Women's Leadership Lab

I am a news anchor. Now my full time effort is using my journalism gifts to teach women leaders to tell better stories about themselves.

If she is laying ground
to get her dream job
to get a board seat (paid)
to get a promotion
to give a TEDtalk.

I do this one of three ways:
I have a year long Mastermind. 8 Women give a TEDxtalk on a NYC stage Nov 14th, 2024.
I have a monthly roundtable of women leaders with teams.
I work with American clients 1:1 in Lisbon, Paris Barcelona to create valuable white space for inspiration.

The space to develop for powerful leadership and workshop challenges with your teams.
The ability to build win-win relationships and drive growth in your business.
Mini retreats to help identify your strengths and realize your goals.
The opportunity to network with like-minded women at intimate, in-person events.

Founder

NY1 News

NY1 News (also known as Spectrum News NY1) is a 24-hour local news channel based in New York City, providing comprehensive coverage of news, politics, weather, and community events across the five boroughs. It is particularly known for its focus on hyperlocal stories that affect New York City residents 

As an anchor delivering hourly reports from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) I offered

Real-Time Market Insights: I provided timely, accurate updates on market trends, stock movements, and breaking financial news, which helped viewers make informed investment and business decisions.

Audience Engagement: By being on every hour, I offered consistent, reliable reports, and I built trust and engagement with the New York metro area audience.

Educational Impact: I simplified complex market data, making it understandable for both seasoned investors and the general public, helping viewers stay informed about the economy.

Authority and Credibility: Broadcasting directly from the NYSE added credibility to my reports, positioning me as an authoritative voice on financial markets in one of the most important financial hubs in the world.

Business News Anchor

AVS TV

AVS, or Asian Variety Show, is a long-running television program that primarily focuses on promoting and showcasing Bollywood films, music, and entertainment to a global audience. Launched in the early 1980s, AVS has been a significant platform for South Asian cinema, particularly Bollywood, offering viewers a mix of film previews, celebrity interviews, music videos, and behind-the-scenes content. It is known for its dedication to covering the latest news and trends from the Bollywood film industry, making it one of the earliest and most influential shows in the space.

Distributed worldwide, including on major platforms like SONY Entertainment Television, AVS has reached a wide audience of South Asians and non-South Asians interested in Bollywood and Indian culture.  

I wrote my own scripts and anchored AVS (Asian Variety Show) for 15 years.  Several impactful outcomes:

Global Audience Reach: As an American Indian anchoring the show, each week, I connected first and second generation Indians, living in the United States and other countries, with a taste of home. 

Content Creation and Control: Writing my own scripts gave me creative control over the messaging and allowed me to reach Bollywood enthusiasts and broader audiences.

Brand and Industry Awareness: By becoming a steady presence on Saturday mornings for 15 years,I helped contextualize upcoming movie releases and positioned AVS as a trusted source for Bollywood news.

Professional Credibility: Managing both scriptwriting and anchoring demonstrated my versatility and expertise in media production, enhancing my credibility as a journalist and a presenter.

Host

Rockefeller Foundation

The Rockefeller Foundation is one of the oldest and most influential philanthropic organizations in the world, founded in 1913 by John D. Rockefeller, Sr., the oil magnate and one of the wealthiest individuals of his time. The Foundation was established with a mission to "promote the well-being of humanity" and has since played a pivotal role in addressing global challenges across multiple sectors, including health, education, agriculture, and social equity.

By directing and producing the series of mini-documentaries for the Rockefeller Foundation's Centennial, I achieved several significant outcomes:

Increased Awareness of the Foundation's Impact: Through these documentaries, I highlighted the lesser-known contributions of the Foundation, such as funding the public health system in America and the development of the yellow fever vaccine. This helped to educate viewers and elevate the Foundation's global contributions, beyond just the Rockefeller brand.

Showcased Global Projects: By sharing stories of the projects the Foundation funded around the world, I demonstrated the breadth of its impact, from public health advancements to initiatives in developing countries. This expanded the public’s understanding of the Foundation’s role in tackling complex global challenges.

Authentic Storytelling: By traveling to Nairobi, Africa, with a production crew, I brought an authentic, on-the-ground perspective to the Foundation’s work, allowing viewers to connect with the stories in a more visceral and human way. This added depth and credibility to the narrative.

Enhanced Foundation's Legacy: As part of the Centennial celebration, my mini-documentaries contributed to preserving and enhancing the legacy of the Foundation, showing its relevance and continued importance in modern times.

Global Reach: With the videos available online, the project not only reached a wide audience but also provided an accessible platform for ongoing education about the Foundation’s work.

Executive Producer, Rockefeller Centennial 

NasdaqOMX

The Nasdaq (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations) is a global electronic marketplace for buying and selling securities, primarily known for being the world's first electronic stock exchange. Established in 1971, it revolutionized stock trading by enabling computerized trading without a physical trading floor, unlike traditional exchanges such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

By researching and hosting interviews with CEOs ringing the opening or closing bell at the Nasdaq Marketsite, I created several key outcomes:

Enhanced Visibility for Nasdaq-Listed Companies: My interviews provided a platform for CEOs to share their company’s stories, milestones, and achievements, thus increasing public awareness and enhancing their brands.

Valuable Insights for Viewers: I offered unique insights into the leadership strategies, visions, and innovations of prominent companies, helping investors and the public understand what drives these businesses, especially during pivotal moments such as major stock market events.

Strengthened Nasdaq’s Brand: By featuring interviews with CEOs of major companies like Amazon and SS&C Technologies, I elevated Nasdaq’s profile as a hub for leading global companies, reinforcing its reputation as the go-to exchange for innovative and successful businesses.

Celebration of Corporate Milestones: My interviews celebrated significant moments, such as SS&C Technologies' 25th anniversary of listing, while fostering Nasdaq’s image as a partner in their growth journey.

Increased Professional Reach: My role as host positioned me as a trusted interviewer within the financial and business community, further solidifying my expertise in connecting audiences with top industry leaders.

