Books are a representation of real-life people; they are mirrors of our souls. When someone writes a book, they are telling a story, sharing their happiness, and sorrows, and how they can influence a change in the world. Every writer is a hidden leader, and leaders are meant to motivate and influence others. This is how books have the power to create a movement. Books have the power to revolutionise. For example, many years ago, I read Who Says You Can’t? You Do. This book was life-changing and inspirational because it helped me see my true potential and how I could achieve anything in life by overcoming obstacles.
Books have the power to shape, influence, and change our lives. Why is that so? What goes into a book that can shape lives? To address this we are interviewing people who can share a story about a book that changed their life, and why. As a part of our series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Urmi Hossain.
Urmi Hossain is a Canada-based finance professional, author, and advocate for women’s empowerment with a multicultural background shaped by her upbringing in Italy and roots in Bangladesh. Having lived in various parts of Italy, the UK, and now Canada, Hossain identifies as a third-culture individual, which informs her broad worldview and diverse pursuits. In addition to her full-time role in the financial sector, she is a self-published author, YouTuber, mentor, and public speaker, motivated by a belief in lifelong learning and the power of resilience, discipline, and perseverance. Her work is deeply informed by a commitment to social impact, particularly in education and equity, and inspired by values she attributes to influential texts like Ikigai. Hossain also uses her platform to promote constructive dialogue on social media, where she shares content aimed at fostering community, education, and positive change.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory” and how you grew up?
I was born and raised in Italy with Bengali origins. I have lived most of my life in Italy. When I was a kid, we constantly moved from place to place. I have had a taste of both southern and northern Italy. I spent nine years of my childhood in Palermo, one year in the United Kingdom, and nine years in Milan, to then permanently move to Canada.
My diverse cultural background shaped my identity and how I perceive the world around me.
With so much moving during my upbringing and exposure to many cultures, I consider myself a third-culture kid.
Let’s talk about what you are doing now, and how you achieved the success that you currently enjoy. Can you tell our readers a bit about the work you are doing?
I am a woman who wears many hats, with a wide range of passions and talents. I currently work full-time in the financial sector while also pursuing multiple interests. I am a self-published author, speaker, blogger, YouTuber, mentor, and advocate for women’s empowerment.
I am where I am today through my intuition, a strong desire to learn, and an insatiable curiosity that pushes me to try new things and step out of my comfort zone.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
I think the three traits to be a successful person in life are:
- Discipline — I consider myself a very disciplined person. Since I was a young girl, I have taken my education and habit-building seriously. I never skipped a day when it came to studying, improving a skill, or working toward a goal. Let me give you an example: last year, I earned my CFA charter designation. The program is a do-it-yourself type of work, where no one monitors your progress, and preparing for each level is a real challenge. Each level requires at least 6 to 9 months of preparation, and during these months, I truly demonstrated my discipline. After work, instead of sitting in my living room and watching TV, I always consciously chose to study rigorously every day.
- Perseverance — This trait goes hand in hand with discipline — it’s about never giving up. When the days get tougher, this is when you set yourself apart from the rest of the world by staying in this game we call life. It’s during challenges, setbacks, and failures that we keep going no matter what. Even though the road may be bumpy and rocky, you keep moving forward because you are a persevering person
- Resilience — This trait develops over time. As I always say, some failures or rejections are healthy. We don’t have to succeed at everything; we need to learn hard lessons to build resilience and humility. When you build resilience, you gain more grace and empathy for yourself. You remember that life isn’t about how many times you fall but about how many times you get up after a fall
What’s the WHY behind the work that you do? Please share a story about this if you can.
The following quotation by Gandhi is my reason for doing what I do:
“Be the change you want to see in the world”
In the world we live in, there are things I don’t like, find unfair, and consider inappropriate. Many of these issues need to change — such as poverty, hunger, and the lack of education in many countries.
I have witnessed some of these issues firsthand, and although I am fortunate enough not to have experienced them myself, it doesn’t mean others should have to. One of my biggest passions is giving back to less privileged communities, both with my time and financially. I wake up every day very motivated to make an impact and bring a change in the world.
Positive change in the world can happen if it starts with you.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I am grateful for the circle of friends around me. Every single woman in my life has had a huge impact, starting with my friends. I have friends from all over the world — the UK, Italy, Vietnam, Mexico, China, Portugal, Germany, and Greece. Each of these women has been my cheerleader.
Their support has been invaluable. Whether completing projects, achieving goals, or seeking advice, none of them has ever judged or been negative toward me. They have all celebrated my successes and provided emotional support when I needed to get back up.
