“When food becomes more than just a meal — it becomes a movement.“
📸A Passion That Started with a Camera and a Craving
Pranali’s food journey began the way many do — with a love for food and a phone camera. What started as random food photos for fun turned into a full-fledged content creation career. Her Instagram soon filled with reels and photos of every delicious bite she captured.
More than just an explorer of cuisines, Pranali is a passionate home cook — especially when it comes to Goan recipes. From experimenting with basic ingredients to sharing simplified versions of traditional dishes, she makes cooking accessible for everyone. Her signature? That comforting, homely Goan fish curry and rice that’s always close to her heart.
🌟From Honest Reviews to Influencer Recognition
Pranali doesn’t just post — she curates. Her restaurant reviews focus only on the places she genuinely enjoys. “I’d never want to misguide my audience,” she says. Her honesty and consistency caught the attention of major platforms, leading to her empowerment as an influencer by ESG Goa and winning the Starbuzz Food Award.
🧩Balancing Content Creation with a Full-Time Job
Behind every polished reel is a long process: scripting, shooting, retakes, editing, and posting — all handled by Pranali herself. Balancing this with a 9–5 job is no small feat, but she takes it all in stride with patience and passion.
⏳The Challenges and the Cheers
The life of a content creator isn’t always glamorous. The struggle behind perfect shots, the pressure to post consistently, and the hope that content isn’t misused — these are part of the reality Pranali faces. Yet, it’s her supportive family and friends who keep her going.
🚀The Future Is Flavorful
With more collaborations on the horizon and a growing audience who trust her taste, Pranali is just getting started. As she puts it, “All I think about is food and just food.”
Papersmith began not as a business, but as a quiet hobby. Donna D’Souza, with a deep-rooted love for art and craft, spent her spare time creating handmade cards, gifts, and artworks for her close circle of friends and family. These thoughtful creations became cherished keepsakes. What started as casual gifting soon found itself at a curious crossroads. Encouraged by friends during a casual conversation, Donna created a small page to showcase her work—just for fun. She had no idea that her hobby was about to blossom into something more. People not only loved what they saw—they wanted to buy it. That’s when Papersmith began its transformation into a homegrown brand.
But building something from scratch wasn’t easy. Donna had to navigate everything from sourcing reliable vendors to understanding pricing models, packaging, timelines, and most importantly, customer expectations—all while managing every detail on her own.
💡 Inspiration in Every Corner
Where does Donna find her creative spark? Everywhere. From whimsical imagination to heartfelt reference images, she draws inspiration from a wide range of sources. But what sets her apart is how she reinterprets references to make something uniquely hers. Her golden rule: never replicate—always reinterpret. And the most powerful source of all? Her clients’ stories. From personal memories to touching milestones, Donna transforms emotions into designs that speak volumes.
💬 Custom-Tailored, Just for You
Each piece Donna creates is personal—because she makes sure it is. Every order begins with a detailed conversation where clients share the occasion, their color preferences, dislikes, size requirements, and even emotional details. Whether it’s for a housewarming, a birthday, or a wedding, Donna ensures each project becomes a collaborative experience.
Even when clients request a recreation of a past design, Donna gives it a unique spin. She starts with a sketch and invites feedback before bringing the artwork to life. Every detail, down to the placement of each strip, is carefully curated—no templates, no shortcuts. Just genuine, personalized art.
🕰️ A Thoughtful Timeline, A Careful Process
To maintain her creative rhythm without compromising on quality, Donna follows a four-week timeline for most orders. It begins with sketching a draft and sharing it with the client. After incorporating any feedback, she moves on to the quilling stage—rolling, shaping, and assembling intricate paper strips. Once complete, the piece goes for framing before it’s finally packed and delivered.
Throughout the journey, Donna keeps her clients in the loop. Every update is a reassurance, and over time, this transparent approach has built deep trust between artist and audience.
🏡 The Nameplates That Became a Signature
Among all her creations, one product stands out: the nameplates. These quickly became Papersmith’s most loved and ordered items. There’s something deeply special about having your name beautifully quilled and placed at the entrance of your home or bedroom. During the pandemic, demand for these nameplates skyrocketed—with Donna crafting over 20 per month at one point. Even today, they remain a staple product and a symbol of the brand’s identity.
✍️ The Step-by-Step Creative Journey
Donna’s artistic process is meticulous. It starts with conceptualizing the idea—playing with font styles, motifs, and color palettes. Next comes the rough design sketch, which is then refined with client feedback. After final approval, she begins the intricate quilling work. Once the piece is complete, it’s framed and carefully packaged. This step-by-step structure helps Donna maintain consistency and a high standard of finish in every single piece.