Anchor,  CEO Interview Series

TED Conferences

November 2nd, 2013: I had the distinction of delivering my first TedTalk on the subject of "Re-thinking Failure." I was in good company with Real estate titan Barbara Corcoran, founder of the White House Project Marie Wilson, and Human Rights activist Jimmie Briggs.

My proposal that qualified me was this: We as Indians are masters at shoving important conversations under the rug, and never really 'talking about' stuff that matters. But, real life-impacting change doesn't come about -----until you talk about it. Through talking about and writing about my experiences growing up, I learned recently that I changed the trajectory of another woman's life. Here is the entire talk:

Ted X Speaker,  "Re-thinking Failure"

Eyes Wide Open Productions, LLC

In 2009, I took a film production crew to Tamil Nadu, India, to shoot and direct my first feature-length social justice film on curable blindness in children. This means conditions such as cataracts, which are easily curable by Western medicine, but allowed to progress unchecked in India for a whole host of reasons, including poverty. I allied with the Sankara Eye Care Institutions, India, to produce "First Sight" which follows three children as they undergo critical and life-changing eye surgeries.

I oversaw the edit, fundraising and upon completion, marketing of the film. To date, "First Sight" has raised about $11,000 in donations for Sankara.

"First Sight" made its world premiere at the South Asian International Film Festival, presented by HBO in New York City, on Wednesday December 4th, 2013.

ExecutiveProducer, "First Sight" the film

PBS Nightly Business Report

PBS Nightly Business Report (NBR) was a long-running, highly respected American television program that provided in-depth coverage of financial and economic news. The show aired on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and primarily focused on delivering insights into the day's most important business events, market trends, and economic developments. It was aimed at investors, business professionals, and viewers interested in understanding the complexities of financial markets and the global economy.

My impact at PBS Nightly Business Report through producing, writing, and appearing as talent for a daily primetime show was significant in several ways:

Elevated Quality of Financial Reporting: By producing and writing packages, I contributed to the high standards of in-depth, well-researched financial news that NBR was known for. My work helped ensure that complex market and economic information was delivered in a clear and accessible way to a wide audience.

Enhanced Viewer Engagement: As the on-screen talent, I brought a human connection to the stories I covered, making the content more relatable and engaging for viewers. My presentation style contributed to the show's ability to retain its loyal audience by making business news more approachable.

Contribution to Public Education: Working on a PBS show meant my work played a role in educating the public about finance, economics, and global markets, making me an integral part of NBR's mission to inform viewers about important financial issues affecting their lives.

Increased Credibility and Trust: By being both behind-the-scenes (as a producer and writer) and on-camera talent, I built trust with the audience, offering a reliable voice that viewers could turn to for understanding business news in a calm, professional, and informed manner.

Anchor, Business News

FTI Consulting

FTI Consulting is a global business advisory firm that provides a wide range of services designed to help organizations manage change, mitigate risk, and resolve disputes. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., FTI Consulting operates in various industries and offers expertise in areas such as financial advisory, corporate finance, restructuring, litigation consulting, and strategic communications. The firm's clientele includes corporations, law firms, governments, and regulatory agencies.

By serving as executive producer and anchor for FTI Consulting's in-house broadcast channel, I produced several key outcomes:

Enhanced Internal Communication and Collaboration: My interviews with consultants helped create synergies across FTI’s global network by providing valuable insights and updates on projects and expertise from various offices. This improved knowledge sharing and collaboration among teams stationed around the world.

Increased Consultant Visibility: The 3-minute segments I produced allowed consultants to showcase their work, share their expertise, and build their internal profiles. This helped helped FTI Consulting leverage its global talent more effectively, improve communication, and maintain cohesion as it expanded.

Streamlined Project Management: By overseeing the build of the in-house studio and managing the production process from start to finish, I ensured a smooth operation, providing FTI Consulting with a reliable, professional broadcast platform to enhance internal communications.

Strengthened Company Culture: My efforts in producing and delivering these segments likely contributed to a stronger company culture by promoting unity and a shared sense of purpose among the global workforce, 

Professional Production Standards: My role as both executive producer and anchor ensured high production quality, reinforcing FTI’s reputation for professionalism and excellence in communication, even in internal operations.

Executive Producer, Anchor, Business News

ABC News

ABC News is the news division of the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), one of the major television networks in the United States. It provides a wide range of news programming, including daily news broadcasts, special reports, and digital content. ABC News covers national and international news, politics, business, entertainment, sports, and more, reaching millions of viewers through various platforms.

My  impact in delivering daily live business reports for ABC affiliates, created several significant outcomes:

Expanded Businessweek’s Brand Recognition: By serving as the main liaison between Businessweek and ABC stations, I helped extend the magazine's reach beyond print, positioning it as a trusted brand in daily broadcast news. This likely increased Businessweek's visibility and audience, making it more accessible to viewers who might not typically read the magazine.

Informed Major U.S. Markets: My live reports on ABC affiliates in major cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago brought essential business news to millions of viewers. My reports helped educate a broad audience on financial markets, economic trends, and business insights, enabling them to stay informed in real-time.

Strengthened ABC Affiliates' Business News Offerings: By researching, writing, and delivering your own reports, I provided high-quality, in-depth business journalism tailored to each market. This only built the credibility of the ABC stations’ business news segments and kept viewers engaged with relevant financial information.

Elevated Professional Expertise: My role positioned me as a key figure in business reporting, building my reputation as a trusted voice in financial news. 

Smooth Businessweek Integration: My work helped bridge the gap between print and broadcast media for Businessweek, expanding my influence as a financial journalist, and kept large U.S. audiences well-informed about business and market developments.

TV Anchor, Business News

Most women entrepreneurs work hard, hoping their talent will speak for itself.

But in leadership, visibility matters just as much as skill. How do I know?

Because I spent 27 years in front of the camera as a TV anchor for CNN, Bloomberg, and ABC. So I know what it takes to capture attention, tell stories that matter, and own the room.

