From TV Screens to Tech Dreams: Gunjan Saini Bradshaw on Resilience, Cross Cultural Leadership and Building a Business from Scratch
When business life came knocking for Gunjan Saini Bradshaw, it did not offer a soft landing. There were no neat instructions, no predictable hours, no tidy endings. It was messy, relentless, anxiety inducing, and ultimately transformational.
In this episode of the Badass Women in Business Podcast, Gunjan takes us deep into her story, sharing how she pivoted from a celebrated media career in India to co-founding a growing tech company, Codebase, alongside her husband John Bradshaw. It is a story of love, grit, sacrifice, and soaring ambition. It is a story about what it really means to lead with intuition, courage, and perseverance when the stakes are personal and the learning curve is vertical.
This conversation is a must listen for anyone who has ever wondered if they have what it takes to leap into the unknown. Spoiler alert: you do. But it will take everything you have, and it will give you even more in return.
A Business Born from Love and Resilience
Gunjan never set out to be a tech entrepreneur. In fact, entrepreneurship was the furthest thing from her mind. She had already built a successful and vibrant career in journalism, television, radio, and brand marketing in India. She had proven herself in competitive, high energy industries that thrive on creativity and hustle.
Then she met John. Their story is one of those rare intersections where personal chemistry and professional opportunity collide. John, an entrepreneur from Utah, had recently faced the difficult closure of his previous startup, TinyTorch. Instead of giving up, he pivoted. Drawing from his experience working with Indian developers, he launched a new venture connecting brilliant software engineers in India with startups in the United States that needed top talent but could not afford traditional hiring costs.
At first, Gunjan offered support from the sidelines. She lent her marketing expertise when needed and provided insights into the cultural landscape of India. But when COVID changed everything and stranded her in the United States, she made the decision to jump in fully. What started as occasional help quickly turned into leading, fighting fires, building systems, and shaping a company from the ground up.
Business life did not come to her kindly. It came like a wave she had no choice but to ride. And by riding it, she found her real power.
The Reality of Building Something from Nothing
Codebase was not funded by venture capitalists. It did not have glossy brochures, pitch decks, or endless cash reserves. It had two determined people who believed in a vision. It had sacrifices, grit, and countless nights spent solving problems that could have broken less committed founders.
Gunjan and John bootstrapped every step. They put their own savings at risk. They made decisions based on long term sustainability rather than fast gains. Every single hire mattered. Every dollar had a purpose. Every mistake had to be learned from quickly because there was no safety net to catch them.
Gunjan talks openly about what they gave up. There were no new cars. No luxury vacations. No glamorous milestones to post online. What they had were memories captured in flight tickets and the quiet pride of knowing they were building something real.
For Gunjan, growing slowly was not a weakness. It was a conscious choice. She understood that building a business with integrity meant saying no to shortcuts and rushing. She chose depth over speed. She chose foundation over flash.
In a world that glorifies overnight success, Gunjan’s story is a profound reminder that the strongest empires are built one brick at a time.
Finding Her Voice in Leadership
Even as Gunjan contributed in huge ways to Codebase’s growth, she wrestled internally with feelings of inadequacy. Every time John introduced her as a co-founder, she would instinctively pull back, feeling that she did not deserve the title.
She had not started the company from day one. She was not a software engineer. She came from a creative background. For a long time, she let those doubts shrink her presence.
But over time, through countless real world lessons, she realized something powerful. Expertise does not always guarantee good leadership. Commitment, care, vision, and the willingness to carry the burden of ownership do.
She saw consultants and executives with decades of experience come and go. She saw that true stewardship of a business comes not from knowledge alone but from love, from grit, from the ability to think about the business and its people first.
Today, Gunjan owns her voice without apology. She knows she belongs at the table because she helped build the table. And she encourages other women to remember that as well. She reminds women that while systemic barriers exist, self doubt is an additional burden we do not have to carry. You are not only your gender. You are your ideas, your perseverance, your ability to lead even when the path is not clear.
Redefining Offshore Work and Building True Partnerships
Gunjan and John did not set out to build just another offshore staffing company. They built a new model.
At Codebase, it is not about filling hours. It is about creating real partnerships. Indian developers are not hidden in the background. They are fully integrated into teams, empowered to lead, innovate, and collaborate alongside their counterparts in the United States.
Hiring at Codebase is a rigorous process. Ninety eight percent of candidates are rejected. Only the best make it through, because excellence is non negotiable. Gunjan and her team refuse to settle for mediocrity, knowing that the company's reputation rests on the quality and ownership mindset of every team member.
Gunjan’s understanding of Indian culture has been a secret weapon. She helped bridge gaps between American expectations and Indian norms, creating systems that respected holidays, family dynamics, communication styles, and cultural traditions. She also helped build systems that respected women workers, acknowledging the challenges women face in India balancing home responsibilities with career opportunities.
At every step, the goal has been clear. Build a company where cross cultural collaboration is a strength, not a liability. Build teams that are bonded by shared vision and mutual respect.
Scaling for the Future Without Losing the Soul
With the foundation laid, Codebase is ready for its next chapter. The company is expanding beyond Utah, targeting enterprise level clients, and exploring new international markets. The dream is to continue helping startups launch faster and smarter, while maintaining the quality and culture that make Codebase unique.
For Gunjan, the future involves moving deeper into strategic marketing and sales leadership. She will continue building relationships, driving brand growth, and shaping the company’s next evolution.
And true to her nature, she will keep learning. She will keep pushing into new lanes when needed. Because that is what real founders do. They adapt, they grow, and they never stop building.
Final Thoughts
Gunjan’s story is a powerful testament to what it really means to be an entrepreneur. It is not about being perfect. It is not about having a flawless plan. It is about stepping into the unknown, about learning through fire, about trusting your intuition when the path is anything but clear.
Leadership is not about certainty. It is about resilience. It is about believing in something so much that you are willing to build it brick by brick even when the world is full of doubt.
Gunjan Saini Bradshaw reminds us that strength is not the absence of fear. It is moving forward anyway.
Her journey is proof that success is not just for the lucky few. It is for the ones who stay. The ones who dare. The ones who build anyway.
🎧 Listen to the full episode here and hear the real story of what it takes to be a badass woman in business.
Connect with Gunjan Saini Bradshaw
Website: Codebase
LinkedIn: Gunjan Saini Bradshaw
Instagram: @goofwoman
