for me, that moment wasn’t when i first stepped into a hospital, or when i was posted in a remote valley as an army doctor, or even when i held my own child in my arms for the first time. it came much later—when a group of women from the middle east wrote to me saying they gather every week to watch my videos. to understand their bodies. to unlearn what they had been told. to make sure their daughters don’t have to suffer the same silence.

that was when i knew—this was about more than just medicine. this was about reclaiming knowledge, reclaiming autonomy, reclaiming power.

i grew up in a home where my mother carried the weight of everything – our home, our family, and the invisible expectations that followed her like a shadow. she was a teacher, my father a clerk, and between them, they built a life that was ordinary but full of quiet strength. i can’t recall a single day when i didn’t see my mother working relentlessly without a complaint, and somewhere along the way i absorbed that lesson: you show up, you do the work, you give your best, no matter what.

but, every generation learns and unlearns in its own way. for me, it was realising that love didn’t always mean sacrifice or having to ‘let go’. so, when i had children of my own, i knew i wanted them to grow up with the liberty of choice. but choice, as freeing as it is, comes with responsibility. if you choose something, you own it. three decades later, my heart soars when i see my kids living by that—diligently, unapologetically.

medicine chose me before i chose it

there was no grand “aha” moment in my life. my parents wanted me to be a doctor, and i simply said yes. sometimes, the real blessings come from paths you never question. but, medicine has a way of pulling you in. it rewires how you see the world. i remember stepping into the hospital, and everything else became white noise. the long hours, the impossibly tricky decisions, the moments where life dangles by a thread – none of that was theoretical anymore. it put me in a spot that was as real as ‘make or break’ gets and let’s just say the latter of the two stopped being an option.

very recently, i was in surgery with a woman – nine months pregnant, haemorrhaging, a massive fibroid threatening both her life and her baby's. in those moments, there is no space for doubt, no time to hesitate. you move. you act. and if skill, and sometimes fate, is on your side - you save a life.

but, as a doctor, you carry the weight of the ones you lose, the ones who never make it to your table, the ones whose faces you remember long after the workday ends. and yet, you show up again because there are far too many lives to help to call it quits.

the indian army, and learning to live with the unknown

but love has a funny way of rewriting your plans. i fell in love with an nda cadet at 23, and before i knew it, i was not just married to the army, but a part of it myself.

in 1997-98, i was posted in tenga valley, a place i had to locate on a map before i got there. i had to go on frequent field visits. i was the only woman. and on top of that, i was on my period. i had no idea where i could change, where i could rest. there was no infrastructure for something as simple as that. but the indian army can teach you survival :)

and then there was ‘operation parakram’ in 2001-2002. my husband called me, his voice steady, his words simple— “from now on, no news is good news.”

my heart sank then. the army is a different kind of battle, the one you fight in your mind. it teaches you how to live with the unknown, to hold your breath without compromising on your duty, to make the most of what you have.

for the five years i was serving, i juggled my career and motherhood, raising my two-year-old daughter and six year-old son while my husband and i were stationed in different parts of the country. there was no room for regret—only resilience.

those years truly built me. they taught me that you cannot be a good doctor at the cost of being a bad mother. both things have to co-exist. prioritisation, delegation—these are not just management skills; they are survival skills.

maitri: rewriting the conversation on women’s health

for the longest time, my work was confined to hospital walls. but in 2020, my daughter sat me down and said “mumma, you need to create content to reach more people”. i laughed. you can imagine how unrealistic that sounded to me. what i was hearing was that a 56-year-old gynaecologist with 24 hours falling short in a day was being asked to create content.

then i thought—what is the point of knowledge if it doesn’t reach the people who need it most? and so, i took the leap.

my son helped me name it, my daughter set up the domain and as a family, we built maitri—a digital platform designed to do what medical textbooks and traditional clinics never did: create a safe, stigma-free space for women to truly understand their bodies.

no shame. no judgment. just real, honest conversations about health, sexuality, pregnancy, contraception, menopause, and everything in between.

our mission? to remove the misinformation, silence, and fear that have controlled women’s health for far too long. and then, the unthinkable happened : we got verified by the world health organisation.

it was a full-circle moment. recognition not just for me, but for the thousands of women who have trusted maitri, who have found answers in our work.

so much of our lives have been dictated by these unspoken rules. i refuse to let the next generation grow up with the same silence.

i work 14-hour days.
i head the gynaecology department of a hospital
i hold one of the highest qualification in my field.
i am a mother.
i am a wife.
i am a founder.
and i am human.

the least i can do is promise myself one thing—i will never make myself feel guilty.

because this work matters. because knowledge is power. because one day, women will no longer whisper when they talk about their bodies. one day, we will be truly free. until then, we keep showing up.

and to my younger self?
you have no idea how good it’s going to get. life has so much magic in store for you. keep at it!

leap.club is a network for ambitious women. the impact we make: love.leap.club

in your twenties, making friends was easy. a roommate, a colleague, someone you bumped into at a bar and bonded over cocktails and shared heartbreaks. friendships formed fast. and deep.

but by your 30s, the landscape completely changes. people move cities. people have babies. people get married. people get divorced. they switch jobs, or simply disappear into a routine that doesn’t include spontaneous “you up?” texts.

suddenly, finding new friends feels weirdly similar to dating—only without an app to match with someone who also just wants to split fries and overshare over wine.

why it feels awkward (and why that’s normal)

adulthood comes with responsibilities, calendar conflicts, and a lot of second-guessing. approaching someone new feels like breaking the invisible rule of “we’re all busy, don’t make this weird.”

you wonder:

is it too forward if i ask her to grab coffee after yoga?
will she think i’m desperate if i say yes too enthusiastically to a casual “let’s catch up soon”?

spoiler: most women feel this way. we’re all craving connection but are too wrapped up in appearing “sorted” to admit it. but if you’ve ever felt that hesitation, know this—there’s nothing wrong with you. adult friendships are awkward to initiate. but they’re absolutely worth pushing through the awkward.

from small talk to something real

you don’t always have to go straight from “hi” to trauma bonding.
but small talk doesn’t have to be… small.

ask interesting questions. not “what do you do?” but “what’s something you’re currently obsessed with?” or “what’s keeping you up these days?”

one of our members recently shared how a casual chat at the coffee machine about astrology turned into a full-blown weekly brunch ritual between her and her ‘new friend’. all it took was a spark of curiosity and a second round of coffee.

the art (and effort) of staying in touch

friendships aren’t just found—they’re maintained. and yes, that requires effort.
but effort doesn’t have to mean hour-long calls or planning elaborate meet ups.

sometimes, it’s sending a meme that reminded you of her.
sometimes, it’s a voice note while walking the dog.
sometimes, it’s just showing up when you said you would.

you don’t need to be available all the time. you just need to be present when you are.

how to not feel fake (even if you feel like you’re trying too hard)

we’re conditioned to play it cool, to avoid being “too much.” but we can promise you — being too much is better than being too indifferent :)

real friendships happen when someone dares to go first. when you say, “hey, i loved our chat—want to grab a meal sometime?”

that’s not fake. that’s intentional.
and chances are, the other person was hoping you’d ask.

keeping up with adult female friendships

adult friendships are less “text me when you get home” and more “text me when you remember i exist”. and that’s okay.

we’re all juggling life. and no one gets that better than women. there will be months where you’re in each other’s DMs daily, and months where one of you ghosts because, well, life.
what matters is knowing the door is still open.
that you can pick up where you left off—no guilt, no drama.

female friendships in your 30s may be quieter, but they’re definitely deeper. more knowing. more "i’ve got you."

okay but where do you even meet these people?

this is the part where we gently (and not-so-subtly) say: we built leap.club for this exact reason.

we saw how hard it is to find your people when you’re no longer twenty-something and free on a thursday at 9 pm. so we created a space—part work, part play—where women could meet over work, over coffee, over yoga, (or spreadsheets).

friendships here start at a workshop, a community lunch, a karaoke night.
and grow into something real over shared ambitions, inside jokes, and the comfort of knowing you belong.

if you're reading this and thinking “i need more of this energy in my life”, join the leap.club waitlist. we’ve saved you a seat.

from freelancers building their personal brands to agency owners scaling their businesses — our attendees ranged from 24 to 56 year olds, each bringing their own perspective, challenges, wit and wins to the table. for some, this was their first-ever networking event, while others traveled all the way from cochin and pune just to be in the room. “when a room like this comes together, it’s worth showing up for” - their words, not ours.

we started the day with a ‘spark session’, where attendees spoke about the marketing campaigns that left a mark on them.

taylor swift and shahrukh khan were declared the greatest marketers of our time, proving that storytelling, brand loyalty, and reinvention are everything. others reminisced about iconic ad campaigns—fevicol’s timeless creativity, nike’s powerful narratives, and cadbury’s nostalgia-filled storytelling.

our fav part? ‘hey! i know who worked on that campaign you loved!’

we then moved to two roundtable discussions - on topics that we know keep marketing folks up at night.

the first - brand building on a budget, hosted by zahra khan, who really broke it down: the best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing. she took us through brands that have mastered storytelling, proving that the most viral moments often come from content made on the fly, in the moment, not in a strategy deck. she reminded us that some of the most impactful content in recent years wasn’t planned for months—it was a reaction to culture, trends, and human moments.

the second - content that converts, by dr rutu mody kamdar, who challenged the idea that conversion is just clicks and sales—because the best content isn’t transactional, it’s memorable. her take? brand building happens through repetition, consistency, and trust. she spoke about how the best brands create mental shortcuts for consumers—distinct colors, sounds, and messaging that make them impossible to ignore. and that conversion isn’t about immediate sales—it’s about staying top of mind until your audience is ready to buy.

lunch really was a whole lotta food for thought—attendees carried forward the insights from zahra and rutu’s sessions, sharing their own experiences, swapping lessons, and debating which brands are getting it right (and which ones have lost the plot).

for the finale, we went all in on creativity.

