“One of the most courageous acts you can do is identify yourself, know who you are, what you believe in and where you want to go’. I had written this on a Post-it and stuck it to my dresser’s mirror. It’s much easier said than done. But it is an idea that has proved true throughout much of my experience. Self-empowerment has everything to do with self-esteem and self-confidence, and as daunting as it may seem, it can be achieved in a number of little ways. It’s like a muscle that you learn to develop with regular practice. For me, it started with simply taking a look at my strengths and a fresh look at what I need to build on. And that done, I held on firmly to the commitment to feel empowered in every area of my life.

Taking the belief into my professional life, I wanted to reach out to more people; those who’ve watched my shows and communicated with me on social media, but whom I’ve never met. Earlier this week, after much thought and planning, we introduced our very first The Uma Show Empowering Session. It is planned as a gathering of 22 people, and an expert talking about what he or she knows best.

We took on financial planning to begin with, with Sachin Naik from Nexus. To me, there is nothing worse than a strong, independent woman who believes that she cannot handle her finances. I was one of them, believing that I just didn’t have a ‘math brain’ or a ‘finance brain’, so I couldn’t manage my money. My journey towards financial empowerment was long and often challenging, and I am still a work in progress.

The room was filled with amazing women across industries and professions, all taking in wisdom and advice. This was followed by a thought-provoking and charged Q and A session. Financial independence has nothing to do with how much you earn, it is about being aware of ways to manage your money.

I believe that in empowering others, you put out positive vibes that eventually are returned to you. Just boosting friends’ morale, teaching them something new or helping them realise new aspects of their personalities is a great start. After all, we are all in this life together, and helping others achieve their goals can get our own life on track in some ways. And you build trusted relationships and long-lasting friendships along the way.

I have many more sessions planned out, and if you’d like to be a part of them, reach out to me through social media on @umagd.