I also intentionally choose friends who uplift me, celebrate me, and are genuinely happy for me. Achieving success is never just individual work; it’s also a group effort.
Awesome! Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. I’m an author and I believe that books have the power to change lives. Can you please tell our readers about “The Book That Changed Your Life”? Can you share a story about how it impacted you?
I have read the book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life. It’s a book that truly inspired me and changed the way I approach life and my passions. The book explains the concept of Ikigai, which means ‘reason to live.’ This concept encourages people to identify what truly matters in their lives and how they can live a fulfilled and purposeful life.
Ikigai is found at the intersection of four key elements: what you love doing, what your talents are, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for
What was the moment or series of events that made you decide that you wanted to take a specific course of action based on the inspiration from the book? Can you share a story about that?
After reading this book, I began to follow my intuition and do what my heart told me to do. Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life not only explains how we can live life to our fullest potential but also emphasises finding the right hobby and cultivating it.
Some of the work I’ve been doing ever since includes blogging, creating YouTube content, engaging in more humanitarian work, furthering my knowledge, and developing my passion for cooking and baking. I started to find joy in the little, mundane things. I realised that even in the simple act of making a pasta dish, I found a deep sense of fulfilment
Can you articulate why you think books in particular have the power to create movements, revolutions, and true change?
Books are a representation of real-life people; they are mirrors of our souls. When someone writes a book, they are telling a story, sharing their happiness, and sorrows, and how they can influence a change in the world. Every writer is a hidden leader, and leaders are meant to motivate and influence others. This is how books have the power to create a movement.
Books have the power to revolutionise. For example, many years ago, I read Who Says You Can’t? You Do. This book was life-changing and inspirational because it helped me see my true potential and how I could achieve anything in life by overcoming obstacles.
Books are like your best friends — they guide you without saying a word..
A book has many aspects, of course. For example, you have the writing style, the narrative tense, the topic, the genre, the design, the cover, the size, etc. In your opinion, what are the main, essential ingredients needed to create a book that can change lives?
A book must be relatable, educational, and actionable. A book is like a best friend. When someone picks up a book, they are often looking for answers, a way to disconnect from the world, or a story of someone who has faced similar struggles.
We turn to books in search of solutions. For a book to become a bestseller, it must provide actionable tips that readers can apply in their own lives. It should be informative and educational because books are a source of knowledge. Finally, a book must tell a story — a story that readers can find relatable. It’s through these connections that we truly feel we’ve found the right book
What are your “3 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started My Career” and why?
1. Creating a LinkedIn profile is important
I started my career in finance in 2016. Before I began working, no one mentioned the importance of having a LinkedIn profile. During my first full-time job, I made many connections but struggled to keep track of them because I didn’t have a LinkedIn profile.
Fast forward 3–4 years, and I realized the necessity of creating a LinkedIn profile. A former boss of mine had said that LinkedIn profiles were useless, but he was wrong. LinkedIn profiles are incredibly important and useful if you want to build a personal brand and gain exposure.
2. Finding a job is a two-way street
I was once told that when it comes to looking for a job, I should take any offer that comes my way. Guess what? They were wrong. When I started my career, I would go through numerous interviews hoping to get hired. I focused on impressing potential employers, often neglecting the fact that I needed to be impressed by them as well.
Now that I have more experience in the industry, I understand that finding a job requires mutual interest. You need to like the job as much as the employer likes you. Choosing where to work is like being in a partnership: for a long-lasting and successful relationship, both partners need to genuinely like each other.
3. Connections are key to an employee’s success
You can have many years of experience, numerous degrees, and various certifications, but without the right connections, you may still struggle to get your foot in the door. This was my experience. Despite having the skills, certifications, and experience, I lacked the necessary connections.
Being good with people, kind, and respectful is crucial because you never know where a conversation might lead. It’s often through connections, referrals, or word-of-mouth recommendations that you get the chance to secure an interview, earn a promotion, or have people advocate for you
The world, of course, needs progress in many areas. What movement do you hope someone (or you!) starts next? Can you explain why that is so important?
Social media is very powerful, and I believe that if we use it in the right way and for positive purposes, the world will be a much better place. Unfortunately, social media often spreads fake news or focuses on negative content.
I use my social media accounts to share positive messages and promote peace, education, and love
How can our readers further follow your work online?
1. My LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/urmi-hossain
3. My YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZoiI0SGU0Xo9_lNjtLWtgg
4. My IG: instagram.com/urmamio/
5. My blog: myways.ca
Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us and our readers. We know that it will make a tremendous difference and impact thousands of lives. We are excited to connect further and we wish you so much joy in your next success.
Author Urmi Hossain On The Book That Changed Her Life was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.