19: Identity & Work // Neha Bhatia (Strategist, Designer, Writer)

In this episode of 5to9, I had a chat with Neha Bhatia, a strategist, designer, researcher, collage maker, wannabe artist, and writer.

Neha grew up in India with dreams of being a fashion designer. After getting a scholarship to study at Parsons School of Design then a letdown working in the fashion industry which led to a full-blown identity crisis, Neha pivoted her career into advertising and innovation. As a highly ambitious person working in an industry that encourages long hours and full dedication, she found herself questioning her relationship with work, what she actually values and her worth beyond work. She ultimately realized that what she wanted was freedom and to her, freedom is the gift of time.

She is now an independent strategist and researcher who expresses her identity through art, teaching, community and exploring different definitions of a life well-lived.

We talked about working in the US with a visa, what happens when your dreams get crushed, finding more of herself after an identity crisis, defining her own version of a success, untethering our identity from work and more!

This is Neha Bhatia for 5to9.