At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring some of the meaningful and powerful stories from around the world to empower and motivate our growing community. This weekend, we invited – Beatrice Fernandes a visionary in psychology, certified transformation life coach, mind power trainer and DMIA consultant. She is on a mission to develop conscious, empowered families, leaders, business game-changers, social innovators and cultural change agents. Let’s learn more about her astonishing journey, way forward and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Beatrice:
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your journey as a coach, please;
A person of integrity, I am someone who is always looking to excel because ‘I have to do it better always’. I had been this trophy child always pushing myself to excel in studies as well as helping my mother to raise my younger siblings.
I grew up subconsciously believing that I had to prove my ‘worth’ because – and this I understood much later – I was an unwanted child… so that is also how I found my true purpose in life.
Born and brought up in Mumbai, I started working immediately after my Xth standard exams. I somehow managed to complete junior college while working part-time. I completed my education by graduating with a degree in commerce through correspondence while working full time, using the annual leave only for my exams every year.
I was conceived in a poor middle-class family whose mother was told by my father that they would not keep the child if it was a girl. This set about my subconscious programming as my mother, although shocked and confused decided to fight against all odds to not only do everything in her power to keep me but to protect me from any kind of harm, come what may.
Fast forward to 33 years later, and I’m now a mother to a beautiful 3-year-old daughter myself began my journey of transformation with a determined resolve to get on an exercise regime to get fit and slim only because I had to be my daughter’s role model.
Little did I know then, but that set about a whole lot of other things in motion whereby now A 40-year-old woman I became a student of my mind and then began to realise how I had lived my whole life with very low self-esteem, just being a giver and never a priority in my own life.
Right from the very abusive marriage that I was in, to how most of my siblings treated me, took advantage of me, manipulated me and even robbed me along with my husband. Not to mention I allowed my sisters-in-laws to use me as their servant and I basically allowed myself to be treated literally as a doormat. The most ironic thing was that my mother-in-law happened to be my best friend, critique and support to me and my daughter even through my divorce and till she passed away.
Talking about the divorce, my husband then decided to ask me along with my daughter to stay away from him for the second time in five years, but now his excuse was that ‘he was a danger to us’ because of how things were shaping up. By the way, we were living and working in the Gulf ever since the marriage, great jobs, lifestyle etc. The first time he had ‘discarded’ us was when he convinced me to leave my job and everything I had in the Gulf and move to Cochin along with our daughter to build a business for us after we moved back from the Gulf. He had then promised me many things including that he would join us in 3 years time, and obviously that never happened.
So, right from getting my finances in order, to accounting for what my husband owed me to disconnecting from my siblings to leaving my marriage, leaving the Gulf, finding rented accommodation in Mumbai, a school for our daughter, finding a job, buying a flat and finally settling down, not to forget all the packing and unpacking, I did it all alone. Yes, I ended up leaving my husband who then asked me to claim the rest of the money he owed me (after having promised to pay me every penny) since I ‘made the mistake’ of telling him that I didn’t intend to return to him once I left simply because I was finally standing up for myself.
What this resulted in was I developed chronic post-traumatic stress disorder, but rather than giving up, I became a student of my mind.
I began to figure out through the study of the brain and the unlimited power of our minds that I was transforming into someone completely different from what I used to be and automatically gravitated towards helping other people in similar situations. This led me to become a Transformation Life Coach and Mind Power Trainer, specialised in Relationships and passionately transforming lives for the better today.
How do you find the industry/niche that you’re in?
I have also studied and certified as a Dermatoglyphics Multiple Intelligence Analysts also known as ‘DMIA’. It’s a Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis to decode the brain’s potential and our natural talents through the physical formation of our fingerprints, which is linked to brain development. It incorporates Dermatoglyphics, which is the scientific study of the fingerprints or nerve endpoints to explain the Multiple Intelligences, the theory of personality traits and the theory of brain dominance. This is a very useful and helpful tool I use to work with people for reprogramming their subconscious minds to unleash their inborn potential for success and happiness. I believe there’s still a big scope for coaching and training people on how to unleash the power of their minds.
What gets you out of bed in the morning i.e. what’s your source of motivation?
My passion is my biggest motivation. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have been through what I have because that makes me someone who is so competent to add so much value to people’s lives.
What challenges/obstacles did you face in your journey so far?
Since DMIA requires us to meet clients in person, the biggest challenges happened during the lockdowns, where I had to pivot to being a complete trainer instantly, since I was more focused on coaching so far.
What comes first for you – money or emotions?
For me, emotions come first. I believe our emotions come from my thoughts and feelings and that is what is attracting the money in my life.
How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
For me, handling pressures is key. I feel blessed that my profession constantly reminds me to practise what I preach always. This means I’m constantly work-in-progress, upleveling in consciousness and hence managing stress becomes easier as a result of better self-awareness.
What is one strategy that you believe has helped you grow as a person?
For me, I realised early on that deciding to become a mother has helped me grow tremendously right from making myself accountable to my daughter as her role model to getting fit and healthy and following my passion.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
To me, like Jack Canfield states in his book, ‘The Sucess Principles’, “If you want to be successful, you have to take 100% responsibility for everything that you experience in your life.” To achieve desired outcomes, We must replace complaining with making requests and taking action. Everything we think, say, and do needs to become intentional and aligned with our highest purpose, our values, and our goals.”
What advice would you give to someone starting out?
I have always been a believer of “Learning Never Stops.” That’s just how our brain is designed. The more we exercise it the better, just like any other muscle.
For someone who is just starting on their entrepreneurship journey, I’ll suggest that you don’t look for perfection. That’s just a crime! dive right in and enjoy what you do while doing what you enjoy!
Initially, it will seem daunting and like you have to do everything yourself, but then that is precisely what programs your mind for success.
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.
