As part of our relentless pursuit to identify and share with our community some of the unique and compelling stories from the startup ecosystem, this weekend we spoke to yet another passionate woman entrepreneur Harika Sachdev to understand more about her inspiring journey, her vision and the way forward. She is a Certified Coach, Entrepreneur, Leader and Change Enabler. Let’s learn more about her incredible journey so far!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Harika:
Talk us through your background and your journey, please; What made you passionate about ‘Coaching’?
Empowering people to live their life to the fullest is what made me passionate about coaching. The reason I love what I do is down to the satisfaction I get from the first-hand opportunity to purposefully connect, empower and thereby create an impact that is both direct and dynamic.
Expansion and conscious awareness that enables people to reach their joyous true potential in all aspects of life, is my goal.”
I have had a life filled with experiences, both positive and challenging. These experiences have successfully enabled me to carve my niche. I do consider myself fortunate to have countless happy memories and blessings. Life has shown me all its colours and my early life experience of palliative care to my mother allowed me insight into dealing with the critical illness of a loved one. It ignited in me, a quiet desire to stump up and support people facing personal challenges.
My work as an ICF certified Life and Personal Growth Coach is part of this journey. I work in the genres of Relationships, Youth Coaching, Grief Coaching and with women returning back to work after sabbaticals.
Along with solution-focussed modern coaching techniques, my practice combines – scientifically-backed energy psychology and holistic healing practices like EFT, Quantum Techniques, Ho’oponopono, Sound Healing, the RENE MEY therapies, Chakra Healing and other Energy Medicine tools including Meditation, Om chanting healing circles, among them, to facilitate others on their life journeys.
I am passionate about doing my bit to make the world a better, calmer, more peaceful place… one person at a time. This has driven my successful capability to create a transformation of consciously aware individuals to be their best selves, whether personally or professionally, as I know the two are not mutually exclusive. I actively work in the area of people development with Corporates and NGOs in the social sector.
Additionally, I run a niche digital marketing setup. Alongside these, the ability to volunteer with various platforms to capacitate children, socially challenged and critically ill patients, is a source of immense personal growth for me.
Personally experiencing and benefiting from transformational retreats, created in me a compelling desire to offer this opportunity of Holistic growth to others. It fuelled my passion to curate meaningful mind-body-spirit programs. “
So, for almost a decade now, I continue to offer these through various wellness platforms and collaborations.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
I learnt over time that everything in life— is either a blessing or a lesson. Every challenge provides an opportunity to expand and grow beyond one’s comfort zone. Challenges are essential, a room for expansion and thereby, blessings in disguise!
I have built the awareness that so many things do and will happen in our lives- joyful things, tragic things, confusing, perplexing things and even amusing or odd things. But our ability to control what and who is around us may be limited. So letting go of grudges, of regrets and residual anger is the one way I openly invite a better present and future.
Also investing time and effort in getting to know myself, and treating myself with kindness has been a tremendous source of growth for me. I have learnt what my strengths are and I am therefore able to use them for the benefit of others. This has enabled me in being a more wholesome and happier person…that is the empowerment I want others to experience.
I believe ‘the art of life’ is in learning that everything that is happening or has happened, is ultimately teaching you something valuable.”
Accepting every situation and using one’s resilience and compassion to navigate through, is emancipating.
Mindfulness and Gratitude are also crucial to me. I have a few practices of self-care that incorporate these into my daily routine. Coming from a place of loving awareness, watching situations unfold; being a vigilant observer and learning to let go, are pivotal in my evolving as a person.
How do you stay positive and motivated, what keeps you going?
As humans, we tend to avoid dealing with uncomfortable or negative feelings. However, to get past anything, you must first embrace that feeling of discomfort and learn to get through it.
The ability to tune into one’s feelings and acknowledge them, giving them the love and kindness they require, is key to heal. The idea is to treat negative feelings as friends and not foes, thereby transforming and transmuting that energy.”
Owning up to whatever you’re feeling— honouring it and allowing yourself space for the times there is a lack of motivation and sadness. That is an essential part of emotional decluttering.
One of the most important motivators to keep me on my journey is that I try not to push myself to make changes before I’m ready. I am forgiving to myself. Like all of us, I am cognizant that I make mistakes, but I am also conscious of not overthinking but instead accepting and pressing a pause on worry.
This is the self-empowerment I support others in developing, which comes from a place of complete acceptance and awareness. This is how we heal and move forward in life.
And of course, self-care. Self-care is more than a skincare routine for me. Though that is important, no doubt! It also means knowing when to take time and space for oneself and creating healthy boundaries.
Every time I see clients having an aha moment, I get the privilege of witnessing their breakthrough. That is sweet nectar! It’s the most powerful motivator for me. I feel blessed to be a part of that growth, and I grow with them.
Please share with us, how do you motivate your clients?
Being an empathetic listener allows me to connect with the susceptibilities and sensitivities of my clients and create a safe space for them.
It’s a place of no judgement. Establishing a rapport and a well-meaning intent is integral. I integrate coaching with different healing and expansion modalities, personalised to meet the client where they are and then support them to grow towards their goals from that point forward.
I facilitate clients to recognise and tap into things that inspire them and spark their inner drive as creating lasting change depends upon being able to develop autonomy and a mindset shift necessary for change. With my honed ability to connect authentically with vulnerability, I am able to offer powerful behaviour change methodologies.
My work is to augment their capacity, to enable them to take responsibility for their self-development and build confidence in their abilities to achieve their goals. Everything is within us, we just need to be tuned in and be awakened to draw from what’s within.
In your opinion, what are the keys to success? What advice would you give students and young professionals who want to have a successful career?
In my experience, there are multiple keys to success, which are:
1) Planning and discipline
2) Accountability to yourself
3) Consistency
4) Patience
5) Curiosity combined with Resourcefulness
6) Healthy Boundaries with others and self
7) Acknowledging and Overcoming limiting beliefs
8) Resilience
9) Gratitude
10) Living and embracing The Present for all it is
11) Last but not the least, the tangibles of sleep, nutrition, social connections
Having worked with professionals, youngsters and individuals for a decade, in my capacity as a coach, I know that every person is unique and blooms when equipped with the right tools to reach their brimful potential.
Life and career decisions require a long view of what comes after and an honest understanding of personal values, beliefs, skills, goals and ambitions.
An openness and curiosity to explore these aspects to get to know oneself, and be better equipped to take charge of one’s own progress are the reasons students and young professionals, among others, reach out to me for personal growth 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.
