At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring meaningful and powerful stories from India and around the world to empower and motivate our growing community. As part of this endeavour, we invited Rimita Basak for an exclusive interview with us. Rimita is a Coach and Founder at The Radical Edit (TRE). Let’s learn more about her background, journey and her advice for our community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Rimita:
Could you please talk us through your background and your journey?
I spent over 18 years building my career across global corporations, beginning at HP, then IBM and Capgemini, and spending the last decade at Amazon. My work focused on finance, controllership, operational excellence, and large-scale transformation. I grew up professionally in environments that demanded rigour, ownership, and high standards. Those years shaped how I think, how I make decisions, and how I show up under pressure.
Last year, I made a deliberate decision to step away from Amazon and build independently. I left at a peak, not a breaking point. By then, I had achieved what I set out to build in corporate, and I felt ready for a chapter that reflected who I had become.
Alongside my career, I had been navigating single motherhood and raising a son on the autism spectrum. That experience deepened my resilience and expanded my emotional intelligence in ways no corporate role could.
Today, I am building The Radical Edit, bringing together corporate discipline and emotional strength to help high-functioning individuals lead with clarity from the inside out.
How did you discover your passion?
It unfolded over time rather than through a single turning point.
Throughout my corporate career, especially in high-pressure moments, colleagues would come to me for perspective. Often, the real challenge was not technical. It was mental. It was emotional. It was about staying steady when expectations were high.
I began to see how powerful clarity could be. One grounded conversation could shift someone’s confidence, decision-making, or direction. That impact stayed with me. I became deeply interested in the internal side of performance, how capable people regulate themselves and think clearly under pressure.
Eventually, I realised I wanted to focus on that dimension more intentionally. That realisation became the foundation for this new chapter.
Despite the challenges, what keeps you going when things get tough?
Self-trust and perspective.
Eighteen years in global corporate environments teach you that complexity is normal. Pressure is not something to avoid; it is something to learn from. Over time, you build the ability to stay calm, assess the situation, and respond rather than react.
Personally, I have also moved through chapters that required endurance and adaptability. Each experience strengthened me. When uncertainty shows up now, especially while building something new, I see it as part of growth rather than a signal to retreat.
I trust the resilience I have built. That trust keeps me steady.
What are the three most important lessons you have learned in your life?
First, competence builds confidence. Real skill reduces fear and creates stability.
Second, boundaries are essential for sustainable success. High achievers often overextend themselves. Learning to protect your energy changes everything.
Third, success must feel steady internally. Achievement is meaningful, but if your inner world feels chaotic, it is incomplete. Alignment between performance and emotional balance matters.
In your opinion, what are the keys to success?
Clarity is foundational. When you know what you are building and why, your effort becomes focused.
Consistency is powerful. Small, disciplined actions, repeated over time, create real momentum.
Self-leadership is non-negotiable. The ability to regulate your emotions, make thoughtful decisions, and maintain credibility under pressure shapes long-term success.
And relationships matter. Your reputation, reliability, and integrity quietly compound over time.
What advice would you give students and young professionals who want to have a successful career?
Build depth before chasing visibility.
Develop capability before titles. Titles may come, but competence stays with you.
Invest early in communication. Clear thinking and clear expression are career multipliers.
Choose environments that challenge you and people who raise your standards.
And remember that careers are long. You do not need to prove everything in your first few years. Focus on growth, not comparison.
Last but not least, what about your journey makes it satisfying/exciting?
What excites me most is ownership and integration.
For 18 years, I built inside global systems. Now I am building something that reflects my voice and values. The Radical Edit is not separate from my corporate journey. It is grounded in it.
It feels satisfying because every chapter added depth, discipline, and perspective. It feels exciting because I now focus on helping capable individuals strengthen both their external performance and their internal clarity.
For me, that combination feels meaningful. It feels aligned. And it feels like the right evolution.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
