"I have almost lost my life... there is no way I would give up."

At 18 years old, Aishwarya Pissay failed her 12th-grade exams and was told she would never amount to anything before being asked to leave her home. For most, that level of rejection would be the end. For Aishwarya, it was the starting line.Today, she is a 12-time national champion and the first Indian athlete—male or female to ever win a world title in motorsports.

In this powerful episode of THE SHE.E.O EFFECT Vijayashree Parameswaran sits down with the trailblazer to discuss what it actually takes to build a world-class legacy in the dirt. Aishwarya holds nothing back, sharing the gritty reality of navigating a heavy male-dominated industry where she started as the only woman on a 62-person grid.

In this episode, we cover:

-Surviving the Crash: In 2018, Aishwarya suffered a life-threatening crash, resulting in a ruptured pancreas and 42 stitches. After spending 10 excruciating days in the ICU without food or water, she returned to the track in 2019 to win her first World Championship.

- The Government's Silence: She reveals the harsh reality of non-cricket sports in India, noting that despite bringing home a world title in 2019 alongside P.V. Sindhu, she received zero financial support or recognition from the government.

- Navigating the Boys' Club: Aishwarya discusses how she ignores the constant mansplaining about "scars" and marriage, proving that once the helmet goes on, the sport does not discriminate by gender.

- Redefining Success: She reflects on how failing her 12th grade likely saved her from a life of being "married and unhappy," allowing her to find true purpose.

- The Ultimate Dream: Looking ahead to her ultimate goal of conquering the Dakar 2027 rally, a grueling 14-day, 9,500 km race.

Whether you are an entrepreneur facing endless rejections or a woman trying to break into a male-dominated field, Aishwarya’s fierce mindset and mental conditioning will inspire you to keep pushing through the chaos.

🎙️ Hit SUBSCRIBE for more incredible leadership stories from India's top female founders and trailblazers!

#thesheeoeffect #aishwaryapissay #womeninsports #motorsport #worldchampion #resilience #femalefounders #smashpatriarchy #trailblazer #india

"I was told I didn't have the capabilities to take the company to the next level. Within two years, I easily surpassed the numbers he said I couldn't reach."Imagine growing up as a carpenter's daughter where you were not taught to dream big, and your ultimate career goal was simply to become a secretary so you could work in an air-conditioned room.In Episode 13 of THE SHE.E.O EFFECT, Vijayashree Parameswaran sits down with Gomathi "Goms" Sridhar, the CEO of AhaGuru. Gomathi’s journey is defined by a single word: GRIT. From leading a massive college strike to save her historic campus from demolition, to turning down a high-paying corporate job to teach science for ₹2,000, Gomathi has always let purpose drive her path.In this unfiltered conversation, Gomathi breaks down the realities of scaling one of India's powerhouse EdTech firms without burning through investor cash. She holds nothing back, discussing the dark side of leadership that most founders hide:🔥 Mother's Guilt: The crushing societal pressure that makes you feel like you have to be a "bad mother" to be a "good leader."🔥 The Boys' Club: Why she refuses to compromise her comfort and safety just to fit in at male-dominated networking events.🔥 Underestimation: How she uses the sexism and judgment of male peers—who ignore her in meetings because she lacks "fancy degrees"—as fuel to build her empire.If you have ever felt underestimated or struggled with the myth of "work-life balance," this episode is your ultimate permission slip to tune out the noise and focus on your goals."The outfit doesn't matter, the attitude does."#thesheeoeffect #ahaguru #femalefounders #womeninleadership #womeninbusiness #edtech #workingmom #entrepreneurship #grit #leadership

