Empower, Inspire, Act: Key Insights from Our IWD Session

Written by Prerna Khanna, Associate, Marketing

This International Women’s Day, Fresh Gravity hosted a session with two power-packed women – Vahbiz Bharucha, Former Captain of the Indian Women’s Rugby Team, and Aishwarya Phadke, Founder of Travel Dirty. The session was moderated by Preeti Desai, Senior Manager, Client Success, Fresh Gravity who facilitated the discussion with insightful questions.  

This year’s theme, #AccelerateAction, resonated throughout the discussion as our speakers shared their journeys, challenges, and triumphs. Their stories were not just inspiring but also packed with practical lessons on resilience, self-growth, and taking charge of our lives. 

This session was even more inspiring because both speakers have taken unconventional paths to success. 

For Aishwarya, the journey into the travel industry was not a straight road. She explored multiple avenues before realizing that travel along with its business aspect was her true calling. Today, she is building more than just a travel company – she is fostering a quiet community with the philosophy of “alone but together”.  

For Vahbiz, sports has always been more than just a hobby – it has been a source of motivation and self-improvement. From a young age, she was drawn to the competitive spirit and personal growth that sports offered, constantly pushing herself to be better than she was the day before. Vahbiz is also a physiotherapist. She mentioned that since childhood she wanted to serve the community and that’s how physiotherapy became the perfect bridge between her love for sports and her desire to help people. 

Their paths may be different, yet each puts out valuable life lessons. Vahbiz’s journey highlights how passion, discipline, and persistence can shape both personal and professional success, while Aishwarya’s path focuses on the importance of exploring, adapting, and ultimately finding what truly drives us.
This led to some powerful takeaways from the session, reminding us how we too can #accelerateaction in our own lives. 

Here are some key takeaways from the session:  

Take Risks to Discover Your Potential 

One of the strongest messages from the session was the need to take risks. If we never step outside our comfort zones, we may never realize where our true potential lies.  

Accelerate Action: Take Charge of Your Life 

The theme #AccelerateAction isn’t just about movement – it’s about ownership. Our speakers highlighted that real change starts when we decide to take charge of our own lives. No one else can shape our future for us; we need to be the driving force behind our growth and transformation. 

Work-Life Balance is Non-Negotiable 

We tend to forget work–life balance at times but as our speakers indicated, work is a part of life, not our entire life. Achieving a healthy balance allows us to be more effective, engaged, and happy—both personally and professionally. 

The Power to Create Change Lies Within Us 

We tend to wait for external circumstances to improve, but actual change begins with us. Our speakers stressed that while challenges are inevitable, the power to adapt, evolve, and overcome lies within us.  

Planning is the Key to Moving Forward 

While action is important, planning is what makes it successful. Whether it’s in corporate, sports, or personal goals, having a structured plan helps in making informed decisions and staying focused on the bigger picture. 

Listen: Inspiration is Everywhere 

Often, we seek inspiration from books or podcasts, but we forget to listen to the people around us. We should pay attention to conversations, experiences, and stories shared by those in our daily lives—you never know who might inspire you in ways you never imagined. 

In Tough Times, Create Space to Introspect 

Life is not always according to plan, and we are bound to face setbacks. Instead of reacting impulsively, we should give importance to pausing, introspecting, and approaching problems with a calm mindset. Every challenge carries a lesson – accept it, learn from it, and move forward. 

Focus on What’s in Your Control 

In difficult situations, it’s important to distinguish between controllable and uncontrollable factors. Wasting energy on things outside our control only leads to frustration. Instead, we must channelize our energies toward what we can change and take purposeful action. 

Accept Positive Criticism, Ignore Judgment 

Feedback is essential for growth, but not all criticism is constructive. Our speakers advised keeping an open mind to positive criticism while filtering out unnecessary judgments that do not contribute to personal or professional growth. 

This session was more than just a discussion – it was a powerful reminder to take action, take risks, and take control of our own lives. As we move forward, let’s embody the spirit of #AccelerateAction by making bold choices, embracing challenges, and continuously striving for growth. 

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