From Small-Town India to Global Entrepreneur: A Midlife Reflection

As I approach my 43rd birthday this July, I find myself reflecting on a journey that has taken me from a small town in India to the global stage of entrepreneurship. Ten years ago, I was a small business owner with big dreams. Today, I’m a seasoned serial entrepreneur, an accomplished academic and researcher, and an author. It’s a path I never could have imagined when I started, yet here I am, living a life that once seemed like an impossible dream.

This journey has been marked by continuous growth and expanding horizons. Each small goal achieved became a stepping stone to the next, larger ambition. The recent registration of my U.S. LLC might seem like a small step to some, but to me, it represents a giant leap – a testament to the power of progressive goal-setting and unwavering vision.

Along the way, I’ve discovered some fundamental truths about myself. I have a knack for seeing potential – both in people and in opportunities. I can quickly identify a person’s talents and have a gift for inspiring and motivating them to take their next steps. This ability has not only shaped my career but has become a core part of my identity.

I’ve also realized I’m a big-picture thinker. For everything I embark on, I envision grand possibilities. Sometimes, these visions might seem too ambitious, and too hard to achieve. But I’ve learned that in the long run, with persistence and adaptability, these lofty goals often materialize in ways I couldn’t have initially imagined.

Yet, as I stand at this midlife crossroads, having achieved more than I ever dreamed possible professionally, I find myself grappling with unexpected questions: Who am I beyond CeeVee, the global entrepreneur? What does success really mean to me now? And perhaps most pressingly, why do I feel a growing need for deeper, more intimate relationships in my life?

The truth is, I’m still figuring it out. Despite years of guiding others and making tough decisions, when it comes to my own journey of self-discovery and personal fulfillment, I sometimes feel at a loss. It’s a humbling realization – that success in one’s career doesn’t automatically translate to having all the answers in life or to feeling truly fulfilled.

My perspective on success has shifted dramatically. Where once I might have equated success with career achievements and expanding business horizons, I now see it through a different lens. To me, true success has become about achieving four key elements: financial freedom, health freedom, the freedom to make a meaningful impact, and perhaps most importantly, the ability to form and nurture deep, intimate relationships.

Financial freedom isn’t about accumulating wealth for its own sake, but about having the security to pursue what truly matters to me. Health freedom means having the vitality and well-being to enjoy life fully. Making an impact is about continuing to change the status quo, using my work and my ability to see potential in others to create positive change in the world.

But it’s the fourth element – intimate relationships – that I find myself yearning for more and more. There’s a part of me that craves a deep connection where I can share my vulnerabilities, my fears, and my hopes. A relationship where I can be seen not just as CeeVee the successful entrepreneur, but as the complex, sometimes uncertain human being that I am.

This desire for intimacy feels at odds with the image of strength and success I’ve cultivated over the years. People expect me to be strong, and to have all the answers. How can I admit that sometimes, I feel just as uncertain as anyone else? How can I express my need for emotional closeness without seeming weak or unprofessional?

Recently, I’ve taken small steps towards this new vision of success. I’ve explored hiking and started going to the gym regularly, investing in my health freedom. I’m even thinking about organizing meetups for founders here in Melbourne, a way to make an impact beyond my formal roles. These activities offer a glimmer of hope – a chance to connect with others and myself in a different context.

Yet, the struggle to truly open up, to figure out who I am beyond my achievements, remains. The yearning for intimate connections grows stronger, but the path to forming them isn’t always clear. The very success that defines me professionally has created a barrier, making it challenging to form the deep, vulnerable connections I crave.

I wish I could offer sage advice or a roadmap for others feeling this way, but the truth is, I’m still figuring it out myself. What I can share is this: if you’re feeling lost, questioning your identity beyond your career, or reevaluating what success means to you – you’re not alone.

This journey of self-discovery and redefining success is not a straight line. It’s filled with uncertainties, false starts, and moments of doubt. But I believe that in due course, we can all figure something out. Just as I’ve expanded my goals from a small business in India to a global entrepreneurial presence, I trust that this personal journey will unfold in ways I can’t yet foresee.

As I continue on this path, I’m learning to be patient with myself. I’m learning that it’s okay to not have all the answers, to be both strong and vulnerable, visionary and uncertain. I’m learning that success can be redefined and that it’s okay for that definition to evolve as we do.

This birthday, as I blow out my candles, my wish is for the courage to pursue this new vision of success. I wish for the strength to embrace a more balanced life, prioritize my well-being alongside my work, and find ways to make an impact while also enjoying life’s simple pleasures. But most of all, I wish for the bravery to open my heart, to be vulnerable, and to form the deep, intimate relationships that I now understand are crucial to true fulfillment.

To all of you out there feeling trapped by traditional notions of success or struggling to connect with your identity beyond your career, I say this: It’s okay to redefine what success means to you. It’s okay to want something different, something more aligned with who you are becoming. It’s okay to crave intimacy and emotional connection, even if it feels scary or unfamiliar. We’re all figuring it out, one day at a time.

As I step into another year of life, I don’t have a roadmap, but I have hope. Hope that in due course, as we keep exploring, questioning, and growing, we’ll figure out a version of success that truly fulfills us. And perhaps that ongoing process of discovery and redefinition is the most beautiful part of our journey.

Here’s to seeing ourselves – and allowing others to see us – as works in progress, complex and ever-evolving.

Here’s to redefining success on our own terms, and to finding joy in the journey, wherever it may lead us.

After all, the greatest potential we can unlock might just be our own.

Universal love and abundance

Dr.CeeVee

(Dr. CeeVee is the pen name of Dr. Chandra Vadhana R, Founder of Prayaana Labs and Managing Editor, of  SheSight  Magazine)