6 teams. 12 people per team. each picked two random brands—from spotify x unicef to haldiram’s x durex (yes, really)—and had 30 minutes to create the most unexpected brand mashup. the results? skits, jingles, shark tank-style pitches, and ideas so good they deserved real $$. and a whole lotta cheer — like only women can!

marketing is easy to overthink and hard to do alone. but in rooms like this, ideas flow faster, conversations go deeper, and sometimes, a single takeaway can change the way you approach your work.

if you’re in bombay and if this sounds like your kind of room, you gotta check out: www.leap.club/offline

we made a film about that work :

the kind that doesn’t come with a paycheck. told through real moments experienced by real women.

we hope you watch it. share it. talk about it. maybe even name the invisible work you’ve carried for years — the kind that’s easy to ignore but impossible to forget.

thank you for being part of this community — as a member, cheerleader, and/or ally.

you’re the reason we do what we do—relentlessly.

- ragini, anand & your friends at leap.club

“the first time i walked into a pole fitness class, i was armed with zero expectations – and too much moisturiser.

i slipped, i fumbled, i laughed at myself. but the feeling of spinning? that was something else. it felt therapeutic, almost meditative. and so i showed up again. and again. and soon enough, i was hooked.

how this began and boiled into what it is today is a story that happened over the last ten years, but has been in the making all my life. growing up, i was certain of two things – rhythm didn’t come easy to me, and doing something out of the ordinary did.

so, when i accidentally stumbled into a pole class while visiting my sister in australia in 2014, the ‘yes’ came from a place of pure intrigue. and of course, my mum, who happened to be my first cheerleader!

that class wasn’t planned. my mother and i were visiting my sister in australia, and while looking for things to do in the neighborhood, i randomly stumbled upon a studio offering pole classes. curiosity got the best of me - so i walked in. and it wasn’t long before i found myself drawn deeper into the world of pole. my teacher, heidi, was incredibly encouraging. she never made me feel like i wasn’t strong enough, never made me question whether i belonged in that room. pole was hard, but it felt good. and that was enough for me to keep going.

as i trained, i sought out the best in the field—pole champions across the world. learning from them, pushing my limits, and refining my technique was an experience in itself. and speaking of mentors, working with x-pole changed everything for me. they played a huge role in my journey, guiding me, mentoring me, and helping me take pole fitness to where it is today in india.

pole was never just about movement—it was energy, confidence, clarity. i loved how it made me feel.

so i started training at home, committing fully to the sport. my mother – a school principal who always told me, “whatever you do, be the best at it” – watched as i turned our house into my practice space. she had raised me to believe that ambition wasn’t optional. my sister, a gynaecologist, was another source of inspiration. the women in my family never did anything halfway, and pole fitness wasn’t going to be any different for me.

it started small. a handful of students, makeshift training spaces. but over time, word spread. women showed up – some for fitness, some for fun, and some simply to prove to themselves that they could do it. and as they climbed, spun, and moved, i saw something familiar. that same shift. the realisation that their bodies were capable of so much more than they had ever been told.

that’s thing about pole, it’s a paradox.

it’s dynamic yet grounding, freeing yet disciplined. it challenges you, yet makes you feel at home in your own skin. i’ve explored so many forms of movement, but nothing gave me the stillness that pole did. being upside down made everything make sense.

i was supported not just by my family, but by my students, the people around me and the media. the response i received was one of curiosity, encouragement, and recognition. i was even honored with an award by the chief minister of maharashtra for innovation and dynamism in my field—proof that pole fitness was being embraced as something bigger than just a niche workout. i’ve always worked hard to make sure that everything i do aligns with this vision—to make pole fitness relatable, accessible, and a safe space for women.

women of all ages come to my classes—professionals, business owners, mothers, students. each one comes in with their own expectations, their own journey. and for most of them, the biggest surprise is not just what pole does for their body, but what it does for their mind.

it shifts the focus from how you look to what you can do. you stop obsessing over numbers on a scale or fitting into a certain size, and instead, you start celebrating your own strength.

one of my students once told me, “the confidence you build in class doesn’t stay there. you carry it with you.” and that’s exactly it.

at first, it’s just about getting through the class. you grip the pole tighter, you fight against gravity, you push past the fear of falling. and then, one day, you’re not thinking about the mechanics anymore. you’re moving. freely, instinctively, powerfully.

marrying an art form that demands grace with an athletic pursuit isn’t easy. most movement forms are structured, even rigid. pole, on the other hand, gives you the freedom to create your own style. it allows you to interpret movement in a way that feels natural to you. for us women, that’s rare.

and rare things have power.

it doesn’t come easy. the burns, the bruises, the calloused hands – every perfect move you see in a video has taken a hundred failed attempts. graceful movement isn’t something you’re necessarily born with—it’s something you build with practice. and pole has taught me that more than anything else.

over the years, i’ve witnessed a change that was a mere dream not too long ago – the rise of pole fitness as a real, legitimate sport and also as an alternative form of fitness. it’s shedding the many definitions, new studios are opening, curiosity is rising, and slowly but surely, the stigma is fading. it’s still a long way from being as common as a gym membership, but the shift is palpable :)

nothing drove this home more than the day i was invited to conduct a pole workshop in a corporate setting in a tier-2 city – something most people would find hard to believe. watching a room full of professionals abandon their inhibitions and trust their bodies was proof of what i had believed all along: pole isn’t a fad. it’s here to stay.

at the end of the day, pole fitness is more than just a workout. it is an investment in yourself. it takes courage to walk into your first class. it takes grit to keep going. and for women, it’s often the first time they experience movement as something joyful, as a tool for self-expression.

today, pole is not just my passion. it’s my purpose and my contribution to the world. watching a student finally nail a move she’s struggled with, and seeing the entire class celebrate her win – that’s what makes it worth it.

if there’s one thing i’ve learned, it’s this: the magic lies in showing up. over and over again, even when it’s hard. even when you slip. even when you don’t feel ready. because if you keep showing up, you’ll realise – one day – you’re not just moving.

you’re flying :)

leap.club is a network built for ambitious women.

join 25,000 women in this journey digitally: www.leap.club; or our offline club if you’re in bombay: www.leap.club/offline

let’s start with our offline community space in bombay

in july 2024, we launched india’s first community workspace for women. we moved our hq from gurgaon to bombay and spent april to october busy with the launch and everything 0-1. from the outside this might seem like a pivot or a change in strategy, but we never looked at it that way. after hosting 200+ offline events across the country, it was clear to us that when members meet in person, there’s a deeper connection, a stronger vibe - something that’s hard to replicate online. so doubling down on offline, where we see the best engagement that sustains, felt like a natural extension of our business. we are now at ~450 members for the bombay club, have hosted 50+ professional and social events and the attendance + feedback has been positive. occupancy and usage has been high specially amongst founders, freelancers, remote corporate workers, and for now our #1 focus for us in growth in new memberships + profitability at a unit + company level.

while the start has been ok, we have to be more confident of this model and pmf, before we think of larger expansion. the questions we need to answer are -

• can we open 12-15 similar spaces across india?

• can we get to ~25,000 offline members with a high retention rate?

• what is the need vs want here?

we are working super hard on this every day and will have our answers in the next couple of quarters. update: we are getting ready to launch bangalore sometime this year; and here’s where you can join the waitlist.

what's happening with the online community and the app

as the world has moved offline, the app activity unfortunately took a backseat 12 months. here’s an honest view on what’s up in our world and where we need your help:

• online engagement: radius and circles have potential but aren’t picking the way we need them to, and that reflects in the amount of time members spend on the app today. we truly feel that these features help you discover other women around you, and are open to ideas on how we can make it easier for you to connect with each other 1:1 and in groups. for now, we are revamping both features a little for better ux and this should be live before april ‘25.

• revamping online events: we went back to the drawing board here and there’s a tonne in store for this year: leap labs (workshops for upskilling), spill the tea (yes, masterclasses are back), along with crack the code - our monthly online sessions are getting a makeover basis the engagement y’all have shown over the years.

• city-based offline events: we continue to organize mixers in delhi, bombay and bangalore, but we really miss seeing some of you for these :( we would love to know if there’s something specific you feel we need to do more of or differently here. this has always been leap.club’s usp and maybe it's time for us to reimagine some of our formats for offline events.

what else is going on

a fundraise that we had closed + started paperwork et. al, fell through last minute. we are pushing through some tough times and are operating in survival mode as a 10 people team. it’s hard but it’s also a chance for us to focus on what truly matters, and train harder to bounce back. zomato, the biggest success story of startups in india runs multiple businesses today - blinkit, food delivery, hyperpure, events - and interestingly none of these businesses existed for the company in its first 5-6 years. so you never know how the story unfolds, the best we can do is to keep pushing :)

we truly believe that our strength as a community lies in our ability to be there for each other, through highs and lows. so, if you have any thoughts, ideas, or feedback on how we can make leap.club bigger and better—online & offline—please share them with us on r@leap.club.

we’re all ears and open to experimenting as we get ready for 2025. thank you for being part of this journey and for trusting us with your time, energy, and opinions.

to many more years of building leap.club together!

