Setting her own standards

A day that is too quiet does not sit well with Archana. There must be something happening – work to finish, people to meet, a home to run, a goal to chase. Staying occupied and feeling productive are small but important measures of a good day for her.

Much of this nature she attributes to her father and later to her father-in-law, both of whom carried a quiet discipline about work staying engaged in something meaningful.

As a young student testing the limits of her skies, her paths shifted to civil engineering from medicine. Her professional life unfolded in a time when workplaces were largely male dominated. Choosing free-lancing, when it was far from common, became her way of balancing her work while nurturing two daughters. For Archana, managing her priorities was never a weakness, but something that had to be chosen consciously.

She knows that all journeys are differently paced and comparisons rarely help. What is important is to keep doing what lies before us with dedication and honesty. Now, at the other end of her career, she likes to spend time mentoring lesser fortunate women to support their journeys.

Traversing all this, her motto is clear, whatever you choose to do, let it be your decision. That's where true empowerment lies.