"Ride emotions, find silver linings through genuine belief."
Welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine, where we delve into the minds and experiences of visionary leaders who are reshaping the business landscape. In this exclusive interview, we have the privilege of engaging with Mitra Ray, the Co-Founder and CEO of rREST Inc., a groundbreaking organization at the intersection of neuroscience and leadership transformation.
Mitra’s journey is a compelling tapestry of heritage, survival, and aspiration that transcends geographical boundaries.
Born in Kolkata, India, and raised in the United States, Mitra’s life is a testament to the pursuit of the American Dream, driven by her parents’ unwavering determination.
Her story reflects the resilience and tenacity instilled in her from a young age, as she navigated the challenges of adapting to a new culture while excelling academically, ultimately earning a Ph.D. in math and science alongside her brother.
Mitra’s remarkable journey not only demonstrates personal triumph but also serves as the foundation for her entrepreneurial venture, rREST Inc.
Join us as we uncover Mitra Ray’s insights on leadership, resilience, and the transformative power of neuroscience in our exclusive interview.
Check out more interviews with entrepreneurs here.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Mitra Ray: Thank you for the opportunity to contribute.
My journey is a tapestry of heritage, survival, and aspiration. I was born in Kolkata, India, but my parents, like many others, believed in the promise of the American Dream. They worked tirelessly to make that dream come true, and when I was eight years old, we immigrated to the United States.
My parents had experienced the trauma of displacement once before, when Hindu families like ours fled the newly formed Bangladesh in 1947, leaving behind all markers of their identity. When we arrived in Morristown, New Jersey, they passed on their legacy of resilience to me and my brother instilling the values of diligence and tenacity as we faced our new reality.
Today, the diverse landscape of suburban New Jersey reminds me of my Indian roots, but our early years were marked by prejudice and trepidation. My brother and I still bear the emotional and physical scars as reminders that we were the lone members of our welcoming committee.
However, adversity only fueled our drive for academic excellence. We both earned PhDs in math and science, building careers founded on perseverance and intelligence. We married amazing people who love us for who we are, and our families grew as we brought children into this world who inherited our passion and intellect.
We showed the world we belonged in this new country, and it almost felt like it. But for all the space we created for ourselves as we settled into our adult lives, it was never enough. Like a shadow without a source, true fulfillment eluded us until we began unpacking the traumas of our childhood and those we had inherited from the generations before us..
While it began as a quest to preserve my own sanity, this journey towards self-awareness and personal development led to the birth of rREST Inc. As its Co-Founder and CEO, I have dedicated my time to investigating the nexus of neuroscience and leadership transformation.
Realizing that achieving eight-figure success transcends mere growth, we wanted to identify that hallmark characteristic distinguishing an employer from a true leader. As it turns out, that characteristic comes down to how someone’s brain is wired.
Think of the brain as an intricate but defenseless computer. This lack of defense allows us to learn from the world around us so we can better adapt to our surroundings, but it also makes each and every one of us vulnerable to “malware” from distressing past events, particularly from our childhood.
When left unchecked, such malware can spontaneously elicit childlike reactions from adults, especially under stressful conditions. When that adult is in a leadership position, this malware inevitably reflects onto their team.
rREST is a coaching technique rooted in neuroscience that identifies and reprograms this malware, allowing recipients to rewrite their belief systems and achieve their true leadership potential.
Let’s face it. No one wants to unpack baggage from their childhood; it’s physically and emotionally draining. And once those bags are unpacked, we’re left with a mental floor full of stuff that has no place in our adult brains. At rREST Inc., we play the crucial role of brain bioengineers.
Rather than dredge up the past and leave it around for people to trip over, we eradicate this malware for good. Our solution doesn’t just treat symptoms—it eliminates the root cause, enabling leaders to regain control and unleash their maximum potential.
By conducting comprehensive brain audits, we assess team alignment with a company’s mission, core values, goals, KPIs, openness to our transformative processes, and compatibility with an organization’s overarching vision. Alignment at this deeper subconscious level allows teams to reach yet unimagined heights and companies to retain valuable talent.
We’re here to recalibrate minds, forging a path to unparalleled success and leadership excellence.
Can you share a time when your business faced a significant challenge? How did you navigate through it?
Mitra Ray: Certainly. After the pandemic, things got, well, complicated. Some key people wanted to stay remote, while others craved that face-to-face connection.
A few who were the backbone of our coaching coursework decided to take a leave of absence but were ambiguous about whether they were leaving for good. This ambiguity threw me for a loop and even made me downright angry.
I had to put my frustration aside to keep things operating, but the lack of resolution left a bad taste in my mouth. Finally, I chose to have a heart-to-heart with each of them, thank them for their contributions, and we parted on good terms.
It’s funny because closing that door allowed us to find some fantastic, tech-savvy folks who revamped our courses in record time. Innovation wasn’t the only silver lining. Everyone involved, the past team and present, is doing what’s best for them, and that win is priceless.
How has a failure or apparent failure set you up for later success?
Mitra Ray: Our initial team was incredible as they believed in our mission and helped us birth our company. A few worked for equity, so I grew indebted to them. But as we scaled, their needs and dynamics didn’t mesh with our evolving identity and need for speed.
