Dr. Shabana Parvez, MD, FACEP, US Bureau Chief of The Desi Buzz and founder of Arlington Integrative Medical Associates (AIMA) and Babies4.us, sat down for an exclusive and inspiring conversation with sat down for an exclusive and inspiring conversation with The Honourable Niki Sharma, Deputy Premier and Attorney General of British Columbia. As the first South Asian woman and the first woman of colour to serve as Attorney General of British Columbia, Sharma has shattered glass ceilings and paved the way for future generations. In this powerful interview, she opens up about her journey from a shy, introverted child growing up in Sparwood to becoming one of the most senior political leaders in the province, sharing invaluable insights on identity, justice, representation, leadership, and the enduring legacy she hopes to leave behind.
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HER JOURNEY & ROOTS
Growing Up in British Columbia
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “You grew up in Sparwood, British Columbia, and now today you’re one of the most senior political leaders in that province. What was young Niki like? Did you ever imagine that one day you’d become Deputy Premier?”
Niki Sharma: “No, I was a very shy kid. I was very shy and very introverted, and actually it’s a small town, and I felt really disconnected from politics. I think I’m not even sure I knew who my MLA was when I was growing up as a kid and didn’t feel connected to those kind of systems of power. My parents immigrated from India and were really focused on building up their life. So like my dad had a small business and we were all working in it, that kind of thing. I think that’s the story of a lot of immigrant families. So, yeah, I didn’t actually, I think, ever dream that this would be a path that was open to me and really grateful that I’m here. I have three sisters, so there was a lot of only girls in the family, so we grew up in this kind of beautiful town, and we’re on our bikes most of the time, and the one thing that I think really connected me with community, if I was going to say, was a lesson, is my mom is a chronic volunteer. Like, she’s the one in the community that will always put her hand up when there’s something that needs to be organized or community organization. So we would be taken to these things and be part of those volunteers, her family volunteers, to do the work with her. So I think that sense of duty, I think, was something that I grew up with.”
The Sharma Family Story
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “So tell us, I was going to ask you my next question a little bit, like, you know, a little bit more about your family. What other values did your parents and family instill in you that continue to influence the way you lead and make decisions today? You’ve already mentioned that your mom was really big in volunteering and always forward and helping others. What other kind of family influences helped to make you what you are today?”
Niki Sharma: “Yeah, I think my parents were definitely a key influence when I was growing up. And I think. My dad was such a hard worker and never gave up, and he had faced obstacles in his life that were about being, you know, one of the first Indian immigrants in a small town, and he always persevered, and I think we watched him work really hard to do that with this, like, strong sense of duty, but I think the lesson that I got from him probably, which I think a lot of people can relate to, is that as somebody who’s building their life in this country, you’re given opportunity, but you’re not entitled to anything. You have to work for it, you’ve to build your life, and you have to keep going, that sense of hard work and never giving up, I think was part of what not only we saw with our parents, but that was taught to us, that hard work is important, and I think with my mom, it was that sense of community, right, that I remember she, this was years ago, obviously a long time ago, we were kids, and she did this multiculturalism fashion show, with, just to show, She this community, all the beauties of like multiculturalism, and so she called upon like, they worked through different families, like some from Japan, some from different places, and just showed their cultural, so it was a kind of a neat experience to think about how, in such a small town, we all support each other and understand different cultures, and so we were always being exposed to learning things like that.”
Finding Her Identity
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “So as part of that South Asian family growing up in British Columbia, how did those two things come together, the Canadian upbringing, plus the South Asian, how did that come together to shape you, who you became?”
Niki Sharma: “Yeah, I think I saw the obstacles, like first of all, there’s this really big sense of my parents leaving their home country and coming to Canada, so I think it starts with a sense of loss, that they were far away from their family and their siblings, and their connection and support. So it always felt like we were They were searching for that connection when they were building their life in this small town and feeling, like, sad about being away from their country. And with that, I think we learned not only the struggles of setting up a life and leaving one behind, but also this connection between another country and another place that was, through my parents, something that was really important to us. And we saw the obstacles my parents faced that were just about coming from a different place at a time where, you know, racism was a little bit more, it all, it exists, and it obviously still exists, but it was more of a open barrier without the protections that we can have in place now. So just seeing them struggle through that, I think, was something I remember, and so, yeah, I mean, it’s something that I think every immigrant or kid that has immigrant parents can relate to. I’m will. see B Bye! But it’s a journey to establish your life in a country that’s not your own, from my parents’ perspective, but that we are so grateful to have all the opportunities that we have here.”
