How Mona Kishore of Amazon Learned to Trust Her Gut and Take the Risk

How long do you stay in a job you know is not right for you? Mona Kishore says you should follow your gut sooner than you think. On this episode of On Her Way, I talked with Mona Kishore of Amazon, a B2B agentic commerce leader, serial entrepreneur, and community leader in Bethesda. She shared how she weighs career risks, what changed when she left an unhealthy workplace, and how she balances work, family, and civic life.

Quick takeaway: Take the risk, trust your intuition, and change your surroundings when you feel stuck.

From a Carnegie Mellon Startup to Amazon: A Career Without Pigeonholes

Mona calls herself a lifelong learner and a quintessential Gemini. She has always wanted to wear more than one hat. At Carnegie Mellon, she earned an MBA and a master's in social innovation at the same time. She walked over to the computer science and design schools and met people with big ideas.

One of them, Ian, is now her husband. They wrote a business plan for a social enterprise, and it was accepted into Techstars. With no other pulls on them, they took the risk. Their startup, in the career technology space, eventually sold.

Today Mona wears many hats:

• Amazon leader: She works in Amazon Business, where she leads strategic partnerships focused on Gen AI and agentic commerce.

• Arts advocate: She is board president of the Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture.

• Commission chair: She chairs Maryland's Middle Eastern American Affairs Commission.

• Mom and rescuer: She has two daughters and rescues dogs.

She told me her 20s were when she felt the most confident, because she was doing it all. Joining larger organizations meant narrowing her scope, which was harder.

Taking Career Risks: Mona Kishore's Advice for Her Kids and Everyone

When I asked what she would pass on to her daughters, who are eight and 10, she did not hesitate. Amazon leader Mona Kishore believes taking career risks pays off, even when the move does not seem to make sense. She enjoys change because she likes a challenge. She pushes her girls to try new things, travel, and get comfortable being uncomfortable.

"The lesson I would tell my kids and other people is never shy away from taking a risk, even when you don't think it makes sense. You're going to learn something about yourself out of it, and don't be fearful of shaking things up if you're feeling a little stale with what you're doing. I take enjoyment from change, and part of that is because I like challenge, and so new experiences are something I instill a lot with my kids. We travel internationally quite a bit. My kids will often say, I don't want to do X, Y, or Z, and we really push them to think about being uncomfortable and doing things that don't always feel natural."

She also became trained in Myers-Briggs during her startup years, and she uses it as a mom. She wants her kids to be adaptable and to know their strengths.

Resilience When You Hit a Ceiling

I asked what she is still working on. Her answer was resilience. Everyone has highs and lows, she said, and the key is to keep going and stay optimistic about the next chapter.

"The one that stands out the most is resiliency. I think people underestimate that you will always have ebbs and flows in your life, high moments and low moments, but trudging through it and being optimistic about a next chapter coming along that's going to be better is really important. We've all been in situations where we've felt at a dead end or hit a ceiling, and it's an easy time to start doubting yourself and going down a rabbit hole of thinking, this is it, I hit my peak. I'm very open to risk, so I've often said, let's change the surroundings, because that shakeup usually lets some plates fall and break, but then you see a path forward to something better."

I have made a big career change myself, so this resonated. When you hear a voice saying there is something else, you cannot be afraid to listen. You are just taking a bet on yourself.

Trusting Your Gut and Leaving a Toxic Work Environment

Mona does not claim her gut is always right. But she has only ever regretted not following it. She remembers an early job where the leadership was not supportive. She kept telling herself to keep her head down and get through it.

"I knew pretty early on it wasn't a good fit. I kept thinking, put your head low and just get through this, something will change. I could have followed my gut even earlier. I moved on to another organization and had a phenomenally supportive manager, and it was like going from dark to light. I think especially for women, the first time we encounter a toxic work situation, we don't understand what's happening, and we often don't understand until we're removed from that situation the toll it took on our life and our mental health. And now I'm much better at detecting those things."

Here is what stood out about a toxic work environment and career change for women:

• The first time, it can be hard to name what is happening.

• The toll often shows only after you leave.

• Intuition is a skill you build over time.

Mona volunteers her time to help women who are changing careers or returning to work. She also reminded me that you often have to learn by failing yourself, even with kids. The best thing you can say is that you will be there either way.

Giving Back Through Glen Echo Park and Maryland's Commission

Mona Kishore, B2B agentic commerce leader at Amazon, finds some of her proudest moments outside work. She chairs the commission under Governor Moore. It represents Jewish, Arab, Persian, and Turkish Americans and about 14 or 15 nationalities in all. Its mission is to celebrate their culture and contributions to Maryland.

She grew up in Southern California, moved to Texas in high school, and often felt like an outsider. Maryland became her chosen home because of its diversity.

She is also an arts advocate, though she says she can barely hold a paintbrush. I am now a board member at Glen Echo Park too, so I am thrilled to work alongside her.

Looking ahead, she wants more global reach at work and exciting projects at the park. She also shared advice she heard from a phenomenal woman: when you take a leadership role, your first job is to think about how you will pass the torch, and to whom.

A Day in Mona's Life and Her Favorite DMV Spots

Mona's day starts with walking her dogs and getting her kids ready. She drives to Amazon's East Coast headquarters in Arlington and uses the commute for NPR and podcasts. Her mornings include calls with Europe, and her evenings include calls with Japan and Australia. She saves weekends for the park and the commission. She also prefers phone calls to chat and email, since so much gets lost in translation.

Her favorite local spots:

Frequently Asked Questions About Trusting Your Gut and Career Change

How long should you stay in a job that isn't right for you?

Mona says she could have followed her gut earlier. She regrets only the times she did not listen to it.

How do you handle hitting a ceiling in your career?

She leans on resilience and often changes her surroundings. A shakeup can help you see a better path.

How does Mona balance work and community leadership?

She works long days with global calls, then uses weekends for Glen Echo Park and the commission.

What is Mona on her way to next?

She wants to grow bigger in everything she does, with more global reach at work and more projects at the park.

Connect With Mona Kishore and Gitika Kaul

You can find Mona onLinkedIn. To stay connected with the women shaping Bethesda and the DC area, visitmy website or follow me onYouTube,Instagram,Facebook, andLinkedIn. Thanks to Mona Kishore of Amazon for sharing her story.

Apply to Be a Guest on the On Her Way Podcast

Every woman has a story of ambition, reinvention, or resilience. If you live or work in Bethesda or the DC area and your story could help another woman, I'd love to hear from you.

This podcast is produced by the Icons of Real Estate - #1 Real Estate Podcast Network. If you are a real estate professional, apply to be a guest speaker across the network.