
Finding Happiness & Identity
From Coffee Can't Fix Everything by The Healthy Project Media Co
June 24, 2024 · 41 min · Episode 11
About this episode
The episode explores cultural identity and happiness through the insights of Dr. Erlin Kakkanad.
In this enlightening episode of Coffee Can't Fix Everything, host Corey Dion Lewis sits down with the inspiring Dr. Erlin Kakkanad to discuss the complexities of cultural identity, the science of happiness, and how to navigate the pressures of fitting in while staying true to oneself. Dr. Erlin Kakkanad, an award-winning children's book author and positive psychology enthusiast, shares her journey from India to the U.S., the challenges of maintaining cultural identity, and the impact of her children's questions on her writing. She also gets into her professional mission of creating meaningful work environments and the importance of flow in achieving workplace happiness. About the Guest: Dr. Erlin Kakkanad’s experiences have shaped her into a problem-solver. In 2022, she debuted as a children's book author and is now the author of two award-winning bestsellers, "Happy in Your Skin" and "I Love Curry and I’m Not Sorry.” Her inspiration to publish these books came from the realization that there was a lack of children's literature catering to Asian Indian children’s curiosity about their cultural backgrounds. Dr. Kakkanad is an international speaker and positive psychology…
People in this episode
Host: Corey Dion Lewis
Guest: Dr. Erlin Kakkanad
Topics covered
- cultural identity
- happiness
- positive psychology
- workplace happiness
- children's literature
Keywords
- cultural identity
- happiness
- positive psychology
- children's literature
- workplace happiness
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Drake University
Books & works: Happy in Your Skin, I Love Curry and I’m Not Sorry
More episodes of Coffee Can't Fix Everything
- Ship the Art: Originality, Creative Fear & Showing Up in the Wild · May 13, 2026 · 49 min
- Everything and Nothing: Rest, Identity, and Shadow Work with Vanessa McNeal · May 6, 2026 · 48 min
- Healing-Centered Engagement, Generational Trauma, and the Power of “How Are You?” with Christine Her of ArtForce Iowa · April 29, 2026 · 43 min
- Navigating Life Transitions with Patricia Barbee · January 19, 2026 · 35 min
- I Didn’t Feel Seen Until I Started Podcasting (with Emili Johnson) · May 21, 2025 · 46 min
- Pressure, Identity & Mental Health as a Creative · April 30, 2025 · 38 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Coffee Can't Fix Everything podcast page.