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 Rachana Singh for an exclusive interview with us. Rachana is an Author, Leadership Presence & Emotional Resilience Coach and Keynote Speaker. Let’s learn more about her background, journey and her advice for our community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Rachana:
Could you please talk us through your background and your journey?
I am a soul searcher at heart, an organizational leader by life’s odyssey, and a coach by choice. My life’s story began in the quaint town of Sindri, nestled in Bihar, now part of Jharkhand, during the 1980s. My childhood was a time of carefree joy, spent alongside my siblings and parents in a nurturing environment.
Raised in a humble yet spiritually rich family and educated in a Christian school, I was naturally imbued with values that shaped my character. Focus, perseverance, honesty, family, discipline, care, and candour became second nature—values that I later came to recognize as the foundational pillars of my journey.
In the 90s, with limited career paths like engineering, medical, UPSC, and teaching, I chose science, though I always felt engineering wasn’t my true calling. It took nearly two decades for me to discover where my real passions lay: Psychology and English.
While my heart thrived on connecting with others, languages, and creative writing, I wished I had pursued English Literature. Unfortunately, with minimal guidance and awareness, I didn’t realize it was a viable career path. Similarly, Psychology was a field I wasn’t even aware of back then. I initially pursued a diploma in Hotel Management from IHM Gwalior, but during my internship, it became clear that the hotel industry wasn’t my true calling. As the BPO sector began to boom, I pivoted to join the credit card banking process at GE-SBI.
Over the next 16 years, I immersed myself in the corporate world, working with renowned organizations like RBS, WNS, and AON. This period was transformative, allowing me to hone my leadership skills, build resilience, and lead large teams. The experience was rich and rewarding, fostering timeless relationships and preparing me for future challenges.
In 2017, at the peak of my corporate career—managing a multi-client delivery portfolio with a team of over 200—I made a pivotal decision. I left behind a lucrative position, took a 60% salary cut, and joined an NGO. Why this drastic shift? Over time, I realized that climbing the corporate ladder was not my true dream or destination. My inner calling was to serve and driven by this profound desire, leaving the corporate world became a natural choice.
For the next five years, I served as the Program Director – COE Technology at Piramal Foundation. Leading a dedicated team, we focused on creating innovative solutions to enhance education and health for children in underserved districts.
A standout project was our collaboration with Google and the Uttar Pradesh government to launch the AI-powered EdTech solution, Read Along. This initiative achieved an impressive 1.2 million downloads, significantly boosting reading skills among children at the grassroots level.
The COVID outbreak was a catalyst for deep reflection and realization. Amid the global panic and stress, I felt a powerful urge to reassess my life goals. It became clear that I wasn’t fully living up to my potential and wasn’t doing enough.
This period of introspection brought both clarity and confusion. I knew I wanted to broaden my impact, but the direction remained uncertain. Ultimately, I discovered that my true fulfillment lay in guiding others toward success and happiness, leveraging my ability to bring out the best in them.
With the soul of a seeker, I felt a deep desire to unleash my creative spirit, take the helm as the CEO of my life, and dedicate myself to helping individuals gain clarity and courage to realize their true potential. Today, I channel this passion into my work as a Leadership Coach, Motivational Speaker, and Writer.
Partnering with a diverse range of individuals—from seasoned senior executives and IITians to doctors and business owners—and empowering them to ignite transformative growth and achieve their goals has been an incredibly fulfilling experience.
How did you discover your passion?
Discovering our passion, purpose or how I like to call it – why we have been put on Mother Earth is an intriguing, exhilarating and fulfilling journey.
One undeniable truth is this: if you are not living your passion, you will always experience a lingering sense of discomfort. Even if you’re thriving financially and enjoying a comfortable lifestyle, there may still be a profound sense of emptiness—a feeling that something essential is missing.
Throughout my own journey, I’ve navigated multiple shifts in direction—from choosing my college specialization to venturing into the BPO industry, transitioning from a successful corporate career to working with an NGO, and finally, in my early forties, embracing the role of an entrepreneur. Each of these decisions was driven by a quest to align with my core values.
