Tell us a little about yourself – your early days, where you were born, your schooling, college, and how you landed your current role. 

I was born in India and spent my schooling years shuttling between New Delhi (Loreto Convent) and Bangalore (Sacred Hearts) and New Delhi again (Sardar Patel Vidyalaya). After being in all-girls schools, college at Manipal was a bit of an adjustment. I pursued a degree in Mechanical Engineering and was the only girl in my batch. In those 4 years, I realized I loved manufacturing and, funnily, seeds of the idea that would constitute the core of my startup 25 years later, were planted way back then.

Immediately upon completing my undergrad, I came to the US at Ohio University for my master’s in mechanical engineering and soon after, started work at Siemens in their Digital Manufacturing group. While at Siemens, I became more interested in the applications of manufacturing technology; that spurred me to take a few evening courses which eventually led to a doctorate in Industrial Engineering (University of Cincinnati).  

I left Siemens for business school (Wharton) and majored in Operations & Finance. Armed with what I thought was the whole enchilada (the engineering and business chops), I entered management consulting (McKinsey) and had a rude awakening. It was a period of unlearning and learning. Most importantly, my tenure there introduced me to the art of storytelling and customizing messaging based on the audience. It was a cosmic shift for my engineering-oriented brain that had always focused on details and prided itself on subject matter expertise ruling roost.

I left McKinsey to join Apple, and in the 3 years there, I spent over 50% of my time in Shenzhen (China), working closely with vendors and helping plan Apple’s future factories. It also brought me in close touch with front-line workers and managers, and my Mandarin skills helped me gain trust and learn what issues they were facing.

I then left Apple to join a San Francisco based manufacturing startup as their Head of Operations and Finance. My first foray into the startup world and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This was also the period when I had 2 baby boys in 18 months. So, when my husband’s career required him to move to Florida I followed suit with our young family. 

While in Florida I co-founded 3 startups – in retrospect, I was living the song in Zootopia – “Try Everything”. The first venture taught me the hard lesson of product-market fit. The second venture was a school of hard knocks on managing outsourced tech teams. And the third, currently incubating venture, has leveraged all the valuable lessons learnt in my previous ventures plus more. My current endeavor, Skill-Up, is a short form video app that facilitates on-the-job learning for factory workers. Though inadvertent, interestingly, this idea is the culmination of my professional experiences from over the years. And what started as a thought in the junior year of my undergrad, has now come full circle. I am a firm believer in experiences – reach out for them and savor them – you never know how they shape your subconscious in bringing something to life.

What skills do you use most often in your leadership role? How have you grown those skills? What leadership skills are you continuing to work on?

The leadership skill that I rely on the most is effective communication. I’ve learned over time the importance of communicating proactively, clearly and visually. I’ve found this to be very helpful in building understanding, establishing trust and rallying stakeholders around a main priority. This skill also helps me set the stage for the other leadership skill I frequently employ: empowerment. If people understand what needs to be done, then you can empower them and give them agency. This not only creates a greater sense of involvement from the team, but I’m often amazed at how something is done much better than I’d originally envisaged.

In the past 4 years, I’ve largely exercised my leadership skills in non-corporate environments where I didn’t have formal authority. Irrespective of the context (founder of a startup, chair of a volunteer group, leader of a non-profit team, organizer of cultural events, project leader of a consulting effort, mom of lippy and contrarian elementary school goers), communicating and empowering have always worked magic. 

The skills I continue to work on are in power and influence. In the past, I was largely reliant on my authority as an expert and/or my ability to exert coercive power. But as an early-stage founder working with outsourced teams and vendors/partners, I’m having to learn other kinds of influence e.g. referent power; so, a lot less command and control (which came easier to me) and more collaboration and inspiration.

How do you define success?

I’m going to piggyback on the formula of success often ascribed to Einstein:

“If A equals success, then the formula is A=X+Y+Z where X is work, Y is play and Z is keep your mouth shut”

I love this definition of success:  if I can create value working at something I love, experience playfulness and joy as I discover the world, and learn to enjoy solitude and reflection, then I can say that I am successful.

What if anything would you want to “do-over” professionally? Why?

I started my career in 1999 with Siemens, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Due to money and visa restrictions, I was thrilled that my internship converted into a full-time in my area of specialization (Mechanical Engineering). I stayed there 8 years before leaving to pursue my MBA – that was 4 years too long.

If I had to do things again, I would make 3 key changes: Firstly, focus on the job role(s) and how it(they) add(s) value to my skill set rather than focusing on job title or security, and wasting years waiting for a green card. When you are younger and without dependents, it is easier to take risks.  Secondly, there is a tectonic technological shift every decade or so. And the best talent typically gravitates towards the epicenter of that shift. In the early 2000s, it was Silicon Valley. In retrospect, I wish I had chosen a Siemens office in Silicon Valley; it would have allowed me to be directly exposed to the technology trends and the people making them, rather than vicariously experiencing them from the Midwest. And thirdly, I wish I had learned earlier in my career that it is more strategic and beneficial to quickly identify and develop my strengths, rather than improve my weaknesses.

