Welcome to Inclusion Bites, your sanctuary for bold conversations that spark change. I'm Joanne Lockwood, your guide on this journey of exploration into the heart of inclusion, belonging and societal transformation. Ever wondered what it truly takes to create a world? Remember, everyone not only belongs, but thrives. You're not alone. Join me as we uncover the unseen, challenge the status quo and share stories that resonate deep within. Ready to dive in? Whether you're sipping your morning coffee or winding down after a long day, let's connect, reflect and inspire action together. Don't forget, you can be part of the conversation too. Reach out to jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk to share your insights or to join me on the show.

So adjust your earbuds and settle in. It's time to ignite the spark of inclusion with Inclusion Bites. And today is episode 145 with the title Genuine Stories, Empowered Connections. And I have the absolute honour and privilege to welcome Samta Datta. Sam is a brand marketing consultant who uncovers authenticity and amplifies diverse voices, helping individuals and brands shine by telling their unique, impactful stories. When I asked Sam to describe her superpower, she said that it is making connections, whether it's between people and their true selves or between a brand and its audience. Sam, welcome to the show.

Thank you so much. That's lovely. Lovely to be here talking to you, Joanne.

Pleasure. I understand you're from Mumbai in India.

Yes, I am, very much. Have you been here or are you planning to come here anytime soon?

I've never been to India, but every time I talk to somebody, they say, you must come. So I've got plenty of invites to meet for meals, coffees and give me some sightseeing. So, yeah, I will come to India one day, definitely. Yeah. Hopefully, yeah, hopefully, yeah, hopefully.

Very soon, Very soon. Yeah, very soon.

Very soon. Yeah. I'm just looking for an invite that's going to pay me, to be honest. That'd be the real. If there's a conference or a speaking opportunity that someone's going to pay for my plane ticket, I'd love to come, but anyway, I will come regardless at some point. So, Sam, let's find out a bit more about you. So Genuine Stories empower connections. Where did that come from?

That came from my entire experience of working in the world and on myself. Yeah, I mean, as I. As I was working over the number of years that I have on the brands that I have, I think one thing that I have collected beyond the experience of what you do as your job is connecting with People understanding them, understanding their insights, their pain points, their passion points. And from there, I realise at the end of it, no matter how much knowledge you have, how much value you have to offer, if you're not able to connect from that, you know, with that person, nothing that you have is appealing. So for me, connections are a very, very important part of how we exist and coexist in the world. And that connection begins with connecting with self. So, yeah, as a brand person, yes, that's something that I do as my day job, but the real job is to connect, to connect from oneself and to connect with others.

Connecting is a very human thing, isn't it?

It is.

There's absolutely we going back in time, back to our prehistoric, our Neanderthal, the evolution of the human race. We thrive through building connections. We're not a loner species, are we? We need company, we need to meet with people.

We are tribal by very instinctive nature of ours. And I think that gives us a sense of security. Connections give us a sense of security and is a part of our psychological makeup. So it indeed is something that we, we thrive in. So connecting is very, very important. And that's why, you know, if you see all around the world, the institutions that thrive are based on connection. So, I mean, that's. And you know, in.