Urmi: Financial Professional, Published Author, Public Speaker, Blogger, YouTuber; Bachelors Degree in Finance, CFA and CAIA professional designations

Growing up in Italy, Urmi thought she may want to study either psychology or pursue her interest in languages. After moving to Canada to begin college, she started to pursue International Business, but soon discovered that Finance is what truly sparked her interest.  Urmi’s love of learning and devoted discipline have helped her to flourish within her career, as well as within the pursuit of her personal interests. Join us to hear about how Urmi has already reached many significant goals on her path and why Finance is the industry she chose for her career. 

You can follow Urmi on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@urmihossain

Transcript

Carrie: 0:01

Thank you for joining us today on Paths in Progress. I'm your host, Carrie Young. On this podcast, people in a variety of career fields, talk about their journey from choosing their college, deciding which majors and minors to pursue, their first jobs out of college, and all of the hurdles, detours and victories along their path through today. Our goal is to help students hear about a variety of exciting opportunities out there and understand what day-to-day life is like in these careers. I hope you enjoy and learn from our story today. Thanks for listening. Hi everyone. Thanks for joining us today. We are here today with Urmi. She works in the financial industry. She's a public speaker, an author, a YouTuber, and a blogger. She has a bachelor's degree in finance and she has a CFA and the CAIA designation. Urmi, thanks so much for joining us today.

Urmi: 0:54

Thank you for having me.

Carrie: 0:56

I'm happy that you're here and we can talk about your journey today. I know that you speak to students frequently, so it'll be fun to hear about the wisdom and the guidance that you have to share with students.

Urmi: 1:07

Yes. Yes.

Carrie: 1:09

Can you take us back to your high school days and tell us a little bit about what you were thinking at that time regarding your education and if you had any kind of particular ideas for yourself with your career path?

Urmi: 1:22

Yes, it will be my pleasure. So for those of you who do not know me, I had my education done in different places around the world. I was born and raised in Italy and I got most of my education done in Italy. I did my elementary and high school in Italy and as I was finishing high school, I basically had to enroll in university and back when I was in high school, I wasn't quite sure about what I wanted to do with my life. I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to study, but I had three things in my mind. I was initially thinking, to become like a therapist. I was very much interested in studying psychology because back then I was just interested in reading psychology books. And I was like, well, maybe psychology could be something interesting and maybe I could go with that route. And then. In my high school, when I was studying, I was doing this specific program, which was basically about language learning and marketing as well as international business. And I was like, you know what, maybe, you know, I can further my knowledge about languages. Maybe I could become a translator. Maybe I could become a tourist guide, but I wasn't quite sure about what I wanted to do. And then right after high school, I didn't do my university in Italy. I actually came to Canada. This is where I have done my university. When I first came to Canada, I went to this open house from a university and for some reason I was interested in business. Like I think that was the only thing that caught my attention. I went to speak with like two different people and there was this specific program, which is basically international business, in the school of business that was like attracting me to it. So eventually what happened is I got a major in international business and a minor in finance. And I thought, yeah, yeah, this is what I want to do. You know, everything is more international. Now everything is globalized. We just do business internationally. So I felt like international business was the thing to do. But. I was wrong. I was wrong because, a year in what happened is I realized that I did not like international business. I remember like going to classes, not enjoying my classes, not enjoying the lectures, it's like, I really did not enjoy the topic. And what happened is I was thinking, you know what, let me see finance because I was looking around and thinking that there are more job opportunities in finance. There is a higher chance that I get hired if I major in finance. And what happened is finance was my minor back then and I took a class and I totally fell in love with it. And so after that, I fell in love with finance. I was like, this is it. This is what I want to do. I want to do finance. And I switched to majoring in finance. It was the best decision ever. Like I am still in finance. I love finance. I enjoyed my university so much after I switched to finance because finance was the thing I wanted to do. So basically my journey started from not knowing what to do, doing some, taking different majors and then eventually landing in finance.

Carrie: 4:25

Yeah. So, what made you choose Canada? Like, were you looking all over the world for university or was there something in particular about the school? What made you choose that location?

Urmi: 4:36

It was personal reasons. It has nothing to do with my studies. Like, I was not even looking into, like, doing universities around the world. It was just personal reasons and I moved to Canada.

Carrie: 4:48

Oh, okay. That can be a common thing for students, too, is that a lot of times we have personal things going on in our lives, right, that really influence, especially where we live, right? We may be uprooted for some reason, or we may have some kind of event that happens in our life that causes us to make decisions a little bit differently. And I think a lot of students can probably relate to that for sure. When you said you got into that finance class and you really fell in love with it. What kinds of things really drew you to finance? Like for students listening that may not know what that looks like or what those classes are like, can you share a little bit about what really struck a chord with you there?

