The Art Of Imperfect Adulting
The Art Of Imperfect Adulting
Podcast Description
Real life doesn't come with an instruction manual, and most of our stories don't fit neatly into highlight reels or cautionary tales. Welcome to The Art of Imperfect Adulting, where we explore the beautiful mess of real life decisions that shape who we become.
In a world dominated by picture-perfect social media posts and dramatic reality TV extremes, this show carves out a space for the rest of us – the everyday adults working to figure things out as we go. Each episode features honest conversations with guests sharing their personal stories about the choices, changes, and challenges that defined their journey.
These aren't stories of flawless triumph or epic disaster. They're real accounts of life's pivotal moments – both big and small. From choosing an unconventional path and setting unexpected boundaries to moving across the country or completely reinventing yourself, we dive into the decisions that seemed simple at the time but changed everything.
Host Amy Stone brings warmth and authenticity to each conversation, drawing out the subtle turning points and quiet revelations that make up the tapestry of adult life. Whether it's a career pivot, a personal transformation, or simply choosing to do things differently, these stories remind us that there's no single "right way" to navigate life's challenges.
What makes this show different? We celebrate the middle ground – the space where most of us actually live. Our guests aren't always gurus or influencers; they're real people sharing real experiences. They're the "adultier adults" who've walked similar paths and can offer insights from the other side of change.
You'll hear about:
The small decisions that led to big changes
The moments of doubt and breakthrough
The unexpected wisdom gained from "wrong" turns
The reality of change versus the fantasy of perfection
The ripple effects of choosing your own path
Perfect for listeners who:
Are navigating life's transitions
Feel stuck between where they are and where they want to be
Love hearing real stories from real people
Are looking for inspiration without the pressure of perfection
Want to feel less alone in their adult journey
Join us for conversations that will make you feel seen, understood, and inspired to embrace your own imperfect journey. Because sometimes the best stories come from the moments when life doesn't go according to plan.
Follow The Art of Imperfect Adulting wherever you get your podcasts and join us at http://www.imperfectadulting.com
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores themes of personal transformation, resilience, and navigating life's complexities through honest discussions. Episodes cover a variety of topics, such as transitioning through grief, managing chronic stress, redefining success in parenting, and overcoming cultural barriers, with guests sharing their unique journeys and insights.
Welcome to The Art of Imperfect Adulting. This is a show where we explore the beautiful mess of real-life decisions that shape who we become.
Real life doesn’t come with an instruction manual. Most of us make decisions without as much information or confidence as we’d like, and our stories don’t fit neatly into highlight reels or cautionary tales.
In a world of picture-perfect posts and reality TV extremes, this show carves out space for everyday adults figuring things out as we go. Each episode features honest conversations with guests sharing the choices, changes, and challenges that defined their journey.
These aren’t stories of flawless triumph or epic disaster. They’re real accounts of life’s pivotal moments, big and small. From choosing unconventional paths and setting unexpected boundaries to moving cross-country or reinventing yourself entirely, we explore decisions that seemed simple at the time but changed everything.
Your host is Amy Stone. She’s an adult herself—mortgage, stretch marks, and wisdom highlights to prove it. Amy brings warmth and authenticity to each conversation, drawing out the subtle turning points and quiet revelations that make up adult life. Whether it’s a career pivot, personal transformation, comeback story, or simply choosing to do things differently, these conversations remind us there’s no single “right way” to navigate life’s challenges.
Our guests aren’t gurus or influencers. Instead, they’re real people sharing real experiences. The “adultier adults” who’ve walked similar paths and can offer insights from the other side of change.
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and join us at https://www.imperfectadulting.com
In this episode of The Art of Imperfect Adulting, Amy Stone speaks with Pallavi Pande about building a supportive community as a South Asian immigrant mom and entrepreneur in Portland, Oregon. The discussion shines a light on the realities of starting over in a new place, the importance of vulnerability, and how taking the first small step toward connection can lead to lasting impact.
Pallavi Pande is a BIPOC mompreneur and the founder of DTOCS, a brand offering classy, compostable single-use tableware for events. Through her firm, DTOCS Consulting, she helps other brands grow on Amazon. She also leads a 2,000+ member South Asian moms group in Oregon. A Tory Burch Foundation Fellow and an honoree on Inc.’s list of fastest-growing companies, Pallavi serves on the board of Naturally Seattle. When she’s not building businesses or mentoring founders, you’ll likely find her dancing Zumba or sipping wine—always championing People, Planet, and Parties.
