History Matters
Hello from Cambodia!
Visiting Cambodia with my brother and mom for her 80th birthday. She said it was the best birthday she’s ever had!
That picture was taken in front of one of the many gorgeous temples that are Unesco world heritage sites. I highly recommend visiting if you like great food, warm people, gorgeous architecture, clean cities with good roads that are not yet over-populated.
In between temple tours while chillaxing at the hotel, my mom opened up about how hard it was when she immigrated from India to the East coast of America in 1972: the judgment she felt when she told people she was vegetarian (“How can you live like that?” and my favorite, “Do you eat grass?”), the lack of respect she got even in the hospital where she was employed as a physician, feeling like an outsider at work, and not having someone to help guide her or, at times, just tell her what to do to get more respect at work and more broadly in society.
Perhaps partly to pay homage to her experience and make it easier for other Indians working for American firms, I started a program called SAPNA (South Asian Professional No-Nonsense Accelerator) last year. This is a 3-week accelerator program, where I have condensed the essence of what I cover in my 1-on-1 leadership coaching programs, into a compact, easy to follow program. And because it is cohort-based, I am able to bring the price point down significantly for this hybrid self-paced + 6 live calls program.
So, if you are a South Asian woman or know a South Asian woman who could benefit from this leadership program to gain more respect at work, here is the link to learn more. The program starts on March 4, and runs for three awesome weeks!
Here is what a senior HR executive and former student in the program said about SAPNA: "I loved working with Bijal throughout the SAPNA program. She made it effortless to reflect on and dream about what I would love to achieve in bringing more of myself to my work, and then broke it down into practical techniques for making it happen. Bijal is an expert listener and dot-connector, and her unconditional belief in her students coupled with a no-nonsense yet light-hearted style becomes just the push one needs to show up as the leader we want to be."
After the last email I sent announcing this program, a couple people asked if there was an early-bird price. Thought that was a great idea, so if you use the coupon EARLY, you will get $100 off the $397 - that’s over 25% off. But only for people who receive my emails and only until 3pm MST on Friday, February 9th.
I truly believe that if you want to have a bigger impact on the world… if you want to achieve your goals and dreams faster … and if you want to inspire others to help you make it happen…
The time to prepare for the next opportunity is NOW
And to do it in a way that allows you to remain authentically yourself, including your South Asian identify. The longer you hold off on learning what’s needed to get more respect at work, be listened to, have influence, and more, the longer you put off your goals and dreams.
These skills are a must, and not just for leadership, but for any role working for an American firm today, including individual contributors. And they are especially important for us Indian & Pakistani women, to counter the stereotypes we face.
I’m not saying at the end of 3 weeks you will be an expert on what is needed to get that promotion, BUT what I am saying is that you will have AWARENESS of what is needed to reverse the impression that you are not ready for the next opportunity, or not seen as someone who is strategic. And stop being seen as that “Indian do-er” (sorry to be blunt, and I had to do the same work myself to reverse this impression.)
OK, sorry for the rant, but I get passionate about this.
To find out more and to sign up, visit the SAPNA sign up page.
I hope to see your name on the roster!!! But hurry, because the $100 off expires on Feb 9th.
P.S. if this doesn’t resonate with you, but you know an Indian or Pakistani woman, please share this resource with them in case it would be helpful to them!
With so much support and warmth,
Bijal
The intent of these emails is to provide different perspectives, ideas, and insights as you navigate the path forward for yourself, your team, your organization, and your family.
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Bijal Choksi, MA, CHPC, ACC