Ahead of this year’s Tech Ladies ICON Conference, we’re diving into the careers and journeys of some of our featured speakers. Next up: Anuradha (Anu) Muralidharan, COO of Expensify, on the power of momentum, redefining confidence, and building a career by focusing less on end goals and more on what truly feels good.
Most of us grow up hearing a very specific kind of career advice: work harder, climb the ladder, chase the title, go after the promotion. Success, we’re told, comes from always aiming higher and pushing yourself toward the next milestone.
But in my conversation with Anuradha Muralidharan, she offered a different perspective—one that flips this traditional script: prioritize feeling good.
At first glance, it might sound simplistic or even naive. As Anuradha admitted, if someone had told her this in her 20s, she would have rolled her eyes. Like so many of us early in our careers, she assumed the only way forward was through relentless drive and a focus on outcomes.
Over time, though, experience taught her something else: when you feel good, when you’re energized by your projects, supported by your environment, and surrounded by people who bring out your best, you naturally do great work. And when you’re consistently doing your best work, promotions, recognition, and financial rewards tend to follow.
This shift from “chasing results” to “choosing environments and projects that feel good” reframes success not as a distant destination but as something you cultivate every day.
At ICON, Anu will take the stage as our keynote speaker with The Power of Momentum: The Winding Road to Undeniable Self-Confidence. She’ll share her journey of self-discovery and empowerment—beginning with her upbringing in a middle-class Indian family, where she feared becoming “overconfident.”
Through transformative experiences, including her bold “Costanza Experiment” of defying conventional wisdom and taking unexpected career risks, Anu will invite us to break free from societal conditioning, embrace self-doubt, and focus on personal growth and authenticity. Her keynote promises practical advice and inspiring stories that provide a roadmap for building confidence in professional settings while maintaining humility and grace.
She’s also looking forward to the power of community: “Being in a space with so many women in tech who are supporting each other—it’s energizing. I’m excited to both share my journey and learn from theirs.”
You can watch the full recording of our conversation with Anu and join us at ICON to hear Anu’s keynote speech.
Resources for women in tech, and the companies that want to build inclusive workplaces where they can thrive.
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