Urmi Hossain: Showing up as You Through Human Connection

In this episode of Be Truly Heard, Anne Leatherland is joined by finance professional, author and mentor Urmi Hossain for a thoughtful conversation about identity, confidence and why women need to say yes to more opportunities.

Drawing on her experience as an Italian-Bengali woman working in the male-dominated world of finance, Urmi shares how mentoring, self-belief and representation have shaped her journey. Together, she and Anne explore imposter syndrome, reframing negative self-talk, the power of visualisation, and how women can lead with more confidence by owning both their voice and their story.

Key TakeawaysBe the mentor you never had.

Urmi’s drive to mentor women comes from her own experience of growing up without many role models who looked like her or shared her cultural background. She now supports women from a wide range of backgrounds, especially women of colour, by becoming the guide she once needed herself.

You do not have to choose one identity over another.

Urmi reflects on navigating two cultural worlds – Bengali and Italian – and the pressure to fit neatly into one label. Her breakthrough came when she stopped choosing and instead embraced both, confidently describing herself as Italian-Bengali in both personal and professional life.

Representation matters in male-dominated industries.

Working in finance has meant learning to advocate for herself, find allies and seek out mentors. Urmi believes staying visible in those spaces matters, not just for her own career, but for the women coming behind her who need to see that they belong there too.

Reframing negative self-talk can change everything.

One of Urmi’s core tools for helping women with imposter syndrome is reframing. Rather than getting stuck in thoughts like “I’m not good enough”, she encourages women to rewrite those internal messages into something more constructive and empowering.

Vision boards are more than a creative exercise.

Urmi uses yearly vision boards as a practical way to keep goals, values and ambitions visible. By putting dreams into images and words, she believes the brain starts working towards them, often before we consciously realise it.