In this episode, I sit down with Ritu Saxena, a Chartered Accountant, career coach and founder of Project Upgrade Her, to unlayer a truth that most high-achievers spend their lives running from.

She spent 15 years building a "safe" life. She moved from Mumbai to New Zealand and eventually Australia, ticking every professional box and earning the titles that were supposed to make her feel secure. But behind the degrees and the senior roles, she was still "shrinking" in boardrooms, hoping no one would find out she felt like an imposter.

Now she helps women of colour move from feeling stuck and under-recognised to clear on their direction, visible in their field and well-paid for their worth.

𝗪𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼:

• The "Safe Path" Trap: Why we choose careers as armour rather than callings.

• Navigating the physical and emotional shock of moving from a community-driven culture to an individualistic one.

• How a single "sad face" from a manager during a performance review became the catalyst for Ritu to stop hiding and start advocating for herself.

• Moving from a need for external validation to a state of radical self-trust.

It’s a conversation about the moment you realise that your hard work won't save you, and that the only way forward is to finally acknowledge the person beneath the layers.

🔔 If this episode resonates, share it with someone who is currently "shrinking" in their career or trying to outwork their deepest self-doubts.

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Episode Resources

Watch on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@pan.perera⁠⁠

Guest

Ritu Saxena

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/projectupgradeher/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ritusaxena1

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