Satish Jayaraj
Saint Paul,MN
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Host
Trivia Mafia
05.2026 - Current
- Hosted trivia, fostering a fun and engaging atmosphere for guests.
- Engaged guests by visiting each table to encourage participation in trivia games.
- Cultivated appreciation for restaurant team through trivia interactions.
- Properly represent the Trivia Mafia brand
- I host the initials Trivia game in Ray Js at Woodbury
- Managed shop opening and closing processes to maintain a smooth workflow.
- Frequently sub at other locations.
Podcast Host and Coordinator
Not Your Mothers Mahabharata Podcast
Saint Paul, MN
02.2024 - Current
- Launched comedy podcast that engaged listeners with storytelling of Indian epic Mahabharata.
- Crafted targeted social media advertising strategies that increased podcast visibility and audience engagement.
- Ran social media promotion for podcast.
- Presented Mahabharata story in clear, easy-to-follow format that encouraged conversation and humor.
- Aligned creative choices with humorous podcast style to enhance listener experience.
- Recruited podcast guests.
- Edited audio episodes.
- Researched Mahabharata source material.
Creative and Personal Life Coach and Business Owner
Imagination Life Coaching
01.2023 - Current
- Work with diverse clients of all ages with a variety of backgrounds, including artists, writers, engineers and business owners.
- Guided clients in identifying life goals and developing actionable strategies to achieve them.
- Facilitated clients' development of a positive feedback loop between confidence and achievements.
- Promoted confidence-building techniques to support personal growth and self-discovery.
- Enhance clients' understanding through clarity-focused strategies.
- Expand people and teams' creative ability
- Provide support and strategies to increase positive habits and negate negative ones.
- Listen with high level of emotional intelligence.
- Easing into productive difficult conversation that leads to breakthroughs.
- Exemplifying lessons of positive psychology to encourage people to take actions towards their dreams
- Specialized in happiness, creative action, habit science, and general health
- Train clients with social skills to build support groups for themselves that support their ambitions.
- Facilitated discussions on wholesome happiness concepts.
- Motivational Speaking on a number of topics and strategies, including
- Constantly researching new coaching strategies and information.
- Efficient communication and follow through with email correspondence.
- Maintain confidentiality and files on clients' progress.
- Maintain acute files on clients to track progress and development
- Business Management
- Expansive Networking with individuals, businesses, and art organizations
- Marketing and Brand Management
- Maintain accounting records.
- Maintain website spjayaraj.com/ilc
- Design and post posters
- Conducted online and digital marketing campaigns via email and social media for sales promotions
- Building your dream community
- Benefits of creative action
Ensemble Member
Wake the Oracle
06.2025 - 03.2026
- WTO creates public immersive experiences for community healing and well-being
- Collaborated with diverse artists to develop immersive art experiences that foster community engagement.
- Conducted guided meditations and breathing sessions to enhance relaxation.
- Wrote engaging stories for podcast scripts that resonate with the audience.
- Facilitated opening and closing segments to ensure smooth transitions and enhance meeting effectiveness.
Senior Information Assistant
Wescott Public Library
Eagan, MN
11.2021 - 03.2024
- Provides exceptional customer service to all library patrons- drawing in experience and training from previous library
- Guided patrons through technical issues, including completing complex forms, drafting letters, and recovering email access.
- Collaborated with customer service experience team to assess and enhance library standards.
- Learned the Library layout to bring patrons to the sections they needed.
- Part of the Learning Circles team that focused on the value of difficult conversations
- Supported library operations to facilitate patron and staff needs.
Patron Service Specialist
Downtown Cedar Rapids Public Library
11.2016 - 10.2021
- Managed patron checkouts using library software to ensure smooth transactions.
- Maintained accuracy of patron information by regularly updating records and verifying details.
- Resolved individualized patron issues through creative problem-solving, enhancing patron satisfaction.
- Welcomed all patrons to the library and directed them to their point of interest
- Helped new patrons create accounts and shared all information of library and partner services in a digestible manner.
- Participated in professional training workshops to effectively address unruly patrons, contributing to a calmer library environment.
Assistant Teacher
Montessori Childrens Center
10.2008 - 06.2015
- Implemented Montessori method to teach children aged 2-5, enhancing their independent learning skills.
- Cultivated strong relationships with students, promoting a nurturing and inclusive classroom atmosphere.
- Facilitated learning for small groups and an entire classroom of up to 20 students, encouraging active participation and collaboration.
- Taught English and Math
- Worked one on one with students on workbooks.
- Read to students and performed more interactive storytelling
General Education Professor
Art Institute International Minnesota
01.2009 - 01.2011
- Delivered engaging lectures on various college-level subjects
- Transitional English
- English Composition
- English Composition 2
- Critical Thinking
- Literature
- World Literature
- Tutored students one-on-one to address specific challenges and enhance understanding.
- Contributed to rubric design team, developing updated standards to improve assessment clarity.
Education
Masters in Fine Arts -
Hamline University
St Paul, MN05-2009
Masters in Liberal Studies -
Hamline University
St Paul, MN05-2009
Bachelor of Arts - English Major, early concentration in Mgmt
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN12-2004
High school diploma -
International School of Choueifat
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates06-2000
Skills
- Public speaking
- Engagement strategies
- Workshop facilitation
- Audience engagement
- Community outreach
- Client assessment
- Client assistance
- Event planning
- Motivational techniques
- Coaching techniques
- Skill building
- Skills training
- Networking strategies
- Career planning
- Creativity boosting
- Life management
- Behavioral strategies
- Analytical thinking
- Problem-solving aptitude
- Conflict resolution
- Conflict management
- Relationship building
- Clear communication
- Active listening
- Emotional intelligence
- Work-life balance
- Google Suite proficiency
- Records management
- Appointment coordination
- Local engagement
- Group facilitation
- Analytical thinking
- Problem-solving aptitude
Writing and Editing Experience
- Author of Legacy of the Crow, a tale of Adijari: Fall 2021
- Author of The Secret of The Zipacna Dragons, a tale of Adijari: Fall 2018
- An ambitious fantasy tale that builds an enticing world with simple but effective details.