📲 More Than Just Art—A Community
Papersmith isn’t just about paper—it’s about people. Donna goes the extra mile to keep her audience engaged through relatable content, polls, fun reels, and behind-the-scenes peeks on social media. This approach has helped build a community that feels seen, heard, and involved. The best part? When clients reach out months—or even years—later to say their artwork still brings joy, it reaffirms why she does what she does.
💼 Daytime Deadlines, Nighttime Designs
Juggling a full-time corporate job alongside running a creative business isn’t easy. Most of Donna’s weekdays are consumed by desk work. But creativity doesn’t follow office hours. Inspiration strikes unexpectedly—in a conversation, an image, or even a quiet moment. Donna notes these ideas down and explores them when time allows, often during evenings and late nights.
🌪️ Chaos, But Make It Beautiful
Creative work isn’t always tidy. Donna’s workspace often becomes a lively chaos of paper strips and tools, but within that mess lies magic. The actual artwork is always handled with the utmost care, and she finds humor in the clutter—like losing a tool seconds after setting it down. This chaos, she admits, is part of the adventure.
✨ The Dream? Not Fame—But Impact
Unlike many, Donna doesn’t dream of collaborating with celebrities. Her dream collaboration is more grounded—seeing her work featured in a prestigious magazine or on the desk of a respected editor. Such recognition would elevate the art of quilling and bring her handmade stories to a wider audience.
🌙 Creativity After Dark
Donna’s most inspired hours? The night. Back in college, nights were the only time she could create—and the habit stuck. Today, she still finds herself quilling through the night, completely immersed in her craft. These peaceful hours, when the world is quiet, are when she feels most connected to her art.
As a first-generation entrepreneur, Donna’s path was paved with trial and error. In the early days, she often overworked herself—skipping meals, staying up late, and pushing hard to keep up with demand. But time taught her the value of balance. Now, she takes intentional breaks, whether it’s reorganizing her studio or simply resting. This space helps preserve her creativity for the long run.
💬 Feedback That Fills Her Cup
What do clients love most about Donna’s work? Its precision. The clean lines, perfect curves, and overall neatness never fail to impress. That attention to detail is what makes every piece so treasured—and what brings customers back again and again.
Every review, whether a short thank-you or a heartfelt note, is a memory Donna holds close. Clients often write in to say the piece made someone cry with joy or lit up their home. These messages are more than testimonials—they’re emotional fuel that keeps her going on difficult days.
🌍 What’s Next for Papersmith?
Looking ahead, Donna hopes to grow Papersmith beyond Goa and India—to reach hearts across the globe. She dreams of conducting workshops, teaching others the art of quilling, and fostering a wider appreciation for this intricate craft. She envisions her handmade pieces finding homes all over the world, continuing to tell stories through the timeless beauty of paper.
Papersmith is not just a brand—it’s a labor of love, a journey of self-expression, and a testament to the magic that happens when passion meets purpose.
From his early days as a professional footballer to becoming one of Goa’s most sought-after strength and conditioning coaches, Manish Malik has consistently followed one principle: excellence through preparation. Today, as he shapes the athletic future at Sporting Clube de Goa, he is also dreaming bigger — of a Goa where talent thrives on science, structure, and smart recovery.
Manish’s journey into strength and conditioning didn’t begin in a lab or gym — it started on the pitch. As a professional footballer, he was always curious about the deeper mechanics behind peak athletic performance. But like many athletes, he found himself confused and unaware about how and what to train. Over time, this curiosity blossomed into a genuine passion for sports science.
He came to realize that while talent and technique are essential, it’s the physical preparation — strength, conditioning, and recovery — that often decides whether a player can deliver consistent performances week after week. Football, being closest to his heart, naturally became the arena where he wanted to make the biggest impact.
A New Chapter with Sporting Clube de Goa
Manish’s coaching career took a defining turn when Sporting Clube de Goa, one of the most respected football institutions in the state, offered him an opportunity just as the club was promoted from I-League 3 to I-League 2. It was a pivotal moment — both for the club and for Manish. The timing felt right, and the club’s long-term vision aligned perfectly with his own goals.
What drew him to the Goan football network wasn’t just opportunity — it was the spirit of the sport in Goa. The football culture here is vibrant, emotional, and deeply rooted in its communities. Manish saw an opportunity not just to train athletes, but to elevate the entire ecosystem by blending that rich tradition with structured, science-backed training methods.
Science Meets Tradition
At Sporting Clube de Goa, Manish approaches strength and conditioning with a careful balance of innovation and tradition. Every training program begins with a deep dive into the player — their position, style of play, injury history, and current fitness level.
From there, he designs personalized plans that take into account the demands of the league — Goa’s intense heat, frequent travel, and high match density. His priority? Building explosive power, recovery capacity, and physical robustness — without compromising freshness across the season.
