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By:

Asha Tripathi

14 April 2025 at 1:35:28 pm

Stop Comparing, Start Growing

Success does not grow in comparison; it grows in focus. Over the years, women have made significant strides in every sphere of life. From managing homes to leading organisations, from nurturing families to building successful careers, women have proved that strength and resilience are deeply rooted in their nature. Financial independence has become a significant milestone for many women today, bringing with it confidence, dignity, and the freedom to shape one’s own destiny. However, along...

Stop Comparing, Start Growing

Success does not grow in comparison; it grows in focus. Over the years, women have made significant strides in every sphere of life. From managing homes to leading organisations, from nurturing families to building successful careers, women have proved that strength and resilience are deeply rooted in their nature. Financial independence has become a significant milestone for many women today, bringing with it confidence, dignity, and the freedom to shape one’s own destiny. However, along with growth has come another silent challenge — the tendency to constantly observe, compare, and sometimes even compete with the journeys of others. But a crucial question arises: Is it necessary to track the growth of others in order to grow ourselves? From my personal experience of more than two decades as an entrepreneur, I have realised something very powerful — true growth begins the moment we stop looking sideways and start looking within. A Small Beginning I had a flourishing career of teaching abroad, but when I restarted my career after moving back to India, my beginning was extremely small. My very first assignment was a simple home tuition for a single student, and the amount I earned was meagre. There was nothing glamorous about it. No recognition, no large batches, no big earnings. Just one student and one opportunity. But instead of worrying about how others were doing, how many students they had, or how much they were earning, I made a conscious decision—my only focus would be on improving myself. I focused on teaching better, preparing better, and becoming more disciplined and consistent. And slowly, without even realising it, things began to grow. One student became two, two became a small group, and gradually, over the years, the work expanded beyond what I had initially imagined. Looking back today, I can confidently say that the growth did not happen because I competed with others. It happened because I competed with myself yesterday. Comparison Creates Noise When we keep watching others' journeys too closely, we unknowingly divert our own energy. Comparison creates unnecessary noise in our minds. It brings doubts, insecurities, and sometimes even negativity. Instead of walking our own path with clarity, we start questioning our speed, our direction, and our worth. True success grows through focus, not comparison. Every woman has her own story, her own pace, and her own struggles that others may never see. The path of one person can never be identical to another's. So comparing journeys is like comparing two different rivers flowing towards the same ocean — each with its own route, its own curves, and its own rhythm. As women, we already carry many responsibilities. We balance emotions, relationships, work, and society's expectations. In such a life, the last thing we need is the burden of comparison with one another. Instead, what we truly need is support for each other. When women encourage women, something extraordinary happens. Confidence grows. Opportunities multiply. Strength becomes collective rather than individual. There is enough space in the world for every woman to create her own identity. Each of us can build our own niche without stepping on someone else's path. Choose Encouragement Envy weakens us, but encouragement empowers us. Rather than questioning how someone else is progressing, we can ask a more meaningful question: "How can I grow a little better than I was yesterday?" Lift As You Rise Today, after twenty years of experience, the most valuable lesson I have learned is simple yet profound — focus on your own work with honesty and dedication, and success will quietly follow you. We, women, are capable, resilient, and creative. We do not need to pull each other down or compete in unhealthy ways. Instead, we can lift each other up while building our own dreams. Because when one woman rises, she does not rise alone. She inspires many others to believe that they can rise, too. And perhaps that is the most beautiful form of success. (The writer is a tutor based in Thane. Views personal.)

Legacy to leadership

The nine days of Navratri celebrate goddesses who embody strength in different forms; valour, compassion, creativity, austerity, devotion, justice, protection, forgiveness and wisdom. In our annual Navratri series, we celebrate the lives of nine women who strive to build happy and safe spaces for themselves and those around them.


PART - 9


Name: Isha Ambani | Where: Mumbai, Maharashtra
Name: Isha Ambani | Where: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Isha Ambani’s rise at Reliance has been steady. Her leadership at Reliance Retail marked a turning point in transforming everyday shopping in India. Expanding fashion and grocery formats and launching the Tira beauty platform, she carved a distinctive space through innovation and instinct in consumer business.


In 2023, Isha was appointed a non-executive director on the Reliance Industries board, joining brothers Akash and Anant in a clear signal of succession planning. Her simultaneous induction into Jio Financial Services, approved by the RBI, underscored Reliance’s intent to position her at the forefront of its financial services push.


Beyond Reliance, Isha has steadily built an international profile. In 2021, she joined the Board of Trustees of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C., a recognition of her role as a cultural ambassador. And in 2025, she was appointed to the Board of Administration of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), signalling her growing presence on the global stage.


Isha’s entry into the business world came after a strong academic foundation. A graduate in psychology from Yale University and later an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, she combined global exposure with an instinctive understanding of India’s consumer landscape. Her return was not just about inheriting responsibility but about shaping one of India’s fastest-growing consumer sectors.


Under her leadership, Reliance Retail has gone digital-first, integrating e-commerce with offline stores while bringing millions of kirana shops into its supply chain. She has driven technology and innovation, ensuring small shopkeepers remain empowered even as large-format retail and online platforms expand. This same commitment to impact extends beyond business, as she applies her strategic vision to social initiatives that uplift communities across India.


As a director at the Reliance Foundation, Isha has been instrumental in programmes spanning education, healthcare, and rural transformation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked on initiatives that expanded access to oxygen, digital classrooms, and women’s empowerment schemes. This dual role — of corporate leader and social entrepreneur — positions her as more than a business heir, serving as a bridge between profit and purpose.


Her rise has not been without scepticism. As the daughter of Mukesh Ambani, her position is often viewed through the lens of privilege. Yet, in boardrooms and on the ground, she has demonstrated competence, clarity, and conviction. By blending empathy with efficiency, she has gradually reshaped perceptions, particularly among younger professionals who see her as a relatable role model rather than an untouchable heiress.


While her entry into the corporate world was shaped by legacy, Isha has forged her own path. She has combined inherited responsibility with fresh vision, shaping Reliance’s consumer businesses with ambition and innovation. In doing so, she is steadily defining a new standard for leadership, proving that succession can be more than inheritance—it can be transformative.

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