As part of our ongoing quest to get you meaningful and powerful stories from India and around the world, we invited yet another passionate entrepreneur and Coach – Arvinder Kapoor for an exclusive interview with BrilliantRead Media. She is a Leader, Mindfulness Coach, Energy Healer, Holistic well-being coach and Founder of Nivaaz. Let’s read more about her inspiring journey and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with her:
We are aware of your contribution to the ecosystem, talk us through your background and your journey as a women entrepreneur/coach, please.
My journey is first and foremost that of a healer, and then an entrepreneur. Around 2006, my family was facing a rough patch and my husband’s health wasn’t in great shape. A lady in my locality used to teach Reiki at that time and she convinced me to join the course. I was a novice, but I could still feel the energy of this healing modality.
However, I wasn’t very confident about using it even after having completed the course. A few years later, I did the course again from a different instructor with my sister-in-law. I began to understand that modalities like Reiki are very closely linked with positive thinking, psychological studies like Neuro-Linguistic Programming (commonly called NLP), and are all about learning to be in sync with oneself and the universe around us.
Over the course of the next ten years, my sister and I helped many people by teaching them Reiki and doing healings, helping them cope with difficult situations in life, and so much more. We kept getting a deeper understanding of human behaviour, emotions, and psychology while being a channel of Reiki energy. It was transformational for us as well as our clients. In the beginning, our clients were just our relatives, but then our circle kept growing until we decided to take a step back.
The family took precedence, life happened and we both got busy in the lives of our children. We were expected to put family first and let a potential career take a backseat. The expectations, though, came from the people around us as well as our own selves.
I was still doing healing and teaching people Reiki when they reached out. I’ve never turned a client away. But a two years ago, my daughters, who are both Reiki and Theta healing practitioners themselves, motivated me and really pushed me to kick-start this journey again. And so, Nivaaz was born.
I had always wanted to positively impact lives around me. Nivaaz gave me the opportunity and platform to reach more people, share with them everything I have learnt about the various healing modalities, meditation, the science of using our bodies’ natural self-healing capacity, and so much more.
Ever since I decided to build a holistic wellness community through Nivaaz, I have met people from various backgrounds and age groups—a lot of them virtually because of the pandemic.
Nivaaz has partnered with Senior Living communities for curating specialised engagement programs for them, focusing on wellbeing. I’ve also spoken to various audiences on multiple platforms about meditation, its benefits and how it can truly help one unleash their full potential.
I’ve been practising and teaching Reiki for more than a decade. And in the last few years, with Nivaaz, we have coached hundreds of people on meditation, mindfulness and different ancient and natural healing arts. The response from our clients and people associated with us drives us to bring more to the table every day!
What attracts you towards entrepreneurship instead of a corporate career?
A corporate career was never my finding. I come from a business family and my husband has established his own practice as a lawyer. From the people and the environment around me, I’ve always learnt to carve my own path.”
I’ve also spent many years of my life as a homemaker, so I love to be able to build something on my own, nurture it, make sure the people associated with it are able to benefit from it. A corporate career wouldn’t fit into my vision for my life and for Nivaaz.
While corporate careers are great (I know because both my daughters are successful corporate professionals), the freedom to do things differently, which comes from entrepreneurship, is a fuel for my passion to see Nivaaz grow.
‘Nivaaz’ is such a unique name; talk us through more about it, please. Our audience would also love to know what kind of problem you are solving?
“Nivaaz” in Gurmukhi means “Prayer”.
Our lives are made up of our choices and our experiences. We pray, asking the universe for guidance to help make the right choices, we want to be good at what we do, be successful and happy, have contentment in our hearts, and so much more. But the lifestyle we’re accustomed to doesn’t make it easy for us to make the right choices.
Our minds are seldom fully at peace, we see anxiety bubbling up in people, emotional imbalance, etc., all because we are not in harmony with our own selves and the world around us. Nivaaz is a prayer and its answer, guidance for us and our clients, through which we aim to help people gain control of their lives through meditative practices, healing modalities and adopting a lifestyle that’s in sync with nature. When I say nature, I mean one’s own personal nature as well as the natural world.
What we’re offering is simple, yet effective. As I mentioned before, the human body has a natural capacity to self-heal. At Nivaaz, we help you remember this so that you can heal yourself, your environment, and your family.
The problem we’re solving is this: we’re here to help you reach your full potential by helping you better understand yourself. We’re here to help train your mind so that it doesn’t control you — you control it and your thoughts.
