The Courage to Begin Again
How Women Find Strength in Starting Over
Courage Is Beginning Again
When people ask me about courage, they often expect stories about major career decisions, leadership roles, or moments of professional achievement.
Those moments matter, but I have come to believe that courage is something quieter.
Courage is beginning again.
A Journey Built Through New Beginnings
Over the course of my career, I have had the privilege of working across India, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. Today, I work in a global capacity, partnering with teams across Australia, France, Colombia, Brazil, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, and the United States.
Looking back, it may appear to have been a carefully planned journey. The truth is that it was built through a series of new beginnings.
Each move required me to leave behind something familiar and step into uncertainty. New countries, new workplaces, new cultures, and new expectations. Each transition brought excitement, but it also brought moments of doubt.
Would I be able to adapt?
Would I find my place?
Would I succeed in an environment that was different from anything I had known before?
Like many women, I learned that growth often arrives disguised as disruption.
Committing to Growth
While my MBA provided a strong foundation, some of my greatest learning happened long after I entered the workforce. I chose to continue investing in myself even as life became increasingly full—with the demands of work, motherhood, relocation, and leadership responsibilities.
Through leadership programs at Yale, California State University, the Academy of Brain-Based Leadership, Purdue Global, Hogan, and others, I discovered that growth is not something we complete; it is something we commit to.
Seasons of Learning, Leading, and Caring
My professional journey has unfolded alongside another equally important journey—the journey of becoming a wife and a mother.
Women are often asked how they balance it all. I have never found balance to be a permanent destination. Instead, I have found seasons.
Seasons of learning, seasons of leading, seasons of caring, and seasons of rebuilding.
Some seasons required me to lean into my career. Others required me to lean into my family. Every season taught me something new about resilience.
Leadership Is Defined by Empathy
One of the most significant chapters of my career came during the global pandemic, when I led an Employee Relations team through one of the most challenging periods in modern workplace history.
HR professionals are often described as problem solvers, but during that time, we became listeners, counselors, communicators, and sources of stability. We supported employees navigating uncertainty while adapting to rapid change ourselves.
The experience reminded me that leadership is not defined by authority. It is defined by empathy, courage, and the willingness to show up for others during difficult times.
They Have Had to Begin Again
Throughout my journey, I have met extraordinary women whose stories mirror one another in surprising ways. Their industries may differ. Their titles may vary. Their backgrounds may be unique.
Yet many share a common experience: They have had to begin again.
- Again after relocation.
- Again after motherhood.
- Again after setbacks.
- Again after self-doubt.
- Again after hearing "no."
Perhaps that is why courage resonates so deeply with women in the workforce. It is not always the courage to make history. It is often the courage to take the next step when the path ahead is unclear.
The Reinventions That Never Appear on a Résumé
As we celebrate the achievements of women today, I believe we should also celebrate the countless reinventions that never appear on a résumé.
The decision to return to school.
The decision to pursue a new opportunity.
The decision to speak up.
The decision to keep going.
Every accomplishment begins with a beginning. Every beginning requires courage.
And every woman who chooses to begin again creates new possibilities—not only for herself but also for the generations who will follow.
