Inspire to Empower Women
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We had the good fortune of connecting with Neethu Gopal and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Neethu, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
AP4Women (A Platform for Women) is my dream project. The vision of AP4Women is to transform women from FEAR to Fearless. I grew up in a male-dominated family and society. While my paternal grandmother was a strong and powerful woman, both my mother and maternal grandmother were trapped by fear. I’ve always aspired to be a powerful woman, but societal expectations held me back.
When I began my professional career, I climbed the leadership ladder, yet the fear of navigating a male-dominated environment constantly lingered. To overcome this, I forced myself to step outside my comfort zone—delivering presentations, attending company events, and leading client meetings. On the outside, I wore a mask of confidence, but behind the scenes, I struggled with sleepless nights, anxiety, and stress leading up to these events.
I yearned to break free from this fear, and I searched for a platform that could help women like me develop true confidence. However, I found nothing that resonated with me. Toastmasters, while helpful, felt too formal. I realized that what I needed was an informal, supportive space—a place where I could break through my fear and discover the magic of self-confidence.
I wasn’t looking for a program to mold public speakers; I was searching for a GYM for confidence, a place to practice daily, to build inner strength. That’s when I decided to create my own platform, where teens, moms, professionals, and women of all ages can join, break free from fear, and unlock their confidence.
Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a software quality assurance leader by profession, but AP4Women is my passion. I started AP4Women with a deep desire to help other women who, like me, struggle with fear and self-doubt. We need to step out of that fear zone and infuse at least an ounce of confidence into ourselves each day. Let’s do it together—just an ounce of confidence a day can work wonders in both our personal and professional lives.When I first started talking about fear, many women could relate, but others didn’t fully understand. One woman, a CEO, remarked, “There’s no way this generation lacks confidence!” However, when I ran the AP4Women program at her company, many employees were visibly struggling to speak up because of fear, even though some were naturally confident. The issue is that upper management often doesn’t see those who are stuck in the fear bubble. But if we can instill just a small dose of confidence in them, it will not only improve their inner well-being but also positively impact their professional and personal lives. This, in turn, will empower women and create a ripple effect that can have a tremendous impact on the world. The same goes for students. I’ve met some of the brightest students who shy away from being valedictorian simply because they fear giving the graduation speech. Teachers and principals often aren’t aware of these students’ struggles. I only discovered this because I spoke with them—many of the kids I know are excited to give speeches, but we only hear about those confident voices, not the ones hiding in fear.If you haven’t experienced that kind of fear yourself, it can be hard to fully understand. For example, I know a lawyer who is confident in casual conversations but experiences overwhelming fear before formal presentations. The stress is so intense that she has to excuse herself multiple times just to manage her nerves.With AP4Women, I’m striving to create a safe, informal, and supportive environment where we can break free from the fear bubble. This platform is different from traditional women empowerment programs—it’s not about becoming a public speaker. Our goal is to inject small but meaningful amounts of confidence every day, and all participants are considered leaders in their own right.Right now, I offer my services at companies and schools, but my Phase 2 project is to establish a physical location where women can come every day to build their confidence—just like going to the gym to build muscle.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Thanks to my intuition, motivational podcasts, and books, I’ve become someone who deeply follows my instincts. AP4Women was one of those persistent intuitions that kept nudging me to take action. I’m an avid reader of motivational books, and I’d love to recommend a few that have been instrumental in my personal growth: Reallionaire by Farrah Gray, You Owe You by Eric Thomas, Will by Will Smith, and Believe It by Jamie Kern Lima.
Whenever I have a moment—whether I’m driving, cooking, or watering plants—I immerse myself in podcasts by inspiring figures like Oprah, Melinda Gates, and Michelle Obama. Their words continue to motivate and shape my journey.