Then in 2017, I decided to flip the equation and walk away from the steady paycheck.

But before I could, I had a hypothesis:

I believed that more women in leadership could benefit from raw and honest storytelling. Because I saw how time and time again, I could silence a room with nothing but my own story. 

Only problem?

Most women don’t know how to claim their expertise or use their voice. I’ve seen it happen all too often:

→ Women afraid to take up space
→ Brilliant executives unsure how to articulate their value
→ Entrepreneurs with incredible ideas who struggle to build authority

That's exactly why I built Women's Leadership Lab – to help women master public speaking, build a powerful personal brand, and become recognized leaders in their industry.

Here's how it works:

1. Uncover your signature story by crafting a compelling narrative
2. Master public speaking by learning to command any stage or boardroom
3. Amplify your visibility by leveraging storytelling for career growth, business success, and thought leadership

The women I work with have:

✔️ Landed TEDx talks & keynote speaking gigs
✔️ Raised millions in funding & secured board positions
✔️ Built personal brands that attract high-value opportunities

Because you don’t need to wait for permission to lead. You just need to start owning your story.

So if you’re ready to turn your story into your most powerful asset?

Drop me a DM or click here to learn more: www.joyadass.com

I recently interviewed a leader who had been laid off. But instead of taking the traditional job search route to find her next role, she decided to take a different approach:

She started building her personal brand and sharing her ideas on Twitter.

And it paid off. Because just a few months later, she was hired as VP of a Fortune 500 tech company.

That job she lost? It was someone else’s. 
But her brand? That’s hers. 

No one can take that away.

It reminds me of a client I spoke to last week. She had just lost her job because her entire team was being eliminated. 

So I told her something she was surprised to hear:

“You’re already in a better spot than 90% of your peers.”

Why? Because I've been working with her for the past year to build her personal brand. She’s been showing up. She’s been creating.

She's not someone who's scrambling. She’s gotten powerful new headshots done with my photographer,  signaling a brand new chapter in her life.

It's something I can’t stress enough:

If you’re at some sort of inflection point in your life, like losing your job, the first question you ask yourself shouldn't be, “How do I fix this?”

The first question should be:

“How can I share how I think and solve problems?”

Because that’s the thing that gets you hired next. 

The way you think about things. 

Someone will hire you because they like what they see.

Stop chasing and start attracting.

Joya Dass

Founder at Women's Leadership Lab | TV anchor turned TEDx speaker and women's leadership coach | Helping women in leadership become confident speakers and build powerful personal brands

When I left my job in TV, I had no roadmap for what was next.

But I made a promise to myself (and I've kept it ever since):

I would show up and tell my story every single day on video.

And just a few months later, it paid off when I got an inbound invite to speak at the San Diego Convention Center.

At the time, it was the highest-paid keynote I’d ever done.

I just remember walking into that massive room and seeing my face on the screen, thinking to myself:

"This only happened because I chose to be seen."

Truth is, I talk to women every day who are terrified of speaking in public. 

And they think that fear is something they have to fix before they can grow their brand.

But the reality is, it's actually the first step toward building your business.

Back when I started out, I didn’t have a flashy PR plan or a big content team.

All I had was a willingness to share my story.

- Sometimes it was about growing up with immigrant parents
- Sometimes it was about what I learned as a news anchor
- Sometimes it was just a micro-moment from my day

The important thing was that I talked about one thing, my one main message, 1,000 different ways.

Because when you do that? When you’re courageous enough to speak, even when you’re scared?

Something powerful happens.

Someone sees themselves in your story. 

And then they follow you. 
And then they might even hire you.

Not enough people realize that we live in a time where you’ve got an entire media studio in your pocket.

So the question isn’t IF you can turn your story into business opportunities.

The question is:

Are you willing to be seen?

Figure that part out, and the rest will follow.

I interviewed A, who swore to herself she’d never do a traditional job search again after getting laid off. A few months later, she was hired as VP of a well-known tech company. All because of this unconventional approach:

Instead of applying to 100s of jobs, she started posting daily on Twitter.

Not about her resume. Not about her credentials. She simply wrote about the way she thinks.

Pretty soon, a tech founder started to notice her, followed her, and hired her for a VP role at his company.

I love this story so much because I hear the same objection from a lot of women navigating career changes:

“I just don’t see the connection between building a personal brand and getting a job.”

But the thing is, A was able to land her job all because people saw her thinking in real time. They could see what she stood for.

And most importantly, she was top of mind when the right opportunity came up.

A lot of women make the mistake of "hoping" people will discover them, especially if they're in an industry like healthcare or finance, where it’s easy to hide behind the scenes.

But the reality is, if people don’t know the way you think, how are they supposed to hire you?

Look, I get the feeling of comfort that comes from staying behind the scenes. 

But when you’re navigating a career change like a layoff, leadership jump, or a next chapter? 

Visibility is the net that catches you.

It’s how you build a reputation before you need one. 

And it’s how you magnetize the right rooms, clients, and opportunities so you never have to chase them.

Don't miss the chance to land your next big break just because you're afraid of putting yourself out there.

-

Are you a woman leader who’s ready to start building a brand rooted in your voice and values?

DM me with your questions or sign up for my next (free) workshop in the comments below to learn more.

I talk to women in their 50s every week who are in an "in-between" phase. Some are searching for a new job. Most are launching their own consultancy. But every time, the same question always comes up:

"How do I talk about my work in a way that gets remembered after I leave the room?”

My response?

You need a story — a deeply personal and emotional one, where there are high stakes.

What many people don't realize is that there are five distinct layers to this, and you need all five if you want to tell a story that moves your target audience.

An example of what this looks like:

1. External Event → You lost your job
2. Internal Turning Point → You decide to start your own business
3. Insight → You realize your core value has always been freedom
4. Transformation → You build a six-figure business from scratch
5. Universal Truth → Freedom isn’t just a value, it’s a non-negotiable

This is the exact storytelling model I’ve developed over years of studying, coaching, and writing TEDx talks for clients. 

