coffee date #63 with mridula kovuri
Marketing & Operations Associate @ Prudential, RU alum, reality TV lover, a die-hard Swiftie, dog mom, 1/3rd of the east coast trio (s/o coffee date #32), miss world traveler
me: pizza and pasta | mridula: pizza and pasta
location: woodstack, metuchen
Back in 2019, I spent approximately 48 hours with Mridula, during which lots happened: a breakup, my first visit to a bar (called Hoppipola, yes the one we went to with coffee dates #32 and #60), too much alcohol, a night on the toilet, and even a nighttime horror tour given by Mridula herself.
This is a friendship that’s lasted almost a decade, which makes this coffee date even more special 🥹
Mridula is many things. She knows how to party hard while also ensuring everyone feels included. I remember going to her 21st birthday party in NYC and I knew no one other than her. She somehow made me feel so welcomed and I left that night having met her really cool, wholesome friends.
She also has the most contagious laugh. And is awesome at listening and giving advice.
What I love most about her, though, is how real and authentic she is. She’s got a strong moral compass and is a true “girl’s girl.”
Mridula is one of those rare few who you can: 1) have a lot of fun with AND 2) have massive trauma dumping sessions with. What better way to have a trauma dump than to have a coffee date?
Epiphanies
- putting yourself first & trusting your intuition
I’ve known Mridula from her Chirec school days to Rutgers college days to now a full-blown working woman. She’s always had the most incredible work ethic and confidence. She trusts her skills and goes after the things she wants with the utmost dedication.
And trusting yourself is big! She told me how she was in a rotational program that was supposed to last till June. In between, she landed her job at Prudential, which would begin in April. She debated between thugging out the rest of her program or leaving the program early to start her job. If she left early, maybe she’d be leaving on bad terms. If she thugged it out, the job may not be there anymore.
“When it comes to work, I’ve really learned that you have to put yourself first and everything will work out.” – Mridula Kovuri, 2026
But she trusted her gut and left the program early to start her job and boy, did she make the right decision. Nearly a week or two after she began her job, the job market went to shit and Prudential implemented a hiring freeze. Here she is now; she loves her job, has a beautiful work-life balance, and made a decision that she does not regret at all.
- how to make decisions without spiraling
As two over-thinkers, our brains are always on 10x speed. But I loved how Mridula spoke about her thoughts and decision making.
She explained that when she makes a decision, she wants it to be her own. She will listen to everyone’s perspective, but at the end of the day, she’ll have a final say in her life decisions.
“Over-thinkers are also the people who are the most prepared and they can handle any situation.” – Mridula Kovuri, 2026
I sometimes just want someone else to make a decision for me because it’s just easier and takes off the pressure. But Mridula noted that if things don’t go according to plan, she doesn’t want to blame anyone else but herself. Because at the end of the day, it’s her cute, little life.
She explained how overthinking can actually be used to our advantage. Over-thinkers have thought of every outcome, so Mridula basically just maps out every possible scenario, including worst-case scenarios. Once she has the whole map, she forms a decision.
Now here’s the best part: once she makes a decision, one that she fully trusts, she closes off that chapter and does not look back. I think this is the part that I struggle with the most. Once I make a decision, I still teeter back and forth and that confuses my brain and I’m never fully satisfied. But Mridula showed me the importance of planning it all out, making the decision, and moving on. There’s nothing you can change anyway, so just lock it up and tuck it away.
“It’s like booking a hotel. The price could drop the next day or the next week. But it’s done. Out of sight, out of mind. You made your choice. You made your bed. Lay in it.” – Mridula Kovuri, 2026
- NYC babyyy
Mridula is moving to the big apple this summer and I loved her reasoning for the move.
As someone who has been living at home since graduation, it’s easy to float around in the same bubble (parents, grandparents, co-workers, etc.) and just dilly dally every day until one day, you realize that a week, a month, or years have passed by and you didn’t even realize it.
Mridula explained feeling a similar way, which is why she’s hyped for the move. Not only will she live with her childhood best friends, but living in NYC, a city like no other, will allow her to meet so many people. People with different views, backgrounds, and opinions. Meeting them will allow Mridula to understand more about the world, other people, and in turn, herself.
I love that Mridula is always looking for perspective and creating so much space for others in her life. It’s sooooo comfortable to just sit still, but she’s actively pursuing change in hopes of it leading to a bigger worldview. Inspires me to do the same.
- friendssssss!
One of the things that I admire the most about Mridula is the way she cultivates and develops friendships. She’s had the same core friends for practically over a decade. She created more solid friendships in college. I mean even we’ve known each other for nearly a decade now. It’s one thing to keep friends, but it’s another thing to actually feed into those friendships and truly value them.
I loved the way she spoke about the impact of her friendships. She explained that her friends have truly made her into a better, kinder person. And this got me thinking about my friends. They’re such cool people, who’ve helped me through numerous existential crises, relationships, major life decisions, and more. I’ve almost taken them for granted. Not having realized how much they really have expanded my tiny, little heart to create room for lots more love.
Mridula shared something similar. She has learned so much about love, connection, safety, and being understood within her friendships, that she is now able to translate these things into her romantic relationship.
Friends really do change lives. They’re our found families❣️
Esha Kode 