Urmi: 5:29

Finance is very dynamic. Like, let me tell you about this. Like finance is a very dynamic major and I feel like it really matched really well with my personality cause I'm also very dynamic. And I remember when I first took that class, I was so interested in learning about different companies, you know, like finance when you think about finance is basically everything around you is finance, right? But, I remember my first class in specific, it was basically learning more about companies, like how they operate, how they decide to go to the public market to raise money. And you know, when you see the stock market, you see different numbers, but you do not know what it means. Like after taking that class, like it made sense about what those numbers meant. And when you see those numbers, those numbers have a history. There is a story behind those numbers. And it's basically all the work behind the scenes about companies, you know, getting together, figuring out how they can sell their product, figuring out how they can raise their money and things like that. And so that's what drove me to it. Like it was just different things like finance. It's not just about personal finance, how to make money. It's all about like alternative investment. It's about, equity. It's about fixed income. It's about Bitcoin. It's about fintech. So there are different things within finance, not just one thing, all the, and the beauty of a finance is that it's not just about numbers, but it's the story behind those numbers. So there is a little bit of math, but it is also a little bit of analytics. And I think that's what drove me to it. I was just so interested and fascinated by everything that was like around finance.

Carrie: 7:00

Yeah, that's so interesting. Thank you for sharing that. Because I think a lot of students do think finance is all about numbers, right? And maybe they're intimidated by it because of the math piece. So it's really interesting that everything that's not that is kind of what stuck with you.

Urmi: 7:16

Yes, yes. And it's, honestly, it's really not about numbers only, because in finance you have like, portfolio management, which is numbers and analytics. You have, let's say, investment banking, you know, you have capital markets, you have hedge funds, and then you start to see like how different things start to play. It's not really about the stock market. Like when you look at the situation right now with inflation and interest rate, that's also related to finance. Like you have a section about economics, like how does the world function based on the interest rate, inflation, the monetary policy, the fiscal policy. So basically everything is around finance and there are so many things, there are so many subcategories within finance. And I think that's the beautiful thing about this major.

Carrie: 8:00

Yeah, I like that. So as you were going through college and you said you found finance and you're like, okay, this is what I want to do. So that's kind of a victory within itself, right? When you feel like you really click and you're like, okay, this is what I'm doing. Like I've made this decision and I feel really good about it. So as that clicked with you and you started taking more classes in finance, did you start to picture something specific for yourself or how did you kind of start to think about your next steps after graduation?

Urmi: 8:27

So let me tell you, when I was majoring in finance, I basically enjoyed every single bit of it. Meaning that every class that I have done, I enjoyed it as if it was like my last time taking the class. Like I remember, I enjoy going to classes. I enjoy listening to my professors. I enjoy being in the library and study for like 12 hours and going to give the exam. Like, I felt like it was effortless for me. And it came to the point that, you know, my GPA was pretty good. It allowed me to basically get into the honors program in finance. And I also did, like I said, an extra semester, I wrote a thesis about art and wine investing. And when I was doing all of these things, I didn't really have a vision. Like I knew that, you know, I wanted to stay in finance and I knew that I wanted to do something with my major. But I also took the time to really like enjoy the learning. You know, like, I feel like a lot of the time students don't take time, like they just want to get over with their major. They just want to get that degree and get be out of university. But for me, it was really like, I want to take the time to really internalize everything that I study because I really enjoyed studying. I'm studying and when it came to graduation, it was so tragic. Like you remember, I didn't want to graduate. I didn't even want to go to my graduation. I was so upset. I was like, I don't want to leave university. But then eventually, you know, I had to graduate or someone was going to kick me out. So here's how the transition happened. When I got my first job, which was still in finance, I actually took a job that was in finance, but it was not really what I wanted to do. Because as I got closer to graduation, I think I had like an idea of what I wanted to do, which was to work eventually in portfolio management. But I knew that I could not start my career in portfolio management. Like for me, it was more important that I was getting the experience because you know, when you are looking for your first job, no one is going to hire you unless you have a bit of experience. And so for me, it was more about like getting an experience, but still being in my field. So I got this job in this company in finance, but I had like more like an administration job more like back office. It was really more about documentation, stuff like that. And as I started to work, that's how I started to get a bit more like a clear idea of what I wanted to be. And you know how initially told you I wanted to be in portfolio management? That objective became much stronger. Like I knew that this is what I wanted to do. And, after working for my first company for two years, I switched to compliance, which is still in finance. And I did that role for four years. And while I was there in the second company, this is when I was like, okay, I want to further my knowledge in finance and that's how they designation that I have right now, came into play. Like the CFA, which stands for Charter Financial Analyst, it's a designation that you need in order to work in portfolio management. And so I was like, okay, you know what, if I want to work, if I want to go to my end destination or to my end goal, which was to work in portfolio management, I need to basically continue learning. And so my first step was to do the CFA designation. I started with that in 2018, and I got my charter like in 2023. And then while I was doing that, I basically got to work in the company that I work right now, which is in portfolio management. So like I wasn't quite sure, like I had an idea of how I wanted to start. But then as I started to work and be in the industry for a longer time, I think it was much clearer for me that, okay, portfolio management is what I want to do. It's basically what I want to do. Yeah.

