Episode 1: The Wake-Up Call That Changed Everything

What happens when the body—after years of whispering—finally yells “no”? In this deeply personal and powerful premiere episode, host Sweta Vikram shares the story behind The Grounded Leader. From climbing mountains in Central Europe to being confined to a couch, from receiving awards to being put on the cancer watch list—Sweta reveals the physical, emotional, and spiritual unraveling that forced her to redefine success, leadership, and well-being.

This is more than a health story. It’s a leadership story.
It’s a wake-up call for anyone who looks put-together on the outside but feels out of sync within.

Through Ayurveda—India’s 5,000-year-old science of life—Sweta found not just healing, but a roadmap for sustainable success. And she’s here to share it with you.

If you’ve ever thought:

• “I should be happy, but I’m exhausted.”
• “I’m successful—but I feel disconnected from myself.”
• “There has to be a better way to lead and live…”

…you’re not alone. And you’re in the right place.

👉🏽 Subscribe now so you never miss an episode.
💬 Leave a review if something resonates—it helps other grounded leaders find us.
📤 Share this episode with someone who needs a reminder that health is their greatest leadership asset.
🔗 Explore these Ayurvedic tools and free resources to begin your own wellness journey today.

Let’s walk this path together—because you don’t have to choose between excellence and well-being.

If you are looking for advice from a trained yogi and Ayurvedic Doctor, contact Sweta here.

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Disclaimer: The content is purely informative and educational in nature and should not be construed as medical advice. The information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. Please use the content only in consultation with an appropriate certified medical or healthcare professional. If you are nursing, taking medications, or have a medical condition, please consult with your health care practitioner prior to the use of any of these herbs.

Episode Transcript

Sweta Vikram (00:09):
Welcome to The Grounded Leader, Ayurvedic
wellness for leaders who want tosucceed from a place of
balance.
A podcast where ancientpractices meet ambitious goals
to help you operate withstrength, clarity and grounded
intention.
I'm your host Shweta Vikram, anAyurvedic doctor,
trauma-informed yoga teacher,award-winning author,

(00:32):
mindfulness coach and corporatewellness speaker, adjunct
professor, and a lifelongstudent of what it really means
to lead with clarity, purpose,and peace.
Each week, we'll exploreholistic wellness, how to excel
in authentic leadership, andlive with balance and purpose.
Let's dive in.

(00:53):
This podcast is born from avery personal place.
In the late 2000s, I was thehead of marketing for a large
nonprofit.
One day, I couldn't get out ofbed.
Now, we thought I'd broken myneck.
My husband had to carry me inhis arms to the doctor's office
while I was like in a nightgown.
Turns out, due to stress, I hadpulled out a nerve and lost

(01:17):
mobility in the body.
Courtesan shots and severaldoctor visits later, I met this
compassionate practitioner, aWestern medicine practitioner,
who told me that there wasalways a possibility that I
would end up in a wheelchair.
So to give you the background,While most doctors recommended I
get a surgery, she advised meagainst it.

(01:39):
Learn to manage the stress, shereiterated.
I thought I did.
In 2018, I was hiking 20 milesthrough Central Europe, fit,
active, thriving.
I'd won one of the biggestawards of my life, Voices of the
Year Award.
Past recipients include ChelseaClinton.

(02:01):
My novel Louisiana Catch wasgetting rave reviews and I was
booking events across thecountry.
A few weeks later, I wasfighting for my life in the ER.
Just like that, everythingchanged.
Overnight, the strong woman whoexercised daily, ate organic
food, meditated religiously, didheadstands, ran a business,

(02:24):
threw dinner parties, traveledglobally.
I was that woman who was nowhomebound.
I could barely move.
You know, I saw seasons changefrom a living room.
I lost over 50 pounds in under10 weeks.
My body was shutting down.
Breathing was hard.
Eating was nearly impossible.

(02:46):
And yet on paper, I was doingeverything right.
Except I wasn't sleeping well.
Except I wasn't feeling myfeelings.
Except...
My nervous system wasdysregulated.
Except, I wasn't listening tothe whispers my body had been
trying to communicate for years.

(03:08):
So when the storm hit, both thetimes, it wasn't just physical.
It was spiritual, emotional,energetic.
This time around, I focused onwholesome healing.
Yes, surgery and medicationswere necessary intervention, but
I made up my mind that thiswasn't how I was going to live

(03:31):
and lead.
My wellness had to be at thecenter of everything on a daily
basis.
For a few years after that, Iwas on the cancer watch list.
But something remarkablehappened.
My body, the same body that hadcollapsed under pressure, began
to respond beautifully toAyurvedic lifestyle and diet.

