Episode 11 of wellness podcast with Mansi Gupta. #podcast #lifecoach #lifejourney #growthmindset

Hello and welcome to a new episode of Veerai's Wellness Podcast. Today we have Manasi Gupta with us. She is a certified career analyst, a life purpose coach, and a team coach. She has coached many in the corporates and also a corporate trainer. Welcome, Manasi, to our episode today, and we are so excited to have you here.

Thank you, Neetu, for having me here. It's an absolute pleasure to be here with you.

Manasi, I mean, thank you, thank you once again, you know, being here. Um, I would really, you know, like to know, and the audience would also like to know, your story from, you know, being, you know, you have also done MBA in finance. From there you have worked in corporates, and then you have evolved into a career analyst and a team coach. And a life purpose coach. So we would really love to know about your journey. I mean, how all this happened.

So, uh, you know, Neetu, it's very interesting. It's, it's been a long journey. And, um, uh, you know, so I started off very differently. As you said, I've done MBA in finance, and I was working with Citibank Home Loans and SBI Credit Cards. And, uh, so I was doing fine, I was enjoying my job, but you Ek woh dana ke ek kik ni mil raha. There's something missing that's there. So I was handling teams, I was training them, I was mentoring them, and that is something I was really enjoying. I said, then, you know, if this is what I'm enjoying, which is just a part of my job, toh kya, am I at the right place? Am I doing the right thing? And hence, you know, all that introspection started. And there, then I was like, okay, so that's when I got into training. Full-time. So I'm also a CELTA-certified ESL trainer. I'm a communication skills trainer. I started doing that. So it's been a long journey. Then, then I, you know, I rediscovered myself. I was upgrading, upskilling. I'm a lifelong learner. Kuch na kuch chalta hai rehta hai all the time, you know.

We all are.

Yeah, absolutely. So then I was, then I got into career coaching and I, you know, it was like I've really found my purpose because I took so much time to find Actually, the career I really enjoyed, you know, guiding people, telling them about their dream jobs, and it is so important. So there it was. And with that, then I realized that, you know, people are really lost. First of all, yeah, people, kids don't know what careers to choose. Parents have no idea. There are young professionals who are coming to me and wanted to change jobs midstream, like a dentist who wants to become an interior designer. Or, you know, a financial analyst who wants to go ahead and get into marketing. So it was like complete shift. I said, oh my God, so career coaching is one, then I'm also a certified life purpose coach. And really, also, I feel what is happening is that my mess is becoming a message. I spent 10 years of doing what I didn't want to do, and then I've taken the long route. For me, I just wanna make this journey smooth for people and, uh, you know, help them reach their destination faster without all that angst, man. Really, that's the idea.

Mess is becoming a message. Love that. So, I mean, uh, what, what do you think is something that you enjoy the most in your coaching? I mean, is it team coaching? Is it corporate coaching? Is it life purpose coaching? What is your, I mean, most topmost, uh, fulfilling job, I would ask. Okay.

So I'd say, you know, coaching per se is very dear to my heart. I love being a coach. And so, yes, you know, it's, it's life purpose coaching is, is an absolute delight. Career coaching is a little, you know, step by step, and your 2-3 sessions, you got the person that's there, you know. So it's even there, it is like things that they've not thought about, they come, you know, my clients. So the kids were like, oh, wow. Is that also what we can do? So for example, we know that if I've taken PCB biology, liya hai toh you will become a doctor. Oh, but no, there are so many other things, you know, which we have not even heard of. Uh, you can— there's microbiology, there is biotechnology, you know, there's bioinformatics. No, people have not heard of it. So aha moments where you enlighten them, you empower them, is fantastic. But yeah, a step further is when I do purpose coaching Yes, for teens, for young adults, even for professionals. Actually, whichever client I touch is an absolute delight. Why? Because, you know, as a coach, it's just not the aha moments that you create for your clients. Of course there are, you know, there'll be— you will be telling things which they don't know, and you'll be empowering them with that. But what I also enjoy is that, you know, when I hold them accountable, when I ask that difficult question and I ask them why they wanted or why they're not what is stopping them, and we figure it out together. Oh, it's such a beautiful journey.

