For the first time, I had the incredible opportunity to speak at and moderate an event—something I’ve been working toward since last semester. Last Saturday, at a Women & Technology Conference, I led a session on Building Authenticity within Leadership and moderated a panel featuring three inspiring female student leaders—each at different stages of their college journey.

Our panelists, Bhuvi, Sejal, and Hargun, are presidents of amazing student organizations at Indiana University. They shared thoughtful insights on what it means to lead in college and offered practical advice that anyone—whether a student or a young professional—can carry into their career.

Since not everyone had the chance to attend the event, I wanted to bring the full experience to you! In this episode, you’ll hear my presentation on authenticity in leadership, featuring insights from Professor Herminia Ibarra’s TEDx talk, The Authenticity Paradox. Following that, we dive into a dynamic discussion covering:

• Overcoming imposter syndrome as a leader
• Finding the balance between professionalism and relatability
• Creating and maintaining a supportive environment for your team

I’m so excited to share this with you all!

With eight years of professional experience at Deloitte—including attending the Deloitte National Leadership Conference (DNLC) and completing a Deloitte Advisory internship during college—I knew Hilary Stavrakas would be the perfect guest for this episode. After just one networking chat with Hilary (who is now a partner at Linford & Company LLP & a CISA), I was so impressed by her constructive advice that I immediately pitched the idea of recording an episode.

This conversation on A Woman’s Business Podcast provides valuable insight into what a career at a Big 4 firm entails, strategies for advancing your career, mentorship, and tips for successfully navigating the recruitment process.

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Introducing A Woman's Business Podcast:

The purpose of this podcast is to highlight women from different backgrounds and careers to give younger women and girls exposure to what they can do with their own career. The goal is to interview and connect with one person per episode to discuss their career pathway, hardships that they had to overcome, soft skills required, and some advice they would give to the younger generation.

I want to provide my podcast community with the role models I once needed, help them realize their full potential, break through barriers, and thrive in a world where their success deserves to be celebrated. I am creating a space where women can be inspired and supported because female accomplishments are often overlooked.

As I step into my career, I’m focused on reaching my full potential, discovering my strengths, and creating something meaningful—not only for myself but for the next generation of ambitious women, encouraging them to embrace their journey with confidence.

The guest that I have for today’s podcast has recently started an initiative called Beauty in Balance (BIB): a platform designed to help people find harmony between their professional ambitions, personal passions, and creative pursuits. Through her story, she emphasizes the importance of leveraging your strengths, embracing an abundance mindset, and fostering community to drive meaningful impact. She is a strategy analyst at Accenture, keynote speaker, influencer, dance instructor, and a non-profit consultant. I hope you all enjoy the episode!

Check out Beauty in Balance on Instagram: @beautyinbalance.co

Alisha's Instagram: @alisha_g9

Follow the Podcast on Instagram! @awbpodcast_

This month we're doing something a little different. Let's talk about allyship, a crucial step in creating equitable and inclusive workplaces. I’m directing this conversation towards men—an essential audience in the journey to fostering true workplace equity.

I had the privilege of speaking with an incredibly knowledgeable and experienced professional in the corporate and e-commerce world, Dr. Kevin Sakamoto. He has dedicated extensive time and research to understanding employee resource groups as well as the challenges women often face in the workplace. From a leadership standpoint, he offers actionable strategies for supporting female employees and building a workplace where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.

Within the episode, we also discuss Dr. Dana Sumpter’s Ted Talk. Click here to watch and learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JsSURd39iI

This month I brought some more powerful C-suite energy into the equation with the one and only Chandy Ghosh! Chandy is currently serving as the COO of Sinch Emergency Services and is the founder & chair of Women in 911 (W.I.N). She has won numerous awards for her work in the DEI space as well as the impact she has made as a leader.

Advice from Chandy: Always think about how you can prove to them that you are different and you are better.

We discussed the importance of negotiation, networking, and mentorship in advancing your career. She also touched on how she built confidence and owned her career as one of the few women in leadership within her industry.

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I had the opportunity to speak with Nataly Kogan, who is the co-founder & CEO of Happier, Inc., which is dedicated towards helping others develop emotional fitness skills, break free from daily burnout, and unleash their full potential.

We discussed some of her pivotal life experiences, including what she encountered as one of the youngest and only women working in venture capital, and how being a Russian refugee at 13 impacted her outlook on life. She also touched on the power of choice and learning. This was such a valuable and enjoyable conversation—I hope you all enjoy it!

Catherine Cartwright started her journey shortly after becoming a young single mom at the age of 19. She put herself through undergraduate and graduate school with minimal family support as well as a young daughter to take care of. When her daughter needed a costly dental surgery, she switched career fields from academia to the tech space to have more monetary flexibility. She has successfully created a credible name for herself within the tech industry as she catalyzed her gift of leadership as well as her way of sparking change in areas that need it. Currently she is in the process of intertwining her passion for art and her passion for social impact with her corporate identity. We discussed topics such as strategies to grow in a corporate role, the importance of mentorship and networking, and staying connected to your passions outside of your corporate job.