We bring you healing modalities that have existed since ancient times to harmonize the body and the world around, that is, with-in and with-out. These include Reiki Healing, Meditation, Crystal Healing, Tarot Card Readings, etc.
What services do you offer at Nivaaz and how can people reach out to avail the same?
At Nivaaz, we offer a plethora of services, courses and products to enhance a client’s wellbeing holistically.
Courses: Reiki Healing Courses (beginners to mastership level, including Karuna Reiki); Basic Numerology; Tarot Card Reading
Services: Tarot Card Readings; Numerology Charts; Switch Words and Energy Circles; Meditation Classes; Customised Wellbeing Plans for Senior Living Communities, Corporate Houses and Individuals; Crystal and Chakra Healing Consultations
Products: Crystal products like bracelets, pendants, clusters, ring stones, face massage rollers, gua shas, trees, etc.; Himalayan rock salt lamps; customised gift sets of various products for inviting positive energy into your environment; etc.
During this COVID-19 crisis, what are the measures you have undertaken to continue your business without disruption?
Since COVID-19 happened in the early stages of establishing Nivaaz, we quickly moved to set up a presence online. Previously, we could not have imagined imparting healing and coaching sessions online without meeting people in person. It’s been a huge shift for me personally as I’ve never been very tech-savvy. But I am learning, getting more comfortable with virtual meetings and webinars, one session at a time.
However, I must add that technology has proven to be a boon during these times. We’ve been able to reach so many people, it’s mind-blowing. It’s also enabled us to set up bookings and consultations online as well as to conduct sessions on Chakras, Crystal Healing, Mindfulness, etc., with an entirely new audience base. At the same time, it’s helped people reach out to us more proactively. It’s helped us build trust and credibility, and that’s crucial for a business like ours to survive.
How do you manage yourself and keep on going despite the challenges? What drives you?
The challenges will keep coming because they’re a way for us to grow as individuals. What keeps me going despite setbacks is that one phone call or message telling me I’ve made a positive impact on someone’s life. Reiki and meditation have given a lot to me and to be able to share that knowledge and joy with other people is what drives me every day.
Also, I have a great team that shares my vision for Nivaaz. This makes us a cohesive unit, which goes a long way in steering Nivaaz and our projects in the right direction. My family is also a huge support system for me. They keep me motivated to do better every day.
In your opinion, what is more necessary: idea or a good team for a successful startup?
I think both are integral for the success of a start-up. A great quote to remember here is this: ‘If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together’. If you have ideas, patience and a good team, you have the ingredients for awesome results.
A great team that has the same vision and spirit as you do is a blessing. Together, you can turn even the smallest of ideas into a huge success.
What are the business mantras you have embraced as you sought to establish your success story?
Listen, listen and listen some more, especially to your customers and your team. If you value your customers’ voice enough, they’ll give you not just ways to improve your services and products, but also how to beat the competition. After all, they’re the ones with real-time user-end experience.
At the same time, your team is your strength, the bridge between you and your customers, the people on-the-ground. Listen to them, their problems and solutions and brainstorm with them. You’ll have a treasure trove of ideas at all times.
What are the three most important lessons you have learned building your startup?
a) Keep going no matter what, success will knock on your door.
b) Everyone’s path is different, so never compare yourself or your journey with anyone else’s.
c) From the very beginning, care for your customers and give them the best quality of services and products.
Given the rapid pace at which the world is changing, what are the leadership traits that are necessary for success?
Being agile, understanding the customer’s pulse and needs, and providing the best-in-class solutions for their problems.
You are always positive and motivated, what keeps you going?
I love what I do! My love for helping people lead better, more positive lives, keeps me on my toes. Moreover, I have a unique opportunity to bring forward ancient and natural healing arts, bring them closer to my community and the world. That’s a huge responsibility. It keeps me motivated and fills me with gratitude every single day.
We would love to know your advice for all those starting out as aspiring women entrepreneurs.
There will be a number of people telling you that you’re meant for something else, that you should choose something that fits their definition of a ‘safe option’, or that you don’t have what it takes to be an independent, self-sufficient person. I wouldn’t say don’t listen to them. They probably mean well in their own way. But don’t let their doubts become yours. If you have a purpose and passion, nurture it. It’s a gift.
At the same time, there will be those rare people who will stand by your side, supporting your decisions and vision. No matter how far you go or how high you reach, don’t forget them.
Lastly, and most importantly, believe in yourself and your capability; all of us have an infinite capacity to create our own miracles. Always remember that and keep moving ahead.
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.
