Women We Love: 7 Questions with Hitha Palepu

Hitha Palepu has a multitude of titles: CEO, angel investor, board member, speaker, social media influencer, wife and mom. When I look beyond the titles, though, I see someone who inspires others to be braver, stronger, kinder and ready to claim their power. She is a force for good, speaking up when there are inequities and challenging us to not turn away from things that are hard. She is a beautiful human being and I’m excited for you to get to know her better through these 7 questions!

1. What time do you wake up? 

My alarm is set for 5:30, but I typically snooze until 6 am. 

2. Do you have a daily ritual you can’t live without? 

I have a few! I meditate when I finally stop hitting snooze, I go for a walk every day (weather permitting), and I read every evening. 

3. What are you working on right now that you’re excited about?

I'm SO excited for the release of my second book, We're Speaking: The Life Lessons of Kamala Harris. I'm also building an exciting venture with two fellow investors to help get more women investing in later-stage companies.

4. Do you have a productivity hack that you swear by?

It sounds a little strange, but I will prop up my phone out of reach and film myself working in hyperlapse. It forces me to let go of my phone, and I'm able to focus on the items on my to-do list instead of mindlessly scrolling on my phone.

5. What do you love about your career?

Whenever I was asked "so what do you want to be when you grow up" as a kid, I would rattle off a number of things and the adult who asked it always responded "but sweetie, you can only have one career." 6-year-old Hitha had the wisdom to reject that notion. I love that I get to do all the things that light me up - help develop life saving medicines, write books and create content that I hope will help you live your best life, help explain complex things in a respectful, informed manner. I work best with a full plate filled with different things, and I feel very lucky to have this multi-hyphenated career that I have.

6. What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? 

One of my favorite Peloton instructors Robin Arzón signs off some rides with "may your rest be revolutionary." Rest should not be a reward, but a given. We tend to glorify hustle and grit and working around the clock that taking a break or recharging can sometimes be perceived as weak. I've found that it's the opposite, and creating rituals of rest and recharging (and actually doing them during the day) is as important as closing big deals or writing thousands of words in a day.

7. What could you never give up? 

COFFEE.

To read about more women that I love and admire, check out @fran_hauser 🥰