Power, Rewritten: Mother. A Banker. A Storyteller.
- Jul 3
- 7 min read
Updated: Aug 5
Sonia J Arora
Senior banking professional with 20+ years of global experience across major banks and financial institutions, including BNP Paribas, Standard Chartered, and GE Money.
Co-founder of the Joy Story Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to purpose-driven, collective philanthropic initiatives.
Award-winning screenwriter recognized by Oxford, London, Tokyo, and Hollywood screenplay competitions.
Named one of the 2024 Global Women of Influence by Singapore-based publisher. Global Influencers Publishing House.
There are stories we’re handed.
And there are stories we choose to write.
This is the story of a woman who chose not to limit herself to just one role. Not out of ambition to do it all, but from a quite but strong belief that strength wears many faces—each with its own power to awaken the different facets within us.
From boardrooms to bedtime stories, from market risks to screenplay drafts, she has walked two seemingly separate worlds—and built a bridge connecting a meaningful path.
In this conversation, we explore what it means to lead with logic and live with meaning.
When Discomfort Leads
🎤 Looking back, what has been your most unexpected teacher?
Uncomfortable situations. They’ve been my most powerful teachers.
When plans unraveled or expectations went unmet, I was pushed beyond my comfort zone—and discovered parts of myself I didn’t know existed.
These moments, often disguised as disruptions or failures, didn’t just teach me; they reshaped me.
Some of my biggest risks involved stepping into unknown territory where I knew no one. I faced cultural shocks and challenges, but it was in those moments that I adapted and eventually thrived.
What once felt like a setback became the making of me. These experiences gave me the confidence to advocate for bold steps—because growth rarely lives in comfort.
Letting Go to Begin
🎤 When did your career take an unexpected turn, and what did it reveal?
I had just resumed my career in a new country while pregnant with my child when tensions arose in the workplace—driven by organizational dynamics and a breakdown in communication.
That moment tested my courage. Standing firm for what I knew was right—especially in such a vulnerable time—showed me that courage isn’t optional when values are at stake.
Walking away brought a deep sense of liberation. It marked the end of a role, but more importantly, the beginning of a more intentional chapter in my life.
Looking back, it was a pivotal moment—a moment of clarity about the power of letting go and living in alignment with my values.
It revealed my capacity to release what no longer served me and reclaim my story.
🎤 In the midst of that emotional and professional turning point, what helped you stay rooted?
Motherhood, paradoxically, made me stronger.
I was at a crossroads—facing a tough workplace, a major career decision, and the emotional shift of becoming a mother.
I drew strength from the quiet resilience of the women before me:
my grandmother, who pursued her career at great cost, and my mother, who chose full-time caregiving.
What once felt like competing priorities—career and caregiving—became complementary sources of strength. Their different choices became my compass, showing me that resilience takes many forms.
I didn’t abandon ambition or personal life—I redefined it, on my own terms.
Wholeness Over Balance
🎤 How did you manage to stay true to yourself while juggling both career and family?
There were moments I felt I was falling short—both as a professional and a mother. But I came to realize that staying true to myself didn’t mean doing everything perfectly.
It meant asking: What matters most to me today?
I stopped chasing balance as a fixed goal and embraced it as a daily rhythm.
By choosing presence over pressure—whether in the boardroom or beside my child—I stayed aligned.
Not through sacrifice, but through wholeness, by showing up fully. That mindset didn’t just help me manage roles—it helped me stay rooted in who I am.
Born from Quiet
🎤 Could you describe a moment that first sparked your imagination as a writer?
Nature and solitude have long been quiet companions in my life. They didn’t spark creativity in a single moment, but through many small, silent ones.
As a child, I’d sit on a hilltop for hours, gazing at the mountains—lost in thought, unknowingly building an inner world. Years later, a sunlit rooftop bench became my retreat from the noise of work and city life.
In those still moments, daydreams would unfold:
An empty bench whispered a story, a stranger’s posture became a character, even a quiet tree held generations of memory.
