Meet Ramya Raj | Business Analyst, Entrepreneur, Content Creator & Female Empowerment Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ramya Raj and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ramya, how has your background shaped the person you are today?

Hi! I would say that my background and upbringing have absolutely had a huge impact on the person I am today, from the things I value, to the way I carry myself, the expectations I have of myself and of life, and the person I strive to be.

I am originally from Bangalore, South India, but have been raised in New Jersey for pretty much my whole life. I feel blessed to have had a lovely childhood growing up with my parents. Although I am an only child and have been often asked if I wished to have a brother or sister, I never felt a sense of missing out. My parents always made it a point to give me the life experiences I’ve needed and desired, from traveling, to celebrating milestones in my life, surrounding me with individuals who have become my greatest friends, and teaching me values I’ve needed to grow as an independent, bold, and empowered individual. This has always strengthened my love for each new day, and made me believe that everything in life happens for a reason. My upbringing taught me about the beauties of life, as well as about struggles and challenges, and from that came the desire to help others find peace, willpower, and confidence, to lead each day with strength, positivity, gratitude, and strive to never give up on dreams and ambitions. Whether it be starting my own women empowerment organization (Winning Women Unified) after graduating from college, to being an entrepreneur and starting my own baking business (Ramz’s Bark), to the smaller and yet still highly valuable interactions I have with friends, family, and those around me, I hold myself to high expectations and feel fulfillment in following my dreams and hopefully making the world a better and happier place.

As someone who has also been deeply rooted with Hinduism and feels a great connection with God/higher power, I can say that my faith has also been something that constantly helps me grow and better myself each and every day and is a part of my identity. My faith gives me strength, peace, and resilience, and I am grateful to my upbringing for instilling these values in me. I have always believed that when there is something I set my mind to, I am persistent in achieving those goals, and with that I hope to learn more, grow, and be a better version of myself each day.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

Throughout my career thus far I have been open to taking risks, and each step of the way in my journey has been a valuable learning experience, and a stepping stone towards my future.

Throughout my college experience, I took part in various internships from working in insurance, to the back end of the supply chain in the fashion industry, to negotiating deals with vendors in NYC, and more. Each step taught me something new, and today I work in a planning role in the fashion industry which has always been a dream. I feel passionate when it comes to bettering the world of fashion and beauty in many ways, and that is why alongside my main professional career, I’ve found meaning as a content creator as well. From starting out with a small blog about effortless and affordable college fashion, to sharing everything from beauty and fashion tips, to travel, to my life inspiration on my social media platforms, and bringing awareness to brands that I resonate with, I find purpose in doing work that brings me joy and connects me with people!

The biggest lesson I have learned from each of my experiences and endeavors would be that we each have our individual journeys that cannot be compared to anyone else’s. In striving to get to the top of the ladder, many of us often tend to compare ourselves and our lives with that of others. We tend to question the risks we want to take and things we want to pursue in fear of failure or not reaching goals at the pace that we perceive others are going at, or that we should be achieving. Alas, there will always be challenges to be faced and risks to be taken, but don’t let that stop you from working towards your goals and trying new things. Explore your passions, push yourself, and remember that you are your greatest competition. If you are someone who finds yourself often comparing yourself to others, find ways to let your role models empower and propel you forward than having negative thoughts and comparison bring you down. Finally, remember that sometimes challenges are exactly what help us reach success. There is always more to learn, and more that we can grow, and my personal brand has always involved growth, acceptance, and finding value in each step of the way.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

As someone who loves and thrives in the city energy, I would take my best friend to New York City for a weekend trip! Making a list of the best places to visit would take me time to put together since in my opinion, there is so much to love about the city. My itinerary would definitely be filled with some of my favorite spots to relax and roam around from Central Park to the vibrant SoHo, to the best Thai, Indian, and Italian restaurant to enjoy, and some of the iconic places to view the beauty of the entire city from a bird’s eye view – during the day as well as at night.

Whatever your interests may be, NYC is the perfect place to let the explorer within enjoy a long weekend and simply have a great time!

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Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents, my lovely husband Jatan, and my best friends who have always been by my side.

Website: https://www.ramzsbark.com/

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/__ramyaraj

Other: Ramz’s Bark business Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/ramzsbark