- ragini, anand and your friends at leap.club

globally, this movement has already gained momentum with spaces like chief and maison. here in india though, this concept is only beginning to take shape. women-only clubs are disrupting the status quo and redefining what networking looks like. they’re not just places to swap business cards—they’re spaces that allow you to feel seen, heard, and equipped, not only as a leader, but in the other facets of your life too.

the problem with traditional networking

let’s be real: traditional networking setups have never really been geared toward women. whether it’s after-hours mixers or stiff industry meetups, these setups often feel out of touch with what women actually want. women-only clubs recognize that the issue isn’t just about making room at the table—it’s about creating a table with plenty of seats.

the evolution of women’s clubs and why we’re bullish on it

the latest wave of women-only clubs is a far cry from the rigid, transactional spaces we’ve known. these clubs focus on holistic growth—blending personal development, career advancement, and wellness all under one roof. they’re more than just ‘networking’ — the idea is to create environments where connections are real and interactions are authentic. it’s not about who you know, but how you grow.

after 4+ years of running a virtual community, we understand our extension to an offline space might seem like a pivot - but it really isn't. we have enabled professional connections, learning, and new friendships for our members via offline experiences since 2021. over these 3 years, we hosted 250+ offline events in bangalore, mumbai and delhi. the consistent feedback from our members has always been super positive about offline experiences - how face-to-face connections are unmatched and how the real ‘leap.club magic’ happens in person. and that’s how the idea of running our own space was originally born too.

unlike traditional clubs that often revolve around exclusivity, our goal with leap.club offline is inclusivity and building genuine communities. these clubs are (and will be) intentionally designed to cater to both professional needs and personal growth + well being.

we want to create an environment that is as welcoming and comfortable as it is inspiring. a place where you can be productive and still feel at ease. yes, the right ac temperature included :)

the rise of women-only spaces in india (and hopefully many more leap.clubs across the country) isn’t just about creating more rooms for women—it’s about reimagining what those rooms look like and who gets to shape them. as more women begin to prioritise spaces that celebrate collaboration and community, we hope the ripple effect of these clubs will be felt far beyond their walls. 

the endgame? more women owning their place in the boardroom and beyond.

if you live in bombay, and haven’t found a space that helps you grow both professionally and personally, we’re saving you a seat → www.leap.club/offline

but what exactly is a third place? let’s dive deeper:

your first place is your home, your second is work, and your third place is anywhere you go to recharge and connect outside of those two. maybe it’s a cosy café, a park bench, a club, or a community centre — essentially, a space you’re naturally drawn to without feeling like you have to be there. but here’s the tricky part: finding that spot where you feel completely comfortable, welcome, and truly at ease is often easier said than done.

why third places matter

these spaces aren’t just somewhere to pass time or pit stops between work and home—they’re lifelines. they give women the chance to show up just as they are - surrounded by a community that understands them. from co-working hubs to private clubs, these spaces are flipping the traditional concept of networking on its head. it’s no longer just about business connections or grabbing a ‘quick coffee’ — it’s about finding your tribe, forging meaningful relationships, and claiming a space that feels truly yours.

a third place represents a haven where ideas flow freely, conversations take root, and personal growth happens naturally. it’s where you feel understood, where you can exhale, and where you can just be.

two months into running india’s first ‘third place’ exclusively for women

we’ve been open for just over two months, and we’ve already witnessed how our members have made this space their own. whether it’s bringing in homemade cookies their mom made for everyone or showing up as their most raw, authentic selves, we’ve seen leap.club become more than just a place to work — it’s become ‘a second home’.

and that’s exactly what we set out to create — a physical space that brings women together in a genuine, unfiltered way. where they can put their legs up and find peace, away from the often cold, chaotic digital world which feels transactional or impersonal.

in a world where “connections” are often reduced to clicks and likes, we’re proud to be witnessing real, face-to-face interactions and see the magic that happens when women have access to a space that’s warm, and built with them in mind. 

as we look ahead, we hope to grow, not just as a space but as a community where women can thrive. it’s not about providing a seat at the table anymore — it’s about creating a space where every woman can truly belong, free to express, create, and connect — on her own terms.

if you live in bombay, and haven’t found your third place yet, we’re saving you a seat. apply for membership → www.leap.club/offline

don’t get us wrong - we do acknowledge that online platforms offer unprecedented opportunities for networking and learning, but where they often fall short is in fostering deep, meaningful, no-holds-barred connections. digital interactions, no matter how frequent, lack the warmth and authenticity of in-person encounters. and boy, are we done with those screens!? for women, who often juggle multiple roles and responsibilities, these superficial ‘connections’ often leave them feeling isolated, exhausted and disconnected.

enter — physical spaces. the real mvps of connections. they give us something that digital platforms simply cannot — genuine human connections. which we all crave. it’s where the real (not small) talk happens, trust builds, and connections actually stick. such spaces offer an opportunity for women to come together on an intimate level —no masks, no filters, no pretences. and let’s be real, who doesn’t want that kind of freedom in a world that’s always telling us to be someone else? 

today, when technology often leads to feeling more disconnected than connected, physical spaces like these provide the antidote. they’re not just hangout spots—they’re places where women can drop the pretences, be themselves, and get the kind of support that’s crucial to both personal and professional growth. we have hosted 200+ in person events across the country (30 to 2000 women at a time), and it’s safe to say that such spaces create an environment where women tend to be very open in expressing their feelings and speaking up. there's a level of familiarity and kindness that is just not offered in a mixed setting.

so we took 4 years of community building learnings and launched leap.club offline, india’s first women-only club, in bombay last month. if you haven’t followed our behind the scenes from gurgaon to bombay already, here’s a tldr: this big, audacious dream was born out of a realisation. the realisation that online engagement, while important, simply can’t fulfil all the needs of women, especially in the workplace. real magic happens when women connect irl, where ideas flow freely, trust is built naturally, and lasting relationships take root.

in a city like mumbai, where life moves at an overwhelming pace (no pothole pun intended), we learnt that the need for a ‘third place’ is more vital than ever. we have designed this club to offer that elusive sanctuary, in the heart of the urban hustle (read: linking road). a safe space where women can work, hang, laze, learn, or simply catch up with (new) friends— in a place that feels like home. with a blend of open seating, a library of books by female authors, and cosy meeting rooms named after iconic female characters, we hope to be more than just a physical location— a community where women thrive. an environment that is supportive, inclusive, and free from external pressures. ultimately, fulfill an essential human need: belonging.

to become an offline member, join the waitlist at www.leap.club/offline. memberships are by invite only.

growing up, i always knew that i didn’t want to work for someone else, but for the longest time, i didn't know what i would do in a small town like gwalior. when i took up psychology as a career, i worked many jobs. i worked at gramiksha - an ngo which worked for children studying in government schools; and seva kutir, which is an extension of tihar jail. but after close to six years of working these impactful jobs, i realized that social impact only comes from capitalism.

between 2014-2016, i took 40+ trips and discovered my love for travelling. i eventually moved to the mountains to work independently. i started a backpacker hostel, the lost tribe in 2016, but something unexpected happened right after: i was diagnosed with clinical depression. i discovered i had, what is called, seasonal affective disorder. i'd have sudden bursts of crying, and i wouldn't know what was happening. during this time, i realized how important social support is when someone is struggling mentally, and i think people continue to struggle for a long time because in most cases, there's no support, no acknowledgment, and only stigma attached. i went to bangalore and started therapy for the first time. it took me a long time to get out of that phase (as i can now call it) of my life and started prepping for my masters. i got through my dream university in scotland with a scholarship, and things were finally looking up for me!

just as i was prepping for my new life, i got a call. we found out that my parents were struggling with their business and had lost their main source of income. they were national distributors to major pharmaceutical companies and had lost the affiliation after 30 years - they were shaken and in deep crisis. over and above all this, my brother and i later found out that our father was suffering from depression. a man who worked 14-16 hours a day and loved every bit of it - suddenly had nothing to do. a man who stood up for us every single time we needed, seeing him like that was heartbreaking as a daughter.

for my father, someone who was always travelling, meeting people, doing things to now just being in a room and doing nothing for hours on end, not wanting to talk to anyone, not meet anyone - it was pretty bad. he had seen his business crash and burn and what that does to an entrepreneur, only a few know. that's when my brother and i decided to quit our own startup and the scholarship of our dream, and returned home for good.

initially, i won’t lie, i didn’t handle the change well. i couldn't go abroad to study, i had quit my backpacker hostel and i was back to the city i worked hard to get out of. eventually, i realised that my parents had never burdened me with any expectations, always given me wings to fly, and this was (finally) my time to give back.

my brother and i thought that we will pull our father’s business out of the slump and then go back to do our thing. fast forward to today - that never happened. over time, we rebranded all his ayurvedic formulations under amrutam, got 100% involved in the business and now handle a larger part of business. initially, i didn't know anything about ayurveda or marketing, but one thing we were always taught as kids was that if you're a seed, no matter where you're planted, you will grow, as long as you’re watered. of course, it was challenging: it was 2017, we were in a tier-two city, and ‘d2c’ as a word wasn’t booming as it is today. it was a different ball game altogether.

amrutam then, was a breath of new life for our family. to this day, i remember the first time when we were all sitting at the dining table and our first-ever order came from banaras, and the look on my father’s face… something changed within him: a child-like glee, sheer joy, and more importantly: hope.

i remember him saying “what will i contribute to this internet business?” in the beginning. but when he started seeing orders come in, he started making more ayurvedic formulations, more products, and got back with a new burst of energy to r&d. for me, my love for community building became my source of fulfilment and my dad’s smile, my motivation.

our products were unique and meant for an audience that needed solutions, a community that really wanted to understand ayurveda. selling wasn’t our only agenda, ever. we wanted to change the thought that only ‘old people’ and ‘sadhus’ practising yoga are into ayurveda. running ads, being one of the first ones to try influencer marketing, getting away with old boring designs to new branding + modern packaging that justifies the uniqueness of our products, writing blogs to educate our members and so many other bold, ‘new age’ experiments paid off. 

