Hetal (Joshi) Nagaraj, hetaln.com

I attribute my success to the values, environment, and work culture instilled in me from a very young age. I was born into a family where education, performing arts, and disciplined effort were part of daily life. My mother was deeply involved in performing arts and education, teaching me commitment, creative expression, and resilience. My father served in high-level finance and taxation roles for the Government of India, showing me the power of strategic thinking, discipline, and integrity under pressure. My aunts, grand mothers and other women in my family showed me strength, family values, and culture. Because of my mother's health, life was early to me & all these amazing people taught me who i am. Looking back, I recall every day of my life with them. As a non resident Indian, I have seen them emerge from struggles, challenges and opportunities on global scale, all of them extremely successful in their careers or businesses.

Growing up in that environment taught me not only skills but also self-control and consistency — the understanding that success doesn’t happen by chance, but through purposeful planning, steady effort, and accountability. Being raised in a family with multi-generational expertise in arts, commerce, science, infrastructure and business gave me exposure to diverse fields early on, fueling my curiosity and capacity to adapt to new challenges. Today, I continue to apply those lessons not just to my work but to how I build partnerships, mentor others, and approach new opportunities. My success is not just about achievements — it’s about thoughtful preparation, a disciplined mindset, and the ongoing commitment to grow, learn, and create value beyond myself.

I was taught early on that success is built through consistency, self-control, and preparation, not shortcuts or trends. Life being early, I learned the difference between needs and wants. I learned value of time in my teen years while my visits to hospitals for my mother took my time off of my study and school life. It made me realize how fast time is.

Growing up in a structured environment where education and integrity were priorities, I learned that focus beats talent and discipline outlasts motivation.

I was encouraged to plan carefully, respect time, and take responsibility for my choices. That advice shaped how I approach leadership, entrepreneurship, and mentorship today.

Whenever I face challenges, I return to that principle—stay committed, stay humble, and keep learning. It reminds me that long-term success comes from steady effort, strong values, and the courage to keep moving forward even when the path isn’t easy.

Trust yourself and stay disciplined. Build your skills, manage your time, and be financially aware—independence starts with clarity. Surround yourself with people who help you grow, not shrink. Your voice matters—lead with confidence and integrity. Be aware of country you are in, read!

In today's world, you do not need a college degree to get these simple common sense to do the work.

Resources are available everywhere. It is about identifying them.

Never judge anyone. My best advice ever!

Judgment creates mental barriers that stop you from seeing people’s true potential—and often, those judgments are wrong.

This principle has guided me throughout my career and it has made me wonder every single time that "thank god, i did not think like that about this individual".

I never focused on status, relationships, or backgrounds when people enrolled to me.

I chose respect over assumptions and growth over gossip. I had 10 people talking about them, i never cared.

Because I don’t judge, I’ve been able to train anyone and help them succeed.

As a trainer, I believe every individual is uniquely designed with incredible inbuilt talent.

Simple disciplines like this change how you see people—and this is how I lead. Thus the success.

The biggest challenge today is the gap between potential and preparation.

Many women have talent, but lack access to strategic guidance, financial literacy, and leadership confidence.

The opportunity is to build ecosystems that teach planning, discipline, and decision-making—so women don’t just succeed, they lead sustainably.

As a solo-preneur, setbacks tested my resilience at every level—especially when i have built a public reputation through recognition and media visibility.

What sustained me was strong systems and preparation, that i build actually worked on practical grounds.

My IT background enabled automation that stabilized my businesses (as it went south), and my experience in dispute resolution helped me navigate crises strategically.

Despite facing fraud-related massive huge monetary losses, I stayed focused on execution. Completing a task was extremely important to myself so that the next can be done.

It tested my persistence as well and I had to first time in my life prepare my family mentally about what i am going through as a solo-preneur.

The family routines continue through out as it cannot stop.

The plans I had built earlier carried me through—even during my most challenging years. I have never been proud of myself that it actually worked.

I never thought i would face these issues as a trainer but i did face these issues and i was amazed.

Leadership isn’t about avoiding storms, it’s about building systems strong enough to survive them. I guess, mine is definitely strong!

The values most important to me in my work and personal life are independence, perseverance, consistency and the drive to take on challenges head-on while achieving success.

One life is the most important realization and it holds more value than anything.

My performing arts started very early than my degree careers or businesses.

This shows nearly 10 years ahead of my IT and Dispute Resolution Company which was much later than my performing arts.

As a freelancer, i could not help but observe this in my own life.