From Actor to Tech Founder: Following Your Curiosity with Biman Wimalaratne

At the peak of an award-winning acting career — theatre in Sydney, agents in London and Australia — Biman Wimalaratne made a decision most people never do. He walked away. Not because he failed. Because he wanted to stop narrating other people's stories and start living his own.

Now he's Chief Growth Officer at Kainovation Technologies, an InsureTech startup building AI-powered insurance intelligence tools and recognised as a Top 7 Startup in Sri Lanka. He also helps run N Chandraratne Decorators, a 45-year-old family construction business that took a serious hit during the Sri Lankan economic crisis — and came back.

In this conversation, Sheran and Biman go deep on what it actually looks like to follow your curiosity across multiple careers, industries, and versions of yourself.

WHAT YOU'LL HEAR:

- Walking away from an acting peak — and why it was the right call
- Why creative people need both analytical and creative modes to function at their best
- Career cycles: how Biman learned to read industries the way a musician reads time signatures
- The "jack of all trades" argument — and the part of that quote most people have never heard
- What the Sri Lankan economic crisis did to a family business built over 45 years
- Door-to-door sales in Sydney, drama school, and proving something to yourself
- Facing racism as a brown guy navigating Australia and London
- The moment he said "forget what everyone thinks" — and what happened next
- Why versions of you have to die for new ones to emerge
- The inner child underneath all the ambition — and why no one else can do that work for you

Recorded at Hatch Sri Lanka — a startup hub where creativity and technology meet to solve real problems.

CONNECT WITH BIMAN:
Instagram: @bimankw
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/biman-wimalaratne-bb3804b7

LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE:
🎙️ Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/12SGsSsLz4DqlLFwxigjXX
🍎 Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/the-creative-odyssey-podcast/id1750306317

📖 Get the Sri Lanka Podcast Tour Magazine: https://stan.store/TheCreativeOdysseyPodcast/p/get-inside-the-creative-odyssey-magazine

📩 Contact: thecreativeodysseypodcast@gmail.com

creative entrepreneur, Sri Lanka podcast, actor turned entrepreneur, career pivot, following your curiosity, InsureTech Sri Lanka, Hatch Sri Lanka, Kainovation Technologies, creative entrepreneurship, entrepreneur motivation, self love, inner child, career advice, Sri Lankan startup, multi-passionate entrepreneur

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

But while I was doing this show, I felt it was a peak of my career, at least that phase of a career as an actor. I felt as an actor it's exciting, it's great, but you are narrating a story and it might be a story close to you and so on, but it's a story that you're telling. And it's not necessarily the story you lived. And then there was something in me that wanted to live my story. Like do more like left brain activities in my life or then other times in my life where it's all like right brain stuff. Like for me, the optimum is when there's these are imbalanced. If I'm zero creative life, I become a zombie. If I'm all analytical, zero creative, all analytical is girl, I literally look like a zombie. All the immediate things that come to my mind is people saying big one, which I get. But I made a decision about two years ago. I'm gonna find this life, we'll leave it my way. Once we sit through that pain, we have love inside us. And when we discover that love, first we can share the love from here with ourselves and then expand out for everyone.

SPEAKER_04 1:11

I just got done recording two days of my podcast, the Creative Artists Podcast, here at Hatch.lk, one of the leading startup hubs in Sri Lanka. Because my goal was to be able to tell stories of unique creatives here who are crazy enough to think that they can actually solve problems. To be here at Hatch and be inspired in what I'm doing, and to be able to tell these stories and have this uh studio and opportunity. I'm super grateful to Hatch. I feel affirmed in my mission to highlight creatives, and when I saw individuals from startups like inviting their own friends to be on here, so I can highlight their stories in their unique way of thinking, every single one of them has so much uh insight to provide to anybody who's watching with anybody who's thinking that they're not good enough to do what they're doing. Seeing stories from doctors who have changed uh careers into running startups to journalists to doing these kinds of things, like it gives me so much hope to be able to share this to others to say that, like, wherever you are at, if you're not passionate about what you're doing and you're stuck in your own bubble or whatever, find communities like Hatch because it is gonna be the best thing that you do for yourself because the community is absolutely amazing. Hatch, thank you so much for the support you provided. I can't wait to show you the amazing stories and the insights your own people are going to share with the world. Hi, welcome to Kartis Podcast.