Their exit was a bittersweet moment – it felt like we might be lost without them, as they brought their unique talents I came to depend upon. Then, it opened the door for us to bring on folks more in sync with our post-pandemic vision and direction.
It was a reminder that change, while hard, often brings fresh energy. I feel confident in our new team forging the future because they have the mindset and skillset I didn’t even know I needed when I started this company.
How do you build a resilient team? What qualities do you look for in your team members?
Mitra Ray: Resilience is about ownership and initiative. It’s all about finding folks with that spark, that urge to take charge. I look for individuals who proactively shape their roles instead of merely following instructions. I love it when team members come up and say, “Hey, I’ve got this idea…” rather than waiting for directions.
They must have the drive to achieve goals and the emotional intelligence that allows them to imbue their work with passion and work as a team. When team members embrace their responsibilities with the mindset that “no mountain is too high with the right gear,” and they feel pride in their endeavors, they naturally develop a resilient mindset. That proactive attitude is resilience in action.
How do you maintain your personal resilience during tough times?
Mitra Ray: I draw inspiration from lots of sources. I’m a massive fan of “Ted Lasso” on Apple TV. I’m all about his whole ‘believe’ mantra to overcome the odds of coaching a downtrodden professional UK football team without any prior soccer coaching experience.
It reminds me of Harvard Business Review’s anonymous survey that revealed 66% of CEOs felt unprepared for the role.
Believing is not a given, is it?
Of course, I have my moments of doubt daily – it’s part of the CEO landscape. But I’ve learned to separate my feelings from my thoughts, meaning I sit with those iffy feelings for a few minutes, alone and without distractions.
If I allow myself to feel them in my body without letting the mind start rationalizing why I am feeling them, then those feelings naturally pass within a few minutes. If they don’t pass, then I know I’ve got some malware in my brain, and I take a spoonful of my own medicine – I use our unique neuroscience method, rREST, to remove my own malware.
The mind is tricky like that; it wants us to dwell in all those rationalizations as if they are true. But I have built the habit of remembering that listening to those runaway thoughts will not help me to find my True North. From experience, I also know I cannot fake my way into believing when malware is in the way because that quickly becomes the dreaded ‘toxic positivity.’
Our motto is “Emotions Matter, Master Yours.” Sitting alone with my feelings while tuning out my busy mind is how I master them or use the rREST methodology when needed. Either way, when the feelings have passed, I can return to believing in our success story unfolding through the toughest times and taking resolute action.
Believing is a daily, even a moment-to-moment choice and practice.
What strategies do you use to manage stress and maintain focus during a crisis?
Mitra Ray: It’s the core of what we do! Our unique proposition at rREST Inc. centers around removing ‘brain malware,’ and I practice what we preach.
As a rule, I don’t manage the crisis. Meaning that when things get chaotic, I don’t blame the situation. I turn inward and address that sneaky malware making things appear like a crisis. It may seem hard to believe, but a crisis is only a crisis if you perceive it as a crisis.
Instead of attributing our stress to external crises, we recognize the internal malware triggering the emotional reactions that would throw us into crisis management. Then suddenly, things seem more clear and focused. Addressing these foundational issues and recognizing that we must practice good mental health hygiene keeps our team centered even during tumultuous times.
How do you communicate with your team during a crisis?
Mitra Ray: When you’re the CEO of a start-up, everything has the potential to be a crisis. When a perceived crisis presents itself, I first take the time to acknowledge my team’s emotions about the situation and remind them to sit with them for a minute so that they can act from a place of mental clarity.
Then, I try to flip the script. Instead of seeing a problem, I ask my team, “Can we spot an untapped opportunity?” This allows us to acknowledge the reality of the situation without necessarily labeling it as a crisis and maintain a growth mindset without engaging in toxic positivity.
Also, if someone is stressing out about something, it’s a nudge to check if there’s any of that old brain malware acting up. It’s an invitation to explore underlying malware, address it, and unearth the hidden potential in the situation with a clear head.
Investing in my team’s access to our medicine is helping us build more resilience to wade through the onslaught of perceived crises.
What advice would you give to other CEOs on building resilience in their organizations?
Mitra Ray: Prioritize self-care. Whether it’s yoga, meditation, walking in nature, or deep breathing exercises, these mindful practices build resilience.
Also paramount is taking care of your physical health and nutritional needs. Our brain needs less sugar, less alcohol, more fruits, vegetables, good fats, hydration, sleep, and exercise. Resilience cannot be sustained if the brain doesn’t meet its needs.
To fortify oneself, it’s essential to take advantage of the latest that neuroscience offers and address and remove the malware inherited from childhood, something we specialize in at rREST Inc.
How do you prepare your business for potential future crises?
Mitra Ray: Embedding the philosophy of reframing crises as opportunities is paramount. It’s all about mindset. We train ourselves to see challenges as chances to grow.
This approach ensures that we tackle challenges with clarity and innovation. With a malware-free brain, trust me, you see things in a whole new light.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned about leadership in times of crisis?
Mitra Ray: One word: Believe. In yourself, your team, and the journey unfolding before you. Emotions can be a rollercoaster, so you’ve gotta learn to ride them instead of overthinking to justify your fears and concerns. When you genuinely believe, you find that silver lining even in the stormiest weather.
Jerome Knyszewski, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Mitra Ray for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Mitra Ray or her company, you can do it through her – Linkedin Page
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