Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal and business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Pandit Dasa, Founder of Work Mindful Corp., located in Alachua, FL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I help organizations create a more mindful and positive workplace culture and encourage leaders to lead with empathy and by example. The only way for individuals within an organization and the organization itself to thrive is when employees’ mental, emotional and physical well-being is prioritized over everything else. “The Great Resignation” is upon us, and people are no longer willing to tolerate bad management and the approach of profit over people.
I teach leaders and management to regularly appreciate and recognize the work of their direct reports and colleagues and to lead from a place of care and compassion. When individuals are appreciated, they are more inspired, loyal, and productive.
I encourage leaders to create a culture of mindful communication within their teams and organizations. This means communicating in a way that inspires and doesn’t discourage their workforce. Bad communication can create confusion and lead to misunderstanding and hurt feelings which ultimately stifles collaboration and trust.
When applied during the workday, mindfulness practices such as breathing and focusing techniques can help lower stress and anxiety, provide the clarity to make critical decisions, and help one remain productive.
Tell us about yourself
After being a millionaire in Los Angeles and then losing everything, I began to introspect and reflect on the purpose and meaning of life. This line of questioning led me to a monastery in India, where I spent six months. Then I came to New York City, where I ended up living as a monk for 15 years.
While living as a monk, I began speaking on college campuses in New York City and around the country on topics related to mindfulness, meditation, stress management, and work-life balance. In 2014, I left monastic life and decided to bring these much-needed messages to stressed-out corporate America.
After each talk I gave on a college campus, and now in corporations, people tell me how meaningful and helpful my messages are for their personal and professional life. Seeing that I am making a difference in people's lives inspires me to wake up each day and continue doing what I’m doing.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
As a monk, I didn’t have any training in corporate America. I had even dropped out of college when my parent’s jewelry business collapsed. This, combined with the fact that I had a terrible fear of public speaking, it’s hard for me to believe that I now speak at large conferences and to executives at Fortune 500 companies such as Google, Citi, NASA, and many others. I feel humbled and blessed with these achievements.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things about going into business for oneself is the financial risk involved and not knowing how long it will take to turn a profit. As the old adage goes, no risk, no reward. The hardest part of my business and being a solopreneur is not knowing when and where the next speaking engagement is going to come from.
Even though being self-employed provides a tremendous amount of flexibility, I find myself always, seven days a week, thinking about my business and how to progress it to the next level. Fortunately, I love what I do, so thinking about it constantly isn’t exhausting. This is not to say that I don’t take breaks and vacations to refresh my mind and create that all-important work-life balance.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Make sure to get your business up on social media even before your business launches to generate interest and awareness. Social media is the future of advertising, and the right messages and videos can help create much-needed brand awareness and hype as you begin your launch.
- Network with others in your field to learn what works and doesn’t work. There are associations one can join where similar business owners convene to share ideas and strategies. Even if they are competitors, the fact they are there means they are interested in networking.
- Be careful whose opinion you ask for. Those who know nothing about your type of business may not add anything of value and end up discouraging you.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Continue to prioritize your mental, emotional and physical health as you begin your business. If we neglect our own self-care, we won’t be able to give our business the care and attention it needs to succeed. One way we can take care of ourselves is to have a daily 3-5 minute mindfulness meditation practice. This means pausing what we’re doing, taking ten deep breaths, and feeling grateful for some positive things that are taking place in our lives.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.panditdasa.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/panditdasa/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/panditdasa/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/panditdasa/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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