SPEAKER_02 2:45

My name is Sharan, and today we are at uh Hatch Sri Lanka, uh startup hub, where they take creativity and technology and coincide together to solve real problems humans are facing in Sri Lanka and around the world.

SPEAKER_04 2:59

Uh, and I'm super excited to have uh Bhiman Owell, one of somebody I've seen in growing up in college together in the Thomas's and just to kind of watch the uh from afar his journey and then uh going to an actor to going into business and sales and to then starting his own tech company.

SPEAKER_02 3:17

I'm super excited to introduce you to you. Um Diman, thank you for being on the podcast. Thank you, thank you for having me. So, Biman, what do you do and how do you explain it to somebody who has no idea about the field you're in? I have a tricky time doing that for myself. Uh so I I do a few things. I um we've got a family business. It's in uh uh well it's um uh in painting, waterproofing, chemicals, uh related yeah, construction sector, related services. Um I'm involved in that. Um at the moment I'm playing a support role there. And um because there are other stakeholders and all of that. Cool um and then I have a I'm part of I'm co-founder at a tech company. Uh we do data analytics, reporting, uh AI automation work. And um I also teach acting. Um but the teaching acting, I was that was like acting, teaching acting, uh the arts, the creative arts, uh performing arts, that was my full-time thing for a few years. But since uh the last sort of one, two years, two years, uh that's become part-time, and then now it's it's kind of like hobby status uh and the construction related work and the tech company uh take up my time. Yeah. Um I mean I'm curious here. So you mentioned actor too, so not a lot of people not a lot of people know that. Um how did you make the transition from all of that to now here? Man, life happened. Um so transition from acting to Yeah, now all the way. Um so I did a show uh called uh Jungle and the Sea, like I acted in it in Australia. Uh it was a story. Um this is gonna be another uh run of it, so it is a story in present tense about something that took place in Sri Lanka, like it's about the war, the last phase of the war. Um and um it was uh done by one of the um leading theaters in Sydney, and I went over there to act in it, and uh Sri Lankan Australian writer, wow, wow, uh and then another Australian director, uh a mixed sort of Sri Lankan Australian cast and other international actors, a great story, like a great in the sense it's great to be part of a story like that, like tell the story, yeah, because it's a lot of truth telling about what took place, uh, and that's something I'm I'm I'm passionate about. Uh and that's uh close to me. Um and so when I acted in that show, I I was here in Sri Lanka just before that. I flew over there um to act in the show, and then we did really well. And I you know, I also performed well, I think, and then we won a few awards uh at the Sydney Um Theatre Awards and uh we also got like best ensemble and all these things, and best menu production, uh best production overall, and and best music and things like that. Um but while I was doing this show I felt uh it was like my it was a peak of my career, like at least that phase of a career as an actor. And um and I had reached a peak and the next uh next one would be uh perhaps one where I um invested myself in Australia uh or one of the western countries, perhaps. Perhaps, right? Not necessarily, right? But I'd go on a creative actors journey over there. Like I used to have an agent in Australia and in London, uh Sydney and London, so uh I I didn't anymore have these agents, and then it looked like okay, maybe I'd approach some agents, which I did, and then kind of ride that wave of the success of the show and so on. I saw a few theatre companies and agents and all that, and uh had a great response, but then uh life happened. I felt that may not be my part, and maybe it's my last time acting, perhaps like in that way. And then I'd have my own other journey. Um and uh in some sense, uh like in and and I don't like please my actor friends and and and and don't take any offense, but I felt like as an actor it's exciting, it's great, but you are narrating a story, and um it might be a story close to you and so on, but it's a story that you're telling, and it's not necessarily you know the story you lived, right? Um and then there was something in me that uh wanted to live my story. Um I don't know whether that's you know like I don't know, like how I feel like whether that's egoist. I don't know well anyway, it's how you process it. Yeah, so so I wanted to live my story and uh and I've I've got this some some I guess I have some crazy ideas, maybe, maybe they're quite average ideas, maybe they're crazy ideas, I don't know. Maybe we'll find out. Yeah, um, and then yeah, I wanted it to be that, and then the economic crisis uh I seen someone at the time, she was living in in uh like overseas, and that didn't quite work out. Uh like I I wanted to be in Sri Lanka. There was a pull from that end to like you know um to be based in a in a safer economic zone, uh country, and then make more like wiser, like uh in their mind, wiser decisions uh for my finances and probably wiser decisions financially, uh that gave more stability and so on. And I wasn't making them so uh and I was quite passionate and adamant to be in Sri Lanka. So all of this led to that, contributed to that uh not working out, and then parallelly uh our fa the the Sri Lankan economy had well gone through what it did. Right. And then our family business was well, uh the business which our family is involved in, in the construction within the sector, was also you know really uh hit, like most of the companies in that space. And my mom was involved in that business and uh and it wasn't looking too great. And um it felt I felt the need to come and support her. And to the credit of uh my my ex-girlfriend there, um, they also encouraged probably to get away from me as well. Like, hey, go go help your mom out. Right, right, right. You know, bro, you ain't making money here. Get out there, make some, you know, do something. