Sharing Conversations with Selva Ganapathy, Joint Creator of Community Simplified
Selva Ganapathy, co-founder of Community Simplified, is a champion for work-life balance and sustainability. With a diverse career spanning various sectors, Ganapathy has honed a unique approach to integrating work and personal life effectively.
Based in New Zealand, Ganapathy works as the Low Carbon Specialist at Auckland Council, promoting low-carbon, environmentally sustainable living. His day begins early, responding to emails, planning tasks, and having meetings, with an aim to have one meeting-free day each week. This flexible work arrangement, which allows him to work from home, saves time on commuting and offers more flexibility in his schedule.
Ganapathy's workday often extends into the evening, with his routine being flexible depending on the projects he is working on. He typically works until 10 pm and then goes to bed. However, he has made significant lifestyle changes in the past year, including saying no to many things, having more "me time", improving walking habits, focusing on healthy eating, and setting boundaries for work hours.
Prior to his current role, Ganapathy served as a Corporate Sustainability Officer at the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, preparing a sustainability framework and strategy aligned with the council's Climate Change Action Plan. He also championed the sustainability strategy at Christchurch Casino, fostering behavioural change among staff members and presenting the strategy to the leadership team.
Before venturing into sustainability, Ganapathy worked for MYOB as their Social and Community Support Manager, where he built and implemented a digital support strategy and led the Social and Community team. He also led the community managers team at Quora, developing community strategies.
Ganapathy's career began at the Indian Institute of Technology, where he served as a Technical Superintendent, planning, designing, and implementing laboratory experiments. His dedication to community work led him to co-found Community Simplified, a consultancy focusing on community building and sustainability.
In addition to his professional pursuits, Ganapathy values his friends and family and prioritizes spending time with them. He is also an advocate for work-life integration, emphasizing practical approaches such as mindset preparation, embracing challenges as opportunities for growth, and using storytelling and community sharing to foster resilience and clarity amid modern work pressures.
Ganapathy recommends several resources for those seeking to improve their work-life balance, including the Vipassana meditation course, WorkLife with Adam Grant's podcast, the books "Ikigai", "The Courage to be Disliked", and "Atomic Habits".
For more tailored resources directly from Selva Ganapathy or Community Simplified, checking their official website or social media profiles would be advisable. Ganapathy's approach indirectly highlights the importance of mental readiness, purposeful action, and community support through shared experiences. His work serves as a testament to the power of integration, sustainability, and community in modern life.
Selva Ganapathy, in his diverse careers spanning sectors like business, finance, and education-and-self-development, has utilized his experiences to promote work-life balance and personal growth. He emphasizes the importance of integration, sustainability, and community in modern life and offers tailored resources on his website and social media profiles. To improve work-life balance, Ganapathy recommends resources such as the Vipassana meditation course, WorkLife with Adam Grant's podcast, and books like "Ikigai", "The Courage to be Disliked", and "Atomic Habits".