I know, Mansi, mostly it is, you know, being asked the right questions. So now I also have a lot of mentors. I know those answers myself, but I want somebody to ask me those questions so that the answer can come out of me. Because not every time you can think the answer also, despite it being inside you. So you want someone from a third point of view who will come and ask you those questions, and you can bring up the answers from yourself. So mentoring is not about giving you answers. It's about asking you questions, the right ones that will, you know, get out the answers from you. I think, yeah, that is something that coaches really help with, and people need to realize the value of this.

Oh, absolutely. You know, this is bang on, Neetu, when you say that the answers are not coming from the coach. I'm not going to give an answer to my coachee. Uh, the coachee has to— it has to be facilitated. The answer has to come from within you. Because if I go and give you a tailor-made answer, first of all, you're not going to own it because, you know, the coach has given that answer and it is from my frame of reference. You know, you need an answer from your frame of reference. How is that you deal with it? How is that— what is that you think? So you're right, the answer is within you. I'm just going to show you the light. I'm just going to help you find the light and I'm going to walk alongside you. So yeah, that's the job of a coach. So, uh, yeah, it is as simple as that. So you Beautifully, you've kind of, you know, uh, summarized what the job of a coach is.

There you go. So when you're doing corporate trainings, Mansi, what kind of trainings are these? And, you know, what kind of normal questions, general questions that comes up to you? Because these days I feel the employees in corporates are very, very demotivated, and they are still looking for a lot of answers within themselves. And if a corporate trainer comes and gives a new perspective, they must have a lot of questions. So what kind of, you know, trainings are these and what kind of questions do you come across generally?

So, uh, there are many actually, you know. Uh, one of the basic ones is setting of goals. So goals are set, why are they not getting achieved? And we work when I'm working, so of course professional goals are very important. We also work on certain personal goals because, you know, it's, it's like you move hand in glove, uh, when you're achieving goals. So What is that stopping them? There are certain, you know, we actually have given them those tools. Because if you— so it's very simple, Neetu. You know, when you want to reach, when you want to achieve something over here and you are over here right now, so you can't reach here. This needs higher energy. You know, this needs more effort. And if you're at your normal energy, toh aap yahan panch nahi pao ge. So what will you do?

You have to go that extra mile. You have to do that extra thing. To get from here to there.

And you need wonderful— you need help, and you need to— so what you do, you have to grow. Sometimes this growth is— it's a lot— many times it's in the mindset, right? You know, you're not— you're not— you think limiting beliefs here. There are certain fears, uh, what is the, you know, simple— what is the money blueprint? Sometimes you're scared of success. So there's so many fears, plus also some practical ones like, you know, you need to upgrade yourself. So if you want growth, you have to give 10x value. So again, how that can be done? I work, you know, with the corporates, with that kind of a thing. We make it happen for them. Then, you know, work on the self-value. Unless and until I feel I'm not worth it, I'm not going to get it. So what are the things that are stopping me? And then giving them a tool, gyaanto de diya, what it told me, denaayana, so that they consistently follow it. So there is a Make It Happen Tracker where they actually track their progress. There are things that they do, there is a reward system, uh, you know, we work on accountability partners as well because the idea is not to just go ahead and, uh, give a training and leave it there.

No, it's a lifestyle management, it's an everyday thing, needs to be consistently done. So those tools are very important and having someone being accountable for your Being consistent is something also I have realized is very, very important. And that is why I have accountability coaches. I have, you know, it's so beautiful that I have people that I connect with every 3 months, and these are different set of people. And we talk about, you know, how we have grown in the last 3 months, and what we should be doing to grow from here, and what we will be discussing in the next call, which would be from 3 months from now. So it's, it's so beautiful having that kind of accountability. If people realize the value of this and get the right people on board with them, life changes. It becomes so beautiful. So I think, yes, accountability is very, very important.

Absolutely. It makes you do things. It makes you achieve, you know. And I'd say again, uh, like if I have to reach her, I'm not going to reach her in one day. It's those small consistent steps. It's all about consistency, going in the right direction, Arj, if I've reached from here, I've reached here, that's progress too. So, you know, it's not, it's just that, and dhiri dhiri, you will reach, you know, Rome was not built in a day.