Carrie: 11:55

Yeah, I love this thread about continuing to learn because I think that's so important and I think you're really right about it's really easy in college to get focused on, just finish this class, just study for this test so I can get it done tomorrow and then, like, release it from my mind, you know, instead of really looking at it like, this is the knowledge that I need to accumulate over time and I really need to let it sink in because I can use it later and you never know where you're going to use it and you don't really know what you're going to need later. So having that attitude of really taking the time to absorb as much as you can and like enjoy that process and enjoy the learning, I think it's just such a great point to make because it's so easy for any of us. to just switch into the very temporary space, right, where we're just trying to get to the next thing.

Urmi: 12:46

Yeah. While I was working, I knew I wanted to study, that I wanted to deepen my knowledge. But here's what happened is that even then I was still unsure about. What do I do? Like, what are the many things can I do in finance? Like there was this certification, but then I also thought about an MBA. I even thought of a Master in Finance. And I remember that I was like asking questions around to people, like people who actually had each one of these. And I was asking them to share with me their opinions, about this other additional, like certification or program that you can do after graduation. And it was after assessing the pros and cons and of each of them that I finally came to the conclusion that I want to go with the CFA program, which, you know, it's pretty hard as a program. And I was very, very worried at the beginning because the pass rate for this program is really, really low. Like people. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Filled exams. There's people that take really 10 years to complete all the three levels. Get that. Oh wow. Yeah. It's very hard. It's very hard. But then I was like, you know what? What am I scared of? You know, like if I don't try, I will never know. And I'm up to the challenge. And I remember this one thing about myself, which is I have this willpower that I find joy when it comes to learning. So I was like, you know what, it's okay if it's hard. I think I will probably enjoy it. And this is what happened. Like I enjoyed the whole process when it came to studying for this program. Like for me, it was so much fun. Yes, it was hard. And I spent a lot of hours studying for it, especially when I was doing this while working full time. But I was like, you know what? It was so worth it. Especially because from a perspective of being a woman in finance, for me it was important to have that because I wanted to also lead as an example for other women in the industry because finance is a bit underrepresented. And I thought to myself, I have to continue doing this for the other girls and other women who want to be in finance and I want to show them that you can do it, too. And so that's how this whole thing, came about.

Carrie: 14:46

Yeah. I love what you just said. It's okay if it's hard. It's okay. Yeah. Like, that's such a great reminder for all of us, because I think there's so many times where people don't reach their full potential or they miss an important opportunity because they go into it thinking this is going to be too hard. And then they either don't do it or they just don't have the right mindset going into it. But it's okay if it's hard. There are hard things and we can do them. Like, that's such an important reminder.

Urmi: 15:16

Yeah. And. Here's the thing, you know, if everything was easy, everyone would do it like the.

Carrie: 15:22

Right. Yeah.

Urmi: 15:23

You would not be able differentiate yourself. You will not be able to distinguish yourself like the fact that the CFA program is so hard. Like, you have a competitive advantage. There is something that makes you distinguishable because the people that have the CFA designation, it's still like a very small percentage of the population. Like a lot of people really give up at a certain point. There are three levels. Some people fail, like most of the people I think fail at level one. They just give up. Some people fell at level two and they give up, you know, so it shows a lot about your personality and your attitude towards things like it shows that you are disciplined. It shows that you're a hardworking person. It shows that you're determined. For me, it was important that I was having that competitive advantage, especially because nowadays we live in a such a competitive world where everyone has a bachelor degree. Everyone has it, you know, like it's not like you have to find a way to make sure that you're able to promote and market yourself then the other candidates.

Carrie: 16:16

Yeah. Can you tell us a little bit about what that process involves? Were you doing mostly self study or were you taking classes or both? What did that look like for you, especially because you were working full time at the same time? Like what did an average kind of week look like for you trying to balance all of that?

Urmi: 16:35

So let me tell you the CFA program, it's a do it yourself type of program, meaning that you don't have any kind of support, like you don't have a place to go and take classes. So how it works is that, there are three levels. So there's level one, level two, and level three, and you have to complete them in this order. Like you start with level one to go into level three. And the exams basically, back in the days there were offered like once or twice per year, but now after the pandemic, their offer like more than one time. And so, people can actually repeat them. Like if you fail the exam, then you don't have to wait next year to do it. You can do them like six months later. So like some of this stuff change after the pandemic and with the CFA program, basically when you sign up. The actual institute that issues, that creates the program gives you all the materials. So they give you the books to read, which are, there are so many like readings and I think there are like six books if I'm not mistaken, but it could be that they have changed. And, they give you like all the problems to practice, but then you don't have an actual support, like you don't have a professor to go and ask questions. You don't have actual lectures. So if you want to do like extra stuff, it's at your own cost and you have to find those other providers that give you classes and stuff like that. So there is nothing in person. Everything is online. So you have to study on your own. You are creating your own schedule. Okay. What happened with me was that I was, of course, working full time. So I was having a regular job, like nine to five. And then because the CFA program, it requires you at least six to nine months of preparation. And they say the recommended study hours is 350 at minimum. I basically follow the schedule where I would work from nine to five But then I had my five to ten where I would sit down in the library and study non stop. So I I my days were super packed. I would basically study every day from monday to friday at least four hours and then on the weekends I would put like eight hours or nine hours and I did that for each of the levels. For the three levels. And I had like at least six to nine months of preparation because if you want to increase the chances of passing the exams, you have to put the hours, you have to put the work and you have to study regularly. There's so much to remember that it's all about being able to retain the information, being able to apply them. And it was hard, you know, because you have to say no to a lot of things, especially when it comes to like, social doing things like outside of this. So you really had to sacrifice yourself in order to achieve this, especially because this is a program where you have to do it on your own. Like you decide how to study. So that's the difficult part of the program.

