Let's set the scene. Imagine 3 women seated in a coffee shop on a frigid, rainy and cloudy Sunday afternoon, chatting casually with their hands wrapped around steaming cappuccinos. As an observer, what do you think they are talking about? Often, common stereotypes take the better of us and lead us to the conclusion that they are probably gossiping about their neighbors or discussing their recent shopping sprees.

Contradicting these stereotypes, Franklin Templeton has created Meri Pyaari Saheliyan, a podcast series designed for and by women with Hansi Mehrotra. In today’s global environment conversing about the role of money is often considered rude or a sensitive topic, however, the series is designed as a vehicle for women to share and discuss the things that give them meaning in life. The series also presents their experiences in the real world, adversities they’ve faced, and the journey they embarked on to overcome them as well as the role that money has played in their lives.

Juzer Tambawalla, (Director and Head of Marketing at Franklin Templeton, India) states that “Meri Pyaari Saheliyan is an incredible window into the lives of women in modern India. The podcasts provide a very immersive insight into their eventful and colorful lives. Such podcasts are extremely valuable for all listeners because it’s not every day that we get the opportunity to listen in on heartfelt conversations and have the ability to learn from the stories within them. Being a part of this campaign has been enjoyable, inspiring and eye-opening. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.”

Geetanjali Sachwani, AVP of Marketing at Franklin Templeton, India, says that “The choice of podcasts as a medium for Meri Pyaari Saheliyan is one that I feel is extremely important. In today’s era where screens surround us wherever we go, it can sometimes be overwhelming to take in all that information. Podcasts allow us to focus on the message that is trying to be conveyed without being distracted by other visual stimuli.

"Additionally, when looking at Meri Pyaari Saheliyan where women discuss their lives, their experiences and their goals podcasts allow the listener to be engaged with and to an extent become a part of that engrossing conversation. Ultimately, the goal of the campaign is to make women comfortable talking about their experiences, aspirations, and money and I feel that in an informal setting such as a podcast, this goal can really bear fruit.”

The podcasts are written and hosted by Hansi Mehrotra, a distinguished mentor from the Finance industry. She is the Founder of The Money Hans.

Speaking about the campaign, she says, “The Meri Pyaari Saheliyan concept is based on my real-life conversations with my real life girlfriends on real-life issues. I hope it inspires women to talk openly with their girlfriends about money issues.“

The campaign is spearheaded by Digital Agency Mirum India, a WPP group company.

Naila Patel (Executive Creative Director, Mirum India) said: “Meri Pyaari Saheliyan is an extension of our previous campaign 'Invest for Progress', where we urged women to not just learn to earn but also to learn to invest. These podcasts branch out from the same idea. We have created a series of conversations around problems that most women face when it comes to talking about money. These women conversing about life, money, and investments, I believe normalizes the issue at hand.”

You can access the podcast series here.

Meri Pyaari Saheliyan is also available on popular audio/podcast platforms such as Soundcloud, Spotify, Saavn, Audioboom, Pocket Casts and many more.