Unshackled: An Immigrant’s Guide to Thriving in the US | Soundarya Balasubramani - E18

Soundarya Balasubramani, an NIT Trichy and Columbia graduate, writer, and founder of Unshackled.club, details her journey from India to the U.S. Her career shifts from Salesforce to entrepreneurship, and even ventures into writing, including her blog Curious Maverick and books 'Admitted' and 'Unshackled'. The discussion spans her motivations, the importance of writing in her professional growth, insights into self-publishing, navigating U.S. immigration, and her latest decision to step back from Unshackled.club to focus on writing. Soundarya provides valuable advice for immigrant entrepreneurs and shares her vision for her next writing project, leveraging her experiences and challenges to guide and inspire others in their personal and professional journeys. 

Key Takeaways:

• The persistence and resilience it takes to navigate the hardships of U.S. immigration
• What to consider when applying for an O1 visa
• The power of writing a journal for clarity of thought, problem-solving and emotional processing and the app that’ll make it easy to maintain
• Understanding the book writing process and marketing as a self publishing author
• How to strategically use social media to market yourself
• The act of writing on paper, particularly journaling, serves as a powerful tool for 

Key Timestamps:

• (00:00) Meet Soundarya: A Journey from India to Authorship
• (03:10) The Power of Writing: From Personal Therapy to Professional Tool
• (08:21) The Transition from Corporate to Creative: Soundarya's Leap into Authorship
• (15:51) Navigating the Complex World of Self-Publishing and Editing
• (21:30) The O-1 Visa Saga: A Tale of Persistence and Resilience
• (26:29) A Return to Roots: Soundarya's Time in India and Reflections on Life
• (30:27) Comparing the Self-Publishing Journeys of 'Admitted' and 'Unshackled'
• (38:30) Immigration: From Application to Approval
• (47:47) Transitioning Roles: From Founder to Writer
• (51:50) Support Systems and Startup Tech Stack: A Founder's Toolkit
• (56:42) Final Thoughts and Future Projects

Key Topics Discussed:

Journaling, author, legal immigration system, ONA visa, O1 visa, H1B, L1, EB2 National Interest Waiver, RFE, Unshackled

Mentions:

Website: https://www.unshackled.club/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/soundarya-balasubramani/

Unshackled: A Practical Guide For Highly-Skilled Immigrants To Thrive In The United States

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