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 Shweta Pandey for an exclusive interview with us. Shweta is a Leader, Entrepreneur, Business Consultant, Coach, Author, Mentor, TV Host, Public Speaker and Change Enabler. She is the Founder of BNL Club. Let’s learn more about her incredible journey, her background, and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Shweta:
Could you please talk us through your background and your journey?
I come from a land of Dal Makhani and Chole Bhature, you guessed it right Punjab. I grew up in the foothills of the Kangra Valley where I learned some of the best lessons of my life. My family was divided between those in the service, primarily in the education field, and those in business. This gave me the gift of understanding both mindsets and the challenges that come with them, which prepared me for my future role in life.
I took every opportunity to learn and build my unique identity, working for various companies such as Standard Chartered Bank, Tata Motors, Hyundai, Imperial Hotel, Habitat World, and the Al-Ghamdi group in Dubai.”
During my time with Cartier and Ravissant, I learned about sharpening my skills and brand building. However, destiny had bigger plans for me, and I got the opportunity to work in a diplomatic mission at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia. This gave me a taste of royalty and exposure to learn much more about my country and at a global level.
After my time at the embassy, I started my own consulting and training freelance work, where I could use my experience to help others build their communities and deliver an exceptional user experience to their clients.
How did you discover your passion as a ‘Coach’?
My journey as a coach began unexpectedly, but it quickly became my true calling. As I navigated through my own experiences, I discovered the importance of balancing emotional and financial stability in one’s personal and professional life. It was then that I realized I could use my skills to help others achieve this balance as well.
Through coaching, I found a perfect structure to help working professionals carve their personal brands and reach their full potential. This led me to launch my second project, “BNLCLUB,” where I assist business owners with branding and positioning strategies to grow their businesses.
My 20+ years of work experience in sales, marketing, branding, and public relations has proved to be valuable in my coaching journey. I’ve had the privilege of addressing BSF Jawans and officers, Bihar Police, FICCI flow members, HNIs from Dubai and India, working professionals from Croatia and Jordan, and small business owners from Canada to Oman.”
By exploring and applying techniques for realizing human potential, I’ve been able to help others build their communities and deliver exceptional user experiences to their clients.
Can you tell us more about your coaching philosophy and how you work with clients to achieve their goals?
My coaching philosophy is based on the belief that every individual has the power within them to create the life they desire and that my role as a coach is to help them unlock their potential and find the clarity and confidence needed to take action towards their goals.
I work with clients in a collaborative manner, where we explore their strengths, values, and aspirations. Through this process, we identify what success means to them, what motivates them, and what they need to do to achieve their goals. I help clients set clear and achievable objectives and guide them through the process of developing a plan of action.
In my coaching sessions, I use various techniques like NLP, visualization, and goal setting to help clients overcome limiting beliefs, fears, and obstacles that may be holding them back.”
I also help them develop new habits, routines, and mindsets that are aligned with their goals and values. Above all bringing Clarity and cultivating a culture of Purpose and eventually aligning everything that they do with their purpose.
I believe that coaching is not just about achieving success in one area of life, but it’s about creating a holistic and balanced life that aligns with one’s values and purpose. Therefore, I work with clients on various aspects of their life like health, relationships, finance, and career, to ensure they achieve a well-rounded and fulfilling life.
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
My core values. I believe in sharing and creating a Legacy. Leave what you have got from your society back and in many folds. We can certainly make this world more prosperous if we all start to give value that we wish to have for ourselves.
My children are definitely my drive and my spiritual streak keeps me humble and moving forward all the time. After all, we are shaped by our experiences and circumstances.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
My children and my inner calling. Strong women of my family be it my mother or my late grandmother and aunts. Being a single mother fueled it further and there’s no plan B after that – by will.
The motto was clear, I didn’t want any girl to go through the kind of hardships that I did because it was mostly avoidable with the right guidance and tools. So I made it my mission to help every working professional to create their personal brand and every business owner to build a unique positioning for their businesses to grow exponentially.”
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
There are a few:
> Regularly taking care of my physical and mental health through exercise, meditation, and self-care practices.
> Always being resourceful and mindful.
> Taking extreme ownership and responsibility for my actions.
> Ability to take risks & venture into uncharted territories.
> Continuously learning and upgrading my skills and knowledge.
> Staying positive and optimistic even in difficult times.
> Being adaptable and flexible to change and new opportunities.
> Surrounding myself with positive and supportive people.
> Focusing on my goals and taking consistent action towards achieving them.
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 and forgiving self/others.
(b) Responsibility for my actions
(c) Standing up for myself and my teammates
(d) Resourcefulness
(e) Curiosity and courage
(f) Positive Attitude
(g) Taking massive action (execution) with consistency and belief
What advice would you give to our readers?
I would also suggest that it’s important to prioritize your mental and physical health. Take care of yourself first, so that you can perform better in every aspect of your life. Set realistic goals and work towards achieving them with a positive attitude.
Don’t be afraid to take risks and step out of your comfort zone. Embrace failures as opportunities to learn and grow. And lastly, always be kind and respectful to others, and treat them the way you want to be treated.
What advice would you give to someone who is looking to make a career change or start their own business?
Starting a new career or business can be daunting, but it can also be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. Here are a few pieces of advice I would give to someone looking to make a career change or start their own business:
Start with why: Before you dive into the details of your new venture, take some time to reflect on why you want to make this change. What motivates you? What are your passions and values? What is the purpose behind your work and why is it so important to you? This will help you stay focused and committed when things get tough.
Do your research: It’s essential to do your homework before you jump into a new career or business. Research the market, the competition, and the potential risks and rewards of your chosen path. This will help you make informed decisions and avoid costly mistakes.
Take action: Once you have done your research and have a plan in place, it’s time to take action. Start small, take calculated risks, and be willing to learn and adapt as you go along.
Seek help and guidance: Don’t be afraid to ask for help and guidance from experts, mentors, and coaches who can offer you valuable insights and support.
Stay committed: Starting a new career or business takes time, effort, and patience. Stay committed to your goals, stay focused, and keep pushing forward, even when the going gets tough. Remember that success is a journey, not a destination.
Last but not least, what about your journey makes it satisfying/exciting?
The most satisfying and exciting aspect of my journey is the results – bringing transformation, clarity in vision, and structure for achieving missions for my clients. Seeing shifts in their journey and getting great feedback from those who have been impacted through my coaching sessions and social media content energizes me to deliver more value to them. Their success becomes my success, and their breakthroughs mine.
In 2020, I was recognized as an Aspiring Brand and Positioning coach, and have received group coach and mentor awards from BSF Rajasthan, Gaya Police, Entrepreneurs Forum of India, and most recently, Indian Oil Corporation. Through my coaching, I also became an Amazon bestseller for two books, including “A Mightier Pen,” which guides readers on why and how to write, market, publish and monetize their book.
Hosting the 75th Bharat Mahotsav with Hon. Minister Meenakshi Lekhi as the chief guest, hosting my own TV show on Ten News Live for over a year, hosting live sessions on Akashwani – Air Rainbow in 2023, and being featured in multiple magazines and leading national newspapers are just glimpses of my work as a coach. These recognitions serve as a reminder from the Universe that I am on the right path, and this, in turn, makes my work satisfying.
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.