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh so uh yeah, I went uh came back here and um and so started to get involved in that and and support you of that. But I was also like um so before before I went to act in Australia, uh like I was in Sri Lanka, I was teaching, um, I was you know supporting the family business behind the scenes. So around that time I was mostly acting and teaching acting. And then I was supporting like on behind the scenes, a little bit of support, not getting too involved, like didn't get want to get my hands in the family thing. And um I could see that like the the macro conditions of the country, like we are going to go into a crisis, like the construction space, it's gonna it's gonna be really badly affected. And then our our family's income, my my brother's involved in that business, my mother's involved in the business, so everyone's income's tied into that. And I and I felt, okay, like it's gonna go uh it there's a high risk of this going tits up at that point, like everyone's gonna be affected. So I felt this need to because I'm Australian, I'm a duo citizen, okay, and I was around 31 at the time. Well, time flies, I'm 38 now. You know, at that time, like I could apply for this um like an Ozzy get like a visa, like a two-year work visa in the UK. Okay. Chamit had been to the UK, and then there's a great uh art scene, like a strong um artist art art scene in the UK, and then he's been to Edinburgh, like to the festival. Then around 2019, I think he told me, like, he was like, bro, make the use, like make make use of this opportunity, go there. Right. Acting a shot. Right. But because I I saw construction was gonna get hit. I went to the UK, I got myself an agent, and I did a bit of like small gigs, um, whether I was gonna really pursue that full time, or I didn't do that. It was an interesting decision, like it was a uh it wasn't my most passionate decision. Like I like like acting brought a certain sense of lie excitement. Right. I made a decision there the because I went from Sri Lanka in 2019 uh wanting to create uh economic security for my family as well. Right, right. So give ourselves an option. Yeah, and to me, if I pursued acting, it it had the potential to be something grip, but it had a higher sort of maybe a risk. That's correct. That makes sense. And I also like I I studied like mechatronics, engineering, finance, you know, economics, and those unique and I didn't finish it, right? Okay. I went to my third year, I didn't go into my fourth year, I dropped out and went to drama school, acting school. There's a word for it. Yeah, this may dismay is the words, right? Cause because they thought I was like this supposed to be this really smart kid, you know. Yeah. Um so so when I went to London, I I chose to work in a tech company. Some luck as well, in the sense my cousin has a tech company in London. Nice, so uh I reached out to him and like I said, I'm in London and I'm looking for work, and then he said, Well, you know, he knew of my sales background because I did sales, I did door to do sales in Sydney, like right after drama school. Wow. Uh like street fundraising. Yeah, because I was poor in drama school. Right, right. Like not necessarily because like I was I was I'm I'm quite fortunate and privileged. I like I had a pretty comparatively like a comfortable life. But then, you know, um in drama school I had to like, you know, like you probably should, like, pay for things yourself and figure things out to some extent, right? Yeah, still as an Australian, I got government support and all that. Yeah. So I I I can't say I had to like you know hustle too hard for it. Like, I it's just that I in like you know, undergrad I I was privileged, but it was a quite a lavish life. Yeah, and then drama school that wasn't the case, so you know, and things were cut like pretty trimmed down and you had managed all that sort. Like me and my brother, we were living in this apartment, and then you know, you come back home, you make your uh, you know, one pot of rice and one rice and then one chicken curry, and then you move it's for four days, but we did one, right? And then doodles, and like, you know, that's the doing, and then and then you cut like every time someone's going out, you don't have money, and so I just went like after drama school, and I had this thing because I I dropped out of university. I I wanted to um uh uh I guess prove something to myself makes sense um that I could uh earn the money, yeah. And um so I I went and did this door-to-door sales job. Uh yeah, so so all of those experiences led to a tough job. Yeah, yeah. Especially as a brown guy. No, man. Oh, really? Yeah, like in the sense there are challenges. I had a great time in Australia. Uh I had a I had a lot of experiences where I had to face like some people are really badly affected by it. Right. So it's not fair to like take that away from those who are affected by it. Yeah. Um, but in my case, because I like I I guess I've got some gift of the gab. So and I and I won't take shit, you know, like and um so if someone dished it out to me, like I'd dish it back. Yeah, and you know, interestingly, at least at the levels that I experienced it in Australia, like if you dished it back, they'd be like, oh man, that's cool, bro. And then they'll respect you. Yeah, so I I didn't have any issues there, yeah. Yeah, um, so yeah, I was in London. London is more tricky, racism is uh uh is strong in my opinion. Like it's it's more politically incorrect to be racist in London, at least when I was there. Um, but you experience it more, like you feel uh a sense of uh hierarchy, yeah. Like you know, you've gotta you gotta find yourself at the table, and and like to get your place at this table table, you've gotta kind of like uh cut through something, and sometimes that's like a you gotta dress a certain way, you gotta prove a certain part. Right. It's a bit less so like that in Australia. Right, right, right, right. Um you can just you know you can talk things and you can hustle in your dare. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um did this kind of tech thing in London, yeah, and then came back, was looking for a tech company to work with, found these guys, so got into construction and tech. Wow. Long answer. Really? I guess we're on a podcast. Yeah. That's the end of it. Um, yep, yeah. Done. That's 20 minutes and we're out.

