Kamladevi Sharma is an award-winning International Speaker and Coach on work-life balance, the co-founder of Revive. Coach, a Career Mentor at the University of Bradford, an Associate Coach at Randstad Risesmart, a wife, mom of 3 boys, and a valued friend to many. Highly intuitive and full of wisdom, her clients describe her as “pithy, witty and deep”.
Her expertise in mindset and personal development strategy enables youths, leaders and entrepreneurs globally to get clear on their career aims, eliminate burnout, and achieve balance, fulfillment and success with ease in both their personal and professional lives.
Born and grow in Guyana, South America, she is a Master of Business Administration (MBA) General with Bachelor degrees in Business, Social Psychology and Social Research Methods. Her work has benefitted over 4000 leaders globally in personal growth and over 250 businesses have jumped start a momentum for success in her signature momentum training at Revive. A known feature in magazines locally and internationally, her wisdom has been featured on several podcasts on Spotify, Apple, and Google.
You’re an award-winning coach, co-founder of Revive.Coach and a Mindset genius! As people call you Mindset genius, how do you define a Mindset genius, and how do you become one?
For me, a mindset genius is someone who intuitively recognizes the beliefs, thought patterns, and the contributing factors to these that lead to specific behaviors in people, subsequently perceiving future circumstances and personalities people are likely to attract in their lives.
For example, if a manager says to me, "The young people nowadays don't like to work hard," as a justification to why the young staff is always leaving his company, it tells me that this manager believes that hard work is the only way to get work done in the office, he is probably always working hard and is constantly comparing himself and his journey of success to his staff.
A manager with this mindset values hard work over self-care, so he would be impressed by the young staff who always put in extra hours and dedicate most of their time and energy to getting work done in the office. Any staff who takes frequent breaks, has boundaries in place or are likely to say no politely to this manager would not be the ideal staff. This belief, which is also a judgment of all young staff, would unconsciously lead to biased behavior to any young staff who is employed in the future. He’ll speak to newcomers as if he was talking to one of his past non-conforming staff which would make them feel misjudged and misplaced at work. Unconsciously, a manager of this kind would disempower young staff by speaking the story, "You all have it too good in here. Back in my day, we had to work hard to get to the top." He would keep himself separate from young staff, which would make them feel 'not good enough' or 'respected' to work with him- resulting in them leaving for better feelings elsewhere.
I believe that my ability to perceive patterns in people to this extent comes from my natural intuitive ability, studies in Social Psychology, and consistent inner work to learn about myself and develop my intuition more. I commit to a growth mindset, and it helps me see opportunities in every challenge I face- even if it is an opportunity to learn about a different feeling within me and grow past it. Therefore, I believe that someone can become a mindset genius by really embracing who they are and striving to improve the way they think, feel, and behave daily- witnessing themselves and being curious about where that thought or feeling or behavior came from and how they can improve it or use it to their advantage in the future.
But it’s not only about mindset, right? You have a great combination of knowledge and expertise. You’ve helped over 4000 leaders with mental, spiritual, and financial growth and over 250 businesses to kickstart their journeys. Why do people choose to work with you? Leaders, coaches, youths, and entrepreneurs choose to work with me because they need clarity and growth in their careers. They need a practical approach to moving forward in their career with the resources they have at their disposal so that they can achieve the career of their dreams and feel fulfilled in their lives. Whether it's aligning with a career suitable to their personal life, switching careers to experience a new path, trying to move up the career ladder at their current place of work, or exiting Corporate to start Entrepreneurship, I help them to align and plan their transition strategy for execution in their desired direction.
Oftentimes persons come to me when they begin to feel uncomfortable in their career and/or no longer fit in. They may want to quit being overwhelmed, burnout, frustrated, stressed, or depressed on their job. They are drawn to my objectivity, authenticity, positivity, and solutions thinking to guide them on exactly what they need to do to move forward- even if their barrier is a personal attachment affecting their career decisions. For example, not obtaining approval of their career desires from a close family member because of the uncertainty in a new career as compared to the financial security in the present one.
