Hey there! 👋

I'm Anil, an introvert and a slow learner who grew up in a slum. Life has not been fair or favorable in any way. Yet, I have built a multimillion-dollar global business with 100+ employees, which was recently named one of the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing companies in America.

I have suffered from self-doubts and imposter syndrome however, that didn’t stop me from designing a high-performing lifestyle that helps me grow intellectually, financially, and spiritually without sacrificing my health and happiness.

My success is not a result of luck or innate talent; it stems from my unwavering commitment to personal growth and continuous learning.

I have read 150+ books, listened to 700+ hours of podcasts, and completed 300+ hours of courses on health, wealth, happiness, mindfulness, habits, leadership, business, productivity, and personal growth.

I am not sharing this to impress you but to help you realize that transformation from an ordinary to an extraordinary life is possible for everyone. 

I have learned a lot from my mistakes, experiments, and curiosity. In my continuous journey to build an extraordinary life through performance hacking and personal transformation, I have invented new methods, frameworks, tools, and shortcuts that may help you learn better and grow faster.

I invite you to embark on a rewarding, exciting, and liberating journey of learning and growth. It would be my honor and pleasure to guide, inspire, and cheer you on every step of the way.

My North Star (mission) and GPS (values)

🌟 My mission is to inspire 100 million people to achieve peaceful growth.

🧭 My GPS is:

1. Growth: to keep growing, advancing, or improving in knowledge, skills, character, or life experience.

2. Peace: to maintain or improve my fitness; to look after my physical and mental health and well-being.

3. Spirituality: to connect with things bigger than myself.

Subscribing to this newsletter will help you to:

🚀 Boost your productivity and performance.

🧘🏾‍♂️ Build better growth habits.

🎓 Learn new skills to win in work and life.

Let's learn and grow together 🪴

Long Story

Climbing Maslow's Pyramid: My Journey from Poverty to Peaceful Growth 🧗🏾‍♂️

In the year 1986, my mother was expecting me, her third child. My parents were staring down a crossroad that many would face, but theirs was not about trivial matters like household chores. They were barely getting by, struggling to provide food and shelter for my two older brothers. They had to decide if they could financially afford to bring up three children. We were living at what is known as the "Physiological" level in Maslow's hierarchy of needs pyramid, scraping by for the basic necessities: food and shelter. Despite this, my mom wanted a daughter and decided to have me, and I was born on 29 November in a small town in western India. 👶🏽

My childhood was tough. Growing up in a slum in a small western Indian town, I was exposed to a world filled with crimes like robbery, domestic abuse, and street fights. Unlike the privileged children sent to private English schools, in our family, Money was calling the shots (not my parents). So, I went to a government-sponsored public school where I could get both free food and education. 😀

School life was a mixture of emotions for me. My first public speaking attempt in front of 200 schoolmates was both exciting and horrifying. I was tasked with singing a poem, but I read it like a newspaper. As laughter erupted, I misunderstood their amusement for enjoyment until a teacher kindly ushered me off the stage. It was a walk of shame, and the embarrassment lingered for days, further solidifying my understanding of my shy, sensitive, and introverted nature. 😐

One clear aspect of my life emerged as a significant problem: Money.

Fueled by a quote from Bill Gates,

"If You Are Born Poor, It Is Not Your Mistake, But If You Die Poor, It Is Your Mistake",

I was determined to build an extraordinary and successful life. My uneducated parents, who couldn't even sign their names, emphasized education and growth, always insisting, "Everything is possible with knowledge and the right skills."

By age 15, my Golden Circle, inspired by Simon Sinek's book "Start With Why," looked like this: 🎯

• Why → Build an Extraordinary Life

• How → Learning and Growth

• What → Overcome Poverty

I was thrilled about my educational journey. Studying hard, I wrapped up high school with fantastic grades. During that period, I began teaching basic computer skills and accounting, which assisted me with pocket money and personal costs.

After high school, my troubles began.

In India, public schools offer free education up to high school, but college education is a different story. Though not as pricey as in America, college in 2004 was still far too costly for my family. With one year's fee amounting to roughly $300, my father could only support my first year. Sleep eluded me that night as I grappled with the uncertainty of college education. Nevertheless, I told myself to focus one step at a time and joined college to pursue a degree in Computer Application Development. I ranked #7 in my university in my first year. But after exams, the question loomed: how would I pay for the remaining college fees? So I started looking for a part-time job. I considered selling wired phones in India but was steered by a professor to learn the open-source tech stack: LAMP. A part-time web developer job followed, paying $300 annually for two years, enough to cover my college expenses, and I graduated in 2007. 🎓

Post-graduation, I landed various web developer roles, even leading a team. I continued to focus on learning and growing. I started earning well. My life has started to get better. I was progressing well until the Global Recession in 2009 cost me my job.

“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.” Marcus Aurelius

Though I only discovered Stoicism at age 30 through Ryan Holiday’s book, my life's adversities had already shaped my Stoic perspective. I learned to face obstacles with positive perception, courageous action, and disciplined will.

Losing my job provided time to reflect on my passion and potential. My entrepreneurial dreams turned into reality on May 1st, 2009, with the birth of my first web agency business, Multidots. 🚀

Between 2009 and 2014, I worked tirelessly to expand my business. In 5 years, I led a team of 50+ and grew at a 67% growth rate.

I was on fire! I was happy!

Things were going really well…but not for too long!

A sudden acute stomach pain ended with me in the hospital, a terrifying reminder that I had ignored my health. Not only physically, I felt exhausted and burned out working for 14+ hours a day.

That’s when I got serious about my physical and mental health. I started taking action:

• Went to a 10-day silent meditation for mental well-being.

• Started doing regular gym workouts and yoga.

• Adopted a healthy diet.

Focusing on my health helped me build great discipline and self-control. This led me to build other productive habits like Reading, Listing to Podcasts, Hiking, Running, Meditation, etc. 🪴

Which helped me to be:

• More healthy

• More happy

• More productive

By 30, my dreams had materialized into financial wealth, a thriving business, and a fulfilling life. I had already achieved (and more) what I dreamed of at Age 15. 🏆

I fell in love with the process and journey of learning and growing. ❤️

My evolving journey led to a new mission in 2022:

“To inspire 100 million people to live an extraordinary life.”

• I now share insights through my Learn + Grow weekly newsletter, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

• Support underprivileged kids in India with college scholarship programs.

And now, I am in the self-actualization phase of “Maslow’s Pyramid,” focusing on:

• Personal Growth

• Spiritual Growth

• Intellectual Growth

• Attaining Enlightenment

• …and continuing my journey of learning and growth.