It was the compound effect of consistency, and that's why the need for habits. So I have built, so when I was struggling with a lot of, you know, health issues, my doctor said that you need to put up, you know, a routine for yourself. I need to be consistent on that. So that gave me a jolt that, yeah, I think maybe he's right. I do not have a proper routine. I need to create that for myself. And then I started learning about how to set goals for myself, how to create habits around those goals, and habit stacking. So I started reading about all this, and I started forming habits, habit stacking, what all things that will keep me consistent. And, uh, I kept doing it. And day by day, after doing that, like, I gained a lot of muscle weight, gained strength from being bedridden to, you know, losing 17 kgs weight. And, uh, wow. Becoming so strong and looking younger, feeling younger. It's amazing. But it all happened not in one day. It was all about being consistent over a longer period of time. So the compound effect comes later, but once you have to be consistent and patient to get this result.

Absolutely. So fantastic. What a journey, Meethu. You know what you just shared, thank you for sharing. And it shows. I mean, you look, you look younger, you look, you look vibrant. That's important, the inner. And you know that, that, uh, that, uh This is what we talk about when you say no purpose. You are working towards your purpose, and for that you take care of yourself. So it is just that. It is— you can't, you can't take yourself lightly. It is really important to just go ahead, work towards it, and, and that is where the coach helps you. Because if it's taking me time, say about 2 months, 3 months, it's not going to happen in a month. It takes time. It's habit formation, right? 21 days to start with. So there, that, that is how the coach helps you. So as you mentioned, you have coaches, you know, it's just that nudging you. Sometimes it's all these are not good, you're not consistent, you can't be consistent 100% of the time, so 80% is good enough. And, uh, so yeah, slow and steady. And, uh, if you have somebody who's helping you, guiding you, telling you you're the right direction— sometimes we get stuck, so, you know, uh, we can't see ourselves what is going wrong. That's when you need that a person's, you know, a different perspective. And that is where— perspective, yeah, that is, that is how a coach would help you out. And kudos to you that you realize you're a coach yourself, and that's why you also realize what, what a coach can bring to the table. So I'm a coach and I've got different mentors and coaches as well. I want to start, you know, I want to run a marathon. I've only started now and I'm not a runner, so I have a running coach. I have no shame in that, saying I've got a running coach. I I'm very proud. He nudges me, he, you know, if I've not done my daily run or the target that he's given me, he makes my life miserable. I get punished and I don't get my day of rest and it gets prolonged. But at the same time, you know, if I do well, I get rewarded. So, you know, he said, you just earned yourself a sports watch. Otherwise, before that, he was telling me, Bhavo, Strava kisad, you know, and so something to that effect. So you earn stuff. You know, that sense of accomplishment comes in.

And it comes also from a purpose. I think once you find your purpose of, you know, trying to do something, I think your mind gets trained for that, and then it makes you, you know, work towards that. So tell me, Mansi, you are also a life purpose coach. So what tips would you have for someone, you know, who are not able to look for their life purpose? You know, there are times that people know that they're not happy, but they don't know how to find their life's purpose. So how, you know, you would try to guide them to find the right life purpose for themselves?

Okay, so, you know, uh, we basically start with goal setting. So there are, you know, Nitu's a very simple formula. There are 4 pillars of life, you know, health, wealth, career, and finance. So, you know, this is what it's all about. And love, sorry. So, uh, these are 4 things. Just this sub-coach is resting. So when I— whenever I would do a session You know, where do they see themselves 2 years and let them set goals. So things will come up for the career, things will come up for a personal goal, a career goal. Usually, you know, that's what we talk about and that's when we start working on it. Now the brain doesn't understand till you are very specific. So you, anything that can be measured can be managed. You know, avidly I say, okay, you know, I want to lose 10 kgs. Oh yeah, I want to lose weight. 10 kgs also, you're being a bit specific. I want to lose weight. But that's not specific. Lose weight, kya? This is so abhir. So then if, you know, if I'm coaching somebody and the goal is to, you know, be fit. Now the purpose at this moment is to be fit and happy, and then we talk about why. But so then very specific to the point of how many kgs, what will you do, what time will you do it, how long will you do it. So for example, I want to lose 10 kgs. I want to lose 10 kgs in 3 months, not like in a lifetime. No, in 20 years I don't want to lose 10 kgs. What's the point? So I lose 10 kgs in 3 months. How will I lose it? I will do maybe 8,000 steps to start with. How many times in a week? Every day. Will you work out? Oh yeah, I'll work out thrice in a week. What are the days you will work out? Let's make it that specific so that the brain knows, Baba, ye toh karna hai. Unless if it's confusing, the brain will play games on you. Monday, Wednesday, Friday I will work out. What kind of a workout will you do? Oh, I will do 30 minutes of strength training. Yeah, so you know, then you have a routine and you know that this is okay. Also, can you tell me how specific? What time are you thinking that you will work out? Oh, maybe I'll work out when I wake up, uh, 7:30 to 8 o'clock, half an hour workout is what I will do. So that's specific. Now the brain has no, uh, uh, has no excuse. Yes, no escape.

