What’s the difference between social power and personal power? And how is our personal power tied to our sense of belonging?

In Episode 127, Ritu Bhasin, Belonging and Leadership Speaker, Consultant, Author, and Expert at bhasin consulting inc., joins Melinda in an insightful conversation on unlocking the beauty of belonging. Drawing from Ritu’s book, We’ve Got This: Unlocking the Beauty of Belonging, they share their stories of navigating the path to belonging and delve into the strong connection between authenticity, personal power, and belonging. They discuss the importance of healing work and how this impacts our ability to be better allies, leaders, and advocates of inclusive spaces. They also explore ways to embrace our sense of belonging by building our core wisdom and stepping into our personal power.


About Ritu Bhasin (she/her)

Ritu Bhasin [RIH-thoo bah-SEEN], LL.B. MBA, is an award-winning speaker, consultant, author, and internationally recognized expert in DEI, leadership, belonging, anti-racism, and empowerment. Since 2010, Ritu has worked with hundreds of top organizations and senior leadership teams around the world and has presented to hundreds of thousands of people globally.

She is a certified cultural competence coach and a certified neuroscience strategies coach, as well as a yoga and mindfulness teacher and practitioner, and very shortly she will complete a trauma professional certification program.

Ritu’s personal experiences with adversity and her desire to help others have led her to work as a social activist for over twenty-five years. She has won numerous awards and distinctions for her work, including: Success Magazine’s Woman of Influence, The Women’s Center Leadership Award, and the South Asian Bar Association Diversity Award, among others.

Ritu’s second book, the bestseller We’ve Got This: Unlocking the Beauty of Belonging, was released in 2023 (June). Her first book, the bestseller The Authenticity Principle: Resist Conformity, Embrace Differences, and Transform How You Live, Work, and Lead, was released in 2017.

Ritu lives in Toronto, Canada. When she is not working, you’ll find her traveling around the world to eat, swim, hike, dance, and chill.


Visitempovia.co to find educational resources and highlights from this episode.


Connect With Ritu

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ritubhasin
Facebook: facebook.com/riturbhasin1
Twitter: twitter.com/ritu_bhasin
Instagram: instagram.com/ritu_bhasin

Connect With Us

YouTube: youtube.com/@empovia
Twitter: twitter.com/empoviaco
Facebook: facebook.com/empovia
Instagram: instagram.com/empovia
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/empovia

Production Team

Creator & Host: Melinda Briana Epler
Co-Producers: Renzo Santos & Christina Swindlehurst Chan
Podcast Rocket: Rob Scheerbarth & Nina Rugeles


[Image description: LEA promo and photos of Ritu Bhasin, a South Asian woman with long curled black hair, nose ring, white lace blouse, and gold wristwatch; the brown book cover of We've Got This: Unlocking the Beauty of Belonging; and host Melinda Briana Epler, a White woman with blonde and red hair, glasses, red shirt, and black jacket.]