Carrie: 19:15

Mm hmm. And then how do you feel like your career trajectory or your opportunities have changed or opened up for you with this certification?

Urmi: 19:26

You know what? I'm so happy that I have actually took the time to invest in myself and took the time in like investing in learning. Because basically when I was looking for a job in 2022, The way I was marketing myself was basically, like I did not have the certification in 2022, but I completed like level two. And so I was marketing myself by showing them that, yeah, I have completed level two of this exam. And I could see that it was really truly opening me to different opportunities. I had people reaching out to me and then when I was applying for jobs, even though it was hard for a full year where I was getting rejected and then eventually at some point I started to have the right companies reaching out to me and I started to reach out to the right companies. It came to a point where I had like four offers in my hand and I had to make a decision. Oh, wow. It never occurred to me. And I was like, I was having a really hard time choosing a company, but it made me realize that, being myself during interviews and showing my real interest in learning and, investing in myself really paid off. And so I feel like the fact that, you know, I was pursuing the CFA designation, I think it really, really helped me with my career because I think it really does open opportunities because it's so well known in the industry that people know, like, when people see someone who's pursuing the CFA program or has a CFA designation, it shows the kind of person they are. So I feel like I was able to market myself better because they could see me as like someone who's serious, someone who's very determined, ambitious, who's very responsible. So it gives it away when you have that title.

Carrie: 21:01

Yeah. Is there anything throughout that process that you learned about yourself that you didn't really experience before, or was perhaps something you had to struggle through in a different way? Like, how do you reflect back on that just personally?

Urmi: 21:16

So let me tell you this, I never thought of myself as a disciplined person, but just because the word discipline never crossed my mind, like, I think I was always disciplined, but I didn't feel I was disciplined until someone pointed out to me. So one thing that I like to do is that when I achieve my goals or, when I complete a certain designation, I like to share with the people that I care about. And one of my closest friends, she was like, you're such a disciplined person. And that's when it clicked in my head that, Oh, I think I really am a disciplined person because, you know, coming from work already exhausted from the day, and sitting down every day to study, It takes a lot of effort. It takes a lot of power to do that. Yeah. But I did that. I did that every day. Like I never regret that. And I think I learned that in order to succeed in life, you really have to be disciplined and consistent. That's how you can reach your goals and objectives in life. And this is something that I always tell other people. Like I've been to many webinars workshop where I was the presenter and one of my key messages has been always. To be disciplined. I think if you want to succeed in life, you have to be a disciplined person. And that's one thing I learned about myself.

Carrie: 22:30

And that's something, for students listening, if they feel like they really struggle in that area, I always tell students, take it a little bit at a time. Like, maybe your discipline starts with 10 minutes a day, because that's what you can do, to start out. There are some things for students to move forward with what they want to do that they could do in 10 minutes a day. You know, maybe it's reaching out to somebody in their network every day, pick somebody, write an email. I don't know. I mean, it could be studying something, but it's on a much smaller scale than what you were doing. Maybe it's spending 20 minutes on something. I don't know what it is, but for everybody it's different. But, for your story, obviously it's so much that you were studying like four hours. day. And for some people to hear that, they're like, Oh my gosh, I can't do that. We'll start with 20 minutes. Like whatever it is you're working toward, it doesn't have to be that much at first. Take a little step every day and then you'll want to do more, right? Like as you grow and as you're learning and as you're moving toward your goal, you'll realize, okay, you know what? Now I can do 45 minutes or now I can do. this thing or now, this one day a week, I could do two hours and the other days I have to do 30 minutes or whatever it is. But once you kind of get into it and it becomes a habit and you really see the fruits of your labor, like that becomes easier over time, but just start smaller if that's what you need to do.

Urmi: 23:46

Yeah. You know, there is an expression, I don't remember the full sentence, but it says, Eat an elephant one bite at a time. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Yeah. So, I always, like, when I, when you think about discipline, like, I always think about that expression, and I feel like it's something that you can also think about when it comes to learning a language, because I love to learn languages. And I've been struggling a little bit with my Spanish and now what happened is I decided to take the time to actually do conversations and now like once a week, I do like 30 minutes conversation with Spanish tutors and I'm very much aware that, I'm not like an excellent Spanish speaker, but it's about getting started and it's about being consistent with your habit. Basically it's really about building habits. And so like starting small and doing a little bit every day. You don't have to put an hour every day just to 10 minutes and then you will see that this would be beneficial at the end. And it's also talked about it in the book, Atomic Habits by James Clear, where he talks about this. He talks about how habits can transform you at the end once you work on your habits, like on a daily basis. So it's really about building like habits and being persistent and consistent.

