Former Bollywood actress Somy Ali, who now runs an NGO called No More Tears in Miami, Florida, has literally walked the road less traveled. From being a victim of abuse herself to now assisting and helping victims of trafficking and abuse, her journey has been anything but ordinary. As she grew older, she witnessed challenges and struggles firsthand, and that made her become the woman that she is today. She is not one to wait for opportunities; instead, she creates one.

She said, “Opportunities don’t knock; you build the damn door. I learned that the hard way, moving from Pakistan to America, then to Bollywood, and back to America. All across, I have lived and learned, from Miami to NYC to LA.”

She mentioned that every industry is a battlefield now and added, “But competition only threatens you if you forget who you are. If you have purpose, not just ambition, no one can outshine you.”

“I didn’t wait for the ‘right’ opportunity; I created it through No More Tears. Because sometimes destiny isn’t about being chosen; it’s about refusing to stay silent until the world listens,” she added.

And Somy is not one to believe in luck. She said, “I believe in timing and in showing up even when no one’s watching. Luck is just preparation colliding with persistence. Sure, luck opened a few doors for me early in Bollywood, but the hard truth? It’s grit that kept me alive long after the cameras stopped rolling. I’ve seen luck fade, beauty fade, and fame fade, but purpose doesn’t. I’d rather build my luck than beg for it.”

She went on to share a candid perspective on work-life balance, one that comes from her years of experience. She said, “Balance is a myth we sell ourselves to feel in control. I don’t balance, I blend, I merge, and I emerge greater than before! My life and my work are the same heartbeat. When you rescue victims of abuse or human trafficking, you can’t clock out emotionally at 5 PM.”

However, she mentioned that she tries to balance her energy. She said, “Meditation, compassion, and boundaries—those are my oxygen masks. Without them, even passion turns toxic.”

Along with No More Tears, Somy is also making time for her new talk show, The Uncomfortable Conversation, which she is producing under her banner. As ambitious as she is, she pointed out that she is not chasing fame; instead, she is making way for those who do not have the freedom to share their voice.

She said, “At this stage, my ambition is simple: to make discomfort fashionable. Through my talk show, The Uncomfortable Conversation, that’s being planned as we speak, and my prior show, Fight or Flight, that was on Discovery+ and Amazon Prime here in America, I want people to face the truths we’ve all been taught to bury, from trauma and therapy to gender, faith, and identity.”

“My drive isn’t fame; it’s freedom for those who never had a voice. I’ve lived too many lives to chase applause now. I’m here to chase impact. Let’s collectively make the world a better place one meaningful action at a time,” Somy ended.