what started off as one order a month, grew to 4000 orders a month in 3 years - a 250% jump in revenue. from a 3 person team to 40+ with 1 lac+ customers and the positive impact on over 10,000 women struggling with pcod, got listed under forbes list 30 under 30 and even a feature in shark tank india! we have not had overnight success. you burn your hands multiple times - eventually you win. today we have 100+ products on our website, and my father, mr. ashok gupta is out there, with way more energy than any of us. :)

there are so many problems plaguing the start-up ecosystem of the country. not many talk about the mental taxation managing a venture comes with. as entrepreneurs, i think comparison is one of the main reasons why a lot of us struggle; you're constantly thinking “if i'm making x amount in my business, it's profitable, my team is doing well, my product is selling well. but oh, now i see that the other brand came out 2 years ago and it's making 10x revenue.” there's a lot of (self induced) pressure because as the leader, you feel you cannot afford to fail. you cannot afford to make mistakes. you can’t even think about taking a break. but i have realised that whenever i am able to accept that i've made a mistake at work, it has only made me more human and more relatable to the people i work with rather than be the person who's always perfect.

as women, we constantly try to fit in, fight the world without recognizing what we bring to the table. like emotional intelligence, like our ability to perceive things uniquely, like our resilience. we keep everything aside and try to compare ourselves to other ‘male’ leaders. my learning has been to value the differences, and define our own parameters for growth, success, a good life, good business, and a good team. therein lies our power. it is time we come into our own; it is time we come into our powers.

leap.club is a paid community built for strong, resilient and ambitious women. join stuti and 25,000 others in their journey: www.leap.club

we have hosted 100+ events in the last 12 months for our members + women across india. intimate social experiences, domain-specific brainstorms, coach-led workshops, no agenda brunches, speed networking, massive (af)fairs at stadiums with 1500+ women, pickleball games, a 5k tricity run - and what not. 

when we started, events were never a part of our plan but we realised that women love to come together and build new friendships + professional connections via offline experiences. we cannot stress enough on how offline events have played a huge role in our growth. 

being fairly candid - we feel that we have not been able to enable the same level of ‘joy’ that we do offline, on our app. we have thousands of members who actively post content, book events, join communities - but only the 'power' users are able to truly build a network on the app - one of the bigger reasons why women join us. our app usage numbers have gone down in the last couple of quarters, and it was time to go back to the drawing board.

here’s what we’ve been upto, and what’s coming up over the next 2 weeks:

1. radius - meet women in your neighbourhood 

select your location, pick who you’d like to meet in your neighbourhood and start hanging! want to catch up with a fellow marketeer? looking for a badminton partner? just want to get coffee/ wine after a long day at work? radius will make it super simple for you to swipe right ;) on the women you want to meet. you can also post and view hyperlocal updates, see which events women around you are attending or circles they’re a part of.

the waitlist is live on the leap.club app for members, and early access to specific subzones in our 6 major cities goes live next week. here’s a sneak peek if you’re a curious cat:

2. removing our first ever feature: the feed 

we know this sounds like a big one. but let’s talk about the ‘why’ behind this step:

• is the feed / content distribution the reason why women join us? no. they want to meet other women professionally + socially, and the feed in today’s shape and form does not enable that.

• it played its part the first couple of years when we did not have other discovery features. but today, we only have a small % of power users posting and a slightly bigger cohort consuming. other features are doing much better in comparison.

• a lot of tech time has gone into building this feature + sharpening the algos almost every month, trying to better the flow/ show better content to members, launching programs to drive the usage up via members - but numbers haven’t moved significantly in the last two years. 

• we have been getting feedback that as a new member, it's underwhelming to land on posts that might not be relevant to the larger base.

we truly feel hyperlocal updates on radius will be more relevant for our members moving forward. for ‘likes’, there is always linkedin ;)

3. upgrading the dm’s flow for a better way to connect 1:1 

<5% of our ‘active’ users used the dm feature in the last 30 days. the current dm’s flow on leap.club has a two fold problem today: 

• the top 20% users on the platform end up getting 80% of the messages. these members typically have ‘aspirational’ profiles and may not have the time to respond to most dm’s. tbh, this happens on linkedin too but if it happens on leap.club, it becomes bad ux and our platform gets the blame. the ones that get replies are mostly well crafted messages with a clear intro, agenda and next steps, but it's been impossible to ensure this as we scale. 

• since our app daily actives have gone down, % responses have also gone down/ responses are delayed leading to bad ux for some active members. 

• unfortunately, we see a lot of spam from brand owners and founders which puts some members off, taking away from their experience and we aren’t able to stop this from member education alone :/

we need a better way for members to connect with each other and are tweaking the flow to let members get intimated on email when other members want to connect with them with a short agenda message. the receiver will have the option to accept and share contact details - so no spam. and yes, superconnections is making a comeback, with a twist ;)

4. circles have been a hit, and now we wanna take it up a notch

• over 500+ online & offline circles have been created (& led by) leap.club members in the last 6 months.

• social meetups & hobby groups stood first with majority stake of 66% of all offline circles followed by professional meetups - proving our thesis on solid female friendships being built by leap.club.

• 24,864 circle joining requests in the last 10 months since launch with an average of 60+ folks who joined a circle.

what we are tweaking:

• we’re revamping the circles section for a better experience — relevance & discoverability. we’ve de-listed dormant circles and introduced a new range of guidelines for better hosting by members.

• prepaid, learning & all-gender circles are moving away based on our learnings and member feedback. incase you are a member who wants to host a paid experience with us - please fill out a form hyperlinked on the circles flow instead gf.

• we are now stricter with our approval process — high quality & high intent is our #1 priority.

• offline circles will now also be mapped to a location. via the radius tab, you will also be able to see circle-led meet ups within your 5-10 km radius for better discoverability.

5. better offline interaction during our events - hello magic mixer 

in 3 weeks, you will be able to see a filtered list of members from your industry/ neighbourhood/ similar interests who are attending the same event; send them a hang request to ensure they block their time to meet you during the event, and wait for it - get notified once they check into the event! 

some other smaller updates:

1. when you open the app on the 5th of april, you will land on radius, instead of the feed. yes, we are that excited about radius.

2. a better advanced search is now available on the search tab to help you discover the member you want in a few clicks. 

3. pros (vetted professionals for you to book) will also sit under search rather than as a separate tab at the bottom bar. 

the bottom tab will basically have 3 options - radius, events and circles.

our goal for 2024 is to build a clean, superlative online experience for our members and mix our online + offline worlds, while keeping why women join us as our guiding principle: to build new friendships + professional connections. 

always a good time to remind ourselves: always day one at leap.club :) 

- ragini, anand and all your friends at leap.club

ps. it takes a village to build this community and we’re looking for bold women in events and marketing to join our team in bombay and bangalore. more about the open roles here - hit us up at jobs@leap.club if you think we’re a fit! this team could use some mini founders 🥷

leap.club is an exclusive members-only community for women. join the revolution.

“i grew up in a rajput family during the late 70s with a stable and comfortable environment in kanpur. at the age of 19, an unexpected marriage proposal sparked initial resistance within me. but upon meeting major avinash singh bhadauria, all my reservations melted away. growing up surrounded by homemakers in my family instilled in me the belief that post-marriage, my role would naturally transition to that of a homemaker. and so, after our wedding, i joined my husband at his army base in jamnagar, gujarat. two blissful years into our marriage, we welcomed our son, dhruv. life seemed idyllic…until the day my husband informed me of his posting in kashmir in 2001. as he left, communication became increasingly scarce.

one day i came home to find a deafening silence around. there was an unspoken tension lingering in the air, and i couldn't shake off the feeling that something was terribly wrong. after frantically questioning everyone, they finally told me — my husband was injured and was being brought back for treatment from udhampur to lucknow.

as i sat there trying to process this, something still didn't feel quite right. little did i know, my world was about to come crashing down on me. on my way to see him with the family, minutes away from the airport, they told me the devastating truth – he was gone, martyred while taking down four terrorists in kashmir. 

before i could come to terms with this i was standing in front of a coffin. and it slowly dawned on me that it was no one else but my husband inside it, draped in the colours of our nation's flag. for someone who was, until then, on her way to see an injured husband to then realising he was gone, it was baffling, confusing, earth-shattering. i didn’t get any chance to process what was happening. it felt like someone had punched me hard in my chest and i was barely breathing.

the weight of his absence bore down on me like a heavy burden. i felt lost, drowning in sorrow. i had been so dependent on him, relying on him as my rock. what made it so much worse was the constant questioning from others – "what will you do now?" "who will take care of you and your son?" “the ‘man’ of the house is gone.” my son was just two. in addition to the grief, this pressure was suffocating.

i'll never forget the moment when a few elderly women suggested something unthinkable – ‘sati’. they suggested that my life was now over because my husband was no more. it was heartbreaking that i seriously considered their words, thinking perhaps it was the only way forward. i felt like i didn’t want to live, i wanted to give up my life. the absolute worst part is that along with my own, i even thought of giving up my child’s life. i thought since his father is gone, and i will now go, who will take care of him?

when darkness threatened to engulf my life, my father took us under his wing. and while that was beautiful, i realised something: that all my life i had continuously been dependent on a man to take care of me. it took me sometime to fully comprehend that i could exist and thrive without relying on a man. and when i finally understood it, there was no looking back.

one day some of my husband’s coursemates suggested that i join the army to carry on his legacy. they told me that the army permits army-widows to appear for the ssb exam and technically, i was eligible too. it was not just a salute to his memory, but a chance to carve my own path. deep down, i knew i had to do this.

within two and a half months, i filled out the form and began preparing. it was a challenging time, but in less than three months after my husband's demise, i stood before the ssb board in allahabad. the five-day exam was demanding, and it required significant sacrifices, especially taking a toll on personal time with my son. however, with my parents' support, i cleared the exam. within six months, i was at the academy to begin training.

when your body and mind go through various experiences one after the other the transition from one shock to another becomes difficult. i couldn’t be with my child for six months, and my mother only managed to send a picture once every few weeks. i missed his first day at school, the school functions, crucial growth years, and trust me, a mom's guilt is too real, especially when you are preparing for something as testing as the indian army. i don't recall a single evening when i didn't break down, either looking at my husband's picture or thinking about my son. i contemplated quitting multiple times, but i told myself "no, if i go back now, i will go back as an officer in a uniform."