I would like to add one more thing. Many a times, you know, uh, when I speak to people who say that, okay, you have lost so much weight, how can I lose weight? I can tell them all the strategies in the world, but deep down, if they do not believe that they can lose weight, they will not work out for that. So I tell them that first work on your belief system. Do you believe you can become what you want to become? And, and they get stuck with that question because they have never been asked these questions. The moment I asked, do you believe you can become that. They'll be like, uh, um, I don't think so. Then I say, I can tell you all the strategies in this world, but unless and until you work on your belief system, it will not work. So first go fix your belief system. You are, you know, tell yourself that I will achieve what I want to achieve, and then come back to me for the strategy, because then it becomes like 80% job is done and you only have to do the 20% then. So I think the belief system works for us or against us, but if we know it, how it works, then I mean, nobody can stop us.

Exactly. So, you know, that is when you said, how do we do? So that goal setting, that's the purpose. What is that I want to do? What is my purpose in life at the moment? You know, to be healthy. Now the thing is, it's going to be, it's not gonna be easy, Neetu. When you said you lost 17 kilos, it mustn't have been easy. You would've really worked hard, right? Now the question is, the second question which will keep you put there, which will, you know, you'll, you'll stay there is why do you wanna do it? What is your why? Which is what I work with my clients, with my coachees. The why has to be really strong. Now, uh, you know, the why has to have an emotional connect. If the why is like flimsy, you're gonna lose it in the middle, right? So if I ask you like, you lost a lot of weight, why do you wanna lose weight?

Why do you wanna— I wanted to live a medicine-free life because I was having medicines every every day. And I was like, I was so fed up one day, and I was like, okay, I want to get rid of all this, and I want to live a medicine-free life. So that was my why, and I've achieved that almost a year back. And for a year, I have not taken a single pill.

So there you go.

Absolutely. And now my why is that, you know, I want to have six-pack abs, and I want to run around in the beach looking like a hot star. That's my next goal, and that is what I'm working for, and it gives me a new kind of energy every time I visualize myself, you know, uh, doing that, you know. That is my mind.

I just, I just love it. But I'm gonna go a bit further. I like your wise, they're beautiful. So, and this might, um, get a little uncomfortable. Do I have your permission?

Yes.

I mean, just— okay, okay. So you said, you know, why do you want to be medicine-free, uh, you know, or why do you want to have this 6-pack abs. Why? Give me a stronger, stronger reason why. Why medicine-free?

It makes me feel strong inside and out. It makes me feel content and confident. And I know that, you know, this would help me live a longer, healthier life.

Wonderful.

That's what I want.

Okay, wonderful. So you said it helps you to feel more— it helps you to feel stronger. Why do you want to feel stronger? Just give me a basic answer. I know it could be a bit irritating, but just play along with me. I want to show you that what it means and why you're sticking on to it, and you'll stick on to the goal.

I want to be stronger because when I get old, I want to spend good time with my children and, you know, my grandchildren. I want to run with them. I want to be around and not being, uh, you know burden on them, but, uh, you know, in fact taking their burden and trying to be a support to them instead of needing support from them. Because if I'm living longer, uh, I want to help my children by being around, not, you know, take their help instead. So I, I don't like to think not. I like to think more of what I want. So I want to be a support to my children in my old age and help them and guide them and support them and give them a wonderful life. Just like I live my life.