Back in 2021, the constant pursuit of my ‘WHY’ and wanting to find the answer to – “What is the purpose of my life?” led me to spending a period of three months in deep contemplation. During three transformative months, I connected with my inner voice and clarified my core values: care, creativity, consciousness, flexibility, family, growth, and well-being.
This reflection illuminated my true passion: forming deep human connections and helping others unlock their potential. The natural next step was to channel this passion into my profession, becoming a coach, mentor, speaker, and writer.
The void I once felt—a lack of mentorship and guidance—is now the very essence of what I offer to others. Today, I am dedicated to helping collegians, senior executives, and women leaders gain clarity, discover their passions, and overcome limiting beliefs to lead a life of fulfilment.
Here are three steps to guide you on your journey to finding your passion:
> Find a mentor – Seek out a mentor or ‘guru’ who truly believes in you, recognizes your potential, has experienced success, and is willing to invest in your growth selflessly.
> Discover your core values – Reflect on your current work and ask yourself if you are truly passionate about it. Identify what aspects you love and what you wish to change or eliminate.
> Dream without Limits – Imagine a life where money is no object. What would you pursue with unbridled enthusiasm? What would you lose yourself in, completely absorbed and joyful?
Despite the challenges, what keeps you going when things get tough?
In life, there is a profound mantra that guides me: “Let your faith be stronger than your fear.” This principle underscores the essence of duality, the very fabric of our existence. We navigate through a world of contrasts—happiness and sadness, opportunities and challenges, courage and fear. These dualities are not just hurdles but stepping stones on our journey of growth. And the beauty of it all? Impermanence.
Reflecting on my own life, I’ve come to embrace the philosophy of “This too shall pass.” Each chapter of my life has been marked by challenges that altered my course—challenges that pushed me to reinvent my career, launch my own venture, and enhance my well-being. These experiences have been the crucible in which my spiritual, mental, and emotional growth has flourished.
About eight years ago, my life took an unexpected turn. A sedentary, high-stress corporate lifestyle left me with debilitating back pain and widespread discomfort. Mornings were a struggle—I’d wake up hoping that my pain would magically vanish by the next day.
Physiotherapy sessions became as routine as grocery store trips, but despite two years of trying every conceivable remedy—medications, physiotherapy, extended rest, and even Panchkarma—the pain persisted. It was clear that something fundamental needed to change.
That’s when I got introduced to the practice, philosophy and discipline of Yoga. What started as a last resort quickly transformed into a profound journey of mind, body, and soul. With the guidance of remarkable teachers, I embarked on this new path. The initial stages were challenging, but over months and years, the results spoke for themselves: my back pain diminished, my stress levels fell, and a newfound calmness emerged.
Fast forward to today, and my journey has evolved into setting and achieving new health goals. Five years ago, I set a goal to master Sheershasana, the Headstand pose, and recently I’ve accomplished it! My next target? Chakrasana, the Wheel pose.
Through this journey, I’ve come to a funny but profound realization: pain is an inevitable part of life. Rather than seeing challenges as setbacks, I now view them as lessons added to my life’s book. Each challenge is an opportunity to learn, and the real value lies in stepping back, observing, and asking, “What is this challenge trying to teach me?” Armed with this perspective, I’m able to plan my actions with renewed clarity.
What are the three most important lessons you have learned in your life?
1) Well-being is the cornerstone of a happy life – As Herophilus wisely said, “When health (well-being) is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied.”
Personal well-being is the greatest investment you can make for yourself and your family. It is thus valuable to take care of your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. An area that I would want to add and highlight separately is digital well-being. To detox your mind encourage yourself to restrict your device time and instead invest time in your hobbies.
2) Find your ‘WHY’ – Understanding the “why” behind your actions is crucial. When you are not living your passion, a persistent sense of discomfort will likely linger. Investing time and energy in discovering your life’s purpose can provide profound meaning and a continuous flow of motivation, even in the face of challenges.
Each day, I am driven by the opportunity to collaborate with organizational executives, women leaders, and college students. My mission is to empower them to lead lives filled with clarity and courage, ultimately helping them achieve their dreams.
