EP #134: Meena Kothandaraman - Experience Strategist At twig+fish, Graduate Lecturer & Proud Canadian Bostonian

Meena Kothandaraman ( @meena_ko ) is an Experience Strategist at twig+fish, UX Expert, a long-time graduate lecturer at Bentley University ( @bentleyu ) and a proud Canadian Bostonian.

She joins Ara on this episode of #TheTamilCreator to discuss growing up in Ottawa with Indian-Tamil roots, how she enhances users experiences and the importance of connecting to peoples’ stories, how her & her business partner came up with the twig+fish name, why the education system needs to change, her creative endeavours (a children’s book and cooking show), and so much more.

Follow Meena:
- LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/meenakothandaraman/)    

Timestamps

00:19: Ara introduces this week’s guest, Meena Kothandaraman
00:40: Meena speaks on her early childhood; the impact of her parents
03:29: Indian-Tamils and Sri-Lankan Tamils
05:09: Moving from Canada to the United States for education
06:40: Meena speaks on her siblings
08:02: What her parents did to strengthen Meena’s bond with her siblings
09:22: How she named her company and designation
14:40: Why she chose her career field; the rise of UX
18:22: Should you follow your passion or something you’re good at?
21:54: Balancing her entrepreneurial efforts and lecturing at Bentley University
25:51: Do both roles go hand-in-hand to bolster her credibility?
29:18: Meena explains the ‘NCredible Framework’
32:07: Writing 10 children’s books and hosting a cooking show
39:29: Innately being an adventurer; wanting to try different things
40:17: Advice she would give her 16-year-old self
41:33: The legacy she wants to be remembered for by friends and family
42:42: Creator Confessions
55:57: Advice for Tamil creators
58:39: The Wrap Up

Intro Music

Produced And Mixed By:
- The Tamil Creator
- Yanchan

Written By:
- Aravinthan Ehamparam
- Yanchan Rajmohan