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More Power To You

A mother, businesswoman and content producer, Neha Upadhyay Samuel, co-founder of Fitze, embodies all the qualities that have motivated her to succeed

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Professional women wear a variety of hats, some of which stack on top of one another and others which are swapped out according to the circumstances. Neha Upadhyay Samuel is a lady who embraces all of her many hats and wears them well. Upadhyay is an Indian native of Mumbai who has been residing in the UAE for approximately seven years. Looking back on her path, she recalls the zeal that encouraged her to speak her mind, be braver, or take that chance.

Calling her journey a challenging one, Upadhyay says: "I was prepared for the chance that was coming my way because of the hardships I conquered throughout the first leg of my life in India. UAE respected all of my knowledge and gave me all I had so far accomplished. Thank you to the governments of Dubai and Abu Dhabi for the limitless opportunities and the systems in place that support the growth of companies of all sizes and shapes."

If you have a development attitude, Upadhyay claims, you always sign up for activities outside of your comfort zone. I adore an exciting life, she adds, recalling her daring move to the UAE that enabled her to realise her aspirations. "Professionally, I relocated to Dubai with my husband Ben in 2014 to launch our company as co-founders after spending a little over ten years working in various software businesses and startups in Mumbai, India. We later established Fitze, a fitness incentives app that compensates users for walking, as our second joint venture in 2020. Fitze has gained over 100,000 users in a short amount of time, received two Startup Of The Year awards, and last year was an app partner for the government project Dubai Fitness Challenge."

Being a fitness fanatic herself, Upadhyay emphasises how her business was motivated by her passion for exercise. "Ben and I both lead sustainable, healthy lifestyles, and we've always profited from it. Fun fact: I initially met my husband in a gym in Mumbai. We were passionate about fitness and spent more than five years in the UAE's fitness industry attempting to fill all the voids with our offerings. It took us some time to realise that although motivation might help one get started, incentives are ultimately what is addictive, which is how Fitze came to be."

Upadhyay is a performer with plenty of punch who also happens to be a mother, an entrepreneur, and a content developer. "In stressful situations, especially when I am in charge, I pull myself together and feel just as committed as the enthusiastic athlete who is chosen for her favourite team and gives her all to win! As crazy as that may seem," she adds.

In addition to being a full-time business owner and content developer, Upadhyay enjoys spending time with her kid. She describes herself as a Netflix junkie and claims: "My son and family are the only ones whom I love to spend the evenings and weekends with. We either lounge around the house or go out for meals or to play places for my son. I also love to binge-watch Netflix. I usually stay away from social events because I value my alone time."

Finally, Upadhyay says: "I've always enjoyed doing new things and showing up even when it's challenging. I believe that having these traits helps me in my jobs as a content creator and an entrepreneur. Even though the two occupations are opposite, they both need creativity, which I like and which gives me energy.

Having said all of this, being a mother best describes me. It makes me shine and brings out the best in me. It teaches me how to balance all the roles I perform in my life, serves as a constant reminder of my inherent strength, and keeps me grounded and appreciative."

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