There's a reason stories like this stick so well.

Because stories that follow this five-part framework light up all three parts of the brain:

- The limbic brain (emotion)
- The reptilian brain (fight or flight)
- The prefrontal cortex (logic and reason)

The mistake I see most often is that women only share data or results, which only lights up the prefrontal cortex. That part of the brain doesn't need the 'emotional' side or the 'fight or flight' side to "light up" to process information.

That, to me, is leaving money (and impact) on the table.  

So, whether you're interviewing for your next job or building your personal brand, start telling stories. 

Stories with deep emotion, high stakes, and supported by data. 

In other words...

Light up all 3 sides of the brain.

The audience won't be able to tear its eyes from you.

-

Want help crafting a story that opens up doors of opportunity for you in your personal and professional career?

Join my next workshop on August 8th at 12 pm EDT 

https://lnkd.in/eDcprP7b

I talk to Fortune 500 leaders and execs every day. And I can't tell you how many times I hear them say they don't have time to build their personal brand. But truth is, you only need 15 minutes.

If you're limited on time, all you need to do is talk about the way you think.

That’s it.

Whenever I get on a call with a prospect, the very first question I ask is, “What’s the problem you solve in the world?”

I want to know how you think about things. Because that’s what sets you apart from anyone else.

An example of this:

I once had a woman come to me who said she was "just a vegan food blogger." She had no idea how she was going to stand out from the millions of others out there.

So I told her something she was surprised to hear:

The thing that separated her was that she was Indian.

It gave her a different lens, a different approach, and a different way of solving the problem.

The biggest mistake I see women make is thinking that if they focus on one thing, it erases the 58 other things they’re good at.

But what they don't realize is that people need to hear a message 7 to 21 times before it actually sticks.

And when you keep talking about the same core message over and over again?

Eventually, people start repeating it in rooms you're not in.

There’s a woman I just discovered on Instagram who used to be a stylist for J.Crew.

Now she's 58 and has completely reinvented herself. She's built a following of 900K by talking about one thing:

How to have confidence in your body and style in your 50s.

One message. Repeated 1,000 different ways. She’s proof that the way you think is the thing itself.

So if you're short on time and only have 15 minutes a day to build your brand?

Share that one thing again and again.

It's only a matter of time before it sticks.

Whenever I talk to women who have just lost their jobs, I often see them rush into "fix it" mode. But the first step shouldn't be updating your resume or sending out job applications. It's this:

Getting so hyper-specific about what you want next that it would be unreasonable for you NOT to receive it.

Take a woman I recently spoke to as an example.

She had just taken a severance package, raising her hand for it because she could read the tea leaves and knew what was coming.

The first thing I told her?

Get so clear and specific about what your next job looks like that you can literally feel it. Not “I want to work in marketing” vague. I’m talking:

- What are you wearing?
- Who’s sitting next to you?
- What problem are you solving?
- What’s the view outside your office window?

Most women make the mistake of waiting for someone external to “ordain” them worthy of something.

But if you aren’t clear about what you want on the inside, how is anyone else supposed to know what you're after?

Once you're crystal clear on your next steps, I suggest doing a quick exercise:

Map stories from your career to the traits you see in your ideal role.

For example, if six job descriptions all highlight “strategic thinking,” “team player,” and “future-casting,” think back and pull a story for each. Then share what you learned from those moments.

That becomes your talk track in interviews.

I like to think of it like this:

If I just told you to pick up my cousin from the airport, you'd be completely lost.

But if I told you she’s on Delta flight 84 from India, landing at Newark at 2:57, she’s 5’4” and wearing yellow — you now have all the tools to find her.

Finding your next job is no different.

Finally, the last part is figuring out your superpower, which you need to document and share with others.

Too many women don’t realize they have a unique way of solving problems, and worse, they never talk about it.

But the truth is, people hire you for the way you think.

So if you’re not showing them how you think, why would they ever take a chance on you?

-

Need help building messaging that gets people talking about you, even when you're not in the room? Ready to tell a story that attracts the right customers directly to you?

I'm hosting a free, live workshop on Friday, August 22, to show you exactly how.

Save your seat in the comments below ↓

I recently interviewed a woman who swore she’d never do a traditional job search again after getting laid off. A few months later, she was hired as VP of a well-known tech company. All because she chose a different route:

She built visibility around the way she thinks.
She built a strong personal brand on Twitter about her zone of genius — marketing.

It’s the same approach I’m teaching clients inside my Samita Lab Mastermind right now.

Right now, one by one, they are getting their headshots done.  To anchor their personal brands.

Most people don't realize that your photos should do more than just look good — they should follow a cinematic story arc.

They should speak to where you’ve been, what you’ve built, and who you’re becoming.

Here's what I mean:

After arriving, one of the gals looked me dead in the eye and said, “I want YOU, Joya, to be involved in how this photo shoot goes.”

Her story so far?

Hit rock bottom. Got sober. Earned her MBA. Now, she helps adults in their 40s and 50s go back to school and re-enter the workforce.

It's a powerful story, so we broke her photoshoot into three acts:

1. Rock bottom and making a comeback
2. In a boardroom, mind mapping other comebacks  
3. On a rooftop, like a 'phoenix rising from the ashes'

The photos are stunning. But it’s the story that stops people mid-scroll.

When I looked around the dinner table later that night, every client connecting and building close relationships with each other, I realized something:

A TEDx-style talk on stage isn’t the benefit. 

It's the internal transformation they undergo. In the community.

With each other.

-

Want help sharing your ideas and monetizing the story you're already telling? Check out my upcoming workshop below to learn more ↓

When you first leave corporate and start your own consulting firm, the hustle to find clients is real.

I know this feeling: Intimately.

But the one thing I know how to do ---is write.

Friday, I did one of my favorite things: Take relationships off the LinkedIn page and in a workshop--shared how 3 of my posts called in some of my most valuable clients.

Consistent clients.

