Falguni Paleja is a food enthusiast and small business supporter with 21,997 contributions and 9,863 followers on Google Maps. Her 4,244 photographs have received about 7,700 reactions, and she has authored 148 topics on Local Guides Connect, earning 16.8K likes on her posts and replies.
She values quality over quantity, focusing on meaningful engagement and taking initiative in her personal and professional life. Phalguni enjoys setting and achieving goals, whether by hosting events, collaborating with others, or staying organized. Her passion lies in the ability of food to connect people, something she loves sharing with others. Deeply appreciative of the Local Guides community, she is grateful for the enriching experiences and connections it has brought her. To learn more about her journey and insights, explore her inspiring story in her own words.
Inspired by a post by @Latika_Malhotra, @FalguniP initiated “Introducing She Leads - Celebrating Remarkable Women,” a series dedicated to celebrating remarkable women she encountered through Local Guides Connect or through their small businesses. To date, the series has highlighted six incredible women’s stories. Drawing inspiration from her post, I came up with the idea for this post. Previously, I also set a goal to support micro and small businesses, influenced by another post of hers.
I found Falguni to be consistently kind and supportive, whether it was granting permission to use her photograph in a collage or participating in this interview. The interview was conducted using a structured, open-ended questionnaire sent on March 14th, and her responses were received on the same day. Below are the questions and her responses.
Question: You joined Connect on January 10, 2020, wrote two posts on the same day, and hosted your first meetup on February 16, 2020. So active! Is this proactiveness limited to Connect, or is it a part of other aspects of your life as well?
Falguni: My proactiveness is not limited to just Connect, it’s a part of various aspects of my life. I believe in staying engaged and taking initiative, whether it’s in personal projects, work, or learning new skills. I enjoy setting goals and actively working towards them, whether it’s hosting events, collaborating with others, or simply staying organized. I find that being proactive helps me grow and achieve things that I care about, both online and offline.
Question: Your first post was about a meetup, where you mentioned your desire to explore the streets of Mumbai famous for their food. How well did the meetup meet your expectations?
Falguni: The meetup exceeded my expectations in many ways! It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with amazing local guides, I met @Shrut19 @RosyKohli and @TravellerG other mumbai local guides like sumeet, shreeya, mahesh, Aditya and Aviraj. I learnt more about community and how to collaborate with everyone. All of them were so warm and welcoming, we all have built a big Local guide family.
Question: When you hosted your first meetup, what Local Guide level were you at?
Falguni: I hosted my first meet up when I was a level 7 Local guide.
Question: I believe food crawl meetups are your preference. You often use #foodielocalguide in your food-related posts. Your profile on Maps shows that your 55 contributions are related to Paneer, followed by Chocolate and Dosa. Are these your favorite dishes?
Falguni: Yes, food crawl meetups are definitely one of my favorites! Since 2020, I’ve hosted several food crawls and small business meetups, combining my love for food with the joy of bringing people together. I’m a true foodie and love exploring different cuisines, always on the lookout for new flavors to try. While my Map profile highlights paneer, chocolate, and dosa as some of my top contributions, I’m always experimenting and eager to try new dishes. I believe food has a unique ability to connect people, and that’s something I truly enjoy sharing with others
Question: You have posted around 4,200 photographs on Google Maps and received about 7,700 reactions. This suggests that you focus more on quality rather than quantity. Is that true?
Falguni: Wow, I wasn’t aware I had received 7,700 reactions! That’s a pleasant surprise! Yes, absolutely! While I’ve shared around 4,200 photographs on Google Maps, my focus has always been on quality over quantity. I believe in capturing the essence of a place, sharing details via reviews, and highlighting moments that can help others make informed decisions. As a small business owner, I understand the value of these contributions and how important they can be. It’s far more rewarding for me to share meaningful, impactful content that helps others, rather than posting just for the sake of posting.
Question: You have posted around 4,200 photographs on Google Maps and received about 7,700 reactions. This suggests that you focus more on quality rather than quantity. Is that true?
Falguni: Wow, I wasn’t aware I had received 7,700 reactions! That’s a pleasant surprise! Yes, absolutely! While I’ve shared around 4,200 photographs on Google Maps, my focus has always been on quality over quantity. I believe in capturing the essence of a place, sharing details via reviews, and highlighting moments that can help others make informed decisions. As a small business owner, I understand the value of these contributions and how important they can be. It’s far more rewarding for me to share meaningful, impactful content that helps others, rather than posting just for the sake of posting.
Question: On May 17, 2022, a Google Moderator mentioned in this post Meet a Connect Moderator: Falguni that your top five dream travel destinations were Indonesia, the U.S., Japan, Italy, and Australia. Which of these have you visited so far? Any experiences you’d like to share?
Falguni: I’ve only visited Japan so far, but I’ve been fortunate to travel to Dubai and now Canada as well. Though my travel list is small, I believe the world is huge, and I try to explore local places whenever possible.
Japan was an unforgettable experience with its polite people, efficient transport, and well-organized Tokyo. Dubai is magical, with its deserts, mountains, skyscrapers, and old Dubai felt like traveling back in time. In Canada, British Columbia’s beauty is breathtaking, especially in the fall when the leaves turn vibrant colors. I love walking by the beach near my home, enjoying sunsets, and spotting seals. I also visited a sunflower field with over 100 varieties, and the snow-covered Whistler was absolutely scenic!
Question: In one of your posts, you mentioned that you randomly discovered the Local Guides Connect Community while searching for something online. Have you come across other Local Guides with a similar experience?
Falguni: Yes, in one of my meetups, I asked attendees about how they discovered the Local Guides Connect Community, and many of them shared similar experiences. A lot of them received an email, while others came across a post on google or a YouTube video.!
Question: Have you ever had a funny experience where someone mistook a Local Guide for a tourist guide?
Falguni: Not specifically but when I and local guide Shruti Upadhaya were exploring pune with India local guides t-shirt people were looking at us thinking we belong to a group or travel company 
Question: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Falguni: Connect has truly been a wonderful place to share, learn, and meet so many amazing people. I’m incredibly grateful to the Local Guides family for all the wonderful experiences I’ve had. It brings me so much joy to see new people joining our community and working together toward a common goal. It’s inspiring to witness how we all come together to make a positive impact!
it brought big smile reading your post & few old memories flash time spent with falguni miss you beta 
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