Rupa Karyampudi's Secret Sauce for Success

1. Who are you? What's your story?

I am a lawyer and workplace investigator at Mortimer Khoraych Workplace Investigations. My path has been a winding road filled with twists and turns, and my role as a workplace investigator is my most recent pit stop. Before my current job, I was mainly practising disability insurance litigation. I co-founded a law firm focused on this practice area and ran my own practice for many years. At the same time, I was also a part-time professor teaching social justice law at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law.

Before going to law school, I planned to be a scientist and completed my Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. As much as I was interested in science, I decided to go to law school as I felt the law would fit my personality better.

I have always let my curiosity take me where I wanted to go. One of my strengths is having a growth mindset and always wanting to learn new skills and new things.

2. What's your definition of success?

Success is different for every person. When I was younger, I measured my success by external validation and how I thought society perceived me, particularly in my career. As I grew older, my definition of success changed to how happy and satisfied I was with my life as a whole.

For me, success means living life as an adventure, following my curiosity and learning. It means nurturing my connections with others and nature, challenging myself to try new things, and living mindfully.

3. How did you achieve success?

I achieved success (and continue to achieve success) in three ways: having a growth mindset, nurturing connections, and resilience.

Having a growth mindset means always being curious, whether it is about new topics, skills, or people. Nurturing connections means maintaining relationships in all aspects of my life - professional, friends, and family. Relationships are like plants - without proper care, they will not grow and wither away. Resilience means taking risks and having the grit and determination to work through difficult situations. It also means recognizing that failure is inevitable and necessary to achieve your goals.

4. What's your secret sauce for success?

My secret sauce is regular self-reflection and mentorship. I have had the help of a fantastic career coach and many inspiring mentors who have helped me to realize my strengths and priorities in my professional and personal life. This resource has helped me a lot, as sometimes you need an outside perspective to help you formulate your thoughts. I reflect and check in with myself every quarter to review if I am working towards my goals and what steps I need to take to get back on track.

5. How do you prioritize peace?

I prioritize peace by telling myself to be a tree - stay grounded, keep growing, and know when to let go. Being grounded means recognizing that a lot of luck and privilege has brought me to where I am, and I could not do it alone. Growing means having a growth mindset and constantly keep challenging myself. Knowing when to let go means letting go of things that no longer suit my goals.

6. Anything else you would like to share?

As a professor and a mentor to many young lawyers, I often advise law students and new lawyers to reflect on their strengths and genuine interests. It is so easy to be influenced by your peers, society, and your family, and many young people get swept downstream, finding themselves in jobs and practice areas that they are not happy with. Following an alternative or different path takes work and feels like swimming upstream, but it is important to remember that it is never too late to take a new direction.