Her Voice: Vagesha Mahajan

Meet Vagesha Mahajan, a free spirited soul and a media professional who grew up in the beautiful mountains of Jammu & Kashmir. After graduating with a Mass communications degree, Vagesha left her hometown and moved to New Delhi despite her parents skepticism on a “television news career”. Since then she has worked in multiple top media houses like NDTV, CNBC and Times of India. Vagesha lives in Bangalore with her husband and her dog, Romeo.

Here, Vagesha candidly shares her personal & professional experiences, life lessons, and much more…..

How would you describe yourself ?

I want to say I am fearless. I am a woman who respects the idea of choice, an existentialist by belief, raised as a free-spirited individual. For an individual who hates change, I do go through change more than I can imagine or perceive and it always sparks an excitement mixed with the fear of the unknown. I am emotional but I am also pragmatic. I am a family oriented person, a foodie by heart, and a nature lover. In one word – ALIVE!

When did you realize that you really need to do something in life?

I have never gotten anything by just asking for it, I am a woman so there is generally a lot of convincing that goes into it. I wanted to pursue a television news career and my parents were not convinced, so I had to put numbers and a logical explanation of how it will turn out and I did it.

What sacrifices have you made along the way?

I have stayed away from my parents since I was 18 and I am sort of always homesick.

Did you ever face a time when you really struggled professionally or personally?

In a short span of 5 years in my career, I have been able to accomplish multiple things. But starting at a new place has always been the most difficult. Recently, I left a workplace because, in spite of people and me putting in a lot of effort, it just didn’t work… Knowing when to walk away from a toxic environment or relationship is very important. No person or career is worth putting you down mentally. I have come to the understanding that work is a part of life and sometimes it’s just shitty, you just can’t do anything about it, but if it’s that way majority of the time, it’s not right and you got to move on.

Now personal relations, although I still feel I am a little young to give advice but will share some experience here, I have moved out of a toxic relationship in the past which I stayed in for 4 years. That was one experience that made me stronger but it also takes away that sense of absolute trust you can have in people. It’s sad honestly, but it also kept the reality in check for me. Trust is very subjective; you are lucky when you find a person who has the same wavelength in terms of trust as you do. I am one such lucky person.

Do you experience self-doubt?

I am human, I definitely have self-doubt more than people who know me think I do.

It’s simple, have a tolerance level in life but don’t let anything destroy who you are. We think mistakes should be avoided but they will happen, you will make it, learn to get up and walk again.

What are the best and worst decisions you've ever made?

Oh! So many! The best would be to get married to my husband. The worst would be my recent job I got out of. Although, I am a firm believer of mistakes are what makes us human and what makes us grow.

Vagesha with her husband

Did you ever feel left behind because of your gender?

I do, over the small period of time in my career I have realized generally, women have to work twice as hard as men do. I have seen, women juggle multiple things and always trying to keep up, this adds a lot of strain mentally and physically. Especially, If you are an Indian woman that sense of responsibility and your household is just never taken away no matter how educated you are or how independent you are. I am lucky in some areas; I have some relief because my husband is a feminist and we do share the equal strain of work. But in the work front, men in my career do get more salary, ensured promotions and women do get left behind. There is still a gap.

Would you have done anything differently in terms of your career or personal life if you knew what you know now?

I really don’t think so, I think those good or bad decisions are exactly what makes me today and I don’t regret anything. Maybe just that I should have taken better care of my health.

What’s the biggest risk you have taken in your life?

Getting married was a leap of faith for me and by God’s grace it paid off. It’s a long story but in short, we absolutely have no common connection, we met just in one of those airport stories of two strangers talking and we got married a year later.

Who’s been the inspiring female figure in your life?

My parents, they have nurtured me into a kind soul and have made me realize the importance of a purpose in life.

Vagesha with her parents

I’ll name another person Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor of CNBC TV18 India. The organization was a place that people remember working in with a lot of fondness and the reason was that the boss lady was spectacular. She will sit with you share the lunch and then go back to work be polite and push you when the time is right. Under her wings, I have seen people grow and in a very positive way which is a difficult task to do.

What's the best advice you have ever received?

I have received couple of them actually, since fortunately, I have come across great teachers in my life

• If you are confused about something and not able to make a decision, think if you will be able to tell your parents about it, if yes tell them and go ahead. If No, think why and that’s your reason for walking away from that.

• Don’t jump to conclusions about another person by what someone else says about a person or their relations. You are a different person and you might be able to handle them better or worse. It’s good to be cautious but don’t let anyone cloud your judgment.

• There are always three sides to the truth yours’s, theirs’s and the truth. Hence the truth is subjective.

• Always get things in black and white at work, mails are your best friend.

What drives you crazy?

The unnecessary fakeness of people. It’s a short bloody life!! Be honest, be real you don’t like someone; you don’t like someone. I don’t mean that people should be rude or anything but just be real. If people would be a little more honest, they would save so much time and heartache in life.

What is success to you?

Well, finding the thing you are good at and then excelling at it would be the corporate answer I would go with.

But on a personal note, success to me is when you are in the position to help or facilitate someone in a difficult situation and make a change. There might not be any recognition in it but you would know the lives you have touched and made a difference in.

What do you like most about yourself ?

I am as straightforward a person as you can get, although I am trying to soften that a little but it’ just in my basic nature and I have grown to love it!

What advice do you have for other women or young girls?

Don’t be afraid to speak up! Speak your mind even if you are wrong you will learn, find a purpose that is solely yours, and don’t let society drive that purpose. Don’t be afraid to experiment a little, it’s good to know what you want.

Thank you so much, Vagesha!