“Periodization is everything,” he says, explaining how his plans are structured to help players peak at the right times.
But it’s not just about pushing players harder — it’s also about knowing when to pull them back.
Recovery is Non-Negotiable
For Manish, recovery is just as crucial as the training itself. Without it, players can’t adapt, progress, or stay injury-free. That’s why his recovery protocols are as personalized as the workouts themselves.
From active recovery sessions and mobility drills to ice baths, sleep tracking, and even mindfulness practices, each method is carefully chosen based on the athlete’s unique needs.
“Every body is different,” he emphasizes. “So every recovery plan should be too.”
Blending Technology with Coaching Instincts
Manish is a strong believer in combining old-school fundamentals — discipline, strength, mobility — with modern sports science tools.
He still uses traditional sprint drills and strength routines, but now supplements them with data from GPS trackers, force plates, and jump mats. These tools help him quantify external load (distance covered, sprints), internal load (heart rate response), and neuromuscular feedback (asymmetries, power output).
“Technology doesn’t replace coaching — it sharpens it.”
Individualized Training, Team-Wide Results
Despite coaching a full squad, Manish treats each player as an individual. Pre-season assessments help him understand mobility, strength, endurance, and injury history. Based on this, he tailors training loads — a winger may need repeat sprints; a central midfielder may focus on aerobic capacity.
This attention to detail is especially critical in Goa, where many young players are naturally talented but lack structured strength training backgrounds. Personalized programming not only improves performance — it builds confidence.
Beyond the physical, Manish recognizes the mental pressures young Goan athletes face — juggling sport, academics, family expectations, and often, self-doubt.
As much as he builds physical strength, he’s equally focused on instilling discipline, consistency, and belief.
“Helping them believe in themselves is half the battle,” he says.
That mentorship — often happening off the pitch — might just be his most meaningful work.
Injury Prevention: A Year-Round Priority
Injury prevention, for Manish, starts long before the season begins. His programming emphasizes movement quality, mobility, and prehabilitation — routines that reduce risk before issues arise.
By monitoring workloads and staying in constant communication with the medical team, he ensures that small issues are identified early and never spiral into season-ending injuries.
Most importantly, strength work doesn’t stop after preseason — it’s integrated throughout the year.
A Vision for Goa’s High-Performance Future
Manish’s next big dream? Establishing a world-class high-performance center in Goa.
A space where both professionals and grassroots athletes can access the kind of facilities and expertise that were once only available in big cities. This center would feature:
A fully equipped S&C gym
Physiotherapy and rehab spaces
Ice bath and recovery rooms
Sports massage therapists
A nutrition café
And a team trained in sports science and mental performance
“We already have the talent,” he says. “Now we need the support system.”
If Manish could design the perfect facility, it wouldn’t just be about the equipment. It would be a place where athletes feel supported holistically — not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too.
A training ecosystem where performance, recovery, mindset, and community coexist — giving every athlete the chance to reach their highest potential.
Changing the Game — One Athlete at a Time
Since stepping into Goa’s football landscape, Manish has seen a tangible shift. Players are investing in strength work. Clubs are open to recovery protocols. Data is informing decisions. And most importantly, the next generation is hungrier, smarter, and more focused.
His ultimate goal?
“To see Goa recognized as a hub for athlete development — where footballers from across India come not just for the love of the game, but for the quality of training and support.”
With professionals like Manish Malik leading the charge, that future feels not just possible — but inevitable.
Some journeys begin with grand plans. Others begin in pajamas during a lockdown. For Travelling Foodie Ishra, it was the latter.
What started as a lighthearted YouTube channel called Mysterious Siblings—a duo of travel-loving sisters navigating boredom during lockdown—has grown into something much bigger. Today, Ishra is not just a traveler or foodie. She’s a storyteller, a teacher, and a creator who inspires thousands through her vibrant content on Instagram.
“I always liked traveling and eating,” Ishra shares. “So I started sharing what I loved most — and that’s how Travelling Foodie Ishra was born.”
Finding Home in the Hills
Of all the places she’s wandered, Leh-Ladakh holds a special place in her heart. “It felt like a second home,” she says. “People there are trustworthy, warm, and the stories hidden in those mountains are just waiting to be heard.”
But not every love was expected. Take Meghalaya, for instance. “Going from Assam to Shillong, I never thought the people would be so kind and welcoming. It was a beautiful surprise.”
When it comes to food, Goa has Ishra’s heart. “It’s got everything — any type of food you crave, and the flavors are unbeatable.”
The Flip Side of Travel
Though her content paints a vibrant picture, Ishra is quick to point out the realities. “Travel isn’t always glamorous. There are scammers, sleepless nights, long journeys. But for those who love it — it’s all worth it.”
