Dr. Amal Babar is an executive coach, organizational strategist, and researcher with a knack for untangling complex people challenges. She has spent over 20 years guiding leaders through growth, change, and the occasional corporate circus, blending evidence-based strategy with a little rebellious wisdom and dry humor. Her work at Helium Coaching and Flourish Forward helps leaders align strategy, culture, and human potential so they can thrive without losing their soul (or their sanity).
What were your initial years of growing up like? Tell us about your life before starting your corporate journey/venture/initiative.
My dad was in the Air Force, so every two or three years, we packed up and started over somewhere new. As a kid, I was a terrible student but a standout athlete—I had my sights set on playing professional soccer, not running a business. Constant relocation meant I learned to adapt early, which is no surprise that I now hold a doctorate in change.
At 16, I met and later married my high school sweetheart, who’s from Pakistan, while I’m a White American. We’ve been married for 28 years and have raised two children who grew up navigating two cultures plus two opinionated Siberian cats. I’ve learned the traditions of his Pakistani family, which trace back to their roots in Hyderabad, India. I cook Pakistani and Indian dishes, understand Urdu, and can speak it (minimally). From the time I was still in college, I was managing change not just in my own home, but in his, learning to live between worlds. (I was married at 23, right after I finished college, but my Pakistani education started much earlier).
Every industry that is now a large-scale, top-notch business once started as a small idea in the minds of entrepreneurs. What was that idea or motivation that made you start your business/initiative? What motivated you within to say YES, go for it!
I started my business because I reached a point where I knew I wanted something different, something better. The way I was being treated left me feeling unseen and unheard, and I realized I could create a space that didn’t operate that way. I believed there was a better way to lead, to work, and to treat people.
For me, “better” meant building environments where people feel safe, respected, and able to do their best work without fear or politics getting in the way. It meant creating a place where trust, creativity, and humanity could exist alongside high performance.
That mix of wanting change, having a clear vision, and believing in my ability to build it on my own terms is what made me say, “Yes, go for it.” Once I knew I could make that space a reality, there was no turning back.
Would you like to share with our young budding women entrepreneurs the change you would like to see in the world if given an opportunity?
If I could spark one change, it would be for more women to lead from the truth of who they are, without shrinking, smoothing out their edges, or trying to fit into someone else’s mold. I want to see a world where women build businesses from the inside out, knowing that as within, so without; their alignment, clarity, and courage are cultivated internally and will shape everything you create externally.
At our core, we are spiritual beings having a human experience, not the other way around. When we lead from that place—rooted, aware, and connected—we naturally create spaces where people feel safe, challenged, and inspired. My hope for young women entrepreneurs is this: trust that your voice and vision are meant to come through exactly as they are. Let your inner world set the tone for the outer one. That’s where real change begins.
Women are a growing force in the workplaces worldwide, standing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. There are cracks in glass ceilings everywhere, with many women breaking through to carve out a space right at the top of the pyramid. What are your thoughts about women leadership today?
If I had the opportunity to create real change, I’d want to see a world where women, especially women entrepreneurs, don’t have to choose between being taken seriously and being fully themselves. I want a business culture that values wisdom as much as hustle, where collaboration trumps competition, and where mental health isn’t a side note but a foundation. Imagine a world where your worth isn’t tied to how exhausted you are, and success is measured not just in profit, but in the positive ripples you leave behind. That’s the change I’d fight for, and frankly, it’s overdue.
What’s the most important thing you have learned in your personal life and professional journey? What is your personal motto in life?
The most important thing I’ve learned is that the state of our inner world inevitably shapes our outer world. When I’m aligned, grounded, and clear internally, it shows in my work, my relationships, and the environments I create. And when I’m not, that imbalance finds its way into everything, whether I intend it or not.
My personal motto is: As within, so without—a reminder that real, lasting change always begins from the inside out.
With your grit and determination, you are making a considerable impact, breaking through, and serving as role models for many budding entrepreneurs. What would you want to say to our young women leaders/audience reading this?
To the young women reading this: you don’t need a permission slip. Don’t shrink yourself to fit into rooms that were never built for you in the first place. You’ll be told to play nice, follow the rules, and not make waves. Make the waves anyway.
There will be days when you wonder if you’re cut out for this. You are. Those hard moments will shape you more than the easy wins ever will. Surround yourself with people who remind you who you are when you forget, and remember that leading with heart and humanity is not soft, it’s revolutionary.
Your path won’t look like anyone else’s, and that’s the point. Build it your way, on your terms. One day, your story will be the reason another woman says, “If she can do it, so can I.”