fast forward to 7th september 2002, i went from being "mrs. bhadauria" to "lt. shalini singh" — not a widow, not a wife, and not a woman tied to a man. 

from not knowing what a joint account was to managing all the finances, from being completely unaware and a lost 22-year-old to a strong-headed woman, i served the army for five years across rajasthan, jhansi, and delhi. looking back, it was the best decision of my life. whatever i am today is because of what i was taught in the indian army. i learned things i never imagined i would: not just in terms of physical training but also mindset development, teamwork, decision-making, fast thinking, and most importantly, the courage to lead my life. my identity wasn’t that of a man or woman, just an officer serving their duty.

i felt like i was ready to move on to the next chapter of my life. and so, after leaving the army, i remarried. sadly, that decision didn't go well and i became a victim of domestic violence. in 2009 i met with a terrible car accident, sustaining 18 fractures and requiring multiple surgeries. but wait, it got worse - i lost my father to cancer right after, and i felt like i was back at my lowest point.

the grief of losing my dad, domestic violence, and the long recovery collectively screamed at me: give up! but i had come too far in life to give up now. yes, finding the courage to leave was difficult but i walked out of that marriage. and while that was a brave step, it came with consequences. i was diagnosed with clinical depression, grappling with feelings of unworthiness and self-doubt. i started running as a coping mechanism. 

today, life feels good. i was crowned mrs. india in 2017, i’ve run more than ten marathons after a life threatening accident, and am currently pursuing a law degree. i also solo travel and work for charities supporting war widows and cancer patients.

in all of this, i have realised that when you stop relying on others for validation, when you take control of your own destiny and trust your gut, you finally become who you were always meant to be. as people, as women, the constant need for external validation has made us all fragile. so i say, women, be who you are, the world needs to come around to you being you and not the other way round. get up every morning and show up - for yourself.”

leap.club is a network built for strong, resilient and ambitious women. head to leap.club to join capt. shalini and 25,000 others in this journey.

for aeons, women have worked hard to vie for visibility in industries where, ironically, they were always meant to thrive. for women, fitness is more than just staying physically healthy. it is about feeling strong, confident, and discovering the true self — pushing the body and unearthing who you can become. at leap.club, we’re proud to have a community of over ~1800 women from the field of fitness, and we are here to leg-up the achievements of some dynamic women in the community.

manasa kannan, risk consultant at pwc & part-time pilates + women's health coach

manasa is an inclusive pilates instructor and women's health coach. she embarked on this fitness journey due to her struggles with PCOS and the diverse challenges associated with hormonal imbalances women may face. she aims to create a safe and confident atmosphere for women around within the exercise environments they participate in. her goal is to help women develop a positive relationship with exercise, and dismantle body image insecurities along the way.

vrinda sharma rosenberg, lawyer turned yoga instructor

a legal practitioner for renowned law firms and corporates in india by day and teaching yoga to a global clientele virtually by night, vrinda has been practising yoga for 8+ years and is certified by the world's oldest and most prestigious yoga institute  - the yoga institute, mumbai. she began teaching to friends and family, only to realize that she was determined to pursue yoga as a full-time career. she specializes in hatha, ashtanga, yin, and pre/postnatal yoga. featured on hindustan times, fitelo, tata sky, and various digital platforms, she enjoys creating content and educating the masses about the benefits of yoga. when she is not on the mat, you can find her taking long walks, at a vegan restaurant, or planning her next trip.

dr. richa kulkarni, international sports physiotherapist

an international sports physiotherapist and an ergonomics advisor, richa has been a physiotherapist for two international national soccer teams of timor leste. she has also worked for afc women’s asian cup 2022, fifa u-17 women’s world cup 2022, and special olympics world games berlin 2023. with 13 years of experience in her field and has been on national as well as international platforms promoting the benefits of keeping the body active. she has been an athlete since childhood so fitness always came to her naturally, from the tender age of 8 years. a runner by nature, she took on badminton as her game because she could see herself winning competitive badminton tournaments.

sonakshi dhamija, founder of the shala delhi

what started as a brief break from studies and assignments turned out to be a lifelong journey of self-exploration for sonakshi, who has been practising yoga since 2015. end of the semester at college and she realised the true potential of ashtanga yoga method to relieve stress and sharpen the mind. the personal growth and transformation that she has experienced with her practice nudged her to share it with others. she believes yoga stood by her and helped her safely sail through some of the most difficult times in her life. in her free time, she likes to read, travel, take her dog to sundar nursery, have delicious coffee, and watch (only) recommended shows!

shikha singh, fitness & nutrition coach

shikha is an internationally certified fitness & nutrition coach and a national powerlifter. she is also a fit india ambassador who aims to make as many women healthy and fit as she can. she provides online training and has worked to transform the fitness journeys of 500+ women across the globe. she loves to travel and take adventurous trips and is an ardent lover of dancing.

divyanka bedi, founder & coach at the space - fitness studio

from climbing mountain peaks to acing fitness journeys, divyanka has always been drawn to challenges. a certified personal trainer and ‘strength and conditions’ coach who focuses on building resilient women and helping people regardless of their age, sex, or shape, she believes that the first step towards fitness can always be less daunting if designed so. she co-founded the space — a fitness centre in mumbai, a safe space where they transform lives through intelligent, compassionate coaching by prioritising physical and mental well-being. her practice is not about pushing limits or achieving unrealistic beauty standards; it's about finding joy in movement, building confidence, and thriving together.

akshata joshi, the first-ever fletcher-pilates teacher in india

akshata joshi is the founder of ‘pilates with akshata’ where she teaches fletcher pilates. she is also a professional movement artist. before she decided to pursue the comprehensive fletcher pilates teacher's training program in arizona in 2016, she never really took to fitness as a fad. she believes that fitness is more of a necessity in her life to be able to continue dancing and gaining deeper knowledge about the body, anatomy, movement, and its nuances. she loves trying new movement styles and seeing how they all connect and support each other on a basic level. her aim with these classes is to help educate people about their bodies and how being fit is beyond how you look.

leap.club is a network built for ambitious women. head to leap.club to join these powerhouses and 25,000 others in this journey.

“born in delhi to a conservative, middle-class baniya family, i'm the youngest of two brothers. in a house where i saw my cousin’s end goal of finding the right husband, sports became my career path - thanks to my dad. at the age of 4, i became a national champion in the under-6 skating category. it felt like my calling. but in 1996, when my coach moved to kerala, my father enrolled me in tt classes. my childhood changed forever – waking up at 4:45, rigorous training, missed school buses, and a forever-packed schedule. 

dealing with stereotypes and facing resistance from family didn’t make it any easier. my grandmother didn’t like me wearing shorts or going out to play with boys. conflicted between the athletic persona on the court and societal expectations at home, the struggle was real. 

when i was 8, my father took me to watch the asian championship at talkatora stadium in delhi. days later, i returned home to find a tt table! the same one used in the asian championship finals. despite financial constraints, my dad spent rs 12,000 on it and on my low days, i keep going back to this moment.

in 1998, i won my first big trophy in the delhi state tournament, but the glassdoor moment for me was the victory at the national championship in baroda in 2001. after two decades, someone from delhi had won, and that someone was me. it changed the course of my life – standing on that podium to receive the trophy, i could taste the sweetness of success and the path seemed very clear to me; i wanted to make india proud and see our flag rise high. at that very moment, i dreamt of representing india in the olympics but the journey after wasn't a walk in the park. in a world of cricket fans, i chose table tennis - a niche sport that nobody took seriously. as a woman, i hardly experienced sisterhood, everyone i knew was a competitor, not a companion. it was a very lonely journey filled with self-doubt but i kept my focus and invested every drop of sweat in turning that dream into reality. it's safe to say that with each passing day, i inched closer, holding the title of a four-time indian junior national champion.

in 2003, an article about me headlined – "waiting for 2008 olympics"

fast forward to 2007, i became the number 1 table tennis player in india for seniors and played to qualify for olympics in hong kong. three girls were shortlisted and i beat the other two, earning my spot at the olympics at just 18. things were pretty low-key until i landed in delhi. the newspapers were filled with my story, and a huge crowd came to welcome me. that's when it hit me – i was one of the youngest olympians heading to beijing.

qualifying for the olympics was a massive deal, and although we enjoyed the celebration, it was back to training the next day. in sports (and in life) there's not much time to celebrate - you're only as good as your last shot.

after rigorous training for months, finally came the day of the opening ceremony. imagine, 10,000 people cheering for you, and all you can see are flashes of camera lights. in that instant, everything felt worth it – all those countless hours of hard work, the millions of times i cried. it was like every struggle and effort had led to this unforgettable moment. 

i was all pumped up for my match because, well, i'd already beaten my opponent twice in the world championship before. it felt like a great start but walking into that stadium, carrying the indian flag, my heart was racing. i started off leading, but then i lost. the hype, the excitement, it all deflated in just 30 minutes. when the score was announced, i was shattered. i had dreamt of that olympic moment my entire life, worked tirelessly for it, and when it finally arrived, i lost to a player i had defeated just two months earlier.

in sports, the spotlight is unforgiving. winning means glory in front of a cheering crowd, but losing means facing not just the disappointment in the stadium, but also the probing questions of the media. it was a crushing blow but i had to put up a brave face and walk through the media room. at 18, giving interviews after such a loss was a daunting task. crying for hours, i called home, seeking solace, but nothing could ease the pain and it took me some time to get over it.

now, reflecting back, i analyse why i lost – inadequate mental readiness and if i could redo it, i'd change my training pattern.

after the olympics, life took a turn for me. i kept playing, trying my best, putting in the hard work, but the victories just weren't coming. i tried everything – changed coaches, moved to another city, practised mental training, just holding onto the belief that i would make a comeback. i was in depression and reached a point where i even attempted to harm myself. when you go from being a celebrated athlete to losing unexpectedly, it's brutal. 