(03:52):
My doctors and surgeons werestunned.
But I wasn't.
Because Ayurveda isn't justabout food and herbs.
It's about how we breathe, howwe think, how we grieve, how we
love, how we work, how we sleep,how we lead.
I was okay being that personwho went to bed at 9pm, learned

(04:15):
to build healthy boundaries, gotsuper comfortable saying no,
prioritized rest and recovery.
Apparently, the minute I waswheeled out of surgery, I'd
looked at my surgeon and asked,when can I go back to Zumba?
He still laughs about it.
But the truth is, that questionwasn't just about exercise.
It was about my fight for joy,for agency, for hope.

(04:40):
And I want that for you too.
From being unable to walk, Inow push 240 pounds.
From closing shop and losingclients and confidence, I've won
two entrepreneurship awards inless than a year.
One was the U.S.
Small Business Administration'sHome-Based Business Champion of

(05:00):
the Year Award.
So let me tell you who thispodcast is for.
It's for the leaders who lookpolished on the outside but feel
fractured on the inside.
The ones crushing their KPIsbut being crushed by insomnia.
The ones making decisions allday but feeling numb my night.
The ones who have masteredperformance but forgotten

(05:23):
presence.
You might be a CEO, a founder,a senior executive.
Maybe you are an HR leaderjuggling the mental health of
your entire team whileneglecting your own.
Or maybe you're ahigh-achieving entrepreneur who
hasn't had a day off in yearsBecause the mission matters too
much.
I see you.

(05:44):
Because I was you.
And here's the truth we don'ttalk about enough.
Leadership burnout is not justabout stress.
It's about a disconnection fromself.
It's about a nervous systemthat's struck in overdrive.
A gut that's inflamed.
A mind that never turns off.
And it's costing us.

(06:05):
Not just productivity orinnovation.
But our joy.
our relationships, and ourlifespan.
Ayurveda, India's5,000-year-old science of life,
teaches us that disease doesn'tshow up overnight.
It evolves, often silently, insix stages, which means if we

(06:28):
are attuned, we can intervenebefore burnout becomes disease,
before exhaustion becomesautoimmune, before sleepless
nights become a crisis.
I didn't know this when my momdied suddenly.
She was still young.
And what broke me was not justthe grief of our absence, but

(06:49):
the helplessness that came withnot understanding what went
wrong, the lack of clarity fromdoctors, and the it's just one
of those things shrug.
In Ayurveda, nothing is justone of those things.
Everything has a root cause.
Everything has a pattern.
Everything is connected.
I couldn't help my mom, but Ican help others.

(07:13):
And that's why this podcastexists.
So what can you expect here onThe Grounded Leader?
Ayurvedic wellness for leaderswho want to succeed from a place
of balance.
Each week, we'll explore theintersection of Ayurvedic wisdom
and modern leadership.
We'll talk about what yourdigestion says about your

(07:34):
leadership style.
Why your sleep schedule may besabotaging your creativity.
How unprocessed grief can showup as brain fog, joint pain or
burnout.
How to align your work rhythmwith your Ayurvedic dosha.
And how to build sustainableenergy without coffee or
cortisol.

(07:54):
You'll hear from me and fromincredible guests, leaders,
wellness experts, visionaries,other Ayurvedic practitioners
who are redefining what it meansto lead from a grounded, joyful
and authentic place.
This podcast is not about youquitting your job and moving to
a Himalayan cave.
It's about reclaiming yourbody, your mind and your

(08:18):
intuition so you can lead withclarity, compassion and
longevity.
If you've ever thought, Ishould feel happy, but I just
feel tired.
I've built a successful life,but I feel disconnected from it.
I know something is off, but Idon't know what to do.

(08:39):
You're in the right place.
The grounded leader isn't aboutperfection.
It's about coming home toyourself.
Before we wrap this episode,here's what I want to leave you
with.
You don't have to choosebetween excellence and
well-being.
You don't have to burn out tobe taken seriously.
And you don't have to do thisalone.

(09:00):
So my friends, here's your callto action.
Subscribe to this podcast soyou never miss an episode.
Leave a review if somethingresonates.
It helps other grounded leadersfind us.
Share this episode with afriend, a boss, a team member,
someone who's always giving toothers but forgetting to
receive.
And if you're ready to godeeper, check out the show notes

(09:23):
for Ayurvedic tools, journalingprompts, and resources to start
your wellness journey today.
I am so glad you're here.
Let's walk this path together.
Until next time, stay grounded,lead well, and remember, your
health is your greatestleadership asset.