About Farah
FARSIGHT Founder & CEO, Farah Bala is a Leadership & Executive Coach, Consultant and Speaker. Through her work, Farah’s mission is to support organizations and leaders redefine the concept of leadership by making Equity and Inclusion a core leadership competency. Her clients include executives in the C-suite, creatives and entrepreneurs, and organizations across wide-ranging sectors and industries. She is also a faculty coach at multiple learning and development institutions. Farah believes equity and inclusion are the foundational pillars for effective leadership and communication.
She is a recipient of the Diversity Award by the World Zoroastrian Organization, recognized for her work in raising awareness towards gender, culture, racial equity and inclusion globally.
Farah has been featured in Forbes and is a contributing member to the Forbes Coaches Council.
She is co-creator of Wonder Women, an invite-only executive women-of-color leadership development community under FARSIGHT.
Farah’s speaking engagements include Forum for Workplace Inclusion, Yale University, Ford Foundation, Voice America, NY Travel Festival, Travel Unity, Adirondack Diversity Initiative, Asian American Arts Alliance, among others. She is a sought after speaker at national conferences, most recently at Forum for Workplace Inclusion and SASE.
Farah is also the creator and host of the leadership podcast FARSIGHT Chats, where she explores essential leadership competencies needed in today’s world.
Farah holds an MFA in Theater from Sarah Lawrence College, and is a graduate of the Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) Program. She is a Professional Certified Executive Coach (PCC) with the International Coach Federation, and is certified in the Energy Leadership Index (ELI), EQ-i 2.0 and EQ 360 assessments, and Character Strengths Intervention. She is featured in Umbrage Edition’s national award-winning book Green Card Stories as one of 50 profiles of recent immigrants from around the world.
About the Episode
As an accomplished performing artist and producer for over two decades in theater, film and television, she has been nominated for a Barrymore Award for Outstanding Leading Actress, and an Audie Award for her voice-over work. Farah has used the tools of the theater in arts education developing social-emotional learning in NYC public schools and international volunteering initiatives, and as of the last 15+ years, in professional environments across global industries. If you would like to learn more about Farah’s artistic work, please visit her website.
In this lively and insightful episode of Liz on Biz, Liz Theresa is joined by executive coach, facilitator, and founder of Farsight, Farah Bala. Together, they dive into the intersection of leadership development, equity, inclusion, and building healthy organizational culture—whether your business is big or small.
Key Topics Covered:
- Farah Bala’s journey from theater to organizational leadership and DEI work
- The real reasons Liz Theresa left the entertainment industry (spoiler: objectification!)
- Why DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) is often misunderstood, and how Farah Bala integrates it authentically into leadership development
- What socially conscious leadership looks like in both large and small businesses
- Practical tips for small business owners on taking care of their people (it’s more than just a paycheck or bonus)
- How to build trust, psychological safety, and opportunities for innovation among teams
- The power of simply asking: “What do you need?”—and how that question can transform relationships with employees and clients alike
- Why follow-up matters (and why silence doesn’t always mean “no”)
- Tools, practices, and real-world examples from Farah Bala and Liz Theresa’s own businesses and lives
Highlights & Quotes:
- “When your people thrive, your business thrives.” — Farah Bala
- “Take care of your people. That’s at the end of the day what matters, no matter your company size.”
- “Simply creating space to ask the question is powerful, whether it’s about pronouns, preferences, or growth.”
More From Farah Bala:
- Learn more about her work at gofarsight.com
- Check out the Farsight Chats podcast (“Leadership Wisdom for Today’s World”)
- Join the Wonder Women executive circle for women of color
- Connect with her on LinkedIn
Takeaway:
Building inclusive, thriving organizations starts with intentionality, active listening, and caring about people as whole humans. Ask more, listen deeply, and let your people shine!
