The Color of Courage: How Pink Became the Unexpected Symbol of The Mirror Effect
From cover design debates to technicolor transformation—the journey of embracing authenticity in full color
“Are you sure about the pink?”
I stared at the proposed book cover on my laptop screen, feeling that familiar tug between playing it safe and stepping into something bolder. The design was stunning—elegant, powerful, undeniably feminine. And completely outside my comfort zone.
For the better part of 30 years, I’d built my professional identity around being the opposite of anything that could be perceived as “too much.” Too colorful. Too feminine. Too different. My closet was a testament to assimilation—blacks, grays, navy blues, the occasional brown when I was feeling particularly daring.
But there it was: The Mirror Effect in beautiful, unapologetic pink.
The Great Cover Debate
The design process had been months in the making. We’d explored countless concepts, color palettes, and visual metaphors. Some were safe, professional, easily categorized alongside other business books. Others pushed boundaries.
The pink version kept coming back to the table.
“It’s bold,” my team said. “It stands out. It feels authentic to the message.”
But my internal voice—the one that had guided me safely through decades of boardrooms and investor meetings—whispered warnings. What if it’s too feminine? What if people don’t take it seriously? What if it screams “just for women” when the message is meant for everyone?
I found myself in the strange position of arguing against something I secretly loved because I was afraid of what it might mean to say “yes.” Here I was, writing a book about authentic leadership and surrounding ourselves with mirrors, yet I was terrified to embrace a color that might reflect too much of my true self.
When Pink Became a Movement
What happened next, I never could have anticipated.
People started showing up in pink. The Biotech CEO Sisterhood and Breaking7% biotech investor group put out a call to wear pink at JPM, the world’s biggest healthcare investment conference, and people answered—in droves. More than 500 women and allies showed up in pink, in a beautiful sea of smiles and support.
Something about the message was resonating in ways that transcended words.
Suddenly, my LinkedIn was flooded with photos of people in pink, sharing their own stories of stepping into authenticity. Women and men, embracing color as a metaphor for bringing their full selves to work.
But the moment that took my breath away happened on September 16th, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
I’d packed my pink suit almost as an afterthought—a nod to the book cover, but honestly, I wasn’t sure I’d have the courage to wear it. The NYSE is about as traditional as institutions get. But when I arrived that morning and looked around, I nearly cried.
Pink everywhere.
Colleagues, supporters, even people I’d just met were wearing pink. In one of the most historically male-dominated financial institutions in the world, we’d created a sea of vibrant color.
Thank God I packed my pink suit, I thought as I soaked in the magnitude of the moment.
The Technicolor Revelation
Standing there on the trading floor, surrounded by successful, powerful people who had chosen to wear pink in solidarity with a message they believed in, I had an epiphany.
This wasn’t about pink. This was about permission.
Permission to show up fully. Permission to bring color into spaces that had been monochrome for too long. Permission to be both professional and authentic, serious and vibrant, powerful and feminine—all at the same time.
Looking around that room, I saw something that perfectly embodied what I’d been trying to articulate in The Mirror Effect: a community of people reflecting each other’s brilliance back, creating an environment where everyone could shine.
And they did shine. Every single person in pink that day looked radiant—not because of the color itself, but because they were wearing their authenticity on their sleeves, literally.
The Cultural Connection
The irony of my pink journey wasn’t lost on me. I come from Indian culture, where color is everything. Holi, the festival of colors. Vibrant saris in every hue imaginable. Weddings that look like rainbow explosions. Art, architecture, food—all celebrating the beauty of living in technicolor.
Yet somewhere along the way to becoming a “serious” medical professional and biotech executive, I’d stripped all of that vibrancy from my professional persona. I’d unconsciously decided that to succeed in American corporate culture, I needed to leave that part of myself—arguably the most joyful part—at home.
Pink became the bridge back to that abandoned part of myself. It wasn’t just a color choice for the book; it was a homecoming.
Beyond the Binary
One of the most beautiful aspects of the pink phenomenon has been seeing how it’s transcended traditional gender boundaries. Men have embraced it as a symbol of challenging outdated norms. People across the spectrum have used it as a conversation starter about authenticity in leadership.
Because ultimately, The Mirror Effect isn’t about pink; it’s about refusing to limit ourselves to black and white thinking. It’s about recognizing that we can be multifaceted, complex, colorful human beings and still command respect in our professional lives.
Maybe especially because we are.
Looking Forward in Full Color
As we approach the book’s November 4th launch, I’m grateful for that moment of courage in choosing pink for the book cover. It taught me something essential about leadership: sometimes the boldest professional move is to stop trying to separate your professional and personal selves.
The business world needs what we bring—our full perspectives, our diverse experiences, our authentic selves in all their colorful complexity. When we show up in technicolor, we don’t just succeed differently; we change the very definition of what professional success can look like.
So whether your authentic color is pink, royal blue, sunset orange, or forest green, my invitation remains the same: stop dimming your light to fit someone else’s idea of professionalism.
The world is waiting for the fully expressed version of you. And trust me—it looks beautiful.
Ready to embrace your own technicolor leadership? Preorder The Mirror Effect here and join the movement of leaders who are changing the game by showing up as their full selves.