Championing Cheer
Travel+Leisure India|May 2024
Fostering mindful atmospheres within corporate environments, Dr Sharon Rajkumar stands as a beacon of positivity, guiding others towards a more fulfilling and balanced life. In a candid chat, the TEDx speaker shares her journey with Kiara Sengupta, on how serendipity led her to become the first happiness evangelist in India.
Kiara Sengupta
Championing Cheer

What inspired you to become a happiness evangelist?

While wrapping up my PhD, I stumbled upon the news of Ashok Soota starting Happiest Minds. Intrigued by the concept of a company focussed on happiness, I sent in my resumé and a paper I had written on leadership and happiness. Shortly after, I met him and we discussed the company's focus on SMILES (Sharing, Mindful, Integrity, Learning, Excellence, and Social responsibility) as their core values and its mission: 'Happiest People. Happiest Customers.' He encouraged me to define a suitable title and role for myself. Advocating for happiness as a core value and differentiator, I took a week to craft the proposal. Drawing parallels with technology and learning evangelists, I chose the position of 'Happiness Evangelist', a first-of-its-kind title in the industry.

How has the perception of happiness evolved?

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