My "Engage and Convert Framework" is designed for you to learn to write everyday and potentially engage folks who may be interested to work with you.

The slide below is a simple formula I share for "Magnetic Messaging."

As a follow up to Friday, I'm hosting another workshop August 22nd, where we will do a live writing sprint and draft your first posts together. 

Take a crack at it with the formula below.

Then register here: https://lnkd.in/efWSrsgt

I'm a recovering TV anchor (business news) helping 1 woman leader in her 50's give a powerful TEDxTalk in 2026.

I gave my first TEDx talk back in 2013. For the entire next year, I used that same talking track to fuel my 12-month content strategy. But most women don't.

Instead, they waste the opportunity.

That's why today, whenever I work with the gals in my group to build their talks, we start with the end goal in mind.

Here's how it works:

First, your TEDx talk has to be a new idea. Because those are the types of ideas that people will pay for.

I have a client right now who loves to tell me the obvious stuff about AI, to which I always end up repeating the same thing:

"Anybody can Google that. What’s the fresh lens you’re bringing?"

That's what it's really about.

Because once your talk is out in the world, you get to leverage it for the rest of your life. You get to say:

“As I said in my TEDx talk…” and link to it.

We live in an age of so much noise that you have to say something 7 to 21 times before it sticks in the minds of your audience.

That means you have to create thought leadership before AND after your talk.

But most people miss a massive opportunity because they don’t take people by the hand and show them their process — how you prepared, what you learned, what it felt like afterwards.

The same rule applies if you land in the media.

It's not enough just to say, “Look at me on Good Morning America.”

Nobody watches TV anymore (at least not like they used to). You have to share the clip online and explain HOW you landed the opportunity. Pull back the curtain.

Here's an example:

I have a woman in my mastermind who landed a book deal. She’s now using that book to expand the framework from the TEDx talk she already gave.

That one talk became the launch pad for a whole new piece of thought leadership.

- One talk
- One idea
- A year’s worth of content

The bottom line is this:

A TEDx talk can be the catalyst for the entire rest of your career.

But only if you know how to leverage it.

-

Need help building messaging that gets people talking about you, even when you're not in the room? Ready to tell a story that attracts the right customers directly to you?

I'm hosting a free, live workshop on Friday, August 22, to show you exactly how.

Save your seat in the comments below ↓

She left corporate when she became a mom.

For years, she and I were at the Nasdaq by 5am. She was reporting to work. I was hitting the air-waves with my first business report of the day.

In order to have more flexible work hours, she got into real estate.

Not selling homes, but buying up a portfolio of Class B and C housing. Better known as workforce housing.

Soon she had amassed 300 of them. She even moved her family upstate to realize better margins.

I still remember the first time she came downstate to my event. She was quiet. Shy. Standing by the bar. Delighted to be in the room.

She was a client for years.
She signed up my Mastermind year 1.
By this point, she was returning handsome returns to her investors.

“I want to become a fund manager.”

She no longer wanted to invest family money. She wanted to invest OTHER people’s money.

But this meant she would have to come out of her shell and pitch rooms of people she didn’t know.

I gave her a challenge.

Every day for 2 weeks, I would bring in investors who were savvy on pitches on Zoom. She would pitch.

I told her to start with her own story. Lean into her heritage and her years as a owner and operator of multifamily homes.

She fumbled. She lost her talk track.

But she started walking into those rooms ——and pitching. Handling objections.
She’s since closed her fund. I won’t tell you the amount it was for.

This year, she was speaking on a stage in the Middle East on the thesis of investing in workforce housing.

TLDR:
She raised her hand for help. “I don’t know how to do this.”
She put in the reps in rooms that mattered. She began pitching in rooms even when it wasn’t perfect. Where people less than kind.
She built her brand.

She made money from it.

Friday August 8th, I’m hosting a workshop on how to make money from your brand. Sign up here. https://lnkd.in/eDcprP7b

Last night was a seminal moment.

My clients are on the march to a big stage later this year.
Everyone was presenting the “bones” of their talks. As each woman presented, everyone else in the cohort weighed in.

“This is what is working for me.”
”This isn’t working for me.”
”What’s the new idea?”

We workshopped together.

My moderating skills from television days come in awfully handy here. Each day, on the daily, I interviewed a CEO ringing the opening or closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange. A Greek shipping magnate. Founder of a new ocular technology. Twitter.

Always keep the conversation going. Never let there be a “dead air” or big gaps of silence.

When I’m moderating a workshop, I’m actively calling on people, (especially if they aren’t paying attention).

“How do you think about this?”

There was a really proud moment for me. I didn’t have to call on anyone anymore. I could sit back. The ladies were raising their own hands voluntarily and weighing in with their thoughts.

Since I started my business, after all the twitching, selling, herding was done, this was always my favorite moment during a live event. Where I could step back. And just watch the magic take its course.

I could wipe my hands and say “My work here is done.”

I will interview 300 women between now and December for the 2026 Class of this Mastermind. It’s the crown jewel of my business. And I vet carefully for the 8 that go on to next year.

It’s this moment. Where I see smart, thoughtful women, invested in each other’s success.

An even prouder moment was when one of my Mastermind clients from the 2024 Class attended a dinner with international real estate developers. They had seen her talk on stage. Now they wanted to leverage her expertise.

Before she would have been intimidated.
But that evening—she felt like an equal.

I realized that its more than the intellectual pursuit of giving a talk on stage. I’ve been doing this brand of production on a NYC stage since 2016.

I’m more interested in the transformation that is happening —INSIDE.

The waitlist is open for the 2026 Class of the Samita Lab Mastermind.

Join 7 other women leaders in giving a TEDx style talk on a NYC stage in front of 100 people at the end.

Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eQApbtqp

Last night was a seminal moment. My clients are on the march to a big stage later this year. Everyone was presenting the “bones” of their talks. As ea

Open article: 7.27 What I Did Last Week (and what I'm looking forward to) by Joya Dass • 2 min read

7.27 What I Did Last Week (and what I'm looking forward to)

Today, I have a script I leverage when I’m not being received.