Yeah. So Neetu, this is it. This is your why. Your why is, you know, so it's got that emotional connect. You want to be there for your kids. You want to be, you want to play around with them, run around with them. You want to look, you know, enjoy your grandchildren. You don't want to be like a, like a, you know, like a burden on them, but be a support system for them. So that is the strong why. Now the why needs to have, we are all emotional beings. Our connect has to be an emotional connect. And there you go. So you'll never leave that why, you know. So it has to be like that. I know, so six-pack abs, sexy it is, right? But stronger than that, and you will get your six-pack abs because you're working towards a bigger goal, which is, you know, live that long for your kids. And then uske liye kuch bhi karna bade, na, six-pack abs, 8 biscuits bhi aayeinge, everything will come. But, and you know, you will be there, uh, achieving your goals step by step, no matter how difficult it is. So this is what we do with our clients, keep asking them. So for you, we got the why in 3 goals, in 3 whys. Sometimes it takes 4, sometimes it takes 5, you know, it can also take up to 7 questioning rounds. But yes, as a coach, I make it, make them uncomfortable. Doesn't matter. Finding their why is very important because that is what keeps them going. So that's that. Now the next step that I do, you know, where I'll tell them about finding their purpose and why do they want it. The goal is set. We know what is the purpose. Why do we want to do it? And once you achieve and once you're on it, purposes change. Many a times. Goals change, honge, they should as you're growing. You find your why. The third one is that if you don't get it, what will you do? How will you feel? Maybe 2 years down the line, you know, if I want to be healthy and I'm not able to do it, kesa lag gayega? So we also make them experience that pain, you know, saying how painful will it be? Pain of achieving versus pain of not having it.

I have never considered that, but because I have lived a very unhealthy life and I've been bedridden, so I know that pain maybe, and that is why I've never thought about it. Because all I think about is how I can be pain-free and be well and be healthy and strong and vibrant and energetic. So that's what my entire focus is in life.

Kudos, kudos to you. I mean, respect, huge respect for that.

Thank you so much, Manasi. And also, Manasi, I mean, uh, before closing this podcast, I would like to know what one, you know, uh, thing that you would want to leave the audience with, one, you know, piece of advice that you think everybody needs to know and should, you know, walk away from this podcast. Please let us know.

Sure. So, uh, you know, uh, there's— as a career coach, you know, I'll Actually, I'll appeal to all the parents and to the children. Please don't choose your careers on the basis of your marks. It is not important. If you, if you're a 94%, don't think you need to take science. Go ahead, find what you're good at, what your personality supports, because, uh, because then, you know, what career you choose has a ripple effect on your personal life, uh, on the work that you're doing. You don't want to go to, go to the office saying, oh shit out of this job. That's not how it should be. You should be excited, saying, oh yeah, I've got to work today. That's how it should be. So go ahead, money will come when you enjoy what you do, when you find your purpose, when you're aligned to, uh, you know, what you're supposed to do, to your goals. Energy will flow. It'll show though in your work. It will spill over into a family life, and money will come. You know, I know we all want to earn money. We all want to be successful. You will find get there. So that's where the, you know, career aligned with your purpose, uh, to lead a more fulfilling, happier life is my motto, is my mission. And that's what I need.

And it's possible. People don't get it because they have been seasoned since childhood to think about money first and then about everything else. But if you can align your life purpose with things you enjoy and then get money out of it, it is a different kind of life. And It's worth living.

It's worth living. We are living it, Neetu. I am living it every day. I'm excited. I see that happiness in your— on your face as well. You, you— the passion when you talk about it, you know, it comes out. This is when you're working towards your purpose and you have a career, a job aligned to that. Everybody deserves it. Everybody can have it. And the money comes, man. There is money, really, you know. Takes takes time sometimes, but what doesn't? So there, give it time and just go with the flow. Find it.

Thank you so much, Mansi, for that very good piece of advice. I think this is wisdom that we all need to learn, and not just learn but inculcate in our life. If people can do that, I think 80% of world's problem would be gone.

Yeah, absolutely. It would be such a happier place, Neetu.

Such a happier place, yes. So thank you so much, Mansi, for coming and enlightening us with your, you know, expertise. And I'm sure the audience will love this podcast, and we'll look forward to having you again sometime.

Thank you so much, it was a great pleasure.

Thank you. Thank you.