FROM LAW TO POLITICS
The Lawyer Who Wanted to Change the System
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “So not just you’re talking about an immigrant perspective, but you really, you know, resonated with Indigenous communities, because then when you entered politics, you were before politics, you were a lawyer, and you represented Indigenous communities, and then also the residential school survivors. So what about those experiences? How did that teach you about justice? Yeah. And again, the responsibility that comes to having, you know, that comes with having a voice or a say in the system.”
Niki Sharma: “Yeah, it, I learned so much with the legal practice. remember when I started years ago, it was the first, amongst the first lawsuits where survivors, after being quiet for decades, and dealing with the trauma of what they experienced as children, bias, children, they were coming forward to sue, they were of the street. and talk. Talk about the experiences they had in residential school. But a lot of people, you’d walk down the street in Canada and people wouldn’t know, right? They wouldn’t know the history of that. We had a whole system that took kids away when they were five years old and forced them into school. And where, you know, many of them were and physically abused in those schools and lost their language and their culture and were, you know, separated from their families. And so this like trauma that they were carrying. And I learned so much from, and I’m so grateful, I’ve still dear friends with many survivors that I had a chance to work with, but just to learn about the history of the country and how it’s impacted on people, but also this amazing resilience that the families and the communities have to go through something so traumatic and rebuild their lives afterwards. So, but I also learned about how the justice system can work against you. um And I remember many times as a young lawyer, I would go to like a discovery or some legal process where I was the lawyer representing the survivor in a room full of tons of lawyers from Canada and all the churches. And that sense of the power that we were taking on through these lawsuits that was very organized and resourced and how much bravery it took for that survivor to tell their story in that context. And sometimes it was extremely unfair, the stuff that we faced.”
Why Politics?
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “That’s amazing. That’s a lot of bravery, a lot of courage actually doing that. And when you were representing individuals now, as a lawyer, most of the time you’re representing individuals, but now in politics, you get an opportunity to influence the entire system. Is there, do you remember any particular shift that you decided when, when was it like, was there like a light bulb moment when you said, I want to move more from individual advocacy to politics so I can have a bigger impact. Was there any kind of, you know, moment like that for you?”
Niki Sharma: “Yeah, definitely. I, I think I started just kind of on the periphery of politics, like I knew people were running and I that were running that I was I respected a lot of what worked with. And and so they put me on advisory committees, and I helped with campaigns. that was kind of how I started. But one of the things that, you know, I’m I saw when I was able to work in in on the periphery of politics, or government is that when you can change systems for people, it’s, you know, there’s something honorable about being a lawyer and representing the individual, but when you can impact the whole system and make it fairer, there’s something so profound about that, that I just loved. If you can work together with people to solve the problems that exist in a system, it just, it makes it better for everybody. So that was the kind of thing that really drove me to be continued to be part of government. And, and, and, and”
From MLA to Cabinet
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “So is there a moment in your political journey that maybe surprised you the most? You went from MLA for the Vancouver Hastings and then now Attorney General and now Deputy Premier. Is there any time there that you were kind of surprised or the most surprised during that journey?”
Niki Sharma: “Well, I think there’s been many surprises. It’d be hard to pick one, some positive, some not. I love that I get to meet with amazing leaders in the community. I always learn something. Every day is filled with learning something that either surprises me or challenges me or helps me understand a different perspective and what a privilege that is, right? That I have a role that I can learn from people and connect with people. I think on the negative side, the thing that really surprised me going from law to politics is, you know, at least in law, you have to base anything you say on evidence or some kind of basis in what’s happening. And I still do that as a politician. from school. Yeah, um, and And you have a judge or somebody that’s looking at what’s true or not, but I think what we’ve come to in politics now, especially with the social media and misinformation, is there’s no, people can say things that are just not based on, like, anything that is, like, just lie, like, there’s no evidence, there’s no proof, there’s everything they can say it. And so that still bothers me, but it definitely bothered me, like, I was surprised by that when I entered politics, that we, this, like, integrity of what the truth is, is, is, there’s a flirt, is, and, and, you know, that.”
BREAKING BARRIERS & MAKING HISTORY
Becoming Attorney General
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “When you became Attorney General of British Columbia, you were the first woman of color to do that. Was there anything going through your mind when you actually realized, did that ever hit you with the historical significance of that appointment?”
