Episode 02: Turn Your Obstacles Into Opportunities with Nikki Barua

Have you ever wondered how to turn your obstacles into opportunities? In this episode, we talk about breaking through your barriers and owning your power. Serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, influencer, and international keynote speaker, Nikki Barua joins the show. Nikki came to America as an immigrant from India. She worked hard, learned the best strategies, and the right habits. She climbed to the top of the corporate ladder, quit her job, and started her own business. After facing numerous rejections and failures, she overcame the barriers and built up a multi-million dollar business. Her journey taught her that obstacles give us the opportunity to level-up and get stronger and bolder. How do you get the courage to make big moves? Nikki says we must have clarity about what we want and why we want it. That's what helps us take consistent action and then success becomes inevitable. Do not lose focus – it takes a lot of discipline and the right kind of mindset. Look at your failures as feedback. Keep trying new things until you figure out what works. Entrepreneurship isn’t about building a business; it’s a journey about self-awareness. You discover what you are truly made of and what’s holding you back. Ultimately, you learn how to become the best version of yourself. The three big lessons Nikki learned in her entrepreneurial journey: 1. Focus. It all comes down to focusing on the right thing. 2. Leverage. It’s hard to gain momentum without leverage. 3. Execution. It's about taking massive and consistent action. Stay tuned to hear Nikki speak about her habits for success, the most significant technology trends, and the top business skills that are growing in demand. Plus, Nikki reveals three things that have helped her succeed and what she’s looking forward to in her career.

 

Highlights: [01:00] About Nikki Barua [03:05] How to find courage in ourselves [04:30] Leaping into entrepreneurship [07:55] What it’s like starting your own business [11:50] Habits are truly a superpower [18:30] The most significant trends in technology [22:20] Business skills that will be in demand [25:30] The top three things that helped Nikki succeed [27:10] What Nikki is most looking forward to in her career [30:20] Final advice from Nikki

 

Quotes:

“Our obstacles are the opportunity. Every time we face an obstacle, it's an opportunity for us to level up and get even stronger, even bolder, and even more of the best versions of ourselves.” – Nikki Barua “The first step to courage is clarity. Part of what's holding us back is we're not really clear about what we want and why we want it.” – Nikki Barua “I would regret never following my dream, much more than experiencing short term pain or loss.” – Nikki Barua “Habits are truly a superpower. If you look at any successful person, they are all a product of great habits.” – Nikki Barua “I'm actively choosing to make an investment of my time as opposed to expanding my time.” – Nikki Barua “Whatever you're great at today, there isn't going to be a market for that tomorrow. You have to figure out how do you get ahead of the curve and disrupt yourself instead of being disrupted.” – Nikki Barua

 

About Nikki Barua:

Nikki Barua is a serial entrepreneur, international keynote speaker and bestselling author who is passionate about making the world more inclusive and innovative. 

Nikki leads Beyond Barriers, a global leadership platform that empowers women professionals with digital-age skills to accelerate success. 

Nikki has won numerous awards, including Entrepreneur of the Year by ACE, named as an EY North America Entrepreneurial Winning Woman, recognized as LA Woman of Influence by The Business Journals and Women of Entrepreneurship by LA Lakers and Comerica Bank. Her inspiring story of turning barriers into breakthroughs has been featured in national media including Fortune and Forbes.

 

Links:

Website: https://www.nikkibarua.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenikkibarua

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenikkibarua

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenikkibarua

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NikkiBarua