Carrie: 25:05

So we mentioned at the beginning that you're a public speaker and that you're a published author and a YouTuber and a blogger. So when we list all of those things, it sounds like a lot of time you're taking for a lot of other things, but also I can see how those things could be connected, right? So can you tell us a little bit how you started on each of these things and kind of where the inspiration for that came from?

Urmi: 25:28

Yes. So let me tell you this story. When I started to work in the industry and I was like, probably three years in, in the industry, I started to realize that I didn't want to make my life all about work. Especially because I was like, like mid twenties, you know, getting closer to thirties that I was like, you know what? I want to live a fulfilled life where I follow my passions and my hobbies. And I take time to invest in those things. Cause life is really about a balance, you know, there is work, but then there is you outside of work, you know, it's not just about work. And I feel like, One thing that I was noticing around me is that people were really being sucked into their work life. Like they were just doing work. And I was like, this is not what I want to do. I still want to be known as URMI, not as URMI working for X, Y, and Z. Yeah. In 2019, basically what happened is it was the year where I was like, okay, I want to make a change and I want to follow my passions. And it started with public speaking. So it basically started by joining like Toastmasters club, which is, yeah, it's a nonprofit organizations where you basically go and do public speaking and you learn about leadership skills and you meet on a regular basis or on a weekly basis. And you basically deliver speeches, mini speeches, and then you receive feedback, but the people that are part of the club. And the reason why I joined this, the Toastmasters club, it was because I was like, you know what? I want to go back to university and become a professor and be able to deliver, be able to give a lecture. So that was my initial reason why I joined. But then as soon as I was in, I was like, no, no, no, this is not what I want to do. I actually want to be able to deliver a Ted talk. And so I joined Toastmasters because eventually my goal has been to deliver a TEDx or a TED Talk and I've been part of this club for the past, what, five years, I think. And my goal is still to deliver a TED Talk, but I can see how being part of Toastmasters has helped me to be, like, a guest in a podcast, has helped me to deliver a workshop, has helped me to host a webinar, has helped me to be part of like a group of panelists for like different events. And so I saw how that had like sort of like a ripple effect. And so that's how we was with public speaking and Toastmasters. Then later on, I also created my own website, my blog. And the reason why I created my blog, it was because I felt like I had a lot of information that I wanted to share to the world. And my end goal, again, it was that I wanted to write a book. So I was like, I have to practice my writing. I have to start from somewhere.

Carrie: 28:02

When you said you want to write a book? Where did that come from? Have you always wanted to write a book? Or did something in particular like inspire you? Because that's a big project, too, right?

Urmi: 28:11

Yeah. So the reason why I wanted to write a book is because I feel like it's in everyone's bucket list to write a book. And so I had this interest in writing a book, but then eventually I was inspired by another writer. Basically the book that I have self published in 2022, it was inspired by another self published author. There is this book that I have read, which is called confessions by a brown girl or from a brown girl. Like I don't remember not completely the title, but basically the writer, she's based in Canada. So she's a Canadian Pakistani woman who basically talks about her life as a married woman and how it was for her to live in a South Asian household. And so I read her book and I was like, you know what? I think I have a story too. I want to write a book as well. So my book, it was basically about myself, me being South Asian. So in the book, I talk about my life as a Turk culture kid being Italian Bengali from a perspective of a South Asian woman. It's sort of like a memoir when I talk about my life in Italy and how it was to grow in two different cultures, which are often conflicting, but can be also similar for other aspects. So I talk about that in my book and I was inspired by this other writer and this goal of like writing a book at the end, it was like, I feel like a lot of people say I want to write a book, but then no one actually does it. And me being a go getter, I was like, yeah, that's it. I'm going to write it. And I'm just going to make sure that this idea becomes true. So that's how the idea of the book came about.

Carrie: 29:49

Okay. So you said you started with your blog?

Urmi: 29:52

I started with my blog. When I started with my blog, basically, I was just talking about like things such as career, public speaking, language learning, how to pass the CFA exams, and then little by little I feel like I was building a little bit of my personal branding and I was not aware of it. I was not aware that I was doing that because I started to be reached out by people to, you know, talking their podcast, to do collaboration. And I was not aware that I was doing any of these things. And that's how I feel like this one action really helped me to build an online presence that I was never aware of. I was writing in my own blog, but I was also writing for other organizations and I was also writing in their like website and articles, like I was writing also in their blogs. And then of course there was the idea of the book. The book was something that came later on. It was because I was inspired by this author. And so I was like, you know what? I want to go ahead and write this book. And this is to say that, you know, you have your nine to five job, but then you have your five to nine. That's what I like to define it. Like five to nine is just for yourself. It's about pursuing your passions, pursuing your ambitious, pursuing your hobbies. And I read the book about this. It's called the Iggy Kai. Like, I don't know if you know the concept of Iggy Kai, which means, It's a Japanese concept and there is a book around this where basically it says about how to live. It's a book about like how you can live your life in a more fulfilled and satisfied manner. And they say that you have to find your reason for being and that's how the concept of Ikigai comes and it's an interconnection between different things like your passions, how you can monetize your passion, how you can serve a community and things like that. So I'm trying to follow that. I'm trying to follow my Ikigai.