Niki Sharma: “Um, it definitely hit me. Um, it’s, it’s a, as a personal experience to be given the honor of, of such a. It was amazingly overwhelming and in good ways that that was the role. I think I had this sense that I have to work hard to be good at the job. Like I have to do whatever I can to the best of my abilities to show that, you know, no matter what your background or where you come from, that you can rise to positions like that are important. And so I think I felt I started feeling this like big sense of responsibility, which anybody in the role would feel, but also just to show that I was not a token appointment, right? That this wasn’t just because of my background that I was able to do the job.”
Representation Matters
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “How important do you think it is for, I guess, South Asian Canadians, especially young women, to see somebody who looks like them in senior positions in government? I think that’s important to help encourage them that, you know, anybody can become that or that they’re represented.”
Niki Sharma: “I hope so. I hope so. I think about who I seek out when I want to have mentorship or role models, and it usually is someone that I think understands my experience or understands the perspectives that I have. You know, there’s no doubt in my mind that tables of power benefit from different backgrounds and perspectives, and then we don’t have those expressed. We’re missing how people feel, especially in a democracy where the government is, is, uh… They’re… Our job is to represent the perspectives of people and the desires and barriers and challenges, so there’s no doubt in my mind that having a representative government is important for a democracy, and I hope that if people see that their government represents them, that they’ll feel more connected to it and more able to give their voice and participate.”
Breaking the “First” Barrier
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “Did you feel an additional responsibility because you were breaking barriers for those who come after? Do you feel anything? Do you feel like there’s an additional responsibility for you there?”
Niki Sharma: “Yeah, I really feel like I… So to the best of my abilities, I try hard every day to make sure I don’t make a mistake, or at least the decisions, even if there aren’t clear decisions, I’m working hard to make sure that I’m doing my best at whatever I’m doing, because I do think there’s less room for mistake and error when you are a first, or if you’re, you know, not the usual representation of power. So I think that definitely is something I think about a lot, and try to do my best to show that anybody with the skills and commitment and desire can do it, no matter what your background is, I really love to meet young South Asian women in different moments, just because it keeps me going when I’ve had a hard day, because I think like, okay, I’m facing these barriers, but I want to do it so they won’t have to, like that this won’t be There won’t be, you know, like, yeah, like I’m a first, but why, like I, it should just be, yeah. You know, it should just be based on your skill set, your background, and they’re the barriers that are there that keep people away from power just need to be removed. So it gives me hope to think that maybe they won’t have that same struggle.”
JUSTICE, SAFETY & SOCIAL CHANGE
Justice for Ordinary People
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “Talking about the legal system, a lot of people do find it, like you mentioned an example before, very intimidating, expensive, and maybe complicated. What do you think, for an ordinary British Columbian, for Canadian, what do you think might be the biggest changes that you would like to see in the justice system?”
Niki Sharma: “Yeah, there’s so much work we’re doing to change the justice system to make it more accessible, whether it’s giving like free tools to resolve things outside of court, so, you know, especially in family law where it can be so disruptive to people’s lives and families and very expensive to resolve and leave this lasting. you If it’s years in court, very expensive to get early resolution processes that are free, so people can get the information and the support they need to resolve outside of court, or putting more money into legal aid, so if you need a lawyer, you can get it, transforming systems to make it so the processes are easier, so we don’t have to go through the more complicated systems that are there, so we have our hands in a lot of different things. That are about, are squarely focused on access to justice, and how people should experience it, and the end of the day, when people reach out to the justice system, it’s because they want to get help resolving something they couldn’t, they couldn’t resolve themselves, right, they need help with that, so we have the Civil Resolution Tribunal, which is the lowest barrier resolution process that is very accessible and affordable and, and have done things with online harm there that make it, so you can just get an order on your phone, like you can do it. So we’re continuing the process of making the system more accessible to people.”
Women & Safety
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “Moving on to some other reforms that you’ve done, like gender-based violence, what are the things you think, maybe, that needs to, that’s What need to change the most in terms of how justice systems respond to women who experience violence?”
