Confidence Isn’t Inherited, It’s Built | Ritu Saxena on Imposter Syndrome, Identity & Self-Advocacy

Описание: Confidence doesn’t magically appear, it’s built through discomfort, reflection, and support.

In this episode of Baskets of Knowledge, we speak with Ritu Saxena, Chartered Accountant and founder of Project UpgradeHer, about her journey from Mumbai to New Zealand, and the internal work required to build confidence across different cultural and professional systems.

Ritu shares what it was really like starting over in a new country with no safety net, navigating imposter syndrome, struggling to speak up in rooms she was qualified to be in, and the moment a denied pay rise became a turning point in her life.

This conversation explores identity, self-advocacy, therapy vs coaching, cultural conditioning, financial independence, and why confidence is not inherited, it’s built.

Ritu also shares how her lived experience led her to create Project UpgradeHer, a platform helping women of colour gain clarity, confidence, and income by learning how to advocate for themselves in the workplace.

If you’ve ever felt unseen, under-recognised, or capable of more than your current life allows — this episode is for you.

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Chapters / Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction & why this conversation matters
03:10 – Growing up in Mumbai and following the “successful” path
07:40 – Moving to New Zealand for independence
12:45 – Culture shock, loneliness, and eating lunch alone
17:30 – Imposter syndrome and feeling invisible at work
23:00 – The pay rise rejection that changed everything
28:10 – Therapy, coaching, and rebuilding self-trust
34:40 – Finding her voice and accelerating her career
39:50 – Creating Project UpgradeHer
46:00 – Confidence, self-advocacy, and income
52:10 – Identity, belonging, and choosing yourself
57:20 – Ritu’s final piece of wisdom: asking for help