The Power of Permission Slips: Poonam Sharma on Courageous Life and Career Decisions

This week Ivy Slater, host of Her Success Story, chats with her guest, Poonam Sharma. The two talk about Poonam's journey from growing up around construction sites as the daughter of Indian immigrants to founding and successfully exiting Stealth Force, a gig economy commercial real estate company. In this episode, we discuss: How Poonam's childhood, tagging along on construction sites with her Indian immigrant dad and watching her parents launch (and sometimes crash) businesses like restaurants and hotels, pulled her into real estate and sparked her entrepreneurial fire. What pushed her from dev/private equity to tech: spotting gaps, channeling family hustle, and building Stealth Force (small exit, big win), then eyeing NYC co-working with onsite childcare—right as lockdown hit at 8 months pregnant. When old family stories, like being "ladylike," fearing the evil eye, or grandma's turkey trick, quietly shape our choices, and how midlife is prime time to unpack them and choose what actually fits now. Why everyone (CEOs to in-laws) is secretly fragile—be gentler, drop the personal grudges—and her leadership hack: "If it won't matter in seven years, it doesn't matter now." What peace looks like post-pivots: Board gigs, family deals, surprise coaching (releasing mental blocks for high-achievers), and savoring kid time—no more compartments, just one integrated, wrinkle-loving self. Poonam Sharma is a board member, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, real estate industry veteran, novelist and recognized PropTech leader with a passion for innovating around the built world. A public and private board member, published author and public speaker, she has sat on the board of Hennessy Capital VII and Fifth Wall Acquisition Corp III to name a few, and previously headed Arden Digital Ventures, a technology-focused investment arm of The Arden Group, a storied real estate investment fund. Previously CEO of Raise (which aimed to revolutionize childcare for the future of work), and Founder of StealthForce (the gig economy of real estate; a resource and project management platform for CRE, which was exited in early 2019), she was an early voice in proptech, bringing years of institutional real estate experience to the innovation movement. Prior to StealthForce, she was Deputy to the Head of Global Real Estate Asset Management at Partners Group AG ($40 bn AUM), VP at a developer of senior housing and hotels, and earlier employee 13 at The Gerson Lehrman Group, which was the world's first institutional expert network. Poonam earned her BA at Harvard and MBA at Wharton, and spent over a decade in real estate development and investment. Twice named a top female CEO in CREtech, she has been featured in The New York Times, Inc. Magazine, Harvard Business Review, NBC News, and more. As an author and experienced public speaker (ULI, ICSC, CRETech, etc.) she has published four books including two novels in five languages which have been printed worldwide. Website: www.poonam.info  https://www.instagram.com/justpoonamnyc/