Being A Mom Was A Catalyst For Suneetha Reddy To Dream Bigger Professionally

Suneetha Reddy grew up watching her working mother pursue everything she wished to despite the innumerable challenges of a work-life balance that came her way. A mom to two kids today, Suneetha is now following in her mother's footsteps and trying to achieve everything she wished professionally. 

In this conversation with SheThePeople, Suneetha Reddy talks about her drive to chase opportunities, how motherhood helped push her boundaries, and how she works towards honing her leadership and management skills in this second phase of her life.

Suneetha Reddy Journey

"Coming from a humble middle-class background, I was instilled with a strong work ethic from a young age," says she says. Reddy's interest in leadership roles rose right from her younger days as a schoolgirl. From being a star student to getting elected as a school leader, Reddy participated in everything that earned her a leadership opportunity. An engineer, Reddy was a merit scholarship awardee for all four of her engineering college years.

Reddy, who also got involved with the NCC and volunteering, soon went on to work for a giant Indian Conglomerate bagging a big career opportunity.

Embracing motherhood

For Reddy, motherhood proved to be a blessing in more ways than one. "On the flip side of the coin, I am blessed with a family – a caring husband, two lovely children, and supportive in-laws who stand by me ready to deal with the toughest of times. As I play different roles from a daughter to daughter-in-law; a wife and a mother to a working woman (working out of home 6 days a week and 10 hours a day), getting to learn is something I cherish a lot."

With motherhood, Reddy also realised her potential not just to multitask but also to dream better for herself in the professional space. "This second phase of my life taught me the importance of resilience. I realised striking the right balance between personal and professional life can be tricky but if planned well, it works wonders."

Why MBA?

For Reddy, a career is a living entity which needs nurturing. "It needs a general sense of strategy, direction, and careful manoeuvring. I realised the greatest payoffs are the people we meet on the way and the wisdom we gain not only to seek professional goals but to evolve into a complete person. Then, I started moving out of my comfort zone and realising the strength I hold within myself."

Taking inspiration from her own mother who worked her way up while raising her two children, Reddy decided to take another leap in her professional identity. While she thought of studying MBA, the decision to move away from her family was far from easy. That's where her family came in. "My decade-long experience as a corporate worker was highlighted by milestones and value propositions, which sharpened my practical abilities and business acumen."

She continues, "What really pushed me finally was thinking of how my mom pursued her master's degree while raising two little ones, rising in the role of her choice from being a compassionate teacher to the pre-eminent principal. Her motivation to hundreds of students shape their careers, making a huge positive impact, made me realise that education has the power to change so much around."

Reddy sat for her GMAT and was able to crack IIM A, an institution, she believes, will heighten her leadership and business acumen. So how is life treating her on the campus? "One month down the line, I feel proud to be part of a diverse cohort, learning from world-class faculty, gaining robust alumni networks and humbly capturing a productive learning opportunity PGPX is providing me."

Choosing to have the best of all worlds

Reddy's personal and social-sector experiences helped her shape her ideologies and ambitions, and motherhood was a step that helped her understand her enormous strength as well. "Being a mother did not stop me from doing anything; if anything, it helped me grow and dream bigger."

Reddy is one of the five mothers on the campus who are all trailblazers in their own way, leading the way for their children to grow up and understand that the world needs to be equal and that every woman, whether or not she chooses motherhood, should have the option to pursue her dreams irrespective of her age.

Suggested reading: Motherhood Motivated Chemical Engineer Supraja Ramachandran To Fulfil Lost Dream