Maya Sanyal is many things: a career and academic counselor; a mentor and teacher; a writer; a friend; a loving dog mom; a passion skeptic; a purveyor of hope; a business woman. 

In Part 1 of our conversation, Maya and I talk about her career trajectory, which includes navigating the communal culture she comes from and the individualistic culture of the U.S.; earning a PhD in English literature and a Masters in Counseling; and years of teaching and advising students in the university classroom, Writing Center and Career Center. Maya's newest incarnation is being an entrepreneur with AlkaDevika Project Solutions.

Maya shares her thoughts on our cultural obsessions with passion, excitement and quick fixes, rather than knowledge, values and patience. We talk about our shared aversion to learning about money and finances, and why it's important to have that knowledge in order to then decide how to use it. 

Maya also opens up about her history with depression, and why she now sees it as a gift. 

Maya has too much wisdom to squeeze into just one episodes. Come back here tomorrow for Part 2!