At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring meaningful and powerful stories from India and around the world to empower and motivate our growing community. As part of this endeavour, we invited Archana Reddy for an exclusive interview with us. Archana is an Author, Leader, Influencer, Intuitive Mindset and Mastery Coach. Let’s learn more about her incredible journey, background and advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Archana:
We are aware of your contributions to the ecosystem; talk us through your background and your journey, please;
My diverse professional journey of 23 years has provided me with the opportunity to work all across the USA as well as globally in the healthcare/pharmaceutical space in the area of Regulatory Affairs.
After college studying Chemistry/Spanish at Vanderbilt, I decided to pursue my Master’s in Biotechnology at Johns Hopkins when Biotech was new and novel, as I was passionate about science and innovation. During this time, I also did a Pre-IRTA fellowship in breast cancer research and knew that I wanted more.
So, I pushed my Master’s in Public Health at Columbia MSPH and ended up working in Regulatory Affairs at both FDA and in the pharmaceutical sectors across small, medium, large and lastly in consulting. During this time, I was also very much involved in mentoring and coaching and in my spiritual and self-development journey.
My spirit was naturally drawn to coaching and spiritual endeavours so I pursued many trainings, seminars, and certifications including executive/laser coaching and many healing modalities including theta healing, breathwork, and energy healing.
How did you discover your passion as a ‘Coach’?
Since I started working, I had noticed that I really enjoyed the training and mentoring/coaching others. Due to my natural intuitive and compassionate nature, people always trusted me and would come to me for advice.
Trust, integrity and good listening skills combined with an intuitive sense of the challenges facing others made me pursue personal development since college always going to seminars, reading 100’s of books in personal development and later in my adult years, pursuing spiritual study in even deeper depth by training with 100’s of healers and at least a dozen coaches over a 15 years plus year period.
I have been certified in many modalities and in January of 2022 decided it was time to set up an online program so I worked on it and was able to build my website and online presence with the support of a small team.
My goal is to help leaders/executives/visionary leaders of colour into their inner mastery to fast-track their life and business results. Having been on the corporate journey myself as a leader of a colour, I know the challenges leaders face whether it be burnout, discrimination or health challenges.
My experience both in the corporate and spiritual/coaching realms makes me a great facilitator and coach to help with mindset and abundance mastery.
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
The spiritual/self-development journey is not easy and is riddled with challenges and opportunities for growth and mastery. Growing up in the Hindu faith/philosophy since a young child, I was always more interested in the meaning of life and larger life questions than just the mundane day-to-day existence.
Looking back at all the challenges whether in career, health, or personal realms, these were all opportunities to go deeper into self-mastery by not bypassing problems but going to the root of them and learning the lessons.
The journey of self-discovery never ends but with experience one gains immense wisdom that is irreplaceable by any book or outside resources. The “dark night of the soul”, “spiritual awakenings”, and the like made me confront my own inner fears and look at the depths of what needed to be transformed to be able to step into my purpose work of serving leaders of colour deeply.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
The greatest source of motivation always has been faith and belief in God or a higher power that is constantly supporting me and has my back even through challenges, upheavals, and avalanches that life brings.
No matter what I always had the knowledge and belief that there is always a safe landing and protection. My Mom has always been important to me as she was always a source of strength and comfort. She was always so compassionate yet wise.
My family including friends who became like my family were also pivotal to my staying on my journey, as they did not take the straight and narrow path.
I tried many different experiences in my life but grew immensely and learned to master my mind and emotions as a result of all of these situations. Also, I learned that by staying true to your path, that abundance naturally follows.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
I have learned that to grow one has to:
> Be a lifelong student and be willing to learn something new every day.
> Be humble yet wise and discerning in who to trust and make decisions from the core of your being.
> Be willing to be uncomfortable to grow as there is no growth only in your comfort zone.
> Be curious yet independent; always asking questions yet knowing how to navigate based on inner knowing.
> Intuition is key in life.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
Success is so individual and distinct to every person but overall the following were key in my journey:
– Be wise and discerning; not everything that shines is gold
– Stay true to your inner values and never compromise your integrity/ethics
– Be of service and provide value for it comes back to you multiplied as different forms of abundance
– Do not be afraid to take the road less travelled for your life will be richly rewarded
– The greatest treasures are true friends, trusted advisors and family so cherish them dearly.
– Health is really the greatest wealth
What advice would you give to our readers?
Do not chase money; chase your passions. When you look back on your life, money will not be the only measure of success.
In pursuing what lights you up, you will naturally progress and excel and then as a byproduct abundance of all kinds is naturally attracted money, opportunities and visibility.
Do good and focus on being good and being of service first and foremost.
In leading from a place in of service, you will always be profiteer and blessed in many ways.
Last but not least, what about your journey makes it satisfying/exciting?
The most inspiring part of the coaching/spiritual path has always been the positive results received by both those I have mentored in my career and those who have shifted as a result of the work through sessions etc.
To hear of their success and shifts and changes makes me very happy, for I know that path was worth it.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
