi — Aparna’s memoir on living with bipolar disorder
Working Out of the Box — leadership through habits and workspaces
Fear to Empowerment | Aparna Piramal Raje | TEDxChitkaraUniversityHP
How the words we use can heal our minds | Aparna Piramal Raje | TEDxAnantU
New episodes drop every Monday and Thursday.
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