It is always our endeavour to share with our community some of the compelling stories on entrepreneurship. This week we invited yet another passionate entrepreneur Sheila Surana Navlakha for an interview with us to understand more about her journey. She is a Successful Leader, Mentor, Communications Coach, Change Enabler and Speaker. Sheila is the Founder & Director of Switch Training Pvt Ltd. Let’s read more about her inspiring journey, her background and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Sheila:
Talk us through your background and your journey, please;
I was born and raised in England. I grew up in a joint family and there were so many people at home (around 16), that it was never boring.
I loved sports, reading and music and played the piano for 5 years and saxophone for 2.
Growing up, I enjoyed acting and was told I was pretty good at it. But strangely enough, I had a fear of public speaking and I missed out on a lot of opportunities because I dreaded getting up and speaking in front of people.
I started working at the age of 12, doing a paper round before school. At 15, after my O’levels (grade 10)
I worked in McDonald’s over the Easter break and I worked part-time throughout college, not because I had to, but because I wanted to.
I worked in hospitality and retail and learnt a lot about customer service. I graduated in History and Economics from UCL (University College London) and started working as a copywriter.
What made you passionate about Public Speaking and Coaching?
Before I answer that, let me tell you how I transitioned from a copywriter to a trainer. After I moved to India, when I got married, I worked part-time as a copywriter. When my youngest daughter started going to full-day school, I decided I wanted a change in my career.
Copywriting no longer excited me. Over the years, people had asked me to train their staff on how to speak well and how to write effective emails. My fear of public speaking made me say a quick “NO”. One day, a thought struck me – at some point people would stop asking me and I would be filled with regret at the lost opportunities.
I realized I had missed out so much in life because of this fear of mine. That’s when I decided to say yes to the next person who asked me to train their team. And luckily this happened a few weeks later. Of course, I was petrified and only thinking of all that could and most likely would go wrong. I don’t think I slept the entire week! But after my first session, there was no looking back.
After training for a while, I realized that many of my participants weren’t implementing the skills I taught them after a few months of the training ending. I realized that my sessions were only skills-based and that to be effective I had to tackle the mindset; the fears and mind blocks.
Around that time, I attended, by chance, a seminar run by Arfeen Khan. This was the first time I had ever attended a seminar. In fact, a friend suggested we go together and then she pulled out at the last minute. Normally I wouldn’t have bothered going alone as the main reason for attending was to spend time with my friend.
But for some reason, I went, and signed up for his program. And this was where I got over my fear of public speaking. Arfeen would literally push me onto the stage with no prior warning and get me to interact with the audience.
After a while, I became comfortable talking on stage and at times so comfortable that I wouldn’t want to get off! I even do some emceeing now (pre-covid)! I began running seminars and my entire approach to my training changed. Watching Arfeen ‘coaching’ his participants was engrossing as it was so effective and powerful.
The shift I witnessed in other’s mindset and behaviour was an eye-opener. That’s when I started thinking about coaching. Arfeen had a huge impact on me and he encouraged me to focus my training on Communication and how to speak effectively and influence.
It was then that I decided to ‘officially’ get my coaching certification as I worked with corporates and some of them had asked me if I was certified. Inderjeet Singh, of Grow More Avenues, was my teacher and to this day is an inspiration. He is the epitome of what a coach should be. Coaching always works, it is such a powerful and humbling process.
‘Switch Training Pvt Ltd’ is such a unique name; talk us through more about it, please. Our audience would also love to know what kind of problems you are solving?
The programs I was running privately were called “Extreme Impact– Communicate with Power” and I had wanted to call my company “Extreme Impact”. When I met my logo and business card designer, Angel Salot, she came up with the name Switch, after our first meeting. She felt that it encompassed what I did, more accurately – my sessions and coaching led to a switch in the way people interacted with those around them and with themselves too.
I specialize in communication, how to build rapport, establish trust, speak with impact, influence those around you, how to interact with your audience, how to live a life of balance. I tackle internal fears and mind blocks that prevent you from speaking effectively, first, and then impart the skills. For me, having a strong value system is also important.
I encourage all my clients to be themselves and real. It is only then that your communication will be authentic. So many speakers sound “put on’ and that builds mistrust. The way we speak on stage, for example, should be the way we speak off stage. I work on making them more effective speakers. Another area I work on is spontaneous conversation and being creative in the way you communicate and discovering your own unique style of communicating, based on your core values.
If someone finds it tough to put words to their thoughts or to build rapport with clients, customers, and influence those around them, then I am your go-to person. The aim is to make their communication effortless and to make the speaker impactful!