Niki Sharma: “It’s a really big one. It’s another thing we’re doing a lot of work on because the statistics are appalling. The number of, particularly women, that experience either assault or interpartum violence that don’t even go forward to the justice system. And then when they do, the experiences they have from reporting to outcomes is overly traumatic and very hard, right? So I’ve heard far too many stories of people that are brave enough to tell me their journey through the justice system where, in my view, transformative change needs to happen there. I asked Dr. Stanton, who’s a pretty renowned expert in this area, to take a look at our justice system and give me a list of things that need to change. So she’s given me 21 things that she thinks could be better or we could do better on, and we give regular updates about the work we’re doing. So it’s anything from reporting to, you know, how supports are in court systems, how the system is, whether we could do restorative justice, a different process for resolving disputes, how protection orders are put in place. So when somebody does come to seek safety in the system, that they’re given that safety by protecting them. So and up to criminal justice reform. So real accountability if somebody is perpetuating violence. So it’s a big piece of work that I’m going to do as much as I can while I’m in this position to make better.”
Making the Internet Safer
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “So for online safety, since you mentioned that, it is a really big issue now for children and families. And what what kind of things are you doing or suggest that we do to protect people from online harm?”
Niki Sharma: “Yeah, affecting freedom of expression, for example, without, you know. Yeah. So I I’m tackling that on many fronts, along with colleagues in my government. And the first one is litigation. So I am as the attorney general, the one that makes decisions on litigation and where we are involved in cases where there’s harm or we’re taking on companies to protect people as an active part of my work. The other is regulation and legislation. And one example is we set up a Intimate Images Protection Act, which was one of my first pieces of legislation where it sets up a system where if you’re getting exploited, if somebody’s even using AI. Using deep fakes, taking an intimate image of you and distributing it or threatening to, that you can get an order pretty quickly by making an application online and get the stuff taken down from websites. And we’re taking on some of the platforms if they don’t do that, like X and other ones if they refuse to. And we’re heavily advocating for the federal regulation when it comes to online safety, especially for young people. So clear demands about what we think we need to do to make systems safer. So it’s something that, you know, I really care about. I think I’ve heard far too many stories of parents that have suffered real damage, and we have some real instances in BC of tragedies that have a connection to online platforms. And so we need to do a lot better, and I’m going to continue to fight for that.”
AI, TECHNOLOGY & THE FUTURE
AI Is Moving Faster Than Government
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “Now, and now another topic I’d like to talk to you about is about AI, which, of course, is now a topic in everything. Now, and it’s moving very fast with the developments in AI. So we mentioned a little bit about deepfakes, you know, we have misinformation, cybercrime, and definitely a lot of just AI generated content. Do you think that government needs to have a different approach to how that’s regulated?”
Niki Sharma: “Yeah, and we’ve been asking, I believe it has to be at a federal level, so each province isn’t doing something separately, but certainly there’s stuff we’ve already done provincially that’s in our jurisdiction that I’ve already talked about. But we need to make sure that AI is safe, particularly for kids. And when we have all these companies in the race to the market that’s happening with the trillions of dollars that’s going into it, the focus on safety is voluntary. Whether or not they choose to design a product that has correct safety measures or not is, you know, it shouldn’t be that way. It should be we have, my hope is with the eSafety Commission that’s being set up federally, there’s clear guidelines on safety. We suffered a really big tragedy in BC with the school shooting with ties to open AI. and we’ve been pretty glad about our concern about how we make sure that the systems are in place to make sure things like that don’t happen again. And it’s something that we are pushing for directly. I see a lot of retreat from social media companies when it comes to impacts on kids because of successful lawsuits that are really making them accountable to high degree of settlement and affecting their bottom line, potentially. But we don’t, why do we have to wait for the impacts that already before to happen already, which is what litigation does, right? You have to show the impacts happened already. And I think it’s the job of government to set up clear rules to make sure things are safe, products are safe at the outset, right?”
AI & the Legal System
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “What about then, do you think on the other side of use, they say the use of AI, will you think there’s going to be some change to the legal profession, courts, access to justice in the next, you know, five or 10 years? Yeah. mean, we know you mentioned before, like making it easy. I think something I’m not scared of.”
Niki Sharma: “Yeah. think you talk to people in the legal profession, there’ll be differences of opinion on that, but I think there are places and tools for AI as long as it’s done right. For example, a lot of effort goes into just producing transcripts of a hearing, and that’s usually like a human-led process, and you may still need to have human oversight, but are there ways of, of making it, and that’s expensive too, right, to do that process. If you can intervene with the right technology through the use of AI, you could make it more accessible, you could make the system cheaper, and so I think there are really effective uses of where we can get to in the justice system, and the reality, I think, is that it’s here, right? I think every jurisdiction in the world has their reports of lawyers that have gone into court with, you know, a research or the wrong case because they used AI. to do their research. So the reality is it is here, right? So we have to reckon with it in terms of the good uses of it and what we’re trying to protect.”