by october 2012, my confidence was shattered, i even considered quitting but my mentor, sharath kamal suggested giving myself three months to prepare for the nationals before making a final decision. it was a turning point. i took the pressure off, stopped obsessing over winning, and went back to basics – my original technique. my mental training helped eliminate the fear of losing, and i approached the nationals with a calm mind and a renewed sense of freedom. the first few matches were tough, getting used to my old style again, but soon, everything clicked.

the result? i not only won the 2013 national championship trophy but also bagged the title of 'unbeatable.' it was a tough game, and i played well. winning when you have nothing to lose is a different kind of triumph. i cherish this victory even more than the olympics because everyone, including me, thought i was finished. looking back, that time of comeback gives me strength. 

after the 2013 win, i reclaimed my spot in the indian team and received my blazer. before that, it felt like i was naked. wearing it, the first thing i did was take a picture in front of my trophy cabinet. it felt like i had regained my pride and honour. it finally felt complete. 

however, that moment of triumph was short-lived. a training mishap resulted in a serious back injury. i felt like my life was over, fearing that i might never play table tennis again but after improper rest, as i participated in subsequent matches, i realised i didn't have it in me anymore. i tried everything—comebacks, dealing with injuries and always wondered why we weren't winning. recognising my calling to help create strong athletes and ensure future generations get the training and support we missed, i decided to retire at 25. i pursued my masters in sports management from columbia university, worked at the united states olympics committee, the international table tennis federation, and now at olympic gold quest. i still miss the incredible highs that sports gave me; there's no feeling quite like it. however, i'm in a good and comfortable space now.

life feels good, my career is on track, and my goals are crystal clear. i finally have my feet under me. however, the pressure of considering motherhood has knocked on the door. the biological clock, as indra nooyi aptly puts it, starts ticking just when you reach the pinnacle of your career. but why does it have to tick? why do i have to consider it today or tomorrow? at 34, all i get asked is, "what's family planning looking like?" or people look at me like i'm selfish in choosing my career. it's disheartening that motherhood has become a compulsion and not a choice. it has made my journey complicated, but here's the thing—i'll make the decision when i'm 100% confident.

what i’d love to tell young women is to dare to dream. often, we set limits on our aspirations, confined by societal expectations. in 2003 i dreamt of playing in the olympics, and by 2008 i was doing it. the difference? i dared to dream when others hesitated. even after my retirement, when the spotlight dimmed, i held onto the belief that i could transition, bring change, and, most importantly, stay true to myself without seeking everyone's approval. remember, you don't have to please everyone. be real, follow your dreams, and let the world catch up with your extraordinary journey.”

leap.club is a network built for ambitious women. head to leap.club to join neha and 25,000 others in this journey of a lifetime.

1. we grew from ~9000 members to ~25,000 members in the last 12 months. to be honest, we don't know if we should be happy about this number. we missed our year end target, but we also feel 2023 was the best year for us as it taught us so much. as founders and founding team members, we always keep aiming for more and often tend to forget to celebrate the smaller victories. here’s us taking a pause, and patting our backs.

2. our sales world (how we onboard new members on the platform) changed dramatically. we built a fantastic sales team that had phone conversations with our first ~10,000 members for the first 2.5 years. over this period we had conversations with at least 40,000 women to talk about leap.club and more importantly understand their goals and aspirations. this helped us build leap.club with community as our core - but we ran into challenges. the model was heavily people dependent and couldn't scale + the team (all brilliant minds) got fatigued after a few months. so we took the hard call of taking our revenue to 0 and completely moved to selling memberships online in january this year. we tried trial memberships too but realised that our users needed to be patient with the product and hence (after a bunch of trials with pricing) increased the fee and moved to a lifetime membership. in july we welcomed 2400 new members which was a record for us.

3. we did the second big marketing campaign in leap’s history and this time with some popular faces and a legend. the campaign with zeenat aman and sayani gupta was a hit on socials and we welcomed almost 6000+ members in the subsequent couple of months post the campaign. zeenat aman even did a face to face session with our members in bombay that was no filter and full of fire. we worked with a lot of influencers to amp the campaigns and talk about what leap.club really is for the first time in 3 years. while we loved every single person we worked with, only 2/15 influencers really ‘worked’ for us (dm us to know who did).

   the next time - we might skip overspending on influencer amplification and go straight for sustained social campaigns

needless to say - these couple of months were full of crazy for us and we created infinite memories that will stay with us forever.

4. speaking of meta - we invested heavily in meta ads and were always cac positive → which means we were earning more than we were spending. sounds great, right? it did to us too, but early december we pulled the plug on all our paid ads. we learnt that:

a) we were not building a brand in the meta cac chase. only a strong brand will help us get to 100,000 members and beyond.

b) we hit a ceiling with the new members joining us via meta and couldn't scale this source beyond a point. 

our biggest learning from the last 10 months of running ads? there are no shortcuts to growth and money/ads cannot substitute long term brand building + organic growth. we have outlined a few ideas for 2024 which will help us drive our mission home + build the brand right. oh, and since we love spoilers, here is a teaser:

5. ‘jobs by leap.club’ was supposed to be big for us, but it didn’t take off. not going to lie, this hurt. we have india’s most ambitious women on our platform as members + there is already a lot of hiring that happens organically - so getting great employers to recruit our members was a no brainer in our heads. we patiently built a super product, got some of the best employers (bcg, coke, gartner, zomato and 120 more), but numbers wise - demand and supply just didn't take off. our timing wasn't the best as companies were not recruiting super actively this year + people were not moving jobs as much. in hindsight, today we think that maybe our members do not associate leap.club with jobs. leap.club for them is a community, a feeling, and a place. a place where they learn from each other, build genuine relationships and form friendships. the majority were not looking for ‘jobs’ on leap.club. we have to build on what’s unique to us and delight our members better in that realm. some might think we didn’t give it enough time, but we shut jobs down after 9 whole months of working very hard on this product and dreaming about it for 4 years. this decision was easily the toughest one we had to take this year.

6. we shipped, shipped and then shipped some more. and fast. 2023 was definitely a breakout year for us in terms of tech & product. our tech became a lot more stable - lesser bugs and quicker releases. we launched circles - a way for members to build their online or offline micro communities; we worked hard and launched new algos for posts and polls that members see; new profile pages; new onboarding; universal string search; pros (connecting you with vetted professionals for high demand services); smoother event booking and transferring flow and so much more. our online community + the app are critical to leap.club and with 50%+ monthly active users - our members seem to agree too.

7. as a team, we were guilty of changing goals too often, and learnt that our north star can't change. we started to make the ‘levers’ that will take us forward, as our goals, and this was a mistake. for example, one of the goals we spoke about a lot internally was 100,000 members. but we realised that we can't chase the number alone. these come to us if we do everything else right. our only north star goal today is - member love. if women love leap.club, we will hit 1 million members. everything else like x events/month, x more circles, a better app are just levers that get us to our north star. for leap.club - only member love makes us win and that is the only thing we have to obsess about.

9/10 ideas might not work and that’s ok; but we have to continuously innovate, take risks, fail fast, move fast - but, gotta think through all risks. we have to truly imbibe being patient with ideas, and impatient with execution.

8. 2024 is all about orbit change and truly crack pmf. startups take time to hit pmf. it does not happen in the first couple of years, and we are on our own journey. we always say that we have a concept market fit but have to work harder to crack + scale product market fit. women love the fact that they can meet other women via our online community, and our events build genuine friendships and professional connections. we have to go deeper and make this 100x easier and delightful for all kinds of women in india. we have to decide whether the community is our product or do we build something on top of it (like how we tried with jobs); do we go deeper into offline events?; do we chase revenue via # of members/scale or higher revenue from a smaller base? honestly, these are not easy questions and currently keep us up at night.

9. we went from a 55-person team at the start of the year to 20 people today. sounds a little scary, we know. well it was, but for a short time. being a lean team is always good and we took our time to think through which roles were critical for us and which weren’t.

   all of us internally took a little time to come to terms with the smaller team, but it’s always important to remember that growth or culture is not about how large the team is, or how many offsites we do. these are, again, just levers that get us to our goals. and levers evolve. people are probably the most important lever and building a great culture is always p1 for us. but the truth is, people and roles need to evolve too. we made some mistakes in 2023 but we are not killing ourselves for it. we took the best calls that we could given the variables at play at the time.

   growth for the team, business tailwinds, and independent + purposeful work will form the cornerstone of our culture in 2024.

   ps. we are hiring for social media, finance and events - 📧 jobs@leap.club

10. time for a humble brag and our mvp this year - we (read: the team) kinda killed it with events. we hosted 3 leap (af)fairs across delhi, bombay, bangalore with 1000+ women at each event, a christmas brunch at 5 cities - all at the same time, the annual leap day across 16 cities in 4 countries, worked with brands like cococart, l’occitane, myntra to host brand-led events, cracked multiple formats of learning + social led events across delhi, bombay, bangalore, pune and hyderabad. tldr - hosted 99 events across 365 days. 

    we’ve said this before (and most likely will say it again) but members continue to be our best catalyst in elevating leap.club. this year, we took building with our members to another level by introducing circles - a feature that empowered members to host their own events, and meet up with each other in ways we could not predict. from wine and dine sessions to travel plans, ahmedabad to london - our members hosted 400+ events by themselves.

    fun fact, some of the member-led online workshops saw a lot more attendance and member love than big, moonshot speakers.

we are grateful for where we are as a company and proud of how far we have come. startups are tough, ambiguous and frustrating for most part. founders get most of the glory but the founding team is equally part of the grunt and the grind, and we are lucky to have people who truly build leap.club like their own. we know that what we do is not easy, but we also know that what we do impacts the lives of thousands of women and will hopefully impact millions in the years to come. so here’s to continuing to challenge the status quo, and to building a generational company in the long run ‘cause honestly:

