How much of yourself should work be allowed to cost you? In this episode, I sit down with author and former Deloitte partner Deepa Purushothaman to talk about what happens when ambition, bias, and chronic overwork are carried in the body. Deepa shares how a major health crisis forced her to rethink the way she worked, the way she defined success, and the ways women of color are taught to survive in workplaces that were never built for them. We talk about masking, hypervigilance, power, and why so many women can appear successful on paper yet feel depleted, silenced, and disconnected from themselves. Get ready to challenge your assumptions about power, productivity, and the stories corporate culture has taught you to believe about yourself.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 What happens when workplace stress gets carried in the body?

04:45 Why high achievers often learn to ignore their bodies.

08:45 How illness can push you to rethink your purpose and priorities.

12:00 How to recognize when your body is sending you a warning sign.

16:00 How women of color can end up in a constant state of hypervigilance.

22:15 What happens when women report racism or bias at work?

24:45 The workplace delusions many women are taught to believe in order to survive.

28:30 Why have so many women been taught to see power as something aggressive or unsafe?

31:15 What does it actually mean to “shed” the beliefs that no longer serve you?

32:30 How to identify the old messages that still drive your anxiety and self-doubt.

36:15 Why toxicity at work isn’t just a mental health issue.

37:45 How to protect yourself while still pursuing ambition and success.

39:30 How redefining success can change the way you work and live.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of Deepa Purushothaman’s book, The First, the Few, the Only: How Women of Color Can Redefine Power in Corporate America HERE

Learn more about Deepa Purushothaman HERE

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube 

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Deepa: on LinkedIn @deepapuru + Instagram @deepa.puru