Preparing the Next Generation
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “What about AI in terms of transforming the way the workforce is? Do you feel that today’s youth need to develop additional skills or different skills in order to succeed in a future with AI where many of the careers might be transformed?”
Niki Sharma: “Yeah, I’ve been talking to a lot of young people that are interested in law or that are in school, and it’s something that I always learned from. But obviously their experience in the world is different than when we were learning because it’s unavoidable that AI is going to be part of their workplace. It’s going to be part of their learning. And the thing that I think I worry about the most is that I remember when I was doing law school, we had a library course where we had to go to the library and note up. We had to do it with books, right? And at that time, you actually could do it through the internet, right? It was… But the law school was like, no, you got to learn how to do it first, and then maybe use the easier tools. So I think with AI, it’s like another level of that, because you can maybe use systems to do the entire research project for you, and then just, you know, do the edge work. But I think as a student, it’s up to you to learn to let your brain absorb everything, right? How to do research, how to note up cases, what is a way to understand the law, and read all those books that get you there to be a competent lawyer. I think that that’s just the way it is. So I hope that the learning environment for kids, even if AI is part of their practice, it is that we show the importance of making your brain grow to learn how to do it, right?”
THE SOUTH ASIAN & CANADIAN EXPERIENCE
The Changing South Asian Community
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “I just want to talk a little bit more about your, like, the South Asian background for our community. South Asians are becoming a… Just an increasingly influential part in North America and Canadian society as well. So what are the biggest opportunities and challenges that you see for the next generation of South Asian Canadians, for example?”
Niki Sharma: “You know, I see a bright future. I think I’m definitely an optimist in lots of ways, but definitely with that I’m constantly meeting young people with South Asian backgrounds that are doing amazing things and contributing. And changing things and being part of a lot of processes. So I think that, especially in Canada, the South Asian community has proven to be, you know, builders of the country, the province in many different ways and many different things. And I see that just being part of the future as well, to be honest. Yeah.”
Beyond Food & Festivals
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “Yeah. What do you think? Yeah. In terms of, you mentioned multicultural. don’t have be multicultural. I your mom having fashion shows and things, and Canada is known for its diversity as well in that way, and multiculturalism, but, you know, beyond, say, having a Diwali celebration, Eid celebration, eating samosas, or going to Indian restaurants, I what does meaningful inclusion actually look like in your mind?”
Niki Sharma: “Taking people’s perspectives and their lived experience and their journey and helping it guide through decisions where, you know, tables of power, right? That’s the real, I think, the work of inclusion, I think we have such a beautiful country that way, like, I think things have changed so much that, you know, I just was at a school, visiting a school yesterday, where the number of backgrounds that I saw in that classroom, and the fact that people feel that with our education systems, no matter what your background is, it’s like, it’s a, it’s like the great equalizer, right? That, know, public systems that can support people through. And so something to be really for us to be proud of in Canada, that in a time we’re not perfect, but in a time where there is increasing divide and like right wing politics is really taking advantage of racial divides and, and, and making us fear, trying to force this fear immigration and, and all this stuff close close off to differences. We still have something I think pretty special in BC where we respect each other largely, even though we’re not immune to that stuff. So I am really proud of that. And in my role, I want to be part of that, which I think is a majority of British Columbia is that want to live in an inclusive society that, that are, that are proud of the fact that we welcome people from all over the world, and they can have a life and a home here.”
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “Yeah. For those of our audience that are, you know, watching this and like, are there immigrants or not, not like. Several generations are born in Canada, as you were, but for immigrants and newcomers to Canada who are trying to find their place in Canada, what kind of advice do you have for them about career building, community participation, or finding their voice?”
Niki Sharma: “Yeah, I know that it’s difficult to uproot your life and everything you know and love and come to a different country. And I saw my parents do this. I think that my advice would be, there are so many people out there that have had the similar experience to you. And there are so many organizations that are actually there and willing to help you, whether it’s with settlement services or with cultural connections. Don’t feel like you’re alone. Reach out and connect to those organizations and your cultural communities or the services that are available to you. Because you will find, I think, when you knock on the door that there’s lots of people that are, that will answer.”