Main Topics Covered:
- Overcoming the isolation of relocating and reinventing yourself in a new city as an immigrant.
- Postpartum depression and the power of vulnerability in reaching out for help.
- Building community for South Asian women through “Portland Brown Mommies” to address culture-specific needs.
- The evolution of an online community into deep, multigenerational in-person friendships and support.
- Using feedback and responsiveness to keep community events relevant, safe, and engaging.
- Transitioning from social connection to business mentorship: supporting South Asian women entrepreneurs.
- Mindset, habit change, and resilience in overcoming rejection—personally and professionally.
- How community supported Pallavi’s entrepreneurial journey with DTOCS compostable tableware.
Quote from the Episode:
“So I went with the vision I had, which was, there’s nobody for me. How can I change that narrative? How can I be there for somebody else who’s like me, who’s trying to move, who has million of questions…” — Pallavi Pande
Timestamps: [00:00:06] Welcome & quick intros; Pallavi shares her Portland home [00:00:38] Navigating life in rainy Portland and fitting in daily movement [00:01:18] Pallavi’s three focuses: moving, overcoming rejection, building community [00:01:43] Pallavi’s migration: marrying young, moving from India to Ohio, then Oregon [00:04:12] Facing postpartum depression, loneliness, and the search for cultural connection [00:05:08] The spark of finding community online and creating “Portland Brown Mommies” [00:07:27] Diversity and inclusivity experiences in Oregon [00:08:05] Loneliness, pandemic impact, and the choice to take action [00:10:02] Mechanics of building an online-to-offline local mom community [00:12:13] Event planning by consensus and member feedback [00:13:43] Advice for those feeling lonely: why Pallavi didn’t just “join a club” [00:16:10] Taking the first baby step: how the group started with a single Facebook post [00:18:48] Tying community-building to entrepreneurship and DTOCS [00:21:03] From social group to business mentor network for South Asian women [00:24:34] Rejection, resilience, and pivoting toward progress [00:28:36] Pallavi’s passion for LinkedIn and how to connect with her/DTOCS [00:30:50] Rapid fire: morning routines, family priorities, and world travel tips [00:36:45] Closing and gratitude for Pallavi’s insights
ABOUT THE SHOW: The Art of Imperfect Adulting elevates the voices of experience by sharing real stories from real people figuring out adult life. Every episode features honest conversations about life’s choices, changes, and challenges—interviews with individuals (not celebrities) who share their personal experiences and insights. Through these authentic stories, listeners find validation, motivation, and inspiration for navigating their own path through modern life. Because there’s a big difference between expert advice and shared experience, and hearing another person’s lived experience helps us feel less alone in our own situations.
CONNECT WITH THE GUEST:www.dtocs.com
GET PALLAVI PANDE’S SPECIAL OFFER: Use coupon code DTOCS10 at checkout on our website – https://www.dtocs.com, for 10% off and free shipping
Note from the show: Guest offers are almost always limited-time and limited quantity. If you have any trouble redeeming the offer please reach out directly to the guest for support.
Join the conversation on social. Find the Art of Imperfect Adulting on Instagram @theartof_imperfect_adulting YouTube @imperfectadulting and TikTok @imperfectadulting
If you love the show and you’d like to support it directly you can tip the host here https://imperfect-adulting.captivate.fm/support
If you have a story to share and you’d like to be a guest on The Art of Imperfect Adulting, here are the steps for how you can make that happen. Click here and pitch yourself.
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Here are a few resources that Amy uses to make all this great content. These are affiliate links :-)
Podcast hosting and distribution: Captivate FM
Website hosting with Siteground
Ai Transcription Tool: Castmagic
For Email I recently switched to Beehiiv before that I used Kit.
Online Shopping Cart: ThriveCart
Networking and support with Entreprenista League
Connection with Polka Dot Powerhouse
Books I like and books written by show guests on Bookshop.org
Grab a $20 coupon for Nutrafol here
Do you need a bank account? Ally
Disclaimer
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