SPEAKER_00 16:41

We're so excited to share with you all the episodes that we filmed in Sri Lanka. We know a lot of you have been waiting, but we wanted to make sure that we did this really meaningfully because it really was an exciting time. When Sean first came to me and said he was gonna take the podcast to Sri Lanka, I honestly thought he was crazy.

SPEAKER_04 16:56

And so did I. I was like, is there any possibility we can fit this in? I want to try to bring the podcast in, get to know people, and interview creators.

SPEAKER_00 17:07

So we expected to have just a few conversations, maybe a little sparks of inspiration here and there, but what happened was so much deeper than that. We met so many people that not only you got to interview, but that also like came alongside us to help make these conversations happen.

SPEAKER_04 17:22

The crazy thing was this daring idea of going to a country, even though I'm from Sri Lanka. I hadn't been back for like seven years, and all I knew was some people from school that I went to and some social media that I've been following, but didn't really have a concrete plan to make it happen. And some days we had six, seven episodes back-to-back recorded because people were waiting and and and you were kind of facilitating that, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:49

Yeah, so it felt really significant because not only was it that we were having like these raw and authentic conversations, but a lot of their stories resonated with German's, and so it just was really fascinating to see them speaking the same language and to see like just this commonality of creativity and identity and purpose coming out as the themes of these conversations.

SPEAKER_04 18:09

You must be wondering when this trip happened. It happened in September, and uh the goal was to get these episodes out by December of last year. Well, a lot of things happened, and I didn't want to diminish the work we put in and again the amazing gifts that we've had. So we decided to do something really cool, and we're gonna post however many we can a week.

SPEAKER_00 18:30

So, LinkedIn, every single episode, you'll find a free PDF. It's actually a magazine that we developed. You can kind of think of it like if you go to a concert and you get like the souvenir of what happened behind the scenes and just about the different artists and all those things. We wanted to share with you not only about Tron's journey, but then help you connect with some of the guests that we interview in Sri Lanka and then invite you on your own creative Odyssey.

SPEAKER_04 18:51

Yes, there's so much more that goes into or that fills this podcast, which is this mission to inspire people to create so that they can get to know themselves and connect with their child. So to see that we could bring that story out of Sri Lankan creatives, a wide diverse range of creatives was definitely a highlight.

SPEAKER_00 19:16

Our hope is that whether you're living in the States, you're living in Sri Lanka, or somewhere else around the world, you'll connect with someone's story within Sri Lanka and it might inspire you to continue on your own creative Odyssey.

