Activating Women to Lead and Thrive with Raina Gandhi – Ep.385
What if your career hiatus wasn't a gap, but the foundation for your most impactful work? In this episode of Wickedly Smart Women, host Anjel B. Hartwell welcomes Raina Gandhi, a powerhouse advocate for women in leadership and the founder and CEO of Rising Tide Consulting.
After an 11-year hiatus to raise her daughters, Raina returned to the professional world with a Wharton MBA and an investment banking background, only to find a corporate landscape that often felt misaligned with her values. Her journey through burnout, the challenges of re-entry, and navigating workplace barriers led her to discover her true calling: activating other women to navigate these same hurdles and step confidently into leadership roles.
Through coaching, workshops, and research-backed strategies, Raina now equips women with the tools to tackle self-advocacy, negotiation, and gender equity. This conversation is an inspiring look at how to lead on your own terms and ensure that when women stay in the workforce, they don’t just survive—they thrive.
What You Will Learn:
- Why an 11-year career hiatus can be a catalyst for professional reinvention and purpose.
- How to recognize the symptoms of burnout in high-stakes roles like investment banking.
- Why "life deciding for you" can be a powerful redirection toward your true calling.
- The critical importance of visibility and representation for women of color in leadership.
- How to navigate workplace barriers such as information gatekeeping and bullying.
- Why the skills that get you to a director level aren’t the same ones needed for the C-suite.
- The importance of shifting from male-centric negotiation tactics to authentic self-advocacy.
- How to manage the transition from being an individual contributor to leading and scaling a business.
- Why having a "blueprint" and a partner is essential for entrepreneurial success.
- How to scale your impact by shifting focus toward speaking and group leadership programs.
If this episode has you thinking about leaving corporate to start a consultancy, begin here.
Assess the timing signals and readiness factors that may indicate it is time to begin planning your transition.
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