The Power of Deliberate Curiosity with Vandana Puranik

What if the obstacles and hardships in your life aren't roadblocks, but invitations to discover what's humanly possible? On this episode of the JOY² – Live With Joy Podcast, Greg De Koker sits down with Vandana Puranik, founder of Active Ingredients and What She Said, bestselling author, TEDx speaker and brand strategist, for a deeply personal, wildly insightful and joy-filled conversation about resilience, curiosity and the power of thinking differently. Vandana shares how extraordinary adversity, including cancer and a two-week coma, transformed the way she sees life, and why deliberate curiosity can change the way we navigate uncertainty, difficult conversations and life's toughest moments. Rather than simply accepting the meaning we give our experiences, she challenges us to get curious, reframe what's possible and focus less on solving problems and more on creating the outcomes we actually want. Together, Greg and Vandana explore why we can become brilliant at solving the wrong problems, how better questions can unlock entirely new possibilities, and why intellectual humility, humor and curiosity may be some of our greatest tools for living, working and leading with more joy. In this episode, we explore: • How deliberate curiosity can transform the way we approach challenges • Why we can become brilliant at solving the wrong problems • How reframing adversity can reveal new possibilities • Why letting go can create space for what matters most • How to become a “category of one” • Why joy can be an intentional choice, even during difficult times • The power of intellectual humility and asking better questions Whether you're an entrepreneur, leader, creative thinker or simply navigating change and uncertainty, this conversation is an invitation to question what you think you know, get curious about what you don't, and discover what might be possible. Because sometimes the breakthrough isn't found by working harder to solve the problem. Sometimes it begins by seeing the problem differently... and asking a better question. Chapters: 00:00:00 Welcome to JOY² 00:02:23 Meet Vandana Puranik 00:05:31 Choosing Joy Through Life's Challenges 00:09:50 The Two-Week Coma & the Power of Discovery 00:16:24 Practicing Deliberate Curiosity 00:25:24 The Power of “Might” 00:32:24 Letting Go, Focusing & Receiving 00:35:24 Finding Joy in Loss 00:37:20 The Role of Humor in Difficult Moments 00:42:15 Solve for the Outcome 00:46:37 Thinking Differently & Creating Impact 00:47:50 Your Circumstances Don't Have to Define You 00:48:12 Choosing Joy, Purpose & Curiosity Connect with Greg De Koker Website: ⁠www.joy2.ca⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠www.linkedin.com/in/gregdekoker/ ⁠ Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/greg_de_koker/⁠ Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/greg.koker.5/⁠ Connect with Vandana Puranik: Website: www.thisiswhatshesaid.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/vandanapuranik/ Business Instagram: www.instagram.com/activeingreds/ Personal Instagram: www.instagram.com/vandanaspuranik/ Business Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... X.com:   / activeingreds   Grab a copy of The Book of Might Book here at https://www.TheBookOfMIGHT.com Listen and Subscribe to JOY²: Apple Podcast:⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... ⁠ Spotify: ⁠creators.spotify.com/pod/show/joy-squared-podcast⁠ YouTube: ⁠   / @joy2livewithjoypodcast   Stay Connected to JOY²: Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/joysquaredofficial/⁠ Facebook: ⁠www.facebook.com/joysquaredofficial/⁠ Take Action Ask yourself: • Where could I replace frustration with curiosity? • Am I solving the right problem? • What meaning am I giving a difficult experience? • What do I need to let go of? • What makes me uniquely valuable? Action Tip Choose one practice this week: • Pause during frustration and ask a curious question. • Define the outcome you want before solving a challenge. • Reframe a difficult experience by asking, “What else could this mean?” • Admit something you don't know and learn from someone else. • Let go of something that's distracting you from what matters. Then ask yourself: “What might become possible if I stayed curious a little longer?” Because sometimes you don't need another answer. You need a different perspective, a better question and the courage to stay curious.