EP #24: Nelson Sivalingam - UK-Based Serial Entrepreneur (Tech & Food), Podcast Host & Award-Winning Filmmaker

Nelson Sivalingam is an award-winning serial entrepreneur who has created successes from high growth technology businesses to Sri Lankan street food restaurant groups.  He's currently the CEO & Co-Founder of HowNow, one of the fast-growing technology companies transforming the way organizations approach learning across the world with clients including tech unicorns like GymShark and Checkout.com.He joins Ara to shed light on how his filmmaking and entrepreneurial careers intertwine with one another, why he doesn’t engage in small talk, how his friends calling him “Born Awkward” led him to actually buying that web domain, why you shouldn’t be afraid to seize the opportunity and so much more.Follow Nelson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nelsonsivalingam/Timestamps00:53 - Ara introduces this week’s guest, Nelson Sivalingam01:47 - Nelson admits to using Ara’s siblings to get to Ara, speaks on his upbringing in Barking03:58 - Why and How Nelson started One Minute London; trying to fund his filmmaking career07:59 - How Nelson’s award-winning film “The Rajini Effect” came to be; reaching international audiences13:54 - Japan’s love for South-Asian cinema, Rajinikanth’s cultural impact17:04 - Nelson’s kothu business in South London, Ara’s experience making kothu in his Dad’s store as a kid27:23 - Founding HowNow (formerly known as Wonderush) to encourage continuous learning33:12 - Bootstrapping vs. fundraising money for your business39:49 - The misconceptions of - and the art/science behind - sales; learning about sales through poker44:46 - Angel investing and Nelson’s plan to eventually return to filmmaking47:49 - Nelson’s hobbies outside of work; friends, conversation, food, films, reading, writing48:27 - Nelson’s being insecure about whether or not he’s learning fast enough49:27 - Why Nelson doesn’t like small talk, wanting to be known for adding value53:50 - Books that impacted Nelson; Courage: The Joy of Living Dangerously, Steve Jobs’ biography1:01:52 - Tamil community in the UK1:06:49 - Advice Nelson would give to fellow aspiring Tamil Creators1:10:13 - Creator Confessions1:13:55 - The Wrap UpIntro MusicProduced And Mixed By:- The Tamil Creator- YanchanWritten By:- Aravinthan Ehamparam- Yanchan RajmohanSupport the show