The reluctant juggler: Sri Kumar shares lessons learned on mid-season bonus of 'The B-Side with Sri'

In this bonus episode of The B-Side with Sri, Connico President Sri Kumar steps up to the mic solo for a mid-season reflection on what he’s learning through podcasting – and juggling. It’s a short episode with a big takeaway: when you try something new, you’ll probably drop the ball (literally and figuratively). Keep at it anyway.

Below are a few highlights from the conversation. Listen to the full episode below, and follow the podcast for more.

Sometimes purpose finds you

Sri isn’t an avid podcast fan, or even a regular listener, so starting his own show never crossed his mind. Friends and colleagues recognized his knack for asking the right questions to spark meaningful conversations. That got him thinking the challenge could be worth trying.

“Putting a podcast together really puts me outside my comfort zone,” Sri said. “But the whole thing ended up being really fun, and it’s because it involved learning something new while I was capitalizing on something I’m good at.”

The same goes for juggling. It’s a hobby Sri picked up on a whim and now practices at home. He’s not especially coordinated, but it’s become a form of joy. Like podcasting, it was something he never expected to enjoy, and he kept coming back to it.

Drop the ball, but don’t give up

Juggling, as it turns out, is a high-failure activity. “You're dropping a few dozen balls every minute,” Sri said. “You're failing every five seconds.”

But that’s what keeps him interested.

“Even though I'm repeatedly failing, I enjoy it. And because I enjoy it, I stick with it. I chase after the ball that's rolled under the couch. I bend down, I pick it up, and I start again.”

It’s not about getting it right. It’s about getting back to it.

You might already be great at something, just gave it more time

Many people chase growth through degrees, training, and planning. Sri encourages a different approach. What if you focused on something you already enjoy, and just dedicated more time to it?

“What if you gave yourself permission and bandwidth to level up in that space?” he asked. “Not through more planning. Not through finding more resources. But through more practice. More application.”

What are you juggling?

Juggling and podcasting might seem like random side projects. However, both have given Sri a stronger sense of purpose. By leaning into activities he never expected to enjoy, he’s learning to get better over time.

“If there's something that you love doing, even if it seems random, even if it doesn’t fall into your field, I think all that’s okay,” he said. “I think there’s a sense of purpose and a sense of self that can be generated by doing the things that you've been told you're good at, and doing more of them.”

And if you're not sure where to start, Sri has a suggestion: “Keep practicing. Keep throwing the balls up in the air. The odds are, after you try a few times, you're going to catch one.”

It might not be actual balls (but if it is, Sri wants to hear from you). Whether it’s in work or life, we’re all juggling something. The key is focusing on the areas where you already have skill and leaning into the mess of learning. You just might find purpose along the way.