How do you manage self-doubt? How have you built confidence and/or resiliency over the course of your career?

Self-doubt is natural, and sometimes even welcome, as it gives you a much-needed pause before embarking on something. The trick is preventing it from spiraling out of control and hampering you from doing what you want to do. 

Over the years I’ve learned that setting self-goals (no matter how small) and ensuring that I complete them quietens the noise immensely. It is almost as if your mind learns that if you say you’ll do something then you will and it doesn’t bother creating any undermining self-doubt noise. This is a long game, but you’ll notice the changes over the years.

The other option is journaling. Writing makes things clearer, and seeing your concerns in black and white on paper, makes it easy to transcend to risk management strategies rather than just spiraling in self-doubt. 

During my first month at Neythri, I listened to a fellow member, Zeryn Sarpangal, introduce readings from a book called “Playing Big” by Tara Mohr. I was hooked. And today, over 4 years later, I’m an avid follower of Tara Mohr and her work. “Playing Big” has a very useful section on the Inner Critic and how to address it. 

How do you balance your career, personal life, and passions? Is there such a thing as balance?

I am an “AND” person rather than an “EITHER OR”. What if this was my last month on the planet? I’ve always wanted all the things that fulfilled me – time for my hobbies, time for my side hustle passions, time for my personal development, time with my family, and time for my career. I struggled with this for a long time, until I realized that the answer was not balance but rather, prioritization. Sometimes, one group gets higher priority than another. So, go with the flow but be clear about what are the things that matter to you. If you are doing things that you truly want to do, then it becomes less of trying to make time for them, and more about how to accomplish something because you really want to do it. A book that really helped me get clarity in practicing this is “The One Thing” by Gary Keller and Jay Papsan. 

How important is it to have a mentor and/or sponsor to grow as a leader?

Having a mentor(s) is a godsend as you navigate the vicissitudes of professional life, and it can be especially useful as a resource for personal growth. Depending on your industry, a mentor/sponsor may have a direct influence on your progression. For instance, I was in management consulting wherein having a formal/informal sponsor is de rigueur. But irrespective of the industry, having a trusted mentor(s) will give you access to valuable perspectives and insights that you may or may not have considered in your stage of life or career.

I realized early on that with my diverse interests, I needed mentors who came from diverse backgrounds. I was in a predominantly male industry (industrials), and with that came my mentors who guided me with their “white, male, mid-western” perspective. As a new management consultant, I slowly established relationships with senior women partners who guided me with their experience in establishing a presence and building my voice and area of expertise. As a new mother contemplating a career break, I had access to senior executives who generously shared their experiences and guided me through the transition. And today, in the midst of my entrepreneurial journey, I have mentors, some younger than I, who I can unhesitatingly reach out to for advice and help. 

My group of mentors are very diverse in age, experience, education level, and even socio-economic status. But what they have in common is that they care enough to make time for me, and my relationship with each of them has spanned multiple years (sometimes decades).     

Now coming to the crucial part – how do you get a mentor? In my experience, assigned mentors rarely work. Irrespective of how well-intentioned on both sides. What has worked for me is if when interacting with someone, I can recognize a potential match in personal values and identify something I want to learn from them. And that sets the first step for a reach-out and a series of mutually fulfilling interaction(s). The mentoring happens organically over time. For instance, when I encounter an insightful Neythri speaker or even a fellow member, I reach out to schedule time with them, and often enough that has led to a fruitful, ongoing relationship with definite overtones of mentoring over time. 

This is probably an apt time to mention that I am at Neythri because of my mentor Chitra Nayak. Chitra is one of those rare breed of individuals who are passionate about developing people and selflessly give their time and advice to their network of mentees.  

How can women support other women in their workplaces?

One of the easiest ways women can support other women is by giving them visibility: making opportunities for other women to be heard and seen. I remember reading this in Sheryl Sandeberg’s “Lean In” and it was an aha! moment for me. It was such an easy strategy – make space to let another woman shine. And this strategy has an unexpected bonus – the more I practiced it, the easier it became for me to be heard and seen.

What’s your favorite way to relax and unwind?

Walking! I love long walks by the beach listening to a podcast or audiobook. 

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

During a b-school bootcamp at Quantico, I heard – “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast”. 

Here are some rapid-fire questions! 

What is the last book you read (or are currently reading)?

“How to castrate a bull” by Dave Hitz! 

If you had to eat one food every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Idli and sambar!

What was the last gift you gave someone?

Salt mined from an ancient mountain salt mine in Peru.

What is your favorite hobby?

Singing – I love belting out the latest radio chartbuster with my son or practicing a South Indian Carnatic classical piece.

What’s the next place on your travel bucket list?

The volcanoes of El Salvador!

What does Neythri mean to you? 

A community of relatable women that are a readily available resource that I can learn from and gain new perspectives.