Meet Mansi Mehra

We were lucky to catch up with Mansi Mehra recently and have shared our conversation below.

Mansi, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

In 2009, when I first arrived in this country, I experienced significant culture shock. I went through a period of self-discovery, trying to figure out where I fit in, which affected my confidence. Being in a new environment and starting a new chapter in life, I struggled with both self-confidence and self-esteem. Coping with self-esteem challenges involves recognizing your self-worth and actively working to nurture it.
Living alone in LA where most of the people were acquaintance, while you would try to fit-in their world. There would be times you would unknowingly comparing yourself to random folks and thinking you are not good enough. There needs to be more in life. When I entered the space of standup comedy, the initial days of open mics & auditions made me become friends with the term “rejection”, “no” and “try again next time”. Even at best of the shows, you may not have the best performance, and the reverse is also true. This would impact the mental health and your self-confidence. But this also tests your resilience and grit.
Building confidence and self-esteem is often a gradual process that involves both internal growth and external experiences.

Pursuing Passions: Engaging deeply with the things you love—whether it’s filmmaking, comedy, or radio—helps to build confidence over time. Successes, even small ones, can provide a sense of accomplishment and reinforce your self-belief.

Stepping Out of Comfort Zones: Performing stand-up comedy or acting can be daunting, but regularly stepping out of your comfort zone allows you to grow. Facing fears head-on and handling failure gracefully are great ways to build resilience. Rather than fitting in the mold, you need to see what’s unique about you that you can bring to the table.

Feedback and Iteration: Listening to constructive feedback, whether in tech, film, or performance, helps you grow. But it’s important to strike a balance: value feedback, but also trust your instincts.

Surrounding Yourself with Support: The support of friends, family, mentors, or colleagues can be key. I have blessed to have met so many people from different circles of life both in Showbiz and outside who always stood by me.

Celebrating Achievements: Each milestone, from getting your work selected for festivals to performing on stage, is an achievement which helps in building self-worth.

Learning from your Failure: Failures are inevitable but seeing them as learning opportunities rather than setbacks is crucial for building lasting confidence. It’s never about the failure but what you do after that, matters!

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?

Mansi Mehra is an Indian-born standup comedian based out of Los Angeles, California. She has performed more than 400+ shows around the United States. She has shared stage with several international standup comedians and hosted shows (dance competitions, non-profit galas, Indian festivities like Diwali and many more) across the United States. Her some of the past shows include working with artists like Javed Akhtar, Ayushmann Khurrana, Jonita Gandhi and many more.

In 2011 she was a Radio Jockey in L.A, a Hindi radio in Los Angeles. She has been part of several film festivals like Indian Film Festivals Los Angeles (IFFLA), American Film Institute (AFI), Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) etc. Then became a filmmaker with her short film being selected by various film festivals and screened at AMC in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

In 2019, she won two pageants including Miss India USA National 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina and Miss Exuberant Spirit 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. She graduated from University of Southern California (USC) in Computer Science Engineering and Mody Institute of Technology and Science (MITS) in Electronics & Communications Engineering.
She believes in giving back to the community and has been involved with several non-profit organizations like OC India Association, CRY America (OC chapter), VIBHA Los Angeles, Soroptimist International Los Angeles (SILA) and many more.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Reflecting on impactful qualities in my journey, I’d highlight the following three:

1. Adaptability and Open-mindedness
Being open to change and new experiences has been crucial for me. Whether it was transitioning from tech to creative fields like filmmaking and stand-up comedy or navigating different cultures while traveling, adaptability allowed me to embrace diverse opportunities. Recently, I moved from LA to NY after 15 years of living in my comfort space, I had to be open to adapt to new place. Made a cross-country road-trip out of it! Ha!

I would advice that one should seek discomfort sometimes. Step out of your comfort zone regularly. Whether it’s learning a new skill, meeting new people, or moving to a new place, growth comes from challenge.
Stay curious: Keep an open mind and don’t box yourself into one path. Try different things early in your career; this will build resilience and expand your skill set.

2. Storytelling
Whether in tech, filmmaking, or comedy, storytelling has been a core skill. It’s the ability to connect with people, convey your ideas in an engaging way, and inspire action.

So you have to practice communication. Sharpening your storytelling skills through writing, public speaking, or performance. Find avenues to express yourself creatively.
Learn from diverse narratives: Watch films, read books, and consume content from various cultures and perspectives. The more varied stories you’re exposed to, the richer your own storytelling will become.

3. Resilience and Perseverance
Rejection is a common theme, especially in creative industries. It takes resilience to face setbacks, grow from them, and keep pushing forward. You’ve got to embrace failure. Reframe failure as a learning opportunity. Each setback brings insights that help refine your approach.
Build a support system: Surround yourself with people who uplift and motivate you. Mentors, peers, or even a strong personal network can help you navigate challenges and celebrate successes.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Although there have been several books that have shaped my though process but lately I am re-reading “Tools of Titans” by Tim Ferris.
It speaks about the power of mindset, how mindset is crucial to success. Practices like meditation, mindfulness, and self-reflection help maintain focus and mental clarity. Cultivating resilience, gratitude, and staying present are recurring recommendations.
I am always obsessed with productivity hacks and efficient time management techniques. Techniques like time blocking, the Pomodoro method, and strategic use of to-do lists are common. Many guests also stress the importance of saying “no” to distractions and non-essential tasks.
One of the essential topic the books touches is about fitness and health which has been a core part of several successful people.

The best about the book is you can pick is up from any chapter and get nuggets to learn.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mansimehra.com/
• Instagram: @machchar
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/machcharmehra
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mansimehra/