My clients often describe me as "pithy, witty, and deep" because of the depths I can take anyone feeling confused, stuck, or dejected in their career or personal life in a single session, for them to achieve clarity, balance, and fulfillment easily.
You’re based in a South American country, but you work internationally with people. Is that a challenge? Working internationally with people even though I am in Guyana is not a challenge. People's issues are the same worldwide. The details of those issues are different. I am not focused on the details. I am focused on the general issue and its solution. That is, the thoughts, feelings, words and actions, and what needs to be done to bring ease and peace to one's inner world.
In Guyana, we have sufficient technology here to work online and there options available to us for receiving monies from abroad, although there are international restrictions to our financial capabilities. For example, we can only pay out money with platforms such as PayPal rather than receive and pay.
However, I generally rely on my expertise, energy and being to help my clients in their journey. My qualifications from Universities in the UK, my connection with Ranstand Risesmart as an Associate Coach and my presence on social media help me to continuously network, build connections with people globally, and claim my authority in the field.
Although Guyana has been regarded as a third world or developing country for a long time and it's about to change as we move to an oil economy, I've never allowed this to stop me from elevating and offering my services to the international community. The truth is, being from Guyana in this field, a developing country, can be a significant deterrent to a client's perception of the quality of service that can possibly be offered to them, especially if they are from a first world country. But another truth to that is, if you believe in yourself and you stand out with your authenticity, you will connect to those who need you despite where you're from.
My biggest challenge being in Guyana though was overcoming the mindset of "what will people say," especially at the thought that I was a stay-at-home MBA mom. This kicked in more after having my last son where I felt conflicted that my responsibilities were a lot more at home but I needed that mental escape to do something for myself. I wasn't sure if I should have continued coaching or let it go and focus on the kids only.
Not only that, I didn't have a clearly defined career path all along in my journey. I knew the basics- I wanted a career that I loved, one that allowed me to be myself and bloom, and one with a comfortable pay, but I didn't know by doing what exactly. That in itself depended a lot on whatever opportunity presented itself in Guyana because I always wanted to grow my kids here.
But when I reflected on my life and my career choices, I realized that coaching was my dream career and it was time to take it to the next level- not to let it go and return to Corporate when the kids are in school.
I didn't give up on myself and that was a big deal for me. I refused to choose one or the other, and I decided to have it all by striking a balance.
Since that decision, there have been enormous opportunities available to me and now I am conducting management trainings at companies to help their leaders strike that balance in their lives by improving their mindset and emotional intelligence.
So, it really took me a pause in my career journey, that is, from being in a successful leadership position when I was first pregnant, to feel the feels, assess my mindset, reset my beliefs, discover my focus and connect to my 'why' and strength in coaching. The thought of being a MBA graduate at home with 3 kids has certainly evolved to appreciating my superpower as a mom running a successful coaching business. The positive impact and influence I now have on youths, coaches, leaders, and entrepreneurs worldwide is reassuring and life saving for me. I have an extra purpose in my life and it is fun.
You’re also a mother of three boys. What tips do you want to give to parents who want to run a successful business?
1. Go for it but plan for it.
Identify why you want to run a business and what is your priority at this point in your life.
Is it to have a flexible life as you grow your kids? Is it to develop your entrepreneurial mindset and skills? Is it to follow your passion and live your purpose? Is it to make a lot of money doing what you love doing? What is your ‘why’ to start this journey?
I say this because I started coaching for the love of it. It didn’t consume much of my energy, I wanted to do something to remain financially independent and I wanted something that was flexible and suitable to my responsibility to my kids.