- ragini, anand and your friends at leap.club

my family was all about medicine, so even though a future as a doctor was ingrained in me early on, thankfully, my elder sister took that path, giving me a way out. yet, as the younger one, i often felt i wasn't doing enough.

the notion that my identity depended on my ‘professional success’ was a heavy burden to carry. my dad was a fairly well-known eye surgeon so i always had this need for validation, and linked professional excellence to personal worth - a perspective i now consider unhealthy.

all these factors (in their own way) led to defining who i am today. i opted for law, which not only allowed me to leave home but eventually took me around the country, and then the world - a big leap for a konkani like me!

one day, reflecting on my return to india in 2018 fresh from australia, where i had access to great skincare options, a realisation struck me. there was a real lack of effective & superior skincare solutions in india and i wasn’t alone in feeling this void. to be honest, i didn’t think much of it back then.

but in february 2019, i found myself at my lowest points in life, personal and professional. i was at crossroads of choosing my next career step, do i take on a new job in the legal field or should i take the leap in entrepreneurship and do what my heart’s been after for so long? sometimes being at your lowest, gives you an irrational sense of limitless courage. because at your lowest, you can’t go any lower. so the only way is upward, right? this irrational sense of courage, gave me the push to finally decide that i will take a stab at entrepreneurship, and start my own skincare brand.

the void i was seeing in the skincare industry in india, and the endless thoughts of market gaps were already floating in my head, and i felt a surge of passion for solving this pain point. i blindly took the bold decision of booking a one way ticket to korea and decided to just put one step in front of the other and figure this out. landed in korea with no language understanding, with no contacts, or understanding of the beauty landscape - i made a fake business card and started knocking on doors. 

what followed is a 4 years long journey to what is today d’you.

bootstrapped and profitable in a year, d'you was born out of a clear vision. the initial capital was wisely invested in product development, with a small team where i wore multiple hats – from ceo to peon, ensuring a frugal yet efficient operation. this allowed us to focus on creating a product that spoke for itself.

it took us sixteen months to get the formulation right for our first product (hustle). that’s the thing with a clear vision - you don’t mind the hard things to do right by the vision. 

soon we were all set for the big launch in march 2020, and bam! covid-19 crashed the party. everything went haywire. borders started closing down, and i found myself in a state of complete paralysis. the realisation that i had nothing to do hit me hard!

admittingly, i didn't handle it well initially and struggled to cope. all the preparations we had made were put on hold, and to make matters worse, there was no clear timeline for when things would get back on track. it was a tough period of uncertainty and waiting.

but i sailed through, despite how isolating it got and the sacrifices it demanded. there were multiple moments of self-doubt, especially when comparing our approach to brands that launch multiple sku’s annually. 

but you know how they say “when things are falling apart, they may actually be falling into place”? this turning point not only opened doors for d'you, but also brought the right people into my life, including my then boyfriend and now husband :)

as a founder in the midst of uncertainty, seeing other entrepreneurs effortlessly manage their time with family, friends, and even dogs, i tried to address the self-doubt & comparison by reminding myself of the essence of why i started d'you – not to contribute to market clutter but to provide superior formulations.

of course, all of that got much easier when d’you experienced the ‘alia moment’. it was a culmination of recognition and motivation, and ngl, truly a surreal experience. it significantly reaffirmed our faith that we as a team are on the right track. and obviously the sudden increase in demand and traction followed.

luckily, our manufacturing could keep up, but we had to carefully manage our stock. it started in february 2023, and by mid-may, we were briefly out of stock for about 10-15 days. it was hard to believe that we went from failed launch plans to trying to keep up with demand.

with every good thing, a little bit of bad also comes along. after getting a lot of attention in the market, haters and naysayers show up, especially with celebrities. anti-fan clubs and customer hate also happens, with people saying, "oh, you're just banking on alia's brand popularity."

this wasn't a “marketing strategy” by us, it was real love for our product by someone with a strong voice. a product the team spent blood, sweat and tears building.

young female founders need to know one thing: even when you don't find a single person who believes in you, never stop believing in yourself. etch this truth in your hearts because the only person who will consistently have your back is yourself, and self-help is a real thing. believe in yourself so ferociously and blindly that you help yourself achieve your dreams, especially when stepping into new ventures like entrepreneurship.

when you're at the vision stage, it's very hard to sell it to anyone else; you have it in your head, but it's not taken a tangible form yet. do not stop cheering for yourself, even for a second, as that really pays off. it lights a fire in your belly, propelling you into action mode, and that's when things get done.

i was naive enough to never think d'you could have been a failure. that's the kind of blind faith you need to have in yourself, so back yourself up and just see the kind of magic that follows.”

leap.club is a network built for ambitious women. tap below to join shamika and 25,000 others in this journey of a lifetime.

leap.club

exclusively for members, this year’s leap day get-together saw over a thousand women gather across mumbai, delhi, bengaluru, hyderabad, pune, chennai, jaipur, chandigarh, ahmedabad, dubai, singapore, london, gurgaon, kolkata, surat and goa! 

the best part about this leap day? our member hosts! the events in 13 out of 16 cities were led by our very own community members: suchi and mohini from kolkata, shilpa from ahmedabad, shubhita and riya from jaipur, aanchal from chandigarh, snigdha from goa, dipali & sheetal from hyderabad, sanjana & pooja from surat, shradha, disha & maulika from pune, aakanksha from london, swati from dubai, priyanka & aanchal from chennai, and parul & sonal from singapore. (feel free to tap on their profiles & connect with them!)

fun fact: in addition to meeting in their respective cities, members engaged with each other across cities simultaneously online on zoom.

we continue to be amazed by some of the stories that come out of these events. here’s a peek that should give you a gist: 

2 women, both one-month old members from lokhandwala connected with each other via the app. one recently moved to mumbai from indore and the other was beyond helpful and supportive during her move. they quickly became close friends and came together for this one!

“i didn’t know anybody in my neighbourhood, and now i have 11 women i do everything with. you folks don’t even know how many lives you’ve changed!” said another member in gurgaon. this group of 11 began with 2 of them meeting at the leap (af)fair delhi during a speed networking session. they have now pulled more women in and have a big group that runs together, gets coffee, goes for movies, and so much more! they were beyond thrilled to hear about the upcoming “members near me” feature – but more on that later ;)

go ahead, bask in some more highlights from this iconic day:

here’s what members had to say:

we can’t end without a big, big shoutout to our fabulous venue partners the olive bar & kitchen group, and beverage partner hoegaarden who helped make this leap day special 🧡

for those of you who missed it, don’t worry! we’ve got loads of events coming up – head to the ‘events’ tab on our app to browse and register. to the rest of you, see you at the next one 👋

leap.club is a network built for women. tap below to sign up for a lifetime membership.

leap.club

we are on a mission to become a meaningful social-professional network for women across the world. and with that goal in mind, we are always shipping at leap.club. over the past 3 years, we have learnt that members primarily use leap.club to discover and connect with other women and companies. they build their professional network, crack partnerships, make career moves, find new friendships, form hobby groups (think workout partners or reading clubs) and so much more. our goal is to make all of this possible, as best as we can, so here’s how we’re making it happen: 

increased focus on easier discovery of other members to enable more connections and friendships

1. voice notes - linkedin introduced this feature a couple of years back to help us with correct name pronunciations and inspired us.

   

   we launched our own version of voice notes for all members, where they can record a note for other members who visit their profile. from introducing themselves better to calling out what they are looking for, to talking about their services & products - voice notes have allowed members to find and connect with like-minded women in a way that feels natural.

2. profile prompts - this one’s a popular feature already. think bumble, but leap.club edition! a mix of fun and professional prompts which you can answer. “what i order for the table” and “give me travel tips for” are crowd favourites. we love seeing members put their own spin on it :)

   

3. a comprehensive global search - yes, you read that right! you can now type anything on the search bar on top of the app, and browse through previous posts, discussions, jobs, companies, members - basically your own little pandora’s box. for eg: if you head to the search bar and type zomato, you will be able to see zomato’s company page, find posts on the feed about it, members who work there - and even open roles. our goal over the next quarter? taking this feature to the next level, and enabling searches like ‘designers open to work near me’ or ‘badminton players near me’.

   

4. fun and better profiles - profiles will now have a lot more info. whether a member is open to work/freelancing; hourly / retainer rates for consultants; links to linkedin, twitter, instagram, calendly, blogs; more pictures, andddd (taking a breath here) testimonials. members will be able to share and access all the info that they need to make new biz connections and friends. our north star goal is to make leap.club profiles the most shareable profile links on the internet for our members.

5. filter and sort - a host of sorting and filtering tools to help you land on the right members and get started.

6. members near me - (very) soon, you will be able to select your city or radius, and instantly discover leap.club members near you. our members use the platform to build their social circle through hobby groups, sports buddies, and make new friends. and we can’t wait to make all of this easier for you! 

we’re adding 1500-2000 new members every month and improving their first experience with us

we are (finally) moving away from our web form to onboard members directly on the app. now you can login, and build your profile, select your interests, goals and more, while we take you through everything the app has to offer. our idea is to customise your experience from day 1.
p.s. we are ramping up new member onboarding and soon hope to onboard 5000 new members/month. how we plan to do this - that’s probably another blog in itself. 

a bigger & better jobs section to help you make your next career move

1. high-quality jobs, more suitable roles for our member base, easier discovery - it’s all in the works. in the last 30 days we have onboarded many more partners - pepsico, epigamia, freshworks, atlan, schbang and ~30 others. we’ve launched a “jobs for you” section and are making this algo better. very soon, as part of the application process, you will be able to share your cv with the recruiters directly from the app too.