SPEAKER_04 19:26

The link to the PDF for the magazine is in the description, and please check it out. They're doing really cool things that I really think you should be checking out to see their journeys. So without further ado, let's get to the episode.

SPEAKER_02 19:41

So um would you say uh the tech company was more based on inspiration? Um uh uh it was based on one, a a need to for me to satisfy because I did mechatronics, I didn't match for uh A-levels, um, I did mechatronics and uni. So there's that technical sort of engineering setup. And I like I function in my optimum when my life has both uh like technical analytical stuff going on as well as creative. So I needed to have like some technical even if I was doing sales, yeah, I felt like I needed some more technical negotiation kind of thing in my life and uh to use this, I guess what we people call the left brain. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like this analytical side of me. Um I I so bit of that and where the where the world's going, um, all of these things combined, I got into tech. Um yeah, and just chance maybe because because of the I got offered a tech opportunity as well. Like I was thinking along these lines. Yeah, yeah, yeah. My cousin said, Hey man, you're in sales, like here, let's do tech sales. So, okay, cool. Brilliant. I I like the whole sorry, I I like the whole concept of the the left and right, I think even the logo here. Like I I I want to talk about creativity from that point of view, like people need to even the people who use the left side need to be able to use the right side. Like that needs to go hand in hand. Yeah. Um, so I love that she brought that up. So I think that's you know, in a humble way, I think, I think for because I'm saying like I'm uh that's where I function the optimum, right? I I've had periods where I'm more like sort of uh I try to be more like again, I don't really know whether the brain really works like this, but like do more like left brain activities in my life or then other times of my life where it's all like right brain stuff. Like for me the optimum is when there's these are in balance. Like for me, right? I I need a bit of both. Like if I'm if I'm zero creative, yeah, yeah. Like life, I I become like a zombie. Yeah. If I'm all analytical, uh like zero creative, all analytical, it's like, whoa, I literally look like a zombie. And then if I'm like zero analytical, all creative also, like. It also like kind of throws me off balance and not I I'm not satisfied. But I'm satisfied when I when I let those energies kind of meet and simmer and do the thing. I think there are studies that backs that up actually. So um I I sh I'm gonna like maybe put it on here somewhere. But that's kind of where I uh uh you and I connect here. Um I was in a musician growing up, I was in choir and orchestra and all these things. Um and uh I kind of understood this narrative that as long as I do my studies, you can do these hobbies type of thing. And and I from a young age kind of took it as I'm not smart enough. I should only stick to what I know. And so I became a chef for nine years. Um and that decision was based off of like, I can't do anything else. I'm not smart enough, let's pick a safe field. And I was good at cooking when I was young anyway, so I was like, ah, this is fun, anyways. And I was really good at it. I only gave up on it just because of the bureaucracy and I wanted to work for myself. I figured out what I'm passionate about.

SPEAKER_04 23:11

So now I'm at a space where the business I run and um I do my creative stuff, I need to have a balance of both. I cannot just be creative all the time. I need to have the analytical stuff.

SPEAKER_02 23:23

So when you said that, I completely agree with you. That's like my synergy as well. Um, so that's cool that we connect on that. That's true. That's why I was like, I I've been following your journey ever since you were on Facebook, obviously.

SPEAKER_04 23:35

Yeah, just like I've seen you do your thing, and I'm like, that's cool.

