From Burnout as a New Mom to Director + 23% Raise (VP-Track) | Lynne Levy Coaching Review

Nihar, it's so good to see you. How are you?

Hi, Lynne Levy Levy Levy. I'm very, very good.

Thank you for doing this. Let's dive in. Where were you before you joined the program?

Oh my God. I still remember that day very vividly. I was in a really desperate state. I was sad all the time. I was a new mother to my second child, and I wasn't sure that all this doubt that I had— I'd recently also switched jobs, but it still wasn't making me very happy. And I thought, okay, this is it for me and my career. I'm not going to grow from here for a while, and maybe it's okay. And I don't know if I'm making a mistake or not, but like a lot of other women, maybe I should just take a step back. I stumbled upon this page. I think it was in the Women in Product group. And then I set up this consultation, I'm like, what's there to lose? And I remember that conversation, it changed my life, so.

So why did you decide to take the leap and join?

So honestly, like I was skeptical at first, I wasn't sure, like what you said that, oh, you don't have to work for, you know, 70 hours a week. I'm like, what? She's just crazy. Like I'm in product, what do you mean? And then I'm a new mother and you're like, Well, you know, you have to learn to delegate and then you don't have to do all this. And then you can still be an awesome product manager. And while it sounded too good to be true, but you said it with so much heart and ambition that I wanted to take a leap of faith and say, I could sense the confidence in your voice. And I wanted to take a leap and say, maybe I'll give this a shot. What's there to lose? Like maybe this is time that I'm not taking a step back. In fact, I'm investing in myself. And then, you know, it's so unique. Your program is so unique. I've seen other program outlines. They all have this outline of how do you manage the product. And there's these guidelines around here's how you do discovery. Here's how you talk to clients. Here's how you manage the peers. Here's how you manage the stakeholders. But no, your program is completely different. The first week I joined, it was hitting all my nerves. I'm like, oh, this is exactly where I stumbled upon. This is exactly where I don't feel confident in going in and saying something. And you're recognizing those those points, and it felt like so real life connected, you know? Like, I can find 100 templates out there, but nothing in there has that kind of connection that you had started put together. Like, oh, this is all connected. This makes so sense. And then there was this whole piece about talking to each other, the group, you know, the community that we were building. And then I'm like, oh, I'm not alone. I'm not alone in this course. I'm like, Everybody's going through the same similar emotions that I'm going through. Like, that was such a relief. Like, even the first week, the first week nailed it for me. The first phone call with the passion you said it, I wanted to believe in you, but then the first week that nailed it.

Oh, that's awesome. What were some of the highlights of the program?

It's so hard to choose. Uh, okay. So when I look back and I just think through, there are a few things that stand out. For example, the group coaching part, uh, the part where you are presenting something, but you're not going on on your presentation, giving us a lecture. You're like stopping and listening, just reading the room. And that made me click. I'm like, oh, this is leadership, right? Like, you don't have to go through the whole material. That's— it's not— that's not what it's about. It's about understanding the concept and making sure that everybody is into it, everybody is able to grasp it, and everybody's feeling comfortable. It's a safe space and people are sharing, uh, this with each other. Uh, and then there was the Illuminate program. Like, after it was done, I was like kind of bummed. I'm like, how am I going to keep in contact with them? You said, well, we have an alumni program. So I kept connecting with the same people, group of people, and even met new expert product experts and from different states, different cities, different backgrounds, different company levels. And like, oh, this is— I was growing all this time. I have been growing all this time. I listened to others who are already in a VP role and I listened to them talk and I'm like, oh, I think I can do this. But then the best part was that realizing that I don't have to do this the way they are doing it. I have to do this the way I am, right? And that's where you highlighted— I don't know I don't know how you did it, but you still made everybody bring out the best in themselves. And I don't know how you did it, but you're amazing in that sense. And then there was the one-on-ones where you actually listened and then you connected the dots from your personal life to the professional life. And I don't think anybody does that. Like, at this point, I have now been a part of 3 or 4 different programs for strategy, for leadership, for women. And I don't have not connected with other people in the same deep-rooted sense that I have in this program.

Tell me what were some of the things that have really moved the needle on both your career and your life? What are some key, key points?

So one was when you started making us write our, write on our own BHAGs or our own goals, I took a step back and I actually thought to myself, okay, what is my purpose? Like, what is it that I want to do? And it came with that came a lot of realizations that I was like going on some wrong paths that I was just trying to be comfortable with, but I wasn't. And I stopped doing that, like, okay, this is my goal. I don't have to be apologetic about it. This is who I am. I don't have to be apologetic about it. Perfect, right? And then there are, you know, mindful and soulful discussions about the situations the real-life situations we go through in the product. Right. So, so that was another, you know, and there were like so many tools that we were coming out with in every discussion that I almost feel like this is a product support group where we support each other, we lift each other up, and then, you know, that's where, you know, we all thrive. We all thrive.

Tell everybody, where are you now and what excites you about your future?

Where am I now since I joined you? I am like confident, confident that I'm a director, right? I'm in fact now ready to take this to a new level and level up again and say I want to interview for— in fact, I have been interviewing for VP roles or head of product roles. The resume coaching that you have, the LinkedIn coaching that you have, like that has changed my personality online. Like, my online presence has changed forever. Since I met you, I've had a tremendous salary hike. Like, the last one I had was 22%, which is no joke when you're at the director level, right? I've learned to embrace change, read the room much better, and not have meetings when I'm scarfed. In fact, like, let the emotions settle down. So much more self-aware, right? And my self-worth has gone higher. Like, it's not like, oh, I'm having imposter syndrome. I'm thinking, I don't know if I can do this, but I'm still applying. I'm now owning my brilliance resilience and saying, oh, I want to go ahead. This is what I can do. I'm going to go ahead and apply because I'm confident. I might not be 100%. That's okay. Like, I'll meet 70% and that's fine, but I'll give this a shot. And that's where my self-worth has come in so handy. And like, my confidence has gone. I am—

I mean, you are so ready to be a VP, SVP, Chief Product Officer. And you are meant to inspire people who work for you. So I'm so excited to watch you on your amazing journey.

Oh, I hope so. I hope so. I'm super excited. I think now my dreams of being an entrepreneur are going to come true.

Oh, of course they are. Absolutely. You are on the way there. Nihar, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And we will stay in touch. Thank you so much. Bye-bye.