Carrie: 31:41

Oh, I love that. I think like some of these really big picture things that you're talking about are so important and that one is writing. You know, if you look at your career on paper, you're like, okay, well, you're in finance. So, you know, the creative writing aspect of the storytelling doesn't seem like a big thread there, but obviously in the way that you're talking about it, it really is. So can you talk to students about, the importance of being able to develop their own voice, through writing, regardless of their career path? And then also in the context of building an online presence, perhaps some guidance you have for that, because obviously there's a huge importance placed on the type of decisions we make with our online presence and how we use our words, right, in that manner. So can you talk about just kind of the importance of writing and then also what's important with what you should be mindful of as you're doing that online?

Urmi: 32:38

So, let me tell you about my writing part and why it's so important for me. So of course I had a blog actually for four years, but I still do, didn't want to give up writing like online and writing for organizations. And I feel like when you are writing, you are being fully present with yourself. I like to think of it more like journaling, like online journaling. And I feel like writing really helps you to be creative and to work on your imagination. Writing is very important. Like I know that right now with artificial intelligence is so much harder because now, like literally a machine can write you an essay, but I feel like when you're writing, you're really connected with yourself and writing is so important because you are able to spread the message. I am a big advocate for many things, especially when it comes to women's empowerment and gender equality. Like I want to use my voice, even though it's not vocally, I want to use it. Like with other ways to spread the message off like equality and women's empowerment. And I started to, for instance, reach out to different organizations that have like magazine or had a blog, and I asked them, Is there a way where you know I can submit an article and I would use those organization to spread the message. And for me, being an advocate spreading a message is about making a change. And I wanted to use my writing to make a change. And I saw this as a win win situation. Like I saw that, you know, I was writing an article for the organization, so they had something to publish. But then I was also, you know, working on my writing skills, improving my writing skills. But at the same time, I was basically making a change by spreading a message. And I think nowadays Like people don't write enough because they feel like they don't have time for it. But you have to create that time you have to prioritize it and I think when you're writing you are really Fully present with yourself. So it's just you writing and it's very therapeutic and I think you know writing is important when it comes to the creative aspect. When it comes to writing, of course, there is this whole thing about building your online presence, building your personal brand, but you also have to be careful about what you put out there because when something is out there, it's out there. So if you're saying something that you don't want people to read, you want to make sure that you're not saying that. So you also want to make sure that you are being professional in the way you are saying something and that you are not disrespecting someone. It's really about spreading a positive message, that it's good for the society.

Carrie: 35:10

Do you feel like you were always a strong writer or are there certain things that you feel like really helped you develop that skill over time?

Urmi: 35:18

I think, for me, it was the fact that I love reading and because I love to read a lot, that's how I felt like I worked a little bit on my writing skills. But I also took some courses on Udemy when it came to writing. And there are so many, like organizations that offer online free writing workshop that I have attended just to understand a little bit about writing. There are so many things when it comes to writing, like you have to be careful about the way you structure your sentence, the grammar, even the punctuation, there are little things that make a huge difference. And so I took those courses to better understand like how to be a better writer, like Udemy courses. I also like, you know, even with my blog, it was just me correcting them. But I was like, you know, if I don't start on my own, I will never know. But I also took the opportunity to learn from YouTube, learn by attending workshop to better enhance my writing skills.

Carrie: 36:15

So, we also mentioned that you're a YouTuber. How does that connect to the other work that you've been doing?

Urmi: 36:22

When I first created my YouTube channel, let me tell you, it was not part of my plan. Like, I had never an intention to create a YouTube channel. It never crossed my mind that I wanted to put my face out there. I didn't want people to know me. But then I went to this interview. I did Like an interview with a friend who needed a guest and I was like, okay, I'll come. This is when I realized how much I was interested in youtube. Like I remember I enjoy being in front of a camera and talking and sharing knowledge. And I was like, okay, i'm gonna create my own youtube channel. And when I created my own youtube channel, I really knew nothing about YouTube. Like I didn't know what I needed. I had no clue about editing Thumbnail like I had zero clue about YouTube. I was like, you know what? I'm just gonna create a video and then I will see how it goes. And Remember when I first created my first video like I am it still is one of the most popular. Like I had 10, 000 views and remember like I did nothing in this video like there was No editing, like, like nothing at all. It was just me, strictly speaking, in front of the camera, but it somehow, it got people interested. And the reason why I have created my YouTube video is because I feel like it gave me, you know, freedom to be who I am, but also the freedom to express myself. Express my message, but at the same time, YouTube has helped me to work on my public speaking skills because, you know, public speaking is not just about in person speaking engagement. It's also about online presence. It's about how you deliver something online through a video. And so I saw this opportunity to work on my public speaking skills and also to build my personal brand. Because, you know, with the YouTube, you're showing your face and people want to see what's the story behind this person. So that's how I came about my YouTube channel and I started to use YouTube channel to share more of my interests. Like I started to talk about public speaking. I started to talk about language learning. I started to talk about like career, and I would say one of the most popular topics in my YouTube channel has been when I started to talk about this CFA program. As I was sharing tips and strategies to pass the exam, like I started to see that people were so much engaged in my content and I was like, okay, this is the niche. This is what I have to talk about. I have to talk about this because people are interested. And I saw that he helped me to get more followers to help me to increase my connections. I started to see that people were like reaching out to me on LinkedIn. And so at the end of the day, like we start for one reason, but then it develops for like other different reasons. But later on, what happened is as I started to become more comfortable with YouTube, I actually took time to learn a little bit more. More about editing because I was like, you know, I cannot just put a video just like that with no editing. I really have to make sure that it's professional, that it's aligned with who I am. You know, I'm a very professional person working in finance. I want to make sure that I come across as that. So I started to work on my editing skills. So I bought like a software that helps me with editing. And I see this again as a win win situation because I'm learning something that it never, it would have never crossed my mind. Like editing, it's like something that I. Honestly hate it. But now I see it more from a positive perspective. I'm like, you know what, editing is hard, but I'm able to do it. So why not?

