At BrilliantRead Media, it is our constant endeavour to bring meaningful and powerful stories from India and around the world to empower and motivate our growing community. As part of this, we invited Geeta Bhaskar for an exclusive interview with us. She is a Leader, Change Enabler, Influencer, Life and Intimacy Coach. Let’s learn more about her incredible journey, background, and valuable advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Geeta:
We are aware of your contributions to the ecosystem; talk us through your background and your journey, please;
My professional journey so far has helped me understand myself better and also understand the contributions I can make to society.
After my MA in English Literature, I went on to do a CELTA certificate from Cambridge. I also did a Diploma in Dietary Counseling and another Diploma in Psychology and Counseling from Ireland.
In order to gain experience teaching English as a second language to adults, I did voluntary teaching in Cambodia for 3 months.
Currently, I am running my own business of Life Coaching. This entrepreneurship helped me span a wide variety of trainings and courses. I have trained under the likes of Jon and Missy Butcher from Mindvalley, Puja Puneet (India’s leading Woman’s Coach).
Now, I’m training under Anne-Marie Clulow from International Intimacy Coaching.
How did you discover your passion in ‘Coaching’?
I have been a homemaker and yet always found some work to do online and earn some pocket money. Yet a part of me always wanted to help other women become entrepreneurs in their own right and help them earn too. That led me towards all the courses I did.
However, one day I came across Puja Puneet‘s course where she urges women to start helping other women through Coaching and I realized this is something I want to do.
It was my first few clients who made me realise that I could help them by freeing them up to be more open about their sexuality, their bodies and their femininity.
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
Whenever I face a challenge my first reaction is to go into my shell. After a while, I focus on just taking the next step and then the next and the next.
I focus on the fact that I don’t want to go back to the person I was so the only option is to move forward.
I have a system in place where I rarely feel the need to hide and know that I only need to focus on the next step.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
My biggest motivators have been my husband Sujit and my daughters, Pooja and Divya. Sujit always encouraged me to follow my dreams and he would not hesitate to share the household responsibilities to free me up.
My girls also accommodated and made allowances for when I went away to Cambodia and were very happy for me. Another disguised angel who became my motivator is my mother-in-law.
As far back as I can remember she has made sacrifices for the family. In her old age now, she’s quite bitter and regrets all the choices she never made.
That motivated me to take my chances so that I don’t end up like her. She and my father-in-law always accept that I need to step up for myself even though they themselves couldn’t.
Please share with us, how do you motivate your clients?
The focus is to help individuals heal, energise and become aware of their inner strengths. I achieve this by providing a neutral safe space, listening to their concerns and customising a treatment plan.
Communication to me is a very important scenario to improve motivation. Active listening to the need of a client is very important otherwise thoughts cannot find their solutions.
Also fun is the most vital aspect of taking part in anything, and yet one of the hardest to achieve. My work is to empower clients to take on responsibilities for their own self-development and show confidence in their abilities to achieve their goals.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
There are a few:
> Being mindful
> Always being resourceful
> Taking extreme ownership and responsibility for my actions i.e. exhibiting Courage
> Being consistent.
> Willingness to take risks.
> Being authentic
You are always positive and motivated, what keeps you going?
My motivation comes from dance because I enjoy it. The motivation to work hard and practice and stay disciplined comes from the desire to master my skill to keep learning something new, and my genuine enjoyment for my purpose. I try to set boundaries which takes practice so that I don’t get bogged down by my client’s problems.
I schedule a daily appointment for self-care, even if it’s just alone time. For example, I schedule time the same as I would suggest for my client to meditate, go on walks, exercise, journal and have breaks when I go silent and off my gadgets. I keep a gratitude journal and write ten things I am grateful for each morning.
I also read works by people I admire with uplifting material that reminds me of the power we all have within us.
Last but not least when I see my clients having a breakthrough moment because of me, it’s the most powerful stimulant I can imagine.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
I will say it straight that there are many factors but if you really have to have the key elements then to me these are the ones:
(a) Accepting & Loving myself.
(b) Taking responsibility for my actions
(c) Standing up for myself
(d) Resourcefulness
(e) Curiosity
(f) Positive Attitude
(g) Taking massive action with consistency and belief
You only work with women, what advice would you give to them?
The suggestion I would give them is to not get lost in their roles as daughter, wife, daughter-in-law, mother or any other but to carve out an identity of their own.
Every woman needs to have money of her own and she can do so even without working herself into the ground. It’s possible for women to have a work-life balance. The key is to know that you can ask for help and that you’re not alone.
Last but not least, what about your journey makes it satisfying/exciting?
Getting great feedback from those who have been inspired through my social media content, through my coaching sessions/programs amps up my energy to deliver more value to them.
Seeing shifts in them and in their journey makes it satisfying because I see their success as my success and their breakthroughs as recently, I have created a getaway for my clients through my signature Mythri Goddess Retreat program wherein they have the opportunity to get away on their own for a few days every year to begin a transformational journey.
This will be a life-changing experience for them and they have the option to continue their journey further through online coaching.
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.