"Women from good families don't put themselves in these situations."In Episode 12 of THE SHE.E.O EFFECT, Vijayashree Parameswaran sits down with Divya Yachamaneni, the CEO of Naandi Community Water Services. Coming from a highly sheltered, urban background, Divya made a radical choice: she wanted to explore the real "Bharat."Driven by an intense combination of curiosity and conviction, Divya refused to let her gender be an excuse or a burden. She traveled through pitch-black nights in Punjab and navigated rural villages where sarpanches carried AK-47s, desperate to earn her place in the social sector.But looking back, she shares a profound realization. While she doesn't want to romanticize the danger, she refuses to carry the shame of taking those risks. As she powerfully states: "A woman doing her work in difficult terrains is not her problem. The fact that the terrain is unsafe for her... is society's problem at large."Prepare for an incredible masterclass in confronting fear, defining your own boundaries, and bridging the gap between corporate "India" and rural "Bharat."🎙️ Subscribe to THE SHE.E.O EFFECT for more leadership insights!

Imagine walking away from a 25-year investment banking career, where you dealt in millions, to proudly call yourself a "cabbie".In Episode 11 of THE SHE.E.O EFFECT , Vijayashree Parameswaran sits down with Vandana Suri, the fierce and unapologetic Founder of TaxShe . Triggered by the horrific Nirbhaya case and an Uber incident in Delhi, Vandana decided to channel her anger into action, literally turning the #metoomovement into a revolutionary business model.In this episode, Vandana breaks down how she built an army of female drivers, primarily single mothers looking for financial independence and an escape from domestic abuse. Together, they have completed over 1.2 million abuse-free drives for children. She also reveals how a devastating pandemic pivot forced her to launch TaxShe Break Free, an initiative that has now trained over 3,500 women to drive their own cars.From her hilarious metric for measuring psychological safety in her cabs, to why we need to start teaching our daughters how to run businesses, Vandana is proving that safety isn't just a policy, it’s a revolution."The next generation should be laughing at us... it should be the history book gone and buried."#thesheeoeffect #womensafety #socialentrepreneurship #taxshe #femalefounders #feminism #womenleaders #careerpivot

What happens when you take an Indian Air Force pilot who lands on the world’s most dangerous runways and drop her into the corporate pressure cooker of Amazon? In Episode 10 of THE SHE.E.O EFFECT, Vijayashree Parameswaran sits down with Wing Commander Jaya Tare. Jaya is an IAF veteran, former Amazonian, Analog Astronaut, and the CEO of New Horizon Space. She has built a career entirely out of owning spaces where women were historically told they did not belong.In this incredible masterclass, Jaya breaks down how to translate military-grade risk mitigation into corporate leadership. She reveals the raw psychological realities of being isolated for up to 20 days on an analog Mars mission , why every Amazonian has the DNA of an entrepreneur , and how female leaders can turn their intuition and empathy into an undeniable boardroom advantage.""The blues can go out of you, but you never come out of it. Your blood becomes blue." If you want to know what extreme resilience actually looks like, this is the episode. Plus, get an exclusive sneak peek at the concepts from her highly anticipated upcoming book, Daughters of the Blue Sky!

A 10th Grader Challenges 3 Powerhouse Women on Gender, Leadership & The FutureWhat happens when a 10th grade student walks into a room with three powerhouse women and says "I'm not here to take notes. I'm here to question whether the system you built is fit for the future we're stepping into."Episode 9 is unlike anything we've done before.Smriti Kaushik, a 16-year-old from Vidyashilp Academy, sits across from Vijayashree, Aditi Shrivastava (CEO, Pocket Aces), and Aahika Harlalka and leads one of the most honest, multi-generational conversations we've ever had on this show.They go deep on:→ Gender stereotypes that still exist and who actually designed them→ Why women's achievements are still labeled women's achievements→ What millennials, Gen Z, and the generation before them get wrong about each other→ Myth-busting Gen Z stereotypes: Lazy? Entitled? Distracted? They answer it all.→ Building the future of women's leadership - literally, with LegoAnd the closing line from Smriti?"Women rising to the top isn't the effect. The effect is having the ability to define what the top even means."This one will stay with you.🎙️ THE SHE.E.O EFFECT — new episodes bi-weekly! Like, subscribe, and share with a woman who needs to hear this today.

