Ms
Gupta said that it was her husband who encouraged her to take over the reins of
the company as its CEO and said, "You're the best person for the
job!" when she hesitated.
Digital Desk:
The Chief Executive Officer of Edelweiss MF, Radhika Gupta, has shared her
inspiring journey from being bullied for her "crooked neck" to
becoming one of the youngest CEOs in India.
She
wrote in a post for the online portal Humans of Bombay, "I was born with a
crooked neck. If that wasn't enough to single me out, I was always the new kid
in school; my dad was a diplomat. I lived in Pakistan, New York, and Delhi
before I arrived in Nigeria. My Indian accent was judged; they named me 'Apu',
a character from The Simpsons, "
During
her school years, the 39-year-old stated she had low self-esteem since she was
frequently compared to her mother. "They likened me to my mother, who used
to work at my school." "People continually told me how awful I looked
compared to her, and my confidence sank," she claimed.
Gupta
revealed that at the age of 22, she contemplated suicide after receiving her
seventh job rejection. She revealed, "I said to myself, 'I'll jump,' as I
stared out the window." My friend had called for a friend! I was taken to
a psychiatric hospital and diagnosed with depression.
"The
only reason they let me go was that I said, 'I have a job interview-it's my
only shot'," she said, adding she bagged the job at McKinsey.
She
started her own asset management firm with her spouse and a buddy a few years
later. Edelweiss MF later purchased the company. "I worked my way up the
corporate ladder." She characterized her experience as "being a saree
in a room full of suits."
Gupta
said her husband persuaded her to take over as CEO of the company, telling her,
"You're the greatest person for the position!" when she hesitated.
"So
I went to my boss and said, 'I'd want to be considered for the position of
CEO.' I make up for my lack of experience with passion. ' And then, at the age
of 33, I became one of India's youngest CEOs! I was over the moon! "
As
she related her story, she recalled an event that transformed her life:
"My childhood concerns about my appearance, my battles with rejection, and
my eventual suicide attempt. I let go of all the baggage I'd been carrying
around with me."
