B&T has partnered with Smelly Lunch Stories to amplify stories of culturally diverse talent who have risen to the top. Even though a third of those starting out in the industry are from ethnic minority backgrounds, only 12 per cent rise to the C-Suite, and we hope these stories inspire the next generation.
In this column, Brand Game creator and strategy partner Roma Singhal shares her Smelly Lunch Story.
1. Tell us about yourself in one sentence.
A creatively driven storyteller from a diverse background, constantly pushing boundaries and inspiring change with a smile.
2. What’s the “smelliest” lunch dish you’ll proudly defend forever?
I’m a product of multiple cultures. I spent my childhood growing up in Mumbai, my youth in Singapore, and now I live my adult life in Sydney. Because of this, I’ve developed an accent that people often can’t quite place. The same goes for eating habits – they’re a blend of everything I’ve experienced along the way.
For a long time, it made it hard for people to understand where I’m “from,” and I’d often get the question: “Where is your accent from? I can’t place it.” While that used to make me feel a bit self-conscious, over time I’ve come to really embrace it as part of who I am.
How I speak and what I eat are all shaped by the different places I’ve lived and together, they make me uniquely me.
3. What did your parents actually want you to do when you were growing up…and do they understand what you do now?
Growing up, my mother hoped I’d choose finance for its stability, while my father backed my instinct to carve my own path, even as a bit of a rebel. After excelling in history, civics, and geography, I saw myself heading toward community service.
But storytelling, a love for travel and cultures, and emotional intelligence came naturally to me, and that eventually led me into advertising and marketing. My time in performing arts during college gave me the confidence to lean fully into a creative career. It may not have been the conventional route, but today my parents understand that I’ve built something true to who I am as The Smiling Strategist and the Creator of Brand Game.
4. Please tell us your Smelly Lunch story.
Coming from an Indian heritage, lunch is never just a meal. It is an experience. Think Paneer Butter Masala, Biryani, Raita, and an explosion of flavours that fills the room. To me, these meals are never “smelly,” they are fragrant, comforting, and deeply rooted in culture.
What makes them “smelly” is not the food itself, but the perception around it. People often judge the aroma before even tasting it. Anything unfamiliar is quickly labelled as unpleasant. But difference isn’t a flaw, it’s an invitation to explore.
Food, much like culture, carries stories. And when we dismiss it based on smell alone, we miss out on understanding those stories. What one person calls “smelly,” another calls home. For me, these lunches were never something to hide, they were something to be proud of.
5. Was there ever a moment when you felt different or like an outsider because of your cultural or ethnic background? How did that make you feel?
Yes. There was a moment when a photographer at a previous workplace, after capturing a group photo of lead strategists I was part of, commented that my skin tone didn’t “match” the others. It was a stark reminder that bias still exists in subtle ways.
It made me uncomfortable, but also more aware. Brown is beautiful, and so are all the things we associate with richness and depth: earth, coffee, chocolate, wood. That moment reinforced my pride in who I am.
6. If you were stuck on a desert island, what one piece of media (book, podcast, film, album) would you take with you?
The movie Life of Pi.
It’s a story about survival, resilience, and ultimately, letting go. It reminds me that life is as much about endurance as it is about acceptance.
7. Who opened a door for you, and who have you opened one for since?
Rose Herceg, President at WPP AUNZ, opened a door for me. Her constant encouragement, candid feedback, and genuine interest in my growth made a lasting impact.
Since then, I’ve tried to do the same for others – mentoring, supporting, and showing up when it matters. Even small gestures can open big doors.
8. How does your cultural background influence the way you approach your role?
My cultural background brings a rich sense of heterogeneity to the way I think and work. It allows me to hold multiple perspectives at once, embrace nuance, and resist the urge to see problems in binaries.
Drawing from Business Sutra by Devdutt Pattanaik (see video below), I’m deeply influenced by the contrast between Eastern and Western philosophies. Western frameworks often prioritise standardisation, efficiency, and the idea of a single “best” solution, driven by logic, metrics, and control. In contrast, Eastern philosophy recognises that truth is contextual, shaped by relationships, roles, and lived experience. It invites us to move from “objective truth” to “subjective reality”, from seeking control to building understanding.
This perspective has reshaped how I approach leadership and creativity. It’s less about imposing one right answer, and more about navigating multiple truths with empathy.
For me, it’s about balancing both worlds: the clarity and structure of Western thinking with the empathy, adaptability, and plurality of Eastern philosophy. That’s where truly meaningful and creative work happens.
9. What advice would you give to someone starting out who feels like they don’t fit in?
If someone is asking you to “fit in”, run. That usually means they’re looking for replicas, not originality and without diversity, creativity suffers.
Research at McKinsey & Company and HBR consistently back this up. Companies in the top quartile for ethnic diversity are 39 per cent more likely to outperform financially than those with low diversity, and gender-diverse teams show similarly strong gains. They’re also 70 per cent more likely to capture new markets, proving that diversity doesn’t just improve ideas, it drives real-world impact.
What this really means is that different perspectives aren’t a “nice to have”, they’re a competitive advantage. Homogeneous teams tend to think alike, while diverse teams challenge assumptions, avoid groupthink, and unlock better solutions.
So if you feel like you don’t fit in, that’s not a weakness, it’s your edge. It means you see the world differently, and that difference is valuable.
Growth happens when you’re allowed to be fully yourself. So don’t aim to fit in, aim to stand out, and find people who recognise that your difference is exactly what makes you powerful.
10. What do you wish more people understood about cultural diversity and why do you believe it’s important in leadership teams?
I wish more people understood that cultural diversity isn’t just about representation, it’s about perspective. It fundamentally changes how problems are understood, decisions are made, and opportunities are identified.
In leadership, the stakes are higher. Decisions shape culture, direction, and people’s sense of belonging. Without diversity at the top, organisations risk building systems that unintentionally exclude.
Diversity in leadership isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about building better, more resilient organisations. When different voices are present at the table, the conversation changes and so do the outcomes, for the better.
11. What do you wish more people understood about cultural diversity and why do you believe it’s important in leadership teams?
One of the most impactful things the industry can do is build intentional, long-term pipelines for diverse talent, not just hire for diversity at senior levels, but grow it from within.
Right now, the gap isn’t just at the top. It starts early. Diverse talent is often underrepresented at entry and mid-level roles, which limits who eventually makes it to leadership. Research from
Deloitte shows that organisations with inclusive talent pipelines are significantly more likely to retain and promote diverse employees.
This means actively recruiting interns and juniors from varied cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, and then investing in mentorship, sponsorship, and clear progression pathways.
Representation shouldn’t be a late-stage correction. It should be built into the system from day one.
It also requires accountability. Leadership teams need measurable diversity goals tied to hiring, retention, and promotion, not just statements of intent.
The reality is, you can’t expect diverse leadership if you’re not nurturing diverse talent early on.
Real change happens when organisations stop treating diversity as a hiring initiative and start treating it as a growth strategy, one that’s embedded at every level of the business.
Check out recent Smelly Lunch Stories: Pawenah Kaniah, Brendan Willenberg, Berlian Adyuda, Andie Potter, Marcelle Hoyek
If you have a Smelly Lunch Story you would like to share, please email: [email protected]