2. companies can now post about their culture, roles or anything else they want to talk about on our feed. you can follow any company and get notified every time they post a new role. we’ve also launched 50+ features for recruiters to scope better and hire fast. 

   shameless plug - if you’re keen to jump on the recruiter bandwagon - write to us on partners@leap.club 📧

clubs 

not everything is hunky dory on the app and we know that. we started clubs (earlier clubhouses) with the vision to bring like-minded women together, and despite it being one of our most-used features for the longest time, the feedback from majority members now is that there is a lot of content that fails to add value, which brings down member experience. we did our fair bit of experimentation here and tried to change things, but have not been to turn the experience around. we will now retire clubs and remove them from the app in the next 2-3 weeks. but here’s what to look forward to:
a. higher engagement on the feed and making discoverability and relevance better for posts 

b. contemplating “channels” (more deets below) 

ps. we loved watching conversations, relationships come alive in clubs, but we know there are better things waiting for us on the other side.

there’s a lot more brewing in our labs 🧪 💻

1. directories - think you’ve got a skill that fellow members might appreciate? we soon bring in ‘directories’ - a collated list of members who are open to help - for a fee (or free of cost if they choose to). think lawyers, finance folks, designers, techies, fitness instructors, coaches and more - you’ll find a curated list based on filters like cost, location, and experience. but that’s not all - we’re including social directories too, for members curious to discover new restaurants, to those interested in travelling together and more!

2. feed → home - the landing page on the app will become a proper home screen - browse member posts, easier search tools, events near you, open roles that match your profile, and active members near you. a one-stop-place for you to do what you are looking to do. yes, long time in the making :)

3. activities (working name) - did you know that in the last 6 months, our members have hosted 200+ online and offline events? we didn’t make it easy for them, but now we’re throwing the doors open. soon, you will be able to upload an online or offline event, workshop, activity and invite other members to participate; and engage with them with 0 interference from us. from bigger events like 50-100 women coming together to network, to smaller, intimate gatherings like a walk in lodhi garden or a book reading session at cubbon park for 5 people - members can now take their leap.club relationships to a different level. while many apps have tried solving the problem of matching people based on interests + location, we realised that leap.club members have been successfully doing this for a while. we are excited to bring this alive, and witness how big this can become.

4. expert-led offline events specially curated for leap.club members - our events are a hit - there, we said it! and while the team will continue to host you for many offline events, whether it’s leap (af)fair, leap day, or run-like-a-woman, we are now also curating offline events led by experts exclusively for our members. from old delhi food trails, to fitcations in the hills, to yoga workshops in goa - it’s all in the works. keen to organise one for members? events@leap.club 📧

5. channels for creators and premium members - we’d like to preface this by calling out that this is an “idea-in-progress” but we did still want to talk about it and know what you think. at leap.club, we have many women who want to share their experiences, build an audience, and talk about what they’re building. as part of that, we recently launched leap.club creators and invited 75+ women to share their insights with the community. but we also realised that our algorithms are still young, and often, high-quality content tends to get lost. this in turn discourages members to post/share. this led us to thinking of building custom channels for our creators, where they can post and interact with members who choose to follow them. thus, only they (or members selected by them) will be able to post, and channel owners can switch on/off comments and replies. this will enable channel owners to build an audience and allow members to not miss content by their favourite members. what do you think? should we do it?
   disclaimer - instagram beat us to this feature and launched something similar a couple of weeks back. but that’s ok, we’ll live with it.

6. recommendations, stores and perks - another feature that we have been debating for a while. the one thing that makes leap.club unique is the trust that members have on other members. they often lean on each other for tips on products, brands, travel, food and many other things. our members are looking to discover and try new brands + experiences. brands want to reach out to our users as it is a high quality audience. in fact hundreds of companies + founders have written to us wanting to talk about their product or service and use the power of our network to reach out to more women. but at the same time, we do not want to become just another marketplace.
   so we had our carrie bradshaw moment, and couldn’t help but wonder - is there is a world where we marry all of the above and lead with the trust that we spoke about? imagine a section where you can discover new women-led brands and businesses. members can recommend it to other members, based on their experiences. maybe you get a special discount to try the products too.

we feel recommendations can be a game-changer, but what really matters is what you think. please let us know? 

and on that note, we wrap (for now, of course)

we hope you are excited about what’s ahead for you and us. we’re sure the meme below will be a fair description of our product and tech team, but we still promise to ship fast, learn fast and come out stronger (yes, emphasis on the fast 🚀)

last note – until recently we thought of ourselves as a linkedin for women. but it didn’t take us long to realise that women do so much more (and build real relationships) than just build a professional network on our platform. we then started reimagining ourselves as a bumble bff + biz for women in india. member love tells us that the opportunity in front of us is infinite, and we truly have the potential to carve out a place where women can come together and more importantly - win together - socially, professionally and in life.

here’s to creating many more success stories, together! 💛

– anand, ragini and all your friends at leap.club

as you take the first few steps of your professional journey, you may have come across the term "mentorship." but what does it really mean, and how can it benefit you? let’s break this down!

at its core, mentorship is a powerful relationship where a more experienced individual provides guidance, support, and knowledge to those seeking it. 

it can take various forms: 

alright, that’s all great. but why should you seek out a mentor? 

firstly, mentorship offers you the opportunity to gain valuable insights, advice and feedback from experienced professionals who have already walked the path you're about to embark on. they can share their wisdom, knowledge, and lessons learned, helping you avoid common pitfalls as you navigate.

secondly, mentorship helps you build a network of like-minded individuals and industry connections. by having a mentor, you gain access to their network, which can open doors to exciting opportunities and help you expand your own professional circle. networking is not just about who you know, but who knows you!

lastly, mentorship can be a catalyst for expanding your career opportunities. a mentor can guide you in setting meaningful goals, honing your skills, and exploring different paths. they can provide you with industry insights, help you develop relevant competencies, and even connect you with potential employers. with their support, you can be better prepared to seize those amazing opportunities that come your way.

sold? as you should be. but how do you actually find these elusive mentors? 

start by leveraging your personal and professional networks. seek out individuals who inspire you or are already established in your field of interest. attend industry events, conferences, or seminars where you can meet professionals who share your passions. most importantly, don’t hesitate to just ask. 

now, how do you ensure that your mentorship journey is fruitful and rewarding? here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• set clear goals: define for yourself what you want to achieve through the mentorship and communicate these goals with your mentor. this will help guide your interactions and ensure you're on the same page.

• know what to ask: take the initiative to ask thoughtful questions and seek guidance on specific areas where you need support. remember, your mentor is there to help you. make the most of their expertise.

• be open to feedback: embrace constructive criticism and view it as an opportunity for growth. your mentor's feedback can be invaluable in shaping your skills and refining your approach.

• maintain regular communication: consistency is key! schedule regular check-ins with your mentor to update them on your progress, seek guidance, and share any challenges you may be facing. take ownership of your own growth – regular communication helps build a strong and trusting relationship.

remember, the world is waiting for your brilliance to shine, and with a mentor by your side, the possibilities are limitless. go out there, chase your dreams, and let mentorship be your guiding star ⭐

leap.club campus is a platform built only for women in undergrad and postgrad colleges. here’s where you can leverage the power of leap.club and get the right start to your career: access jobs & internships that matter, and mentorship hours with industry experts that help you move the needle.

tap below to sign up for the waitlist!

visit campus

– your friends at leap.club

find yourself in a catch-22 situation where you need experience to land your first job, but you’re daunted by the process of finding those opportunities to get there? we get it.
so what really is the solution here; how do you get the right start to your career? 

understanding what skills help in your first job:

when it comes to landing your first job, it's essential to understand what skills and experiences are valued by employers. while you may not have years of professional experience under your belt, you can leverage your internships, projects, and extracurricular activities to demonstrate relevant skills.

employers often look for qualities such as teamwork, problem-solving, communication, and adaptability. highlighting these transferable skills can make a significant impact on your job applications.

how to talk about your experience:

even if your internships or extracurricular activities seem unrelated to your desired career path, they still hold value. take the time to reflect on the skills you acquired and the challenges you faced during these experiences. when discussing them in interviews or on your resume, emphasize the transferable skills you developed and how they can contribute to the role you're applying for. employers appreciate candidates who can demonstrate a diverse skill set and a willingness to learn. 

when writing about your experience, be “results-oriented”: quantify your experience and put numbers to much as you can. here are some great examples of how you can get started. 

remember, it’s all about the narrative that you create around the experience that you do have! 

what to do when you feel like you "don't have any experience":

it's natural to feel discouraged when you perceive yourself as lacking experience. however, remember that experience comes in many forms, and it's all about how you present it. consider your academic projects, volunteer work, part-time jobs, or even personal projects that showcase your skills and dedication. don't underestimate the value of these experiences! 

be confident in sharing what you have accomplished and how it has shaped your abilities and mindset.

tips for gaining experience:

• seek out freelance or gig opportunities. these can be an excellent way to gain practical experience while still studying. look for platforms or websites that offer freelance projects related to your field of interest – you can even work for friends & family! this will help you build your portfolio and demonstrate your abilities to potential employers.

• take online courses or certifications: online learning platforms offer a wealth of courses and certifications that can enhance your knowledge and skills. identify areas where you feel you lack expertise and explore relevant courses. completing these courses demonstrates your commitment to continuous learning and equips you with industry-relevant knowledge.

• participate in relevant industry events: industry events such as conferences, seminars, or webinars provide excellent networking opportunities and a chance to learn from experts. attend these events, engage with professionals in your desired field, and make meaningful connections. even if you don't have direct experience, showing genuine interest and curiosity can leave a lasting impression.

don’t get bogged down. 

remember: with the right mindset and a clever narrative, you can make your cv stand out from the crowd.

everyone starts somewhere, and your determination, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn will set you apart. believe in your potential, and you'll be well on your way to forging a successful career path! 

leap.club campus is a platform built only for women in undergrad and postgrad colleges. here’s where you can leverage the power of leap.club and get the right start to your career: access jobs & internships that matter, and mentorship hours with industry experts that help you move the needle.

tap below to sign up for the waitlist!

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– your friends at leap.club