She couldn’t get back to work after having kids, despite 10 years with Goldman Sachs. So she started her own company helping moms transition back to work.
I connected with Rita Kakati Shah, founder Uma of after reading her story on Fast Company.
Uma is a company that helps mothers transition back to work.
Rita talks about the motherhood bias she faced despite being an accomplished finance professional, including 10 years with Goldman Sachs.
It was a double bonus to meet an accomplished working mom, someone at the forefront of working with women and companies to change perceptions about moms.
In particular, that women don’t suddenly lose their ambition when they become moms.
Summary of Interview
As usual, here’s my 2-minute summary, although I’d highly recommend you read the full interview below for all the rich details Rita shares.
- It’s possible to be a great mom and do well with your work. However, achieving this level of success involves a lot of hard work, resilience and trade-offs.
- Pursue varied interests. Besides running Uma, it was cool to hear how Rita also paints, loves to eat and is a classically trained Indian dancer!
- Don’t underestimate what you can do to make a difference. Rita turned her personal challenges into an opportunity to start Uma. Doing this has helped Rita find fulfilment by making a difference.
- Have clear boundaries when you’re wearing many hats and playing multiple roles. Rita uses tools like Outlook to organize and prioritize how and where her time goes.
- If you have a financial windfall, put a portion of it for your future business or personal goals. From an investment perspective, Rita puts her reserves in bonds.
Read full interview in The Ascent.