My first business was a documentary film company. The producer for my first feature length film was named Daniella.

I had spent 27 years talking to a camera. Poised. Neutral.
In my own business, I needed a different set of scripts. This was a different kind of flex.

Daniella was a typical very forward, New Yorker. Vocal.

When I wasn’t tracking or understanding something, she would say,

“I’m not communicating well. Let me try again.”

I found this script so invaluable, I have used it over and over since.

Why this line works

It’s more collaborative.

It moved the locus of blame away from the receiver (ME)
And put 100% of the responsibility of rephrasing the sentence squarely on her.

It forces 100% responsibility

Psychologist Marshall Rosenberg argues that good communication is based on

observation: “You’re not understanding what I said.”
feeling: “I’m frustrated.”
need: “If we don’t agree on this budget, we can’t move forward.”
request. “So let me put the numbers another way and see if it makes sense to you.”

One of the key principles of his Nonviolent Communication (NVC) model — a communication framework designed to create better dialogue, is “Take responsibility for what you say and how it's received, but don't assume the other person is at fault if there’s miscommunication.”

It forces better communication

Years ago, I took a workshop with productivity guru and author of “Less Doing” Ari Meisel. He said, “Nobody performs badly out of malice. People act poorly from bad direction.”

Employees who got clear, constructive instructions performed significantly better than those who got vague feedback, according to a study in the Journal of Applied Psychology.
______

Yes I teach how to give great TEDxTalks on stage, but I think public speaking is in the everyday. It’s at the doctor’s office, saying what’s wrong with you. It’s setting a boundary. It’s negotiation in business.

Scripts were my lifeline in television news.

Scripts are a lifeline as a business owner today. I share them with my clients in my mastermind for different situations that come up.

I’m currently enrolling for the 2026 Class.

Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eyp4Hg8Q

13 years ago, I founded a business. Yesterday I was standing in front the Bubble Lounge in Tribeca, reminiscing about that very first event July 2012. I had no idea how to run a business.

This January, I made my entire year’s revenue.

Here’s the story:

In 2010, my contract came up with ABC. I had a moment of reckoning. What would my legacy be?

Waking up at 2:30am to be into work by 330am and be on the air at 5am?

I started a documentary production company with a view to tell longer stories. I would stay on the air full time and run this on the side. Worst case scenario: I still had a paycheck.

The” dark horse brand” that took off was the meetups I was hosting to help women meet and get jobs.

In 2017, I left TV to run my business full time. I spent my days talking about other people’s successful businesses on air. It was time to make my own business successful.

Those early days were total &*It. I had NO idea how to run a business. But here is what I did do. I was a journalist and had access to CEOs and leaders in business. I interviewed them daily on the floor of the NYSE.

I moved that dynamic of interviewing CEOs in front of a live audience to create teaching moments.

As each woman registered for my event, I would write a post about her daily. She, answered a question germaine to the event for the post. Eg.  When I interviewed the founder of Classpass. When is a time you dared?   Everyone in that person’s network saw the post. I had a sold out event every time.

I built a massive personal brand. Even bigger than my TV brand.

But I charged next to nothing. Some days, I ate almonds for lunch and cobbled change together for the subway. Recalling that memory still makes me sad for that version of me. My poor money mindset was running me.

You know when everything turned around?

When I started waking up at 5:55 am to workout first thing in the morning. I would cut my night short so I could get up. I started with pure barre classes.
Then I graduated to kettle bell classes. My self worth started to climb. So did my prices.

I started hosting retreats. I hosted public speaking masterclasses. I hosted staged events, with massive production teams. Then, one day, I put all the offerings into one program.

I kept it boutique. Only 8 women in the mastermind.

Remember that daily posting strategy I used to sell out events? I began writing daily, but now I was documenting HOW I do things.

My systems. My strategies. I would share best practices from the CEO’s I had interviewed both on and off tv.

Over time, I built a place for women to ‘think out loud’ about their own businesses. 

Most women, as they climb the power ladder, didn’t have that. It was lonely at the top.

Today, I make my year’s revenue by January.

What are the lessons? Read on here:

Better yet, come to my workshop at 12pm EDT on Friday
https://lnkd.in/eDcprP7b

13 years ago, I founded a business. Yesterday I was standing in front the Bubble Lounge in Tribeca, reminiscing about that very first event July 2012.

Open article: I started my business 13 years ago. The lessons I learned by Joya Dass • 4 min read

I started my business 13 years ago. The lessons I learned

It was 2010, and I had just finished my first feature length documentary film.

Now I was on the film festival circuit, doing Q&A afterwards about the making of it.

Because the film was tied to a non profit, the lead on the cause was often with me.

She heard me while on stage.

Either did I know, she was observing me “offline” when I was talking to my friends. And I’m quite a different personality in familiar company. The TV anchor veneer comes down quickly.

She was also helping out on a charity comedy show, due to be held at Caroline’s on Broadway. The business model was this: There would be a line up of professional comedians. Every other person on stage, however, would be a first timer. 

An amateur.

The business model was pretty genius. The organizers knew that the first timers would bring a gaggle of friends, if for nothing else, but to see them make a fool of themselves on stage. It would be a sold out event.

She said, “Joya, you should do comedy on stage.”

I immediately pooh-poohed the idea. I was a serious TV anchor, doing business news from the floor of the Stock Exchange. I waved it away.

She didn’t waver.

”Yeahhhhhhh. But Joya. I’ve heard you ‘offline.’ (Clearly swearing like a sailor and talking smack).

“You can do this.”

I couldn’t argue with that.

I had an 11 minute set on stage at Caroline’s the next week. (I had saved up an arsenal of stories from my dating life in New York City and put it to good use).

For years, people asked when I would do comedy again on stage.

“Okay, this is not the new trajectory of my career,” I would wryly reply.

But it did teach me, that I should let that side out more often. Stop being so serious.

