You know you have the talent and the skills to run a business based on your passions and expertise, and it’s been on your mind for years.

But... when it comes down to starting that business?

You’re stuck in analysis paralysis, wondering what you need to do first (or next) to get your business up and running.

You're procrastinating, waiting for the "right" time, or for the "right" offer to come to you.

You're wondering if you really have what it takes to be your own boss.

Thinking about all the things you need to do (and learn) to start your business? It just seems nearly impossible.

It is possible to turn your strengths and passions into a thriving business, and I’ll show you how in three simple steps.

Have you ever dreamed of starting your own business?

Women make up about 36% of business owners around the world, and the number of women-owned businesses have increased by 114% over the last 20 years.

With so many small businesses out there, especially in the coaching, health and wellness, and consulting industries, it’s important to set yourself apart.

Starting a business that’s aligned with your strengths and passions is one way to stand out from the crowd and attract your dream clients.

Using your unique blueprint, you can start a business that works for you, instead of trying to fit yourself into someone else’s mold.

You have big dreams.

You want to help people and change the world, but you’re not sure where to start.

One of the best ways to contribute to serving the world is to find your life purpose.

Your purpose is who you are at your core. It’s your reason for getting out of bed in the morning and the reason you feel a sense of satisfaction when you go to sleep at night.

Living your purpose brings meaning to your life. It helps guide your decisions, influence your life goals, and create a sense of fulfillment.

Showing up as the fullest, boldest, most authentic you is what will change the world. Shrinking does nothing to improve the lives of others, and it will keep you stuck playing small.

And you can show up as the most authentic version of you when you find and live your purpose.

International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on March 8th, and it marks a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women around the world.

The 2021 theme is #ChooseToChallenge, and as the official IWD website declares:

“A challenged world is an alert world. And from challenge comes change.”

I couldn’t agree more with that statement!

I’ve been challenging workplace norms my entire career. It hasn’t always been easy, and it’s never been comfortable. But change doesn’t happen inside our comfort zones.

And that’s not just change on a global scale or in your workplace or business.

I’m talking about deep internal change.

The value that drives much of my mission and purpose is Justice.

I started my company, Bright Space Coaching, in 2016 because I was frustrated with the lack of women leaders in my workplaces. I was enraged that men consistently make more money than women, even with comparable education and experience. And I was determined to make a difference. I wanted justice for women everywhere.

Only back then, I didn’t include Black women. Sure, Black women attended my small group workshops and were part of my Lean In Circle, and Black women were represented in the photos on my website.

But if I’m honest with myself, I didn’t always think about how Black women’s experience of leadership in the workplace differed from mine.

The thing I love most about my coaching business is the connections I've made with incredible women around the world.

Whether I've coached them, mentored them, learned from them, or grew spiritually because of them, I wouldn't be where I am today without them.

They've all contributed to helping me live my purpose, and I couldn't be more grateful for them.

A few of these women have had some incredible success recently, and I'm taking this opportunity to brag about them :)

Because when one woman wins, we all win.

At this point in your journey to finding and living your purpose, you may start to notice that some folks don't understand what you're doing.

It could be your family questioning your new path or your friends who haven't found their purpose criticizing your work.

Living your purpose is hard. It's uncomfortable.

Some people will love you. Some people will disagree with what you're doing. You're not for them, and that's okay. (Even if it is your family!)

The beautiful thing about the world is that we all have different beliefs and values that guide us.

We can be true and centered in who we are AND learn and grow and evolve.

Growing up in India, which is still a largely patriarchal society and having worked in corporate technology in the United States for 13 years, which is still a largely male-dominated industry, I often wondered what made a woman a power to reckon with, you know, a Fierce woman.

I would come across terms like ‘she is so brave’, ’so dominating’, ‘a total ball-breaker’ when describing a female leader or an emerging bad-ass-babe. And while those terms don’t necessarily equate to being loud, aggressive or unfeminine, there seemed to be an implicit agreement in both the eastern and western cultures I encountered, that these attributes were prerequisite for a woman to be a powerhouse.

And to clarify, I absolutely adore that loud, aggressive and/or unfeminine woman, if that is her true authentic nature. You go girl! Here though, I want to speak to that other woman who may be soft-spoken and erroneously considered a pushover by those around her or even by herself!

They say there’s this “seven-year itch,” where couples who’ve been together for seven years start to re-evaluate their relationship.

It’s a commonly held belief that at the seven-year mark, couples tend to fall into a slump, they start to get dissatisfied with their partners, and they start to question their feelings about the relationship.

I’m not a relationship expert, but I always thought this was an old wives’ tale or a myth made popular by the Marilyn Monroe movie of the same title.

So, as I approach my seventh year of marriage, and as I sat down to write this article, I did a little research.

Manifesting is bringing something tangible into your life by cultivating the experience of what you want to feel, then living and believing in that experience so it can become a reality.

An abundance mindset helps you manifest anything you want because it starts with a deep belief that you are enough, that you have enough, and that you’re deserving of the things you have in your life.

It’s a strong feeling of security and confidence in yourself. A belief that you already have everything you need to be successful. That anything you want is available to you.

That deep belief is the foundation for manifesting. Manifesting is about making everything you want to feel and experience a reality for you – through your beliefs, emotions, behaviors, and effects.

Manifesting isn’t about asking the Universe for help, then stepping back and waiting for what you want to just fall into your lap. You have to do the work. You have to take powerful, aligned action to achieve your goals. This isn’t a passive exercise.

Remember: your thoughts create your reality. If you believe you’ll never be good enough to go after your dream job or start your own business, you’ll behave in a way that gets you that result. In other words, you likely won’t take action toward your goals.