3) Build timeless connections – In today’s world, your network truly reflects your net worth. However, I’m not referring to a large follower count on social media, but rather to cultivating deep and meaningful relationships. Early in my career, I recognized the power of ‘social capital’ and have since cherished the opportunity to build genuine connections with clients, colleagues, and team members. The wonderful news is that after over two decades, the bonds I’ve formed with individuals across various organizations have endured and evolved into lasting valuable relationships.
As a Leadership Coach and Motivational Speaker, what areas do you find most exciting and fulfilling when supporting your clients on their journey?
As Oprah Winfrey wisely said, “Turn your wounds into wisdom.” This principle guides my approach—transforming my life experiences into valuable insights for both myself and others. In a coaching relationship, the focus is on the client’s needs and goals, but I’ve also identified universal needs that many people share. Through my coaching and speaking endeavours, my aim is to address these core needs and reach as many individuals as possible on:
Leading life with Clarity and Courage – For many individuals, life is steering them rather than taking the reins of their own life. This lack of clarity about their destination often leads to merely existing rather than truly living. Additionally, even those who have a clear vision may be held back by limiting beliefs and societal conditioning, resulting in a fear of taking decisive action. They often struggle with finding the courage to move forward. Through my coaching, my aim is to empower individuals to live with both clarity and courage, enabling them to take control of their lives and pursue their goals with confidence and purpose.
Cultivating Self-awareness – As said by Lao Tzu, “To know others is wisdom, to know yourself is enlightenment.” For any individual to lead a meaningful life, it is valuable to know who you are and that includes understanding your core values, beliefs, motivations, dreams, likes and dislikes. Thus, I engage in deeper conversations with my clients to explore and reveal these layers to foster a deeper understanding of themselves.
Developing Emotional Resilience– A statement by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor says, ‘Most of us think of ourselves as thinking creatures that feel, but we are actually feeling creatures that think.’ This is a subject very close to my heart as with the increased percentage of stress, burnout, and dissatisfaction that I observe around, understanding and managing emotions and developing emotional resilience is the key to living a happy life.
Embracing Personal Wellbeing – With the observed decline in mental health, social connectedness, and life satisfaction scores, personal wellbeing is an area I passionately care for, spread awareness, coach clients and speak about. There is nothing more valuable than taking care of yourself as you can’t pour from an empty cup.
Fostering Meaningful Professional Relationships – Based on Gallup’s new State of the Global Workplace: 2024 report, one in five employees is grappling with loneliness, which is significantly impacting their physical and mental health. Connection is a fundamental human need, and having developed timeless relationships at the workplace and beyond, I am confident that fostering meaningful relationships at work is entirely achievable. Therefore, I am dedicated to assisting individuals in cultivating valuable and collaborative connections, both personally and professionally.
What advice would you give students and young professionals who want to have a successful career?
As a College-to-Career Transition Coach and a mother with a daughter just starting college, I consistently guide young individuals to concentrate on the following key areas:
Invest in Personal Wellbeing – While awareness of wellbeing has risen in the post-COVID world, reports such as the World Happiness Report by Gallup reveal a decline in the happiness levels of youngsters. Therefore, prioritizing your physical, mental, emotional, digital, and spiritual wellbeing should be a non-negotiable aspect of daily life for everyone.
Have a ‘Guru’ – To accelerate your journey toward growth and success, dedicate time and energy to finding a mentor. Seek someone who is committed to investing in your personal and professional development, guiding you toward achieving your goals and realizing your full potential.
Discover your ‘Ikigai’ – Self-awareness is the foundation of personal growth. Uncover your core values, strengths, and beliefs to find your ‘Ikigai’. Engage a mentor or coach to guide you on this transformative journey. Once you uncover your ‘Ikigai,’ you’ll become unstoppable, and each day will turn into a celebration.
Last but not least, what about your journey makes it satisfying/exciting?
Aligned with my purpose of expanding spiritually and contributing to a cause greater than myself, my mission is to touch one million lives in the next decade.
I am committed to helping individuals gain clarity and build the courage to live a life in harmony with their dreams and purpose. This drive fuels my passion every day and keeps me endlessly inspired and engaged!
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