"If that's what they think, let them think. I come with my drama."The wait is finally over! Episode 8 of  THE SHE.E.O EFFECT is officially LIVE, featuring Aditi Shrivastava, Co-Founder & CEO of Pocket Aces. This is a deeply special episode, as Aditi is the one who originally "sowed the seed" for this podcast.In this unfiltered conversation, Aditi shares her journey from working at a quant hedge fund at Goldman Sachs in New York to leading a digital media company where the average employee age is 24.In this episode, we dive into:🏓 The Boardroom "Kitchen": Comparing pickleball to investor meetings, Aditi explains why you must be patient, provide detailed answers, and get the ball in their court without being aggressive.🤖 Gen Z vs. AI: Why her young audience and creators often regard AI-generated content as "fake", and why the company is pivoting to raw, authentic content like videos on unemployment.⚖️ Work-Life Fusion: How she and her husband intentionally chose "work-life fusion" over traditional balance, which has allowed them to take work calls from a cruise ship in Antarctica or read scripts in the Maldives.🛑 Owning Your Choices: The realization that having children is simply a "yes or no question," and the power of unapologetically owning the choice to be childfree despite societal expectations.🧠 The Reality of Vulnerability: Why society's expectations make vulnerability—and escaping from it—much harder for men because they are expected to be "strong and chill".🔥 Rapid Fire Revelations: From her most "Bollywood" moment walking the red carpet at Cannes to celebrating big wins with a MacD burger.If you are building a business, leading a young team, or trying to navigate the high-stakes world of modern media, this episode is your masterclass.🎧 Watch, listen, and subscribe for more conversations with India's boldest women leaders!

16 years a homemaker. A former paratrooper. Now, the woman launching the world's lightest satellites with NASA and ISRO. 🚀In this episode of THE SHE.E.O EFFECT , host Vijayashree Parameswaran sits down with Dr. Srimathy Kesan, the founder of Space Kidz India . Known affectionately as "Space Mom," Dr. Kesan shares her incredible transition from a conservative South Indian household to leading 12,000+ students from 108 countries in space missions.Dr. Kesan opens up about the "Sword to Spatula to Space" journey - how she went from commanding parades with a sword to managing a home, and eventually building satellites in her kitchen. We discuss her controversial yet heartwarming take on asking for "permission" in marriage, why she believes Gen Z and Gen Alpha are the best generations yet, and her bold stance on why India should focus on human intelligence over AI.In this episode, we cover:- Reframing "Permission" in marriage: Why it’s about respect, not slavery.- The 64g Satellite: How she cracked a NASA competition from her kitchen.- Failure & Resilience: The emotional story behind the SSLV/AzadiSAT launch.- Why Dr. Kesan believes AI shouldn't replace human jobs in India.- "Sword to Spatula to Satellite": Overcoming imposter syndrome after a 16-year career gap.- Mission ShaktiSat: Rallying 12,000 girls from around the globe.If you think it's too late to start your dream career, or if you are navigating the balance between tradition and ambition, this episode is for you.🔔 Subscribe for more inspiring stories from women changing the world!

In Episode 6 of THE SHE.E.O EFFECT , we sit down with Shukla Bose, founder of the Parikrma Humanity Foundation - one of India’s most impactful education leaders.Shukla Bose speaks with clarity and conviction about what triggered her journey:- Why dissatisfaction must turn into action- The reality of 274 million children needing quality education- How Parikrma is not just about schooling, but about mindset transformation- Why she believes children themselves are the true “brochure” of impact- Why women must never be limited by societal rolesThis is a powerful conversation on leadership, courage, and building institutions that change lives.🎙️ Listen to the full episode now.Subscribe for more conversations with women shaping India’s future.#thesheeoeffect #educationindia #womenleaders #socialimpact #leadershippodcast #purposedrivenleadership #nonprofitleadership #indianeducation #parikrmahumanityfoundation

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