In all seriousness, 

In this article, I share how I unlocked almost a 100K in revenue from 3 posts
 on LinkedIn and Instagram. https://lnkd.in/exDDtZJ7

This Friday, August 8th at 12pm EDT, I’m hosting a workshop on how to unlock revenue from your personal brand. Register here:

“ Get Paid for What You Know: A Workshop on Turning Your Brand into Income" is Friday August 8th at 12pm EDT. 

https://lnkd.in/env5zsGP?

I sat next to a young Venezuelan couple at a gala. They just had a young baby.

I asked a question that took the young father aback: ‘How will you preserve her Venezuelan heritage if she’s growing up American?’

He had not thought about it until that moment.

It’s a quandary I faced as a first generation kid.

My folks immigrated from Calcutta and Myanmar in 1969. They didn’t have the playbook on how to preserve my heritage. What they did do was was order VHS tapes (5 at a clip) and watch Indian film with me each night.

Identity. It was handed to me in pieces—through religion, food, films. The films were one of their few links to home.

When I turned 30, I bought a ticket and went to Calcutta for the first time. I wanted my own ‘frame’ for what it meant to be Indian.

We inherit our identities—but at some point, we gotta choose to author them.

When I returned, I cold called the producer of a popular Saturday morning show that aired in the NY Metro area. It shared the latest news on the prolific Indian film industry. All in English.

“Could I host your show?”

He was a little aghast on email. “You’re on CNN. Why would you want to host my show?” I explained that I was undergoing a Renaissance. Re-embracing what it meant to be Indian. The only blueprint I had to preserve——was my parents’ way on those evenings in the living room in PA: Indian film.

I was also was a cub reporter at a massive network like CNN. I was one of many talking heads. How could I put my stamp on something and make it my own? I was leaning into what made me unique: I’m Indian.

For 15 years, Dec 2002-Dec 2017 I not only hosted that morning show, I wrote the scripts to what I said. It was a right- brained creative flex I welcomed, diametrically opposite to my day job, delivering left-brained business news.

Today, when I get on sales call with women:

Bankers. Realtors. Founders.

I am gently reminded that my nurture chain with them actually started over 20 years ago with me in their living rooms every Saturday morning.

I stopped hosting the show in 2017 to focus on my business full time. That part of my heritage, stoked by hosting the show, now needs intentionality. I’m headed to a candlelight concert at the Sheen Center for Thought and Culture Friday. With my client, we will hear violin, flute re-imaginings of some of our favorite film songs.

While my story is one of the first-generation immigrant experience, it extends to anyone trying to reconcile who they were raised to be vs. who they are becoming.

Please see my friend and colleague Manisha Walia's post below.

This week's edition of "What I Did Last Week (and what I"m looking forward to) here:https://lnkd.in/eFvaRvxr

Business Networking Strategist | Social Networking Specialist | Regional Director - The Athena Network | President - Hampstead Women's Club

My Inspiration

Joya Dass is a childhood acquaintance with whom I had grown up in the suburbs of Harrisburg, PA, who went on to become a successful business news anchor in New York City. When I lived in New Jersey, I also caught her shining eyes and fetching smile on AVS, a local Asian Variety Show which featured Bollywood music videos on a Saturday morning.  After becoming disenchanted with years of waking up in the middle of the night to do the news, Joya switched gears and launched a networking group for women executives and entrepreneurs.  

Many moons ago, soon after I moved to London, I attended a Lady Drinks event Joya hosted at Grosvenor House Hotel here in town.  The speaker was Aruna Seth, a woman who designed the shoes that Pippa Middleton wore to her sister, Kate & William's wedding.  This photo shows the group of ladies I met in 2018, and I am happy to say I am still in touch with many I met that day over tea.   

Since then, I've been yearning to do something similar.  I, too, am a connector, but truthfully, I was somewhat intimidated.  I was comfortable working in the corporate world and unsure about venturing out on my own.  I can't exactly pinpoint what has changed, but the inspiration and the drive have finally made their way into my soul.  

Also, my relationship with Joya has developed from childhood acquaintances to friends who meet up on the regular, be it in NYC, London, Paris, or somewhere new to come.  I might just keep her around, as I still have lots to learn!

#networkingneverstops 
#athenanetwork 
#womeninbusiness 
#leadingwithpurpose

I've learned the hard way that if you want to sign more clients, your thoughts, actions, and emotions all have to be in sync. Here's what I mean (and why most women entrepreneurs miss this):

In the last two weeks, I’ve been running a new experiment — every morning, I see myself as my future self. I literally speak as my future self would.

Dr. Joe Dispenza calls this heart–mind coherence. Thoughts, emotions, actions.

Until all three are in alignment with the future you want, it’s going to be nearly impossible to create it.

For me, what that future looks like is a 7-figure business. So the most valuable 10 minutes of my day are spent asking myself:

- How does a 7-figure business owner think?
- How do they feel?
- How do they act?

Because the misconception most women entrepreneurs have is that getting clients is hard.

But it's really not.

It’s just that most of us are moving through the day with one of those three things out of sync with the rest.

When they’re aligned, the opportunities line up out the door.

I even did this exercise with my group in Corfu the other month.

Last year, I had a photo of 8 women seated around a table taped to my mirror. No clients. No sales. Just the vision.

A year later, my photographer took the exact same photo at our retreat in Corfu.

Now I’ve done it again for Sevilla, Spain, where our retreat is next year.

I just closed on my villa, and the pool looks exactly like the picture I taped to my mirror months ago.

So yes, the process works. But only if you commit to it daily.

Try it out for yourself and let me know the results.

-

Need help building messaging that gets people talking about you, even when you're not in the room? Ready to tell a story that attracts the right customers directly to you?

I'm hosting a free, live workshop on Friday, August 22, to show you exactly how.

Save your seat in the comments below ↓

“K” was at my roundtable, eyes darting between her phone and the invoice from the retreat venue.

The deposit—nonrefundable—was already paid.

Her gut told her to move forward.
Her fear told her to cancel.