SPEAKER_02 23:38

Like, I mean, I knew you were doing theater stuff and you were young. So like for me to see you going the acting route was super cool to see that. And I I saw you like winning awards and stuff. Oh my gosh, that's guys, that's so cool. And then like we recently connected, and you're like, oh, I mean this side too. I'm like, wow, that's even cooler. Yeah, you know. It doesn't always like like some of my friends, uh, a lot of my ex-girlfriends uh you know struggle to understand this side of me. Like, I've got a plan, uh, but it doesn't make sense to a lot of people. Exactly. And that's okay. Yes. And um, you know, and you and and um yeah, it's okay. And and for some it like lacks ambition in some sense, yeah. Because they can't see it, right? Like it it it lacks ambition in the way they'd have it. Yes. Um, but then it is very ambitious in a different way. Yeah. And um, and then for others, like the plans uh like way ambitious, right? Right? It's wishful thinking. Yeah, yeah. Um and um like for example, um with my like um like I you know, four or five years, three, four years ago, 2022, 2023, when I said I'm going to go back to Sri Lanka, uh in Sri Lanka, I'm gonna be here and I'm gonna do um, you know, A build on the construction side, and then B uh do the tech thing. Like uh and then also do my drama, right? For for many people, and and there is truth to what they're saying, you know, oh you've got to pick one thing, and then you're gonna be the like my grandfather father used to say to me, um, the the jack of all trades is the master of none. Um and uh uh but there's another part of this, right? Yes, which I recently found out. But like when I said this, like it was wishful thinking to people, but to me, I had experience like in whether it's in acting, whether it's in construction, whether it's in tech, whatever you're doing, right? Things are cyclical. Yes, right? And I had been part of the family business, seen the construction industry, it goes through like cycles, like there's a cycle where it's booming, and then like you have no time to do anything but that. Yes. But then we are a down period. What do you do in that period, right? Like, unless you can obviously improvise into other markets and there are things to do for sure. Um, but the business here itself, like, was a is a down period. And then, you know, I I work in uh sales, right? So I'm not a developer, so I can give ideas on what to build and so on. But then even in tech, right, there's a development cycle. So right now we're we have a product at a tech company, uh, and then they're we're we're at a go-to-market stage, right? So there is a lot of work for me to do now. Yes, right. But in the last two years, yes, there was work for me to do, but those are like, you know, intro, like touching conversations, but figuring things out. Yes. Where do we fail, like you know, but now we've got something more concrete. You can take that bull by the horn and then run with it, right? So now I'm required more here. But then last two years, even if I was trying to like do things there, I'll just be like getting frustrated because there's not much I can do. You're just like burning energy, right? Um even from my previous time at the family business, I noticed like I have a lot of energy. If I plug all that into that business, I'm just frustrated because that business is not moving at that pace. So um now here today we are, and both of those things have have uh kind of gone to a certain level. And um and it's because I chose both of those things. The third one, the acting one, has got a taken a hit. Yeah. Uh it's like because I just haven't had the enough time to focus on that. It's not the end of it, right? But also, I yeah, maybe, maybe it is. That's what I mean. Like I think I think to say that's what I'm saying. If you don't say it's the end, it's done now, like it's always an option to go back if you feel this the need, right? It is, but it's also like it's okay if it's done. Right. Because like I think we find it ha immensely hard to let go of things. That's true. And then you like the creative journey, like death is a part of the journey. Yeah. Yeah. Right? If we're if things don't die, there ain't no beauty. Right. Right? So um and and and you as an individual, you're constantly dying. Yeah. Like versions of you are dying. Yes. And uh for whatever version of you to emerge, that other like maybe maybe the core of you doesn't. Right. But then um, like Yeah, other parts of you just keep uh, I guess, reinventing. Yeah. Um and as an idea person, I'd have kept on reinventing parts of myself. Absolutely. And uh I've had like my credits call me like demand, like 1.0, 2.6, 3.0, 4. I think they I think they now season demand 5.2 or something like that. I I had different paces. And then you keep going thing, you know? Yeah. I I think that like you leave the option open with evolve and pro, right? And like even whatever you're doing now could technically be uh at one point less you would feel the same way you feel at. I mean it's an opportunity possibility open, right? Where nothing is concrete, like this is my identity now, type of thing, right? That's what I understood from you. Like, just was like, oh, I want to try and see what happens. And like that to me is kind of a bold thing. And like I I want to encourage that the CR is you have evolved so much, and if you kind of stuffed to this one thing, you would not be very red. In some sense, a very cream issue. Yeah, this don't talk to my friends. Um what are some of the challenges you have faced as you kind of go on on this journey? And uh what have you learned from those? So, like one of the immediate things that come to my mind is um uh people saying pick one, I think. Um which I get. But I made a pick decision like about two years ago. I said, people say we have to uh amigo. Yeah, right. Yeah, right. I don't have to live this life. Yeah, we'll live it my way. Right? So and and uh yeah, that was one of the best decisions. Um and uh like I'm part of a great tech company. We've we we were selected with like bench engine, it's like Sri Lankan uh startup uh program. Uh and uh we got selected our company like out of like hundreds of companies, uh I think top ten finalists and and like many big companies there, right? So uh and uh got a great response that like we've got something pretty substantial, something that could be a unique audience. Uh I don't want to get ahead of ourselves, touch wood. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh there's a lot of work to be done, and and hopefully, you know, uh in ten years from now, we've made that journey. Yeah. Um and and you know, I have a I I have a part to play at a piece of that because of, you know, going like fuck them, that's how we and then, you know, uh, you know, things have things are not great in the construction space, but we've made some recovery. Yeah. Right? And and we're doing decent projects. We're paid in the central bank next door. Wow. We're doing some work at the uh app. It's called Enchandra of the Decorators. Okay. N C D. So it's a four it's going to be 45 years um uh in you know the next month. And uh we're doing work with John Keos. So um, you know, a business that wasn't uh like two years ago, it was in pretty bad shape. Still it's not it's not an easy road ahead. It's still rough. But uh, you know, we've held on and and things are you know uh uh going in a better direction. Um and that's all because uh you know I I did it my way. Um well with other people, I tend like when I say do it my way, but by no I I'm not operational anymore in either of these companies. So they are they are the people like that that are shouldering this and and riding this, 22 all of them, you know. For sure. Uh but for me to play my role, yeah, you know, you you calmed your path. Yeah, somewhat, you know. 100% I think so. And I think it's super insane. So Eric, that was one uh like lessons, like, yeah. Uh man. I think that's a good lesson. Um it's try to there's a there's a it's hard to do this thing, which is and that's that the even then this shit came out of this thing where we've all got like this intuitive vote like thing that in our in like it comes from like here, yeah, and then um it it links up with your head, right? And then when you find synergy between the it's not easy to find it sometimes, um when you find synergy to act and acting on that, uh that gives your life the I think most profound result unique to you. Um so listening to that uh and and trying to move with in sync with that, uh that's been a challenge. Uh but yeah, I think I'm getting and it's relevant to what you're saying with the whole logo and uh and the balance we spoke of. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:27