THE WOMAN BEHIND THE POLITICIAN
Motherhood & Leadership
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “So let’s talk a little bit more now about you as a person, the woman behind the politician. You’re a mother. How do you balance? And of course, as a doctor, always ask all my interviewees this, kind of like your balance. How do you balance, like you professionally say, the demands of political leadership, public scrutiny on your and your family’s life? And is there anything that motherhood has taught you in terms of leadership and law, you know, that you that you never learned in law school?”
Niki Sharma: “Yeah, that’s a big question. Motherhood teaches you a lot every day. I find sometimes that what I really love is when I I’m really preoccupied with something that’s really bugging me and I don’t I can’t figure out what the right path is on something. It’s a complicated decision. And I come home and my son, who’s six right now, is just like, what’s for dinner? It’s like, yeah, okay. This is the practical thing of like family life, but it is pulling me out of this and, and, and. Making me connected in like a real way, and just tells me about his day, right? you out of it. Back into the reality of human connection and just, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that’s right. That’s right. It’s like, yes, let’s talk about dinner. And so I feel like there’s like, there’s a humanizing thing about having the family that you love that you’re you’re connected to. And, you know, I think I think the reality is, and this is what I’ve come to accept is that I’m not going to be able to balance my family, my work sometimes. Like, it’s just, it is not going to happen. Like I will have, you know, those 16 hour days, I will have to do something that’s an emergency on a weekend, I won’t be present. But I try to balance that off with real block time, where I know that, or, and my kids know that mom’s there, you know, I’m in the summer, I’m building in a little bit more because it’s a little easier, but. Yeah, yeah. I try to do that. So it’s good for me and it’s good for them, hopefully. But I think when we stress too much about the, God, I’m not doing this right. I’m not balancing things right. It just wears on you. You worry about it. But if I come to the accepting that sometimes it’s not going to be the case that I can balance it appropriately, but I’m going to make up for it somehow. Like I’m going to make sure that, you know, my daughter who’s 12 knows that I’m taking her to a volleyball practice. I’m going to watch volleyball or like those things. Right.”
When the Political Day Gets Tough
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “Is there a wellness routine or something that you do that’s kind of like, okay, this is how I at least manage my health and wellness.”
Niki Sharma: “Yeah. I, you know, I’m not as good as I could be about that mostly because my schedule sometimes is not my own. And usually that stuff you have to schedule. But when I do have time, I do build in, I do build in like some, some type of exercise. I like boxing. That’s my thing. Sometimes like it helps me, but I have to say like the regular schedules. Sometimes throws that off, but I do my best.”
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “Yeah. And some days it can be tough, right? So, because sometimes you have, you’re facing criticism or sometimes like, so you just need to switch off from all of that mental work or that, or even that what you might be personal attack. So what is it?”
Niki Sharma: “like after a tough days or something that helps you reset? Yeah. You know what? I don’t, because of the noise of media or social media and what people can say, I don’t expose myself to it. I think there’s, that’s the, it’s the only rational human experience when most people that might be criticizing me, they don’t, they’re not even willing to show their face, right? They have an anonymous bot or whatever. They’re not really a, it’s, it’s not worth my mental space, you know, I don’t, I don’t read it. I don’t, even the good stuff, right? Because that’s your, there’s a danger in that too, right? So I have like a team of issues management and media team or whatever, and I do my best to do my job the best that I can. And so when I need information or I need to understand from experts or whatever, I seek those people out whose opinion is based on something that’s important, right? Or people that I respect, and I separate myself from that scrutiny that is not real, right? And I have a team that will tell me, well, actually, I think we might be going the wrong way on this because of this and this, and we’ll assess it. So I keep myself away from that, and I think that’s really helpful.”
Bonus: Secret to Success
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “What do you think is your secret to your success? Like if there was a secret sauce, let’s say.”
Niki Sharma: “I don’t know. I think that’s a tough, I feel really fortunate to be where I am and around the people that I am. I think I, if I could tell you, I always, I always approached my work opportunities or what I wanted to do with my life as seeking out those people I wanted to learn from that I thought were doing amazing things, and I was like, oh my God, I want to learn. And always trying to be around somebody that was better than me at something, so I could learn.”
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “do motivate yourself.”