I began writing down these scenes—in blogs, film reviews, and reflections.
In those quiet spaces, I didn’t just observe the world—I listened to what it was trying to say.
The Creative Space Within
🎤 How did you come to embrace that creative voice alongside a demanding corporate career?
I believe we all need a creative outlet to balance the demands of life—whether from work or home. Without it, we may place too much weight on a single source of joy, which can lead to burnout.
For me, creativity became a space to express myself, recharge, and keep perspective. It reminded me that we’re not defined by one role, and that having multiple sources of fulfillment builds emotional resilience.
When one area falters, your whole sense of self doesn’t collapse.
I also believe we are limitless beings, often boxed in by routines and expectations. Creativity has no boundaries. It reconnects me with the expansive potential we each carry.
Balancing the corporate and creative isn’t always easy, but it’s deeply rewarding. It doesn’t just make life sustainable—it adds depth to who we are.
When Logic Meets Imagination
🎤 As both a banking leader and a creative, how do you balance logic and intuition in decision-making?
I think of it as using both sides of the brain—right and left.
The right brain brings creativity and unexpected connections, while the left brain adds structure and execution.
Logic helps me analyze risks and plan, while intuition helps me sense timing, emotion, and meaning beyond the data. I don’t choose one over the other—I listen to both.
That balance gives me confidence in my decisions—whether I’m shaping strategy, leading a nonprofit, or crafting a creative idea. It helps me stay clear and effective—whether I’m in a boardroom or writing a story.
Zero Overhead, Maximum Reach
🎤 What inspired you to co-found the Joy Story Foundation?
For years, I was searching for a meaningful way to give back, especially in children’s education.
I visited several NGOs and tried supporting individual cases, but often ended up funding unrelated needs—like a security guard instead of a teacher. Many had high overheads, and I struggled to feel truly connected to the impact.
That changed when our Founder shared a model of collective philanthropy—an NGO with zero infrastructure or employee costs. The simplicity and purpose of that model immediately resonated with me.
Five years later, the Joy Story Foundation has touched millions through community-led initiatives, and we remain committed to expanding its reach and impact.
Beyond Circles
🎤 What kind of influence do you value today?
My view of influence has evolved. It’s no longer about persuading a room—it's about leaving a meaningful trace on someone’s thoughts, choices, or spirit. If it doesn’t inspire me too, I’d rather not pursue it.
I’ve come to see that real influence goes beyond personal impact. Alone, you can move rocks. Together, we move mountains.
To reach its full potential, influence must be shared boldly and purposefully, through platforms that amplify its reach.
Influence that stays within immediate circles is meaningful—but its impact is capped.
We should channel it outward—through films, stories, books, or collective actions like philanthropy—tools that move minds and touch lives across borders.
That’s the kind of influence I aim for:
not just to be heard, but to echo meaningfully far beyond where I start.
The Silent Legacy, Rewritten
🎤 What future impact do you hope to create through this new chapter—and what does this challenge mean to you personally?
This new chapter is about giving voice to a quiet legacy—one passed down not through grand declarations, but through the lived, unspoken experiences of those before us.
I reflected on the women who came before me—who endured and persevered with quiet strength.I didn’t aim to rewrite their story, but to add my voice to their silence—to honor it, and continue it in a new form.
The impact I hope to create is a deeper awareness of where we come from, and the courage to carry it forward with intention.
This challenge is deeply personal. It calls me to lead not just with ambition, but with emotional truth—to acknowledge what was passed down, what remained unspoken, and what now needs to evolve.
I believe legacy isn’t just what we leave behind, but how we carry forward the whispers of those who came before—turning their quiet strength into active leadership.
🔗 Sonia Arora’s Facebook
This series invites you to explore the bold and reflective leadership journeys of the authors behind Shaken, Stirred, But Not Deterred Vol. 3 — a celebration of the human spirit, published by Global Influencers Publishing House.
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