Carrie: 39:30

Yeah, yeah, I had the same experience with this podcast. When I started it, I wanted to help students and I wanted to provide a free resource. But at first I was like, I don't know anything about editing, and it's kind of scary to think, you know, about learning something. But it honestly, first of all, like you said before, it's okay if something's hard. We can do it. It's just something else that we figure out. And I figured it out, and it's not as bad as I thought it was. It's also, it's good for me as a human to learn another program, learn another skill, you learn other things, you connect with new people. Like it's just a good thing all around.

Urmi: 40:06

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you're investing in yourself. That's how I see it.

Carrie: 40:10

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. So you have another designation related to your work. Can you talk about like when you sought that out and what it means and why that you felt like it was important to pursue that?

Urmi: 40:24

Yes. So I have a second designation, which is the C A I A. Which stands for Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst. This designation is something that I have completed recently. I actually have completed it in March, 2024. Let me tell you how this designation came in the picture. So I finished the CFA program and, I had basically a coffee chat with someone internal, like in my company. And then this person was telling me, Oh, you know, the next big thing in finance is to pursue your CAIA designation. And I was like, Oh, okay, maybe. And I remember I heard about CAIA, I think five years ago, and I remember when I went to this presentation where they were talking about this is designation. I was like, Oh, maybe one day I will do it. You know, it was just a thought and you know, everything happens for a reason. Like after I had this coffee chat with this person in the company, I was like, okay, you know what? Maybe I should go and do this other designation as well. I just finished the CFA. I was like, I'm ready to do another designation. And luckily with the CAIA program, so there are two levels, I got an exemption from one of the levels because I have completed the CFA. So I only have one level and that said, this is written in my destiny that I have to do this. It can't be any easier. And, here's the thing, even the CAIA program is not easy. It's not easy because it's. There are so many things that you have to remember. It's like the CFA program, but it's more. It's targeting more alternative investment. So everything that you do is about alternative investment. And they suggest that you put 200 to 250 hours, but of course I put more hours. So again, for another six months, I was studying from like, let's say. Six to 10 every day, then putting double, double the time on the weekend to get this designation. For me, the reason why I wanted to do this second designation, it was because, you know, like, I want to learn more about alternative investment. I was like, I have the time to do it now. And I was like, you know, I got an exemption from level one. I'm like. That's it. It's like the destiny is telling me to do it. So that's why I decided to do it. You know what? I honestly enjoyed so much. Like I enjoy so much doing this program. Cause it was so interesting learning about alternative investment. And again, I saw this as an opportunity, create like a competitive advantage. I see a lot of people having the CFA, but I don't see people having both the CFA and CAIA. And so I listened to the advice from that person who works for me during that coffee chat and I was like, okay, let me just go and do it. So that's how I did it.

Carrie: 43:09

Wow, so instead of being intimidated by yet another one, you really just tackled it head on because, I mean, it sounded like the first one was so much, a second one is more, yes, it's like turning around going, oh my gosh, now there's more work, but you already tackled that massive one, so, I mean, of course you can do it.

Urmi: 43:29

Yes. And you know what? Here's the thing, especially for your listeners and students, like once they start working, learning doesn't stop in a classroom, like just because you finish, it does not stop, like you have to keep learning and you need to have that mindset of being a long life learner. You know, you have to keep learning even when you're working full time. I think that's very important. Not many people do that. And, yeah. I am lucky enough to work in a company that basically provides educational assistance. And so I was like, you know what, if they pay for it, why not? And so that's why I was like, I'm just going to do it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Of course you have to meet some conditions, you have to pass the exam and stuff like that. But I. Like I do a lot of journaling and I do like vision boards. I put it on my vision board that I have to pass the CHI exam and then that's how it happened. Like I, I had my end goal in mind and I passed it.