On the other hand, if you believe that you have enough knowledge, wisdom, strength, and guidance to achieve your goals, you’ll feel confident enough to take powerful action and manifest those goals.

Thinking about finding your purpose in life? Wondering what you’re meant to do, but don’t know where to start? Or maybe you think you found your purpose, but you’re not really sure.

If this sounds like you, you’re in good company!

These are the same questions I’m constantly asked by women like you, who are looking for more meaning and fulfillment in their lives.

Finding your purpose can feel like a daunting task. It’s overwhelming to think about the one thing you’re meant to do with your life and how you’re going to get there.

Trust me when I say, it’s not as difficult as it seems to find your life purpose. You might just need some reassurance.

Your values guide your decisions and set the tone for how you live your life.

But how do you know if you’re really living your values?

If you’ve done the work of identifying your core values, you may be wondering how to bring your values to life. Or how to bring more of them into your life.

Living your values means to be the most authentic version of yourself in all aspects of your life. Not just at work, or with your family, but in all areas that matter to you.

Just as your purpose is a compass leading you back into alignment with who you’re meant to be, your values guide you back to who you truly are.

If I had to guess, I'd say the first half of 2020 didn't go exactly as you planned.

Between the Coronavirus pandemic and social uprising in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, this year is certainly one for the history books.

While 2020 brought so much fear, anxiety, heartbreak, stress, overwhelm, loss, uncertainty, pain, and outrage, it also brought us "closer" to family and friends through virtual dinners, coffee chats, and happy hours.

For some of us, it brought life and jobs to a halt to allow us to focus on what's most important to us. For those on the front lines, it brought your purpose to light - serving the world in a way you never dreamed imaginable.

2020 is a collective awakening - some of us are waking up to our role in white supremacy. Some of us are waking up to a career that no longer aligns with what we want. Some of us are waking up to the start of healing generations of trauma. Some of us are waking up to realize the lifestyle we're living is no longer sustainable.

We're all waking up to something. And awakening brings profound change.

Core values are the fundamental beliefs you have about your life.

They guide your behaviors, decisions, and actions. They bring about a sense of purpose and self-worth. They remind you what’s important to you and what you want more of in your life.

When you know what’s important to you, you can live in alignment with those values. This leads to greater fulfillment, clarity and self-awareness.

This self-awareness allows you to discover your purpose.

Your life purpose is who you are at your core. Identifying your core values brings you back to your center.

Values remind you who you are and who you’re meant to be in the world. They’re gentle guide rails to keep us on our path and help us choose actions that are aligned with what we really want.

When we find what we really want, we can truly live our purpose. And if every woman lived her purpose, every need in the world would be met.

Everything in our lives starts with an intention.

The careers we choose, the places we live, the people we surround ourselves with.

Even the food we put into our bodies starts with an intention.

If that’s true, is it possible to use an intention to find our life purpose?

An intention is a guiding principle for how you want to be, live, and show up in the world. It’s not the same as a goal, which typically has an endpoint or an expectation of success.

An intention is a path you aim to align to. It guides our thoughts, actions, and attitudes.

If you consider that your life purpose is who you are at your core, then an intention can help you discover who you’re meant to be, and how you’re meant to show up in the world.

I spent my career in healthcare specializing in continuous process improvement.  My job was to help smart people solve hard problems, figure out ways to make their jobs easier, and to set the strategy for transformational change.

Continuous improvement also translates nicely to the work I do with my coaching clients. I help women take small steps every day to transform their lives, discover their strengths and purpose, and lead with intention.

I used the concept of Kaizen to help me improve my own life and find my dream career when I found myself trapped in a toxic work environment where my ideas and opinions were constantly challenged. I felt stuck and discouraged. I didn’t know where to start or what I wanted to do.

It started with a mindset shift and daily gratitude practice. From there, I started to identify my strengths and values and how I could use them to find a career I loved where I felt appreciated, valued, and respected for who I am.

2017 was not my year.

Sure, I was making more money than I ever had. I was leading a phenomenal team of staff I also called friends. I bought my first ever *brand new* car.

But I was also burned out. Depressed. I didn’t believe in myself. I felt like a total impostor. I was sick all the time. And drinking way too much.

After grad school, I climbed the corporate ladder like my feet were on fire. I held every volunteer role I could. I said yes to EVERYTHING. I had no time left for me.

Something had to change.

This time last year, I could barely get off the couch. I was in a job that destroyed my confidence, I was drinking too much, and I had a long commute that left me exhausted.

I didn’t recognize the person I’d become.

I used to be the woman who organized group events, hosted dinner parties and volunteered for everything. I held leadership roles and tried new things and thought of every day as an adventure.

This time last year, I wished my days away, just trying to get to the weekend or the holiday or the vacation.

I wasn’t enjoying my life, and I wasn’t taking care of myself.

Through months of therapy and personal development, I built a stronger self-awareness: a deeper sense of who I am and what matters to me.

I also left that job and chose to grow my own business. With my own rules. Where I could use my strengths and live my values every day.

And I’ve never been happier.

There's actually something to those magazine collages you made in summer camp as a kid.

Are you a Goal Getter? If you're anything like me, you love setting and achieving goals.

I'm super competitive with myself, so I'm always thinking about what I can do next; how can I improve? How can I reach even further?

But for some of us, goal-setting doesn't come as naturally.

Luckily, there's a simple tool you can use to set and achieve goal with ease. And I bet you already have all the supplies around your house.

Ever have one of those days where you don’t know where to start?

You look at your to-do list, and there’s so many different and competing priorities that you start to feel anxious about how you’ll get it all done.

And in the throes of anxiety, you give up. You relinquish your stress to your couch and start binge-watching Netflix instead of hustling for your goals.

Trust me. I know this story all too well.