At Brilliant Read Media, it is our constant endeavour to identify and share some of the unique and compelling stories from the startup ecosystem. As part of this, we invited Surabhi Pannu for an interview with Brilliant Read Media. To say further, Surabhi is an Emotional Intelligence Coach, Career Counsellor and Founder at Svadhyaya By Surabhi. Let’s learn more about her background, inspiring journey so far and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Surabhi:
Could you please talk us through your background and your journey?
I’m a passionate Emotional Intelligence (EI) coach and the founder of Svadhyaya by Surabhi. My life’s mission is to help students, undergraduates, and working professionals understand and regulate their emotions so they can make confident, well-informed career decisions and eliminate prolonged uncertainty.
I hold a Master’s degree in Psychology, an MBA in Human Resources, and a diploma in Business Administration. I am a Certified Emotional Intelligence Practitioner and Certified Career Counsellor. My professional background spans diverse sectors such as education, finance, and marketing—enriching my understanding of how emotions influence performance and decision-making in various environments.
Currently, I envision a society where emotional literacy is as essential as academic or technical skills. To do so, I took on the mission to visit senior schools nationwide, to spread awareness and the importance of emotional Intelligence.
How did you discover your passion?
Growing up in a conservative family, where being a girl child meant being overlooked, and later enduring the confines of a fraudulent marriage, my path to self-discovery was fraught with emotional battles.
It took years of struggle to truly recognise my worth—but that breakthrough became the foundation of something greater.
Inspired by my own transformation, I created Svadhyaya by Surabhi, a platform rooted in two fundamental missions:
1) Guiding individuals toward fulfilling careers by strengthening their emotional well-being
2) Breaking societal stigmas around emotional expression through Emotional Intelligence education
This is more than a platform—it’s a movement to empower others as I reclaimed my own power.
Despite the challenges, what keeps you going when things get tough?
Three key principles have anchored me to the positive side of life during tough times.
First, I’ve always heard about empowered women but never truly experienced that empowerment myself. The portrayals on screen felt distant and unreal, yet the desire to become that strong, independent woman never faded within me. Despite challenges, my passion for being the most powerful version of myself has always fuelled me with energy.
Second, my refusal to quit has been a game-changer. There’s a sting to my pride when I find myself in pitiful situations, but even in pain—even when life pushes me to the edge—I tell myself, This isn’t where I belong. I will rise above this feeling of self-disgust because I know I can.
Third, I live by the mantra whatever it takes. I’ve even written it on my vision board. I don’t wait for perfect resources; once I set a goal, I find a way to achieve it. This mindset has propelled me forward, and my journey toward success continues.
What are the three most important lessons you have learned in your life?
Life as the Greatest Teacher. Over time, life has taught me invaluable lessons—three of which stand out the most:
a) I am my own saviour. No one else will rescue me. The moment I took a stand for myself, everything began falling into place. That unwavering belief—”I can”—has always been the game-changer.
b) I am grateful to be born human, blessed with the extraordinary power of the human brain. It fascinates me how our mind constantly balances between the conscious and subconscious, shaping our reality.
c) After decades of people-pleasing—friends, family, colleagues, bosses—I realised one truth: those who are truly meant to stay will never leave, no matter the distance or circumstances. So there’s no need to chase validation. In the end, you’ll always be surrounded by the ones who are right for you.
In your opinion, what are the keys to success?
The Key to Success -For me, success is built on a few non-negotiable pillars:
> The Dream – Without a vision, there is no direction. A dream is the first spark that sets everything in motion.
> Consistency – You don’t need to have all the answers right away. What matters is showing up every day, trusting that persistence will reveal the path forward.
> Self-Love – This was my game-changer. When I stopped seeking external validation and started believing in my own worth, success became inevitable.
What advice would you give students and young professionals who want to have a successful career?
The One Key to a Successful Career: Love What You Do
There is only one true foundation for a fulfilling career—passion for your work. Without it, everything else crumbles: your mental peace, health, and relationships suffer, leaving you at risk of failing not just in your job, but in life itself.
But how do you find work you love? It begins with self-awareness. By understanding your strengths—emotional control, motivation, empathy, and relationship skills—you can align them with career paths where you’ll thrive and find joy.
In my work with senior students and young professionals, I guide them to first look inward, mastering their emotional responses to external pressures. Then, through Emotional Intelligence-based career aptitude tests, we identify paths where they’ll excel—and, most importantly, stay fulfilled.
Because success isn’t just about achievement—it’s about loving the journey.
Last but not least, what about your journey makes it satisfying/exciting?
What makes my journey deeply satisfying is that it’s a testament to the power of self-belief and emotional intelligence.
From overcoming the constraints of a conservative upbringing to breaking free from a fraudulent marriage, every challenge became fuel for my transformation.
What excites me most is now using these hard-earned lessons to help others through Svadhyaya – seeing that moment when someone recognises their own worth, just as I did.
There’s extraordinary satisfaction in turning personal struggles into tools for empowerment, especially when working with young professionals to help them build careers aligned with their authentic selves. My journey keeps evolving, and that’s the most thrilling part – every day brings new opportunities to grow and help others do the same.
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.