So let me end the podcast with this last final question. How does one listen to that intuition according to your experience?

SPEAKER_01 33:42

Oh tough fun. Yeah, there are yeah, I think I I think you're always talking to you.

SPEAKER_02 33:50

Why is it going so fast? And I go, but I thought you was really fast. And then like it was a strange thing that happened, right? Where our emotions got caught up in it and it got flared, and then it got bust, right? Uh all happened in this like a very fast span of like a month.

SPEAKER_01 34:05

And like it sounds like immature and silly when I say like all that happened in the month, but in that process, I kind of noticed like inside me uh was this inner child that like some some like a little word, like little me, me, I say love me.

SPEAKER_02 34:23

All right, love me and like what it like it's not even saying that, but it's like you know, warning this love and affection. And I saw that and and I and I said, Yeah, there's this there's a child that like wants love. And then she's like, well, I and she's like, I can't even love myself, bro. I can't love you as your child. And fair enough. And and I got that, like someone else can't do that for you. Yes. Maybe you can meet someone who can hold some space for that, right?

SPEAKER_03 34:46

Right.

SPEAKER_02 34:46

But then the bigger, bigger, it's it's it's on you. Like, you know, like people like that, the world is loving, the world is kind, it does exist in the world, but you gotta show up for yourself and then do that work for yourself, like hold that space. We all have love, right? Yeah, and um sometimes we have like we've got pain and all that. Once we sit through that pain, we have love inside us. Yeah, and when we discover that love, first we can share that love from here with ourselves and then expand out for everyone. Yeah, so um that's been a big victory. That I think so too. Yeah, I mean, definitely. Uh Bhima, thank you so much for being on the podcast. Thanks, man. I know you're a busy guy, so I appreciate your time. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_04 35:32

Listen, I I think more and more if we've been checking out our podcast and hearing these stories, especially happening in Sri Lanka.

SPEAKER_02 35:41

I think it's super cool to say that, like especially what Bhiman has gone through as far as evolving, I think is um so important than listening to yourself and and connecting with yourself. And um if you don't listen, you go at shit crazy and then eventually you learn. And sometimes if you listen too much to yourself as well, you gotta find the right balance. Yeah, 100%. Yeah. You gotta be wise about who who you listen to and how you listen to, and even if you that's yourself, you don't absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 36:11

Yeah. All I gotta say is keep dreaming, keep creating, and keep going on your own creative Odyssey. Till next time, see you later.