Sarala Life — Life in Chapters: Careers, Canines, Cabernet & Courage

Join me as I document what it really takes to rebuild your career, confidence, income and identity after the life you planned changes.

recent posts

about

Hi, I’m Sarala — Caribbean corporate strategist/executive woman writing honestly about power, identity, leadership, reinvention and emotional truth- and what it costs. After years navigating boardrooms, deals, and governance across the Caribbean, I’ve learned that life — like leadership — is best lived in chapters. Some are bold and ambitious. Some are quiet and healing. And most are best shared over a glass of wine and a wagging tail nearby. This space is where I write about it all — the beautiful, messy balance of careers, canines, and cabernet. From reflections on purpose and courage to lessons from leadership, love, and dog walks, these are the stories that shape who I am — and, maybe, who we’re all becoming. Pull up a chair (or pour a glass) and stay awhile. Here’s to life in chapters — imperfect, authentic, and deeply human.

Category: Uncategorized

  • Stop Waiting for Permission

    The best advice I would give someone younger than me isn’t about careers, money, or success. It’s about learning to trust yourself sooner, especially when life doesn’t go according to plan. Sometimes the ladder breaks—and that’s exactly when you discover you can build a different way up.

  • The Night Before the Ladder Breaks

    As I prepare to speak in St. Lucia this week, I’m reflecting on a lesson that has shaped my year: confidence isn’t something you gain after success. It’s something you practice before success arrives. When the ladder breaks, sometimes the greatest gift is discovering you can build your own way up.

  • Dear 20-Year-Old Me, The Ladder Was Never the Goal

    If I could sit across from my 20-year-old self, I’d probably start by telling her to relax. Not because life will be easy. It won’t. Not because everything will work out exactly as planned. It won’t. But because she is carrying far too much responsibility for things that were never hers to control. At 20,…

  • A Country Is More Than Its Postcard

    Most visitors arrive expecting Carnival, and rightly so. But Trinidad and Tobago is far more than feathers, fetes, and soca. It’s a country built on culture, community, food, faith, and stories that reveal themselves only if you stay long enough to look beyond the headlines.

  • What Leadership Taught Me About People: Why Insecure Leaders Fear Talent

    One of the hardest leadership lessons I have learned is this: Not everyone wants talented people around them. Some leaders see capability and think, “How can I help this person grow?” Others see capability and think, “How do I protect my position?” The difference between those two mindsets can determine the culture of an entire…

  • Planting Trees I’ll Never Sit Under

    I would love to see a world where people are finally valued for who they are, rather than what they produce. A world where success is measured less by job titles, salaries, follower counts, and status symbols, and more by kindness, integrity, curiosity, and contribution. As someone who spent years climbing ladders—corporate ladders, academic ladders,…

  • The Scene I Never Auditioned For

    If you had asked me a few years ago what moment in my life felt like it came straight out of a movie, I might have chosen something glamorous. A trip. An achievement. A celebration. Instead, the moment that comes to mind is much quieter. It was the moment I realised the ladder I had…

  • Worth the Paperwork

    Nobody talks about this part of reinvention. The forms. The delays. The endless requests for one more document. The emotional cost of betting on yourself isn’t just financial—it’s deciding, over and over again, that you’re worth the effort.

  • 🥂 Golf Swings, Therapy Things & Expensive Branding Decisions

    Life has been lifing. Between surviving the flu, starting golf lessons, preparing for my first major speaking event in St Lucia, emotional therapy breakthroughs, entrepreneurial courage, expensive swag bag decisions, and worrying about my sweet George… life has been full, messy, humbling, and unexpectedly beautiful.

  • Simple Pleasures (That Aren’t Really So Simple)

    There was a time when I might have answered this with something polished. A good glass of wine. A favourite book. Travel. A quiet evening. And while all of those things do bring me joy, yesterday reminded me that some of life’s simplest pleasures are actually far less about things and far more about presence.…