We were lucky to catch up with Dhiyasri Thirumurugan recently and have shared our conversation below.
Dhiyasri, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Resilience, for me, comes from choosing to persevere even when it would be easier to step back.
I grew up watching my dad train as an international racquetball player for Team India. What stayed with me wasn’t the competition itself, but the discipline behind it. All the early mornings and intense practices taught me that progress is earned far earlier than we can see it. That lesson shaped how I approach everything I build today.
As a changemaker and entrepreneur, resilience shows up in moments no one sees. Through all the ups and downs, I’ve learned that impact isn’t created by one big breakthrough, but by hundreds of small decisions to keep going.
When I started working on social-impact initiatives, I realized passion alone wasn’t enough. There were uncomfortable conversations, logistical setbacks, and moments where I questioned whether I could make an impact. The same was true in leadership spaces, often the quietest in the room, and learning how to advocate for ideas that mattered.
Resilience became something almost natural. It looked like revising proposals instead of abandoning them, listening deeply before speaking up, and turning setbacks into feedback. Over time, those habits turned my ideas into action and action into measurable change. My drive from resilience came from my passion to make an impact.
Today, I get resilience from knowing that making meaningful change is rarely immediate, but it is always possible when passion and persistence work together.
That’s where my resilience comes from; believing deeply that every effort moves the world to being a better place.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m a changemaker and entrepreneur who cares deeply about building things that actually help people.
Most of my work is centered around social impact and entrepreneurship. I co-founded a youth-led nonprofit, Cycles For Change, focused on menstrual equity after realizing how many girls miss school or feel ashamed simply because they don’t have access to basic products. What started as a small idea turned into something much bigger than I expected. Over time, it grew into product drives, partnerships, education efforts, and conversations about policy and awareness. The most exciting part for me is seeing how a simple spark can grow when people come together around it. Overtime our efforts proved to be beneficial as we were able to reach 500,000 students digitally, raise ~$7,000, get recognized by San Antonio mayor, and directly impact over 1,000 students.
I’m also really interested in entrepreneurship and sustainability. I care a lot about building things that are not only creative, but responsible and long-lasting. Learning how to develop an idea and make the prototype into something feasible has become something exciting for me.
What makes my work special to me is that it’s driven by purpose. I don’t just want to talk about problems; I want to make actionable change. I’ve learned that this change I strive for though doesn’t happen all at once, rather it’s the collection of hard work and small efforts that combine to make a difference.
Right now, I’m focused on growing my impact. I’m expanding leadership opportunities, strengthening partnerships, and exploring new projects that combine social good with innovation. I’m also learning as much as I can, because I believe that the best ideas come from staying open and being willing to improve yourself. I’m exploring new avenues in the sustainability platform and working and innovating in product development as well.
At the end of the day, my “brand” is really just about passion and persistence. I may be young and still figuring things out, but I know I want my work to matter and make a difference for the world.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, there are three qualities that made the biggest impact on my journey.
First, is taking ownership.
The moment I stopped waiting for someone else to fix a problem, everything changed. Learning to take ownership taught me there was nothing stopping me form taking action. My advice to anyone early in their journey is to start small but start yourself. The first step is always the hardest but it is the most crucial in your journey.
Second, consistency.
Real impact didn’t come from one big moment but it came from showing up over time. There were weeks when progress felt invisible and I felt whether it was worth it. My advice is to focus on habits. These small steps, when done regularly, snowball into a meaningful impact.
Third, learning how to listen.
At first, I thought leadership meant having all the answers all the time. At times this image I had created for what a leader is supposed to be caused me to doubt if I am worthy to be one. Over time, I realized it’s more about listening to people you’re serving, to teammates, and to feedback. Listening helped me understand problems more deeply and build better solutions. If you’re just starting out, listen first. It will shape everything you build after that.
Overall, I’ve learned that you don’t have to be fearless or fully prepared to make an impact. You just have to care enough to take responsibility and stay committed to what you truly care about
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
One book that has played an important role in my development is The Habit of Winning by Prakash Iyer.
This book includes complications of many stories of success. What I love about this book is that it doesn’t define winning as beating others but rather as building the habits that help you improve every day. That idea really stuck with me, especially as someone balancing leadership, social impact work, and entrepreneurship. It reminded me that success isn’t about one big moment, but about how you show up consistently.
This book taught me winning especially in life is not entirely about the outcomes at the end but rather the habits that you make and follow through on. This shaped my view of success as more of looking for consistency and feeling satisfied internally.
Second, I’ve learned discipline and dedication reduces fear. it creates confidence which is crucial for success. I’ve seen this help me step into leadership roles without waiting to feel “ready.”
Lastly, I’ve learned mindset matters as much as skill. The book emphasizes staying focused, resilient, and calm even when things don’t go as planned. That has helped me learn how to handle challenges without giving up or getting discouraged. The mindset of a winner is equal in importance to the hard work and skill.
Overall, The Habit of Winning taught me that winning is not a destination but rather it’s a daily practice. It showed me that small habits can lead to long-term growth, and that lesson continues to shape how I approach my goals and the kind of leader and changemaker I want to become.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cyclesforchange.net
- Instagram: @dhiya_thiru @cycles_for_change
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhiyasri-thirumurugan-0035a1321/
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