- Kirkus Review
- Creator of Adijari and all content at https://www.worldanvil.com/w/adijari-sp-jayaraj
- Three published pieces in Cracked Walnuts Chapbooks in 2015
- Wrote a winning Grant proposal to the MN State Arts Board in 2015
- Contributor to Twin Cities Geek http://twincitiesgeek.com/twin-cities-geek-staff/satish-jayaraj/
- Editing
- Edited and designed books for Red Bird Chapbooks http://www.redbirdchapbooks.com
- Edited own novels for publication.
- Storytelling and Performance
- Multiple Venues in the Twin Cities and in Cedar Rapids, IA including
- The Hive Collaborative, Saint Paul (2024)
- American School of Storytelling, Minneapolis (2023/2024)
- Ginkgos coffee house, Saint Paul (2024)
- Cedar Rapids Public Library, IA (2017/2018/2019)
- Groundswell Matthew25 non profit late night performance venue. (2017/2018/2019)
- Telling Stories to audiences of 30+ people
- Story length ranging from 10 min to 1 hour 30 minutes
- Stories from Indian Mythology, with emphasis on tales from the Mahabharata epic
- My own original fantasy stories
- My own original childrens stories
- Cocreator of Magic Square. Magic Square brings communities together through the spirit of words, music, art, and play Began in Cedar Rapids, IA in 2019. Continuing presently in Minneapolis after Covid hiatus.
- Coordinates multifaceted entertainment events that were connected to one another. Each event includes
- Innovative Literary Readings
- Live music performance
- Theater show
- Community building games
- Art spaces
- Cocreated original content for 3 events.
- Dragon Party (Book Launch event for The Secret of the Zipacna Dragons Summer 2019)
- The Fairy Tale Market Fall 2019
- An Imagination at Work. November 2022 and February 2023
- Non-profit Work:
- Creator of Cracked Walnut, In Twin Cities, MN. And Cedar Rapids, IA. CW Creates community through innovative literary readings in traditional and non-traditional locations June 2011 February 2016 Twin Cities MN
- Individual Themed Readings
- Recruited 6-8 local writers and musicians for monthly themed event.
- Made sure the performing artists were diverse along lines of genre, ethnicity, age, stage of artistic career and gender
- Found and worked with managers and business owners to creates space for artistic events that were open to the public. E.G. Mill City Museum. Funeral Chapels. Ethnic Grocery Stores. Ice Rink.
- MCd 90% of events. Made sure the individual needs of participants and audience members were taken care with respect to, time restrictions, disability awareness, requests for family friendly events.
- Took Photos commemorating every event.
- Community Outreach
- Contacted & provided over 300 local writers of different, skill, genre, ethnicity, age and motivation with the opportunity to share their work with a new audience.
- Partnered with writers, business owners and managers to create public community readings at:
- Libraries, Public Parks, Community Centers, Bookstores and over 25 Coffee shops
- Pre Schools, High schools, Colleges and Universities
- Funeral Chapels
- Midtown Global Market, Local Grocery Stores, and Ethnic Restaurants
- Landscape Arboretum, Mill City Museum DOW Art Gallery.
- Organization
- Maintained records of all partners, writers, and venues for developing relationships.
- Created an online survey for writers to database their contact information, writing background, theme(s), preferred venue and desired level of involvement.
- Web development and presence
- Built and maintained www.crackedwalnut.com with WORDPRESS
- Advertised through frequent blog entries, FACEBOOK, and webpage updates.
- Recruited other local writers to write on process for the CW blog
- Fundraising
- Collected and managed donation money at all events
- Research
- Investigated venues and partners for compatibility of ethics and mission statement
- Travelling Literary Festivals
- 25-30 themed back to back reading events.25-30 different venues. Recruited 120-180 local writers and musicians. Estimated 850 people in attendance per festival.
- The 2015 CW Lit Festival (May 2015 through June 2015)
- The 2014 CW Lit Festival (April through May 2014)
- The 2013 CW Lit Festival (March through April 2013)
- St Paul Almanac Literary Festival 2014. In Partnership with the St Paul Almanac. Featuring writers from the 2014 St Paul Almanac and guests
- St Paul Almanac Literary Festival 2013. In Partnership with the St Paul Almanac. Featuring writers from the 2013 St Paul Almanac and guests
Timeline
Host
Trivia Mafia
05.2026 - Current
Ensemble Member
Wake the Oracle
06.2025 - 03.2026
Podcast Host and Coordinator
Not Your Mothers Mahabharata Podcast
02.2024 - Current
Creative and Personal Life Coach and Business Owner
Imagination Life Coaching
01.2023 - Current
Senior Information Assistant
Wescott Public Library
11.2021 - 03.2024
Patron Service Specialist
Downtown Cedar Rapids Public Library
11.2016 - 10.2021
General Education Professor
Art Institute International Minnesota
01.2009 - 01.2011
Assistant Teacher
Montessori Childrens Center
10.2008 - 06.2015
Masters in Fine Arts -
Hamline University
Masters in Liberal Studies -
Hamline University
Bachelor of Arts - English Major, early concentration in Mgmt
Purdue University
High school diploma -
International School of Choueifat