I didn’t have a plan at the beginning so I played it small and worked with a client here and there for a while. I wasn’t ready to show myself in Guyana because of the criticism that I was a stay-at-home MBA mom. I felt that motherhood was a beautiful journey for me to start but the truth is, it brought huge changes to my career. I wasn’t ready for that shake up and I didn’t how to manage that identity crisis. It’s a common dilemma I find lots of working mothers face if they need to stop working. It happens because in Corporate, we keep our identities separate. Now I am working at home, switching between roles more than I used to in Corporate and it’s fulfilling. Now, I am criticized for not spending my time and energy on meaningless matters and I completely embrace that.
I’ve prioritized my time and energy and when I begun to plan strategically for my business with the help of a coach, I had clearer direction and overcame my mindset blocks. I believed in myself more and the value I had to offer, using life for what it was in the moment. This helped me to scale my business online. Now, I can proudly tell the story of my success by including all aspects of my life.
So if you don’t know how, work with a coach to help you make the impact you desire to make. You will learn the marketability skills you need to present yourself as an expert and you will develop yourself personally to keep believing in what you have to offer. If it’s in the online space which is limitless, flexible and so much more fulfilling, know where your ideal clients are hanging out and help them as much as you can. You will build your credibility and authority overtime because people know energy and when you work on keeping yours in alignment, you attract your ideal clients.
2. Take your skillset from Corporate with you.
I found that any strategy I implemented in my business worked when I applied a growth mindset and used the skillset I obtained from Corporate. Skills such as people management, time management, emotional intelligence, budgeting, effective communication and negotiation, good organization and presentation, etc., are important in running a successful business with kids. We are trained better in these skills from being in a job, so look at all of the skills you obtained from Corporate and think of ways you can apply them in your business to bring order and structure to your everyday life, with kids being your co-workers.
3. Include your kids in your journey.
Including your kids in your journey brings a significant balance to your work time and responsibilities at home. Have fun with them while you take some time to allow your creative energy to flow. Spend time outdoors and have vision-building sessions together. Teach them mindfulness and keep each other accountable. These are all ways to help you remain focused on your path while spending quality time with each other. Don’t underestimate the need for it too. Some days will be more predictable than some. You’ll need to be agile and resilient for unexpected changes. So to work with what is presenting itself to you at the moment, include them and prepare yourself energetically daily as you spend time with them. Even if the kids are throwing tantrums, who you are in those moments helps to escalate the situation or bring peace and ease to them. You are the leader of this journey.
You use a lot of practical tools in your 1:1 Momentum training. What are the results that your clients have been getting from working with you?
My clients are empowered to lead themselves, their families, and their staff to prosperity and fulfillment. They experience both personal and professional benefits, and I am super proud of this. They leave every session with me feeling empowered with clear directions on how to better align with their dream career and life. The most common results are:
Improved confidence and presence every day in and out of work
Improved job performance
Success at challenging themselves to achieve more
Readiness to persuade, influence, and negotiate for results
Greater voice and visibility in and out of the workplace
Enhanced authority and credibility in their fields
Recognition and reward for accomplishments after a long wait
Career advancement, including promotions, managing larger teams, and projects
Enhanced organizational awareness and ease with navigating politics
Objective decision making
Improved mental, emotional and physical well-being
Greater knowledge of their strengths and areas needing improvement
A special love and zest for life and the roles they play
Increased job satisfaction
Feeling whole and fulfilled personally and professionally
Feeling a sense of purpose and empowerment as an individual
So, what’s the next big goal or project for Kamladevi Sharma, and how can someone get in contact with you?
Growth is an everyday joy for me. I’m taking what I am currently doing to the next level, so I’ll be providing more management training for companies globally to help them develop their leaders faster, and I’ll be working with more individuals who are currently misaligned in their careers to find balance, fulfillment, and success in their lives with ease. Persons can contact me on Facebook, LinkedIn, my website or e-mail me at info@revive.coach. I also have an amazing online community of leaders, entrepreneurs, and persons who want to do, be, and have better in their work-life. Anyone interested can join through this link.