Carrie: 44:26

So you've already accomplished so much so early in your career, both with your professional designations and your job, and then also these other things that you're doing for your own development on the side. Obviously within what you'd like to share, but like, what are the kinds of goals that you are thinking about for your future and the kinds of things that students should maybe consider or research? How do you kind of look for things or decide the types of things that you'd like to strive for your future?

Urmi: 44:57

I like to believe in this motto, which says, trial and error. And I like to think that life is a trial and error. Like you have to try things to find out what you're good at and what your strengths are. I also say this to a lot of the students that I meet and a lot of the mentees that I mentor, I tell them that you have to jump on the opportunity. And see if you like it, because if you don't try, you will never know. And this is how, you will be able to explore yourself, discover yourself, and identify what you're good at. And this is how I did with a lot of the things that I have done so far. And I think in life, it's very important to be very curious. Like, if there is something that interests you or sparks an interest, then go ahead and dig a little bit deeper to understand if this is meant for you. I think that life is just a continuous exploration and evolution of things. things and you have to keep trying different things until you find what's right for you, what fits you. And I think, engaging in extracurricular activities is essential for your growth. It's essential to build your identity. And always keep doing that. Always have a very curious mindset. They keep learning, keep trying different things to eventually find out what's good for you. So that would be my advice to people who want to try different things. And maybe they want to pursue different things. And like we said before, you don't have to do them all at once. You can start with one thing and do a little bit of it every day to find out what's best for you.

Carrie: 46:30

Yeah, that's great advice. Because I think students can kind of get tunnel vision sometimes when it comes to what they're considering, you know, doing along their path. And sometimes we have to try some other things, you know, because you don't even know if the thing that you're focused on is going to be the right thing for you, or sometimes you're focused on it for so long that it takes a while to finally realize like, Oh, this may not be the best fit for me. And you had to try it out to learn that, right? You wouldn't know until you started trying things. So it's great to have that approach to just think about, okay, I'm trying this. We'll see what happens. If this doesn't work out, I'm going to try something else. And we're going to keep trying things until we find the things that are the right fit for us.

Urmi: 47:16

Yeah. And it's okay. It's okay if something doesn't go the way you planned it for, like I think about the way I started, like, I remember I wanted to be like a therapist, but then, you know, I jumped into business and I was doing international business and I didn't like it. Then eventually I found out that, finance was the thing for me. Like you really have to try different things and it's okay if things don't go the way you wanted them to go, you know? Because I always say you have to get lost before you find yourself. And that's really what it is.

Carrie: 47:47

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, so as we look back on your journey, do you have any big picture life advice that either someone gave to you along the way or that you've just learned over the course of time that's been really helpful for you that you'd like to share with students?

Urmi: 48:06

Yes. There was this particular advice that one of my closest friends shared with me when I was trying to decide on those four job offers. I remember I went up to her and I was like, I don't know how to decide. And then she gave me this particular advice where she said, whatever decision you take in life, always make sure that it brings you closer to your true self. That's the advice that she shared with me. And, I never thought of something like that. I never thought that, whenever, like often when we make a decision, it's really for different reasons. And usually when it comes to jobs, you are making a decision probably because they're giving you like a good salary. And for me, that was. Yes, important, but it came second. Like, I think it was more important that I was building myself and building myself to the person that I'm meant to be. So I felt that advice was pretty useful because then eventually I was able to choose the job where I feel most fulfilled, where I feel the happiest. Indeed, at the end, I chose basically the place where I work right now, and I never regret that decision. And I feel like this advice really has helped me. And now everything that I do, I always think about, is this thing going to bring me to my closer self? Is it going to bring me to be my authentic self? And for me, those things are important for me. Like I want to, I want to be authentic. I want to be original. I want to come across as a sincere person. And so I think that's like, that's a great advice for anyone who's like struggling when it comes to making decisions.

Carrie: 49:41

Yes, absolutely. Like be honest with yourself about who you are, right? And make sure that you're in alignment with that, but also the person you want to be, because we're always striving to grow, right? And to become better. And is that decision that you're going to make or that choice you're going to make, does that align with all of that? Does it align with you as a person and who you want to be as a person? And that's such an important thing to be true to, right? As we go along our path, because if you choose something else where you have to sacrifice please. You want to be, or you have to put yourself aside, you know, how can you be fulfilled in that way? And how can you really contribute in a genuine way in your work or what you're doing? If you have to put yourself to the side, right? Yeah.

Urmi: 50:30

Yeah, definitely.

Carrie: 50:32

Well Urmi, thank you so much for joining us today and sharing your story. I really appreciate all of the great advice you have and your willingness for your time to share all of this with students today.

Urmi: 50:43

Thank you so much for having me.

50:48

Do you know someone I should interview? Please DM me on Instagram@pathsinprogresspodcast and let me know who I should talk to. I would love to hear about how these stories are impacting your journey. Please follow Paths in Progress wherever you download your podcasts and leave a review to let me know what you think. You can also follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn at Paths in Progress Podcast. Our music is by John Grimmett and the artwork is by Edgar Alanis. Thanks again for joining me today.