Mishthi Kapoor

I would attribute my success completely to my mom. She has been my guidepost for almost every part of my life and so much of who I am today goes back to her.

Growing up, I saw how people can have big dreams and deep ambition but sometimes be told by others that those dreams are too unrealistic. My mom never made me feel like I had to measure my dreams by what other people expected from me. Instead, she encouraged me to dream as big as I could, believe in myself and never limit what I thought was possible. She has always been an incredibly intelligent woman. She earned her Master’s in English and once dreamed of pursuing a career in journalism and mass communications with hopes of leaving her hometown and building something bigger for herself. But because of financial limitations, she wasn’t able to fully pursue that path in the way she wanted to.

I think living through that experience made her even more intentional about the way she raised me. She poured so much into me as her daughter and taught me to never put myself down, to stand up for myself, to reach for my dreams, to set big goals, and to make decisions for myself. She made me into the person I am today, and when I think about my journey, it all comes back to her.

Don’t be afraid to speak your mind. There will always be people who may dismiss your opinions or question the way you believe things should be done but that should never stop you from using your voice.

Of course, it’s important to be empathetic. Listen to the people around you, understand their perspectives and be open to learning from them. But being understanding does not mean dismissing what you feel or silencing your own thoughts. Your perspective matters even if it is different from everyone else’s. You are allowed to have your own individual opinion, one that is not shaped or limited by what others expect you to think. And sometimes, simply voicing that opinion can make a real difference. It can offer the world a new way of seeing things, a fresh perspective and maybe even a better path forward.

Because I’m just starting out, imposter syndrome is something I’m definitely experiencing right now. There are moments when I remind myself that I truly put in the work like all the late nights, the early mornings, the sacrifices and the effort it took to achieve my dream and break into the market research industry. But even with that, there are still moments of doubt especially as I prepare to start my full-time role in two weeks and step into spaces with people who may have more experience than I do.

What helps me is reminding myself that I got here for a reason. I try not to forget my “why”: why I started this journey in the first place, what I’m working toward and how I want to give back to the people and community that shaped me. I want to become someone others can look at and feel inspired to follow their own dreams too. I also remind myself that I don’t have to know everything right away. I’m going to figure it out. There is still so much for me to learn and that’s actually a good thing. Sometimes, being the person in the room who doesn’t know everything is one of the best positions to be in because it means you have the opportunity to listen, grow, ask questions and keep becoming better.

There are a few core values that have really stayed with me which are persistence, consistency, hard work and faith. Those values are what carried me through all four years of college and they continue to guide me through my master’s program, my personal growth and my professional journey.

I think it’s so important to have a goal, but also to have a clear “why” behind it. When you know what you’re working toward and why it matters to you, it becomes easier to stay persistent even when the journey gets difficult. There will always be days when you don’t feel motivated, when you don’t feel like showing up or when the work feels overwhelming. But consistency is what makes the difference. Even showing up at 10% on the hard days is still better than giving up completely. I also believe in having faith in your journey and trusting that what’s meant for you will align with your path in the right time. You may not always know everything and you may not always see exactly where you’re headed but that’s part of the process. The journey is where you learn, grow and become the person you’re meant to be.

For me, hard work is at the center of it all. When you continue to show up, put in the effort and trust the process, you give yourself the chance to grow into everything you’ve been working toward.