S1, Ep8 – In conversation with Rishi Nanavati
27 May 2022
If there’s ever an episode to listen to while you’re eating, this is it. Meet Rishi Nanavati — known for his catchphrase, “sharing with a smile.” Originally a London-based dentist, Rishi later became a MasterChef 2022 quarter-finalist.
In this episode, Rishi joins Dr Reena for a candid conversation about the creation of Dish by Rish — a platform born from his passion to share recipes and culinary creations, aiming to inspire productivity and joy through food. They discuss how it all began, the challenges and setbacks he faced, and, of course, Rishi reveals his ultimate “day on a plate.”
Conversation Show Notes – The Recap
Dr Reena began by recalling how she first met Rishi in the dentistry world, both sharing the profession of dentistry. Rishi openly acknowledged how demanding and stressful the profession can be, which led him to develop a creative outlet through his passion for food and ingredients. He designed a multi-channel platform to showcase his recipes and ideas. What started as a personal passion project, Rishi admitted, was born out of the need to come home from work and “think about anything apart from teeth.”
After about a year, interest in his work began to grow, and then the pandemic lockdown happened. For Rishi, it was like a catapult. With everyone stuck at home and looking for something to do, his followers surged dramatically from 2,000 to 20,000, even though he was still in the early stages. Cooking had always been a love of his, sparked around the age of eight by watching his mum and grandmother in the kitchen. He enjoyed helping with odd jobs but truly loved being part of the entire creative experience.
‘Dish by Rish’ started on Instagram. During lockdown, Rishi didn’t want to stay idle, so he committed to creating content seven days a week. With a rapidly growing audience hungry for more, he eventually took a couple of months off from dentistry to focus on launching his website. He designed it for everyone, saying, “Anyone who wants to cook or wants to learn more — that’s who it’s for.”
Rishi has since built two successful careers, skilfully navigating both the worlds of food and dentistry. When Dr Reena asked how he balanced the different platforms — Instagram and his website — Rishi explained that the website offers a more in-depth experience than social media and provides longevity. “Who knows if Instagram will even be around or the same platform five years from now?” he said.
All of Rishi’s recipes are vegetarian, a vital element that appeals strongly to his dedicated audience. Having followed a vegetarian diet his whole life, Rishi’s perspective was enlightening for Dr Reena, who is also a lifelong vegetarian. Rishi noticed a significant gap in the market for authentic vegetarian cuisine created by someone who actually lives that lifestyle. He felt the existing offerings didn’t quite sit right with him and was motivated to make his own mark in this space.
And mark his space he did — when MasterChef came calling. Rishi went on to become a quarter-finalist in the 2022 series. Dr Reena discussed how he adjusted to the public eye following his MasterChef success. Rishi described the long, five-month audition process and his mindset going in: if he didn’t get through, he’d find another path, but his focus and talent ultimately carried him through to filming.
He calls being on MasterChef one of the best experiences of his life and says he would do it again in a heartbeat. Nowadays, he describes himself as “a dentist who works in food.”
Episode Key Takeaways – The Best ideas
I’m definitely not the kind of person to sit down and not do anything.
Learn how to maximise your time.
If you have a genuine passion for something, it will naturally ensure you stand out against anyone else.
The difference between social media and a website is longevity: Instagram, for example, can come and go, but your website is your longstanding platform.
Find a gap in the market and discover the best way to represent it.
There are multiple ways to reach the same end goal.
Always stay true to yourself.
Ultimately, you always need balance in your life.
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