Niki Sharma: “Yeah, I find that, like, and I still try to, like, be humbled and in awe of somebody who’s doing something, or there’s, like, you know, some human that’s figuring something out in the world that I’m amazed by, so I can learn from them, and it’s kept my life really rich, I think, and full of experiences. And, yeah, other than that, I think I just try to work as hard as I can.”
THE DESI BUZZ FUN & RAPID-FIRE ROUND
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “Now some fun questions. It’s just rapid fire. Now this is just going to be like, okay, chai or coffee?”
Niki Sharma: “Oh, chai. Yeah, for sure.”
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “Bollywood or Hollywood?”
Niki Sharma: “Mix. I only watch a Bollywood movie if I know it’s good. Like it’s been filtered through my family. And she said, watch this one. Cause there’s so many that I can’t keep track. So I would say probably mostly Hollywood, but once in a while, Bollywood.”
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “Samosa or Pakoda?”
Niki Sharma: “Oh, Pakoda. Like when they’re really hot and crispy.”
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “Pop or Punjabi music?”
Niki Sharma: “Um, I probably have a healthy mix there, but you know, my daughter is like preteen, just, she’s 12. So there’s a lot of pop music in my house because she shares my Spotify stuff.”
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “How about early morning? Are you an early morning person or late night?”
Niki Sharma: “Oh, I’m not a morning person. I’m not a morning person, yes. I often have to wake up early to do work, but I can tell I’m a little bit slower.”
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “Sneakers or heels?”
Niki Sharma: “Oh, sneakers more and more. I do have my heels, but I wear them once in a while, but I take them off as quickly as I can.”
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “What about a getaway holiday on the beach or mountains?”
Niki Sharma: “Oh, I’m from the mountains. I’m from the mountains, so I would say mountains.”
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “What about if you could have dinner with anybody, living or from history, who would it be?”
Niki Sharma: “Oh, Michelle Obama. That would be awesome. I would have dinner with”
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “What would you do if you were a politician or lawyer?”
Niki Sharma: “Oh, you know what? I did my undergrad in science, and I love learning about space and what people are working on there. I’m not sure if I had the talent or ability to do it, but I see. This like alternate path that I didn’t take where I was involved in discovery or not, or just related. I don’t know what, maybe I don’t think I was like that, but something related to science or discovery. And I always, I always like to like read about it, learn about it. And I think, you know, I had a moment where I could have gotten it. I finished my bachelor’s of science and I took another path.”
LEADERSHIP, FUTURE & LEGACY
Your Leadership Superpower
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “So if there was one leadership strength, if you had, like, one, if anybody, your family, friends, co-workers, anybody had to describe your biggest leadership strength in one word, what do you think they would say?”
Niki Sharma: “One word, what would I, one word is hard. You know, and I think, I think I make, I’ve made it about the job and not myself. I think I’m really proud that I haven’t, like, hopefully. Hopefully. Maybe they would tell you differently, but I haven’t, I haven’t, I’ve stayed like driven on the work rather than myself.”
The Legacy Question
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “So when, like almost our last question, and when your political career is over, eventually, whenever it is, however many years from now, what do you hope people will say that you stood for?”
Niki Sharma: “Making people’s lives better.”
THE DESI BUZZ CLOSING QUESTION
A Message to the Next Generation
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “So if you, if some young South Asian girl in Canada is watching and streaming about being a lawyer, politician, judge, doctor, entrepreneur, community leader, what is your advice to her in terms of how she can find her voice or know that she belongs at the table or find her way there?”
Niki Sharma: “Yeah. You know, I, I would say if I reflect on when I was young, like that there, I had a voice inside me that I knew was my true voice. And, and when you’re young, you get confused by the other stuff, what you should be doing, what your expectation is, what people think of you, the pressure and all that stuff. And. And. The earlier you can get to being, listening to that true voice of what, you know, what’s at the heart of what you want, how you want to live your life, the happier you’ll be. The more you kind of think you should do other things, I think, or things that other people or expectations that are not yours, the harder your path is going to be. That’s what I think.”
Closing Line
Dr. Shabana Parvez: “Well, Honorable Nikki Sharma, ma’am, you have made history, and you know what the most important part of making history is that you have made it easier for the next person to walk through the door. Or you’ve opened the door for others to follow. So, we’re so. I’m glad to have you and listen to your inspiring words and amazing work that you’ve done. Thank you for joining us at the Desi Buzz. We wish you many, many great accomplishments and impact on people in the years ahead. Thank you so much.”
Niki Sharma: “Thank you. Thanks for having me.”
