The moments that shape us are not always loud. Sometimes it’s a quiet look in a crowded room, a careless joke in the back of a Jeep, or the way a family talks about people who look like you.

Michelle opens up about growing up half Black and half Indian in Jamaica—immersed in Indian culture, carrying the family name, and still absorbing messages that her features and Blackness made her lesser. That gap between outward pride and inner doubt became the fuel for relentless performance: the grades, the scholarships, the accolades. Impressive on paper, exhausting in the soul.

We dig into how identity confusion hides beneath success and how early narratives become the script behind our masks. Michelle traces her first memories about her body—big lips, broad nose, thick thighs—and examines how those impressions hardened into insecurity. She names the internalized bias she heard as a child and shows how it bled into adult spaces, leading to overcompensation and perfectionism.

Instead of staying stuck in shame, she offers a practical identity audit: track the earliest feelings about yourself, identify the words you heard around your identity, and notice where you still shrink or strive for conditional acceptance.

This conversation is for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider in their own life while trying to meet someone else’s standard. We talk about turning survival masks into mirrors, integrating the parts of your story that hurt, and choosing rooms that welcome your full self. By reframing painful memories and honoring both lessons and blessings, you can shift from proving your worth to living from it.

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Message from Dr. Michelle Chanda Singh

I’m Dr. Michelle Chanda Singh, born in Jamaica, raised in a traditional Indian household where I never quite fit the mold. For over 40 years, I chased every expectation family, culture, society, collecting degrees, titles, and accolades. I had purpose and security, yet something was missing. I was achieving, not thriving.

As an award-winning global educator, Michelle finally realized that fulfillment doesn’t come from perfection, it comes from alignment. Today, she help high-achieving, culturally diverse women educators recognize how disengagement quietly steals their joy. Together, we break those patterns so you can redefine success on your own terms and lead with purpose, from fulfillment, not sacrifice.

That’s why I created this podcast, to tell my story honestly and unfiltered. The truths I buried, the patterns I tolerated, the lessons that set me free. But this isn’t just about me, it’s about you. Through these stories, you’ll see reflections of your own journey and uncover what’s been holding you back.

Join me as I disrupts disengagement, break the cycle of busyness, and learn to lead and live from a place of true joy and wholeness. It’s time to reclaim your power and thrive, not just survive.