In her inspiring TEDx talk, “The Career I Never Planned,” Seema Wadhwa shares her unexpected journey from a traditional career path to discovering her true passion. Reflecting on her early aspirations, she describes how societal expectations directed her toward a conventional route, despite her longing for creativity and personal fulfillment. Seema emphasizes the importance of embracing change and being open to new opportunities, illustrating how a chance encounter led her to explore fields that ignited her enthusiasm.
Through captivating anecdotes and heartfelt insights, she encourages listeners to redefine success by identifying their unique strengths and pursuing passions that resonate with their true selves. Seema’s story serves as a powerful reminder that the most rewarding careers often emerge from spontaneity rather than planning, inspiring young minds to be fearless in their pursuits and to follow their hearts. This talk not only motivates individuals to break free from societal constraints but also champions the value of resilience and adaptability in the face of life’s unexpected turns.
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Author Video Description
Seema Wadhwa, content creator and co-founder of Pickles and Wine, shared a story of unexpected turns, reinvention, and finding purpose in uncertainty. Once determined to become a journalist, she built a career covering politicians and Bollywood, yet still felt something was missing. A leap of faith led her and her sister to freelancing, travel, and eventually, during the uncertainty of COVID-19, to their kitchen. Their experiments—blending global dishes with desi twists—soon found an audience online. Seema reminded us that our roots can give us wings: as life changes, we must be brave enough to embrace uncertainty, reinvent ourselves, and turn the page.
Seema Wadhwa is the co-founder of Pickles and Wine, a food and recipe platform she built with her sister, Sulakshna Wadhwa, which has grown into a vibrant community of over 600,000 followers.
Known for taking international dishes and giving them a distinctly desi twist, Pickles and Wine creates recipes that are familiar yet unexpected, bringing together the sisters’ love for food, storytelling and creativity. Through their engaging content, they have turned everyday cooking into a space for experimentation, connection and discovery.
Seema began her career as a journalist before moving into marketing consulting and eventually turning her passion for food into a thriving platform. Her journey is one of curiosity, creativity and constant reinvention—exploring different industries, embracing new interests and having the courage to take an unconventional path. It is a journey that shows how following what excites you can sometimes lead you somewhere entirely unexpected. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
About TEDxTalks
TEDx is an international community that organizes TED-style events anywhere and everywhere — celebrating locally-driven ideas and elevating them to a global stage. TEDx events are produced independently of TED conferences, each event curates speakers on their own, but based on TED’s format and rules.
Video “The Career I Never Planned | Seema Wadhwa | TEDxNMS Youth” was uploaded on 09/28/2026 to Youtube Channel TEDx Talks