I could see it all over her face—the tightness in her jaw, the way she kept rubbing her temple. Outside, it was one of those pale New York afternoons where the sky can’t decide if it wants to rain or just hang heavy. 

Inside, my desk was cluttered with notes for my own upcoming Mastermind retreat: printouts of room assignments, menus for the welcome dinner, a small stack of international plug adapters.

She wanted this retreat to work. She’d been solving operational problems for restaurant owners for years, but this was her first leap into something bigger: a leadership immersion. The industry needed it—desperately. But now, with only two or three sign-ups and a venue that wasn’t issuing refunds, she was staring down the barrel of what felt like public failure.

She wanted proof that taking a big risk wouldn’t mean falling flat on her face.
She imagined a sold-out room of leaders, rich conversations, breakthroughs. She wanted to be the person who made that happen. Not just because it would be good for business—but because she’d seen what leadership can unlock in a person, and she wanted to be the one to light that spark.

I told her about my own early retreats—the Morocco trip with only two attendees where I hired a drone crew anyway, the years I learned the hard way that you always build community before you sell. I wanted her to see that numbers on paper weren’t the only measure of success.

She listened. And then she committed. No postponement. No cancellation. She announced to her world: It’s happening.

By the time the retreat date rolled around, she had the full roster she’d dreamed of.
It wasn’t magic—it was momentum. The minute she made the decision to go forward, she showed up differently. She sold differently. She carried herself differently. And people felt that energy.

The retreat was a success—but the real transformation was in her. She stopped seeing herself as someone who “hates selling” and started seeing herself as a leader who could bring people together around a shared mission. That one event became the proof she needed that she could do it again—and again.

The moral of the story? Commitment precedes confidence.

When you stake your claim before you have all the proof, you create the conditions for the proof to appear.

I don't care if you are selling a retreat or your services, it's HARD when you leave corporate and start your own consulting firm. I'm hosting this workshop August 22nd at 3pm EDT. Sign up here.

https://lnkd.in/efWSrsgt

After working with dozens of women leaders and execs at Fortune 500 companies, this is the No. 1 thing women need to UNLEARN if they want to become world-class leaders:

That you should only be seen and not heard.

Look, I get it. We’ve been taught this since we were little girls — keep our heads down, work hard, hope someone notices.

But what most women don't realize is that putting yourself out there isn’t boasting. It’s educating.

I like to think of it like sitting in a room full of parents.

Every parent has a different way of raising their kids. And if you compared notes, you’d quickly see that each parent has their own unique philosophy.

Your work is no different.

You solve problems in a way that no one else does.

And if you unpack that step-by-step and share it with others, two things happen:

1. Someone sees themselves in your story.
2. Someone likes the way you think and wants you to do that thinking for them.

That’s what true thought leadership is.

It's not "Hey, look at me.” 

It's “Here’s how I approach this. Here’s what I’ve learned.”

So the first hurdle? Giving yourself permission to speak.

The second? Understanding that your stories are your strategy.

Because at the end of the day, everyone has a story to tell. It's just a matter of realizing your story is worth telling.

-

Need help building messaging that gets people talking about you, even when you're not in the room? 

Ready to tell a story that attracts the right customers directly to you?

I'm hosting a free, live workshop on Friday, August 22, to show you exactly how.

Save your seat in the comments below ↓

She was just made CEO.
She used to be their peer.
How does she socialize HER vision and make it stick?

I’ve had the benefit of interviewing many CEO’s over the years. First as a reporter on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Then as a founder of a global storytelling agency.  

Five pieces of advice from 5 CEO’s I shared with her.

In this newsletter.

She was just made CEO. She used to be their peer. How does she socialize HER vision and make it stick? I’ve had the benefit of interviewing many CEO’s

Open article: Five pieces of advice from 5 CEO’s I interviewed (and the valued scripts I harvested) by Joya Dass • 4 min read

Five pieces of advice from 5 CEO’s I interviewed (and the valued scripts I harvested)

Today, I received this text from my client Susan:

 "I have to say you’re amazing and inspiring ! My life is so much easier after I started planning my outfits out for the work week!  You have really helped my life overall." 

Susan admitted she was a “hot mess” before, always planning things last minute.  

When I started roping off my Sundays to do this brand of work, it didn’t sit well with my friends.

I would get:
“You can’t do a boozey brunch?”

Various groans. See, when I made a conscious decision to NOT be broke anymore. To make my business a success, I knew I had to leave the ‘old Joya’ behind.

Something had to be different—-like immediately. It decided it started with my schedule.

I set a firm boundary by saying ‘no.’

This is where women get stuck. The people pleaser in them doesn’t want to say ‘no’ but this brand of planning is important.

Susan was recently promoted. She wants to show up every bit the leader she has been elevated to. So ‘Sunday Strategy Day’ is helping her do that. She’s using Canva to map out her clothes for week. 

I asked her, '“What scripts did you share with your boys?”

Read on to learn her script and 5 more to protect Sunday Strategy time.....

This past weekend, I shared what I’m packing for a fall trip to London. I plan months in advance because I want to a. Not overpack. b. Be ‘present’ fo

Open article: The next time your kids, partner, co worker, friends are challenging you from taking a sacred hour to plan on Sundays: 5 Scripts to Protect Your Plan by Joya Dass • 4 min read

The next time your kids, partner, co worker, friends are challenging you from taking a sacred hour to plan on Sundays: 5 Scripts to Protect Your Plan

Taplio

Joya Dass's Linkedin Analytics

's Best Posts (last 30 days)

Want to drive more opportunities from LinkedIn?

Taplio

.css-1jgreyo{background-image:linear-gradient(284deg, rgba(39,43,72,1) 0%, rgba(33,47,183,1) 100%);color:transparent;-webkit-background-clip:text;background-clip:text;}Joya Dass's Linkedin Analytics

's Best Posts .css-qqfgvy{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);}(last 30 days)

Want to drive more opportunities from LinkedIn?

Joya Dass's Linkedin Analytics

's Best Posts (last 30 days)