There is not an iota of doubt in the fact that Upasana Kamineni Konidela’s professional life reflects her personal life as well, in terms of her values, her thoughts and definitely her lifestyle. At a very young age, she has gone on to achieve several pathbreaking milestones with her work with the Apollo Foundation and ‘URLife’. Today, Upasana is a highly successful entrepreneur who focuses on sustainable businesses and promotes several green-skilling initiatives that work with indigenous tribal communities of India but at the same time, she continues to serve hundreds and thousands of people in the medical field.
In an exclusive conversation with NW18, Upasana gave us a sneak peek into her multi-faceted life starting from all her initiatives, the mantra that keeps her going, to being in the public eye at all times and dealing with the constant scrutiny and much more.
Excerpts From The Interview
Congratulations are in due because you are expecting your first child, but there is so much travelling involved in your life and you have so many engagements lined up, how do you manage everything?
So, it is just all about priorities and managing your own life and now virtual meetings have become a norm and people prefer that. So, keeping that in mind it is very important to prioritise your day and of course, my personal well-being is also a priority, so keeping that in mind I schedule my day and my work has not taken a beating and has actually improved and we have seen our productivity go up, we have had a great year, so work-wise it is good but this year is all about my husband and his work.
Do you have a mantra in life, what keeps you going?
The first mantra is to have clarity of what you want, so know what your goals are. If you are clear about what you want then after that you can jot down and prioritise what you need to do. I think that has helped me a lot and I am very proud to say that I have had a lot of coaching.
You are someone who has always believed in creating sustainable businesses that are also rooted in social welfare, how did that journey come into being, what triggered you to venture into this arena?
So, I think that everyone should think like that, considering our state, our future and the consumption that we as human beings are making in terms of the planet and people’s time. I think we have to become more conscious about what we are doing, what we are consuming and what our actual needs are. Luxury has to be redefined, luxury is when we make an impact on the people and the planet and our own well-being. We need to redefine a lot of things that mean for us in terms of business, art and luxury, that should be the goal in life. Keep questioning things because if we do not then the people around you and the planet will suffer eventually.
You have grown up in a family that has such inspirational people in it, growing up I am sure you have learnt so much from each of your family members. What are some of your key takeaways and how do those learnings come into work when you are cultivating your business?
The first thing that I learnt from my grandfather (Dr. Prathap C. Reddy) is discipline, at 90 he still goes to work. The thing is what we need to do is have clarity and discipline and then we are in the service business, people trust their lives with us and that is what we also do. We need to have a clear conscience, we need to be clean and pure and understand what their needs are. Taking care of people, having empathy and understanding their point of view is something that I have learnt very strongly from my family. These are basic things that can really help a business grow and keep a legacy growing.
You are also extremely vocal about women’s health issues, what do you think are some of the stereotypes that need to be shunned in the same field?
There are so many stereotypes, but currently, in the kind of state I am in, I think people should not think that pregnant women are not productive. I feel though they have six months of maternity if they really want they can still be hands-on even at work. A lot of my aunts and my mother have worked till the last minute as well, I am not saying that everyone should because everyone’s body is different but I am saying that a pregnant woman has the ability to be as productive as anyone else. I am entering my fifth month and I am doing my best.
As women we are constantly under scrutiny, our lives are being analysed at all times and I am sure it is even worse for someone like you who is constantly under the public eye. How do you come out of it? Do comments about your personal life get to you and what do you do to push them away and lead your normal life?
Well, after 10 years of being with an actor, I think I have grown a very thick skin, so it does not affect me that much as long as I am being true to myself and true to my family and the people around me. I am very clear about what I want to do, and my purpose in life, so none of these comments bother me but of course, I am human. There are some days when I have ups and downs and it does bother me at times and at that point, I just delete the comment or block the person, I think that is a great tool that social media has for us.
Keeping criticism aside, what do you think is that one thing that people can pick up from you and inculcate into their lives?
Do not let it bother you, I know it is easier said than done but as long as you are true to yourself it works. Your opinion about yourself is way more important than anyone else’s opinion.
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