How Dale Carnegie Changed My Life and My Family

A few weeks ago, I had one of the most meaningful conversations of my life with Joe Hart, the CEO of Dale Carnegie. That conversation launches today, and it reminded me how deeply Dale Carnegie’s work shaped not only my life but also my parents’ lives.

At sixteen, I enrolled in a Dale Carnegie course. I thought I was signing up to become a better speaker. What I discovered was something much deeper. I learned how to connect with others, how to listen before speaking, and how to influence without control. Those lessons became the foundation for how I live and lead. They gave me a way to break through invisible prisons of fear, self-doubt, and judgment.

Today, those principles remain at the core of my life. I use them in every area of leadership and connection. They shape how I build relationships, with curiosity and respect. They guide how I approach mentors, with humility and gratitude. They influence how I sell, by focusing first on understanding others. They anchor me when I speak on stage, reminding me that authenticity matters more than perfection. They also ground me in my community work, showing me that real leadership begins with presence, not power.

Dale Carnegie’s Influence on My Family

The transformation did not stop with me. My parents both took the Dale Carnegie course, and it changed the trajectory of their lives.

My mother was once quiet and reserved. After Dale Carnegie, she became a confident and fearless leader. She started nonprofits, built programs, secured grants, and created connections that have changed lives. She refuses to accept limitations. She finds solutions where others see barriers. Watching her evolve taught me that confidence is not something you are born with, it is something you build through courage and practice.

My father’s journey was just as powerful. As an immigrant who carried the responsibility of building a new life for our family, he often worked quietly and without recognition. The Dale Carnegie experience helped him find his voice. I watched him begin to speak up, connect across cultures, and lead with conviction. It was not only professional growth; it was personal liberation. He became expressive, bold, and present. He was no longer surviving. He was leading and thriving.

Dale Carnegie unlocked a strength in my father that had been buried under years of sacrifice and responsibility. It taught him, and me, that leadership is not about titles. It is about the courage to be yourself.

Rising Through Struggle

When I lost my law license, my reputation, and my freedom, it was the Dale Carnegie principles that gave me a way to rebuild.

Even in federal prison, I carried those teachings with me. They reminded me to look for the good in others, to see life through someone else’s eyes, and to choose empathy over judgment. They helped me rise through both the physical and mental prisons that could have kept me trapped.

Those same principles, authenticity, listening, empathy, presence, became the foundation for my RISE Through It™ framework and everything I teach today about leadership, resilience, and personal growth.

Dale Carnegie did not just teach me how to speak. He taught me how to live. He taught me how to connect with humanity in every circumstance and how to find freedom in the middle of struggle.

Challenge to Rise

This week, try living out one Dale Carnegie principle:

• Give someone sincere and specific appreciation.
• Listen fully and try to see life from their perspective.
• Begin a conversation with curiosity rather than assumption.

Transformation begins in small, intentional acts of connection.

Leading with Courage

Courage in leadership is not about control or authority. It is about showing up with empathy, listening before speaking, and choosing connection when it feels easier to retreat.

Dale Carnegie’s teachings shaped my parents and they shaped me. My mother now leads with conviction because she refuses to stay silent. My father leads with strength because he no longer hides behind sacrifice. And I lead with resilience because I understand both the cost of pretending and the freedom of authenticity.

To lead with courage is to live with purpose. It means stepping out of invisible prisons of perfection, fear, and performance, and daring to rise through authenticity.

The Power of Presence

Presence is one of the most powerful tools of connection. To give someone your full attention is to give them dignity. It tells them they matter.

I have practiced this in prison dormitories, in corporate boardrooms, and in my home with my children. Every time, presence shifts the energy in the room. It builds trust, deepens relationships, and opens the door to possibility.

Try it this week: put aside your distractions and be fully present with one person. Listen not only for words but for meaning. See how it changes everything.

Behind the Scenes

Today, my conversation with Joe Hart officially launches. Sitting across from him, I felt the sixteen-year-old girl who wanted to find her voice. I felt my parents, who rebuilt their lives through these same principles. And I felt gratitude for the thread that has guided me ever since.

I am also preparing for upcoming keynotes where I will share this message with leaders seeking clarity, courage, and resilience. 

And I am proud to share that my book is finished. 

It is titled All Rise: A Lawyer’s Evolution from Prison to Purpose.

This book tells my story and the lessons that helped me rise above both physical and mental prisons. The influence of Dale Carnegie runs through every page. His teachings gave me not only a way to connect and lead, but a way to be free.

Yes, I learned how to win friends. Yes, I learned how to influence people. But most of all, I learned how to live fully and rise again.

We rise higher when we rise together.With courage and presence,
Rashmi