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
I love my work and I love working with people. For so many years my fear of public speaking held me back and I don’t want anyone to have that fear and accept it too. We all have a choice at the end of the day. I want everyone to use their voice, without being inundated or paralysed by fear.
It is humbling to see the change in my clients and its ripple effects. As well as impacting them, it impacts everyone around them, leading to healthier relationships. That’s what drives me – service and contribution.
Another aspect that played a huge part in my wanting to specialize in communication was the fact that not fitting in can be tough. When I moved to India from England it was difficult fitting in. People were different and they communicated differently. I realised that if I wanted to thrive in this new environment I would have to learn to accept and adapt to the way people communicated here.
For a few years, I tried to change the way I was to fit in, and I was miserable in the process as all my communication was forced and I felt I was losing my identity. It was then that I realized that I needed to make sure I didn’t lose who I was in the process of adjusting! It was liberating to be myself, yet also learn to communicate with those around me, effectively.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
My husband for sure. He grew up in a nuclear family and has always had very high EQ. Our upbringings are so different. I grew up in a high energy household and he grew up in a calm house where they would talk for hours.
The longest conversation I remember having was a few minutes! I really learnt about communication from him. And he is such an amazing listener. My dad was a huge inspiration because he was self made and full of zest and love. My kids also inspire me and make me feel complete and young at heart!
I have always aspired to be a good role model to them. My close family and friends have kept the mischievous and young at heart side to me alive too. They give me energy, balance, perspective, and lots of love, which motivates me. I feel very blessed.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
There are a few commandments that I live by:
1) Age is no bar – one has to constantly grow and learn something new.
2) Constantly do things that make you uncomfortable – step out of your comfort zone.
3) Keep fit. You can’t have a healthy mind if you don’t have a healthy body.
4) Keep your sense of humour intact and learn to laugh at yourself.
5) Don’t compare yourself to others, set your own benchmarks.
6) Lead a life of balance.
7) Focus on what’s good in others and not what is bad! Practice gratitude.
8) Constantly upgrade your skills and learn from the best!
9) Listen to understand and not to respond – Mr Covey said it right!
10) Learn to effectively manage negative emotions.
You are always positive and motivated, what keeps you going?
Firstly, I am not always positive and motivated – no one can be 24×7! I am generally a happy person but there are days where I wake up and just want to go back to sleep!
Over the years, I have learnt to manage my emotions so I don’t stay glum or in that negative emotion for too long! Coaching, yoga or any form of exercise, have really helped me stay balanced and positive. My self-deprecating sense of humour lightens the mood and my family helps keep me balanced.
Also, the fact that I always want to learn something new, gives me a sense of joy and energy, be it discovering my passion for baking sourdough or learning tribal art. I find these keep me focused and energized and give me pure joy.
When my clients have breakthroughs, I get immense happiness from that, and this keeps me motivated too.
Please share with us, how do you motivate your clients?
I don’t motivate my clients. I work with them so that they are self-motivated. I encourage them and help them build a mindset that they can do what they desire if they put in the work and have the right attitude.
To me, working with professionalism and integrity and ethics is very important, so a lot of my focus is on their value system and how that impacts them and those around them.
I don’t advise my clients but ask them powerful questions so that they become more self–aware. My clients enjoy my sessions as my sense of humour plays a large part in raising energy levels and the fact I am non-judgmental puts them at ease. They openly share their vulnerabilities.
In your opinion, what are the keys to success?
Success to me is being happy and enjoying what you are doing. It’s living a life of balance.
(a) Be authentic.
(b) Be kind to others and to yourself – what goes around, comes around.
(c) Know what you want and where you are headed.
(d) Resourcefulness – be creative in finding solutions.
(e) Curiosity – approach your work and life with a sense of curiosity.
(f) Don’t be scared of failing…it will build resilience.
(g) Reach out for help when you need it.
(h) Constantly upgrade your skills and increase your knowledge.
(i) Find your niche area.
( j) Have fun!
What advice would you give students and young professionals who want to have a successful career?
Try and find something that you are passionate about and if you don’t know then that’s fine! It took me 15 years to find what I was passionate about. Always keep an open mind and try to find a mentor. Never underestimate the value of hard work. Be open to trying new things even if it makes you uncomfortable.
If you feel you lack a particular skill, then find courses that will help you sharpen those skills. There is a lot available online. Learn to segregate work time with me-time and family time. Also, don’t compare yourself to others if it means you are going to put yourself down in the process. Set your own benchmarks and be your own competition. Small steps every day make a big change!
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.
