·S2 E198

Building Community from Feeling Alone to Finding Belonging with Pallavi Pande

March 10

39 mins

Episode Description

In this episode of The Art of Imperfect Adulting, Amy Stone speaks with Pallavi Pande about building a supportive community as a South Asian immigrant mom and entrepreneur in Portland, Oregon. The discussion shines a light on the realities of starting over in a new place, the importance of vulnerability, and how taking the first small step toward connection can lead to lasting impact.

Pallavi Pande is a BIPOC mompreneur and the founder of DTOCS, a brand offering classy, compostable single-use tableware for events. Through her firm, DTOCS Consulting, she helps other brands grow on Amazon. She also leads a 2,000+ member South Asian moms group in Oregon. A Tory Burch Foundation Fellow and an honoree on Inc.’s list of fastest-growing companies, Pallavi serves on the board of Naturally Seattle. When she’s not building businesses or mentoring founders, you’ll likely find her dancing Zumba or sipping wine—always championing People, Planet, and Parties.

Main Topics Covered:

Overcoming the isolation of relocating and reinventing yourself in a new city as an immigrant.
Postpartum depression and the power of vulnerability in reaching out for help.
Building community for South Asian women through "Portland Brown Mommies" to address culture-specific needs.
The evolution of an online community into deep, multigenerational in-person friendships and support.
Using feedback and responsiveness to keep community events relevant, safe, and engaging.
Transitioning from social connection to business mentorship: supporting South Asian women entrepreneurs.
Mindset, habit change, and resilience in overcoming rejection—personally and professionally.
How community supported Pallavi’s entrepreneurial journey with DTOCS compostable tableware.

Quote from the Episode:

"So I went with the vision I had, which was, there's nobody for me. How can I change that narrative? How can I be there for somebody else who's like me, who's trying to move, who has million of questions..." — Pallavi Pande

Timestamps: [00:00:06] Welcome & quick intros; Pallavi shares her Portland home [00:00:38] Navigating life in rainy Portland and fitting in daily movement [00:01:18] Pallavi’s three focuses: moving, overcoming rejection, building community [00:01:43] Pallavi’s migration: marrying young, moving from India to Ohio, then Oregon [00:04:12] Facing postpartum depression, loneliness, and the search for cultural connection [00:05:08] The spark of finding community online and creating “Portland Brown Mommies” [00:07:27] Diversity and inclusivity experiences in Oregon [00:08:05] Loneliness, pandemic impact, and the choice to take action [00:10:02] Mechanics of building an online-to-offline local mom community [00:12:13] Event planning by consensus and member feedback [00:13:43] Advice for those feeling lonely: why Pallavi didn’t just “join a club” [00:16:10] Taking the first baby step: how the group started with a single Facebook post [00:18:48] Tying community-building to entrepreneurship and DTOCS [00:21:03] From social group to business mentor network for South Asian women [00:24:34] Rejection, resilience, and pivoting toward progress [00:28:36] Pallavi’s passion for LinkedIn and how to connect with her/DTOCS [00:30:50] Rapid fire: morning routines, family priorities, and world travel tips [00:36:45] Closing and gratitude for Pallavi’s insights

ABOUT THE SHOW: The Art of Imperfect Adulting elevates the voices of experience by sharing real stories from real people figuring out adult life. Every episode features honest conversations about life's choices, changes, and challenges—interviews with individuals (not celebrities) who share their personal experiences and insights. Through these authentic stories, listeners find validation, motivation, and inspiration for navigating their own path through modern life. Because there's a big difference between expert advice and shared experience, and hearing another person's lived experience helps us feel less alone in our own situations.

CONNECT WITH THE GUEST: www.dtocs.com

GET PALLAVI PANDE’S SPECIAL OFFER: Use coupon code DTOCS10 at checkout on our website - https://www.dtocs.com, for 10% off and free shipping

Note from the show: Guest offers are almost always limited-time and limited quantity. If you have any trouble redeeming the offer please reach out directly to the guest for support.

Join the conversation on social. Find the Art of Imperfect Adulting on Instagram @theartof_imperfect_adulting YouTube @imperfectadulting and TikTok @imperfectadulting

If you love the show and you'd like to support it directly you can tip the host here https://imperfect-adulting.captivate.fm/support

If you have a story to share and you'd like to be a guest on The Art of Imperfect Adulting, here are the steps for how you can make that happen. Click here and pitch yourself.

Never Miss a Moment of Imperfect Adulting

We invite you to join our email community and let us bring the podcast directly to you! As a subscriber, you'll receive notifications about new episodes, exclusive offers from our amazing guests, and easier access to any of the important links mentioned on the show—no more scrambling to write down websites or remember special codes.

Why subscribe?