Food Beyond the Plate
For Ishra, food is more than flavor. “It’s an emotion. It lifts moods, sparks conversations, and brings people together.”
She even surprised herself with how much she could fall in love with new dishes. “I tried Thukpa in Leh just for the sake of trying it — and ended up eating it constantly during my stay!”
Street Food or Fine Dining?
“My heart wants both,” she laughs. “Depends on the mood, company, and occasion.”
Balance Behind the Scenes
Balancing her identity as a creator with her job as a teacher, Ishra keeps her personal life mostly offline. “People don’t even know I teach — I like keeping some things just for myself.”
Burnout, she says, is real. “But I just take a break and bounce back. That’s the secret.”
The Creative Cycle
Her content process is simple and self-driven: “I Find. I Search. I Plan. I Go. I Record. I Edit. I Post. And then I repeat.”
When not creating, she finds joy in open mics, writing, and performing what she pens — embracing creativity in all forms.
Her Influence & Legacy
She credits Tanya Khanijow, a fellow Indian travel creator, as her biggest inspiration. And her followers continue to surprise her. “Once, a small kid mimicked my videos — said he watches all of them and was ‘eating all the time’ like me. It was wild — but heartwarming.”
In the end, what does Ishra hope to leave behind?
“To inspire people to eat & travel without regrets. Life is short. Try everything. Make memories. Be happy.”
The Visionary Behind Kolhapur’s Modern Jewelry Revolution: Mehul Oswal
Nestled in the heart of Kolhapur, a city known for its timeless jewelry craftsmanship, Mahendra Jewellers has long been a beacon of traditional artistry. But in today’s fast-evolving market, preserving heritage alone isn’t enough. That’s where Mehul Oswal, the dynamic Director of Mahendra Jewellers, stepped in with a new vision—fusing legacy with innovation to shape the future of Indian jewelry.
Born into a family with deep roots in the jewelry trade, Mehul Oswal is the fourth generation in the industry—carrying forward a rich legacy shaped by decades of craftsmanship and business acumen. Rather than simply inheriting a business, he immersed himself in its day-to-day operations, studied global trends, and introduced thoughtful reforms to reimagine what Mahendra Jewellers could become.
“I owe my energy and enthusiasm to my father and all three of my uncles—Dveichand, Mahendra, Bharat, and my father Chandrakant Oswal. They are the pillars of our new generation,” Mehul shares. “What I am able to do today in the business is because of their unwavering support.”
His mission was clear: modernize the brand while retaining the essence of its heritage.
Customer-Centric Innovation
One of Mehul’s most customer-focused decisions was eliminating the outdated lunch-hour closure tradition. “Our clients travel from far and wide. Making them wait was never an option,” he shares. By recruiting additional staff and optimizing work shifts, Mahendra Jewellers now operates 365 days a year—without compromising employee well-being.
This move, while simple in concept, represented Mehul’s broader philosophy: innovation must serve people—customers and team members alike.
Diamond Dreams and Beyond
Taking a bold leap, Mehul championed the integration of diamond jewelry into a traditionally gold-centric business. Convincing his seniors, including his father, was no easy feat—but the outcome proved the risk worthwhile. Mahendra Jewellers now offers a unique blend of traditional craftsmanship with contemporary diamond designs, drawing in a new generation of clientele.
This diversification placed Mahendra Jewellers as the first IGI-certified diamond jewelry brand in western Maharashtra—a true milestone for the region.
Shaping the Future with Strategic Growth
To ensure Mahendra Jewellers stays ahead, Mehul emphasizes continuous learning and feedback. From attending global jewelry conferences to organizing employee training sessions and market research initiatives, every step is carefully orchestrated to anticipate trends and customer preferences.
The brand is also preparing for expansion, with focused inventory strategies, high-impact product launch campaigns, and a renewed digital presence.
Accolades & Achievements
Under Mehul’s leadership, Mahendra Jewellers became:
The first to receive gold and silver hallmark licenses in their region
The first ISO 9001 certified jewelry company in western Maharashtra
The pioneers of platinum jewelry launch in their area
These honors reflect not only compliance but the brand’s commitment to quality, authenticity, and trust.
Beyond Business
When not innovating in the jewelry world, Mehul indulges in long drives, yoga, and exploring new cultures through travel. His favorite destinations—Dubai and Greece—mirror the blend of modern luxury and timeless history that also defines his jewelry philosophy.
Mahendra Jewellers under Mehul Oswal isn’t just a store—it’s a movement. A movement that respects tradition while embracing the future, led by a man who dreams of every household in Kolhapur owning a piece of their craftsmanship.
