Hello everyone, I am Vandana! I am the founder of MindArt Coaching and Consulting, Mindset and Leadership Coach and Human Behaviour Strategist based in Sydney and working globally.
What’s my story all about? In a nutshell, it’s a simple story of having love and gratitude in my heart,
courage to pursue the whisper within me and trust in the journey of “becoming”.
I was born and brought up in Nagpur, Maharashtra. My father retired as a Principal of an Arts and
Commerce College and my mum is a homemaker. We are three sisters, who were raised to be strong and independent, but most importantly compassionate. As kids, we were always encouraged to try new things, stretch our comfort zone, take responsibility of our actions and be grateful for all that we have. These values stay with me till date and give me strength to embark on journeys of uncertainty, eventually leading to learning and growth.
On the surface, my story is pretty straightforward. Born into a loving middle-class family, a studious and sincere girl in school, who did well in academics as well as sports and extracurricular activities, went on to study Computer Science Engineering, got a job in a multinational company, married her college sweetheart, had a beautiful baby boy, travelled to US and then moved to Australia. From the outside, I had everything that one could possibly want. A beautiful son, a loving husband, a supportive family, a prestigious job, yet there was something missing. I knew there was something more that I needed to do, somehow, I wanted to contribute more. I just didn’t know what it was!
In my school days I used to play professional cricket (represented my state in sub-junior and junior nationals). I travelled quite a bit for 4 years, touring from the age of 12. I got to meet different people coming from various walks of life. I would hear their stories, try to understand their world. I could see there was so much pain and suffering, so many challenges that people faced and yet my life was so full of love and support. I developed the values of gratitude and empathy through this experience, along with active listening skills, as I was so curious. People were always my passion. Why people behave the way they do, what makes them think the way they do, what mindset they have, to get through the hurdles in their lives always interested me.
During my engineering years, I had realised that engineering alone was not fulfilling my curiosity. There was something more I wanted to do, I knew there was a different reality ahead of me, but I could not pinpoint. I decided to do an MBA as people and everything to do with them was always of interest to me. However, I got a good job through campus interview and I decided to take it up. I was good at what I did, and I was able to utilise my skills of communication and connection in my job but still, there was this constant knowledge of the fact that there is something else for me!
It was only after my son’s birth in 2016 that I decided to take a break. We were in the US, I was on my H1B work visa, so deciding to quit my job was a big ordeal. Most of my professional mentors, my friends, some family members suggested I should not leave my job. Though I was convinced about what I wanted to do, I still had my doubts, what will happen once I shift on dependent visa? Will it negatively impact my career? How will the gap be perceived? Will I face problems in being employed again? Multiple questions stood in front of me. I had all the support from my loving husband and my family, the onus was on me. I had to decide. I chose to transition completely into being a mum. It was something, I intuitively knew, I must do and I did.
Being with my little one and relishing my new role as a full-time homemaker and a mum, I was blessed to experience mindful living. The change was challenging at first, but then I surrendered. I got a chance to see life from the eyes of my child, to reflect, rediscover, meditate and understand my calling. I realised that providing a nonjudgmental space, listening actively and being present a 100% with others, for others, are my gifts. The passion that I was always looking for was “people”. The missing link was “the awareness”. I knew I wanted to serve the world, grow, and contribute by helping people achieve their true potential.
Once I got the awareness, I started investing in myself and learning more about coaching, positive psychology, and human behavior. I now am a member of the Professional coaches with The Coaching Institute (Australia’s #1 Coaching School) and a member of the International Coaching Guild. I work with clients from all over the globe and rejoice being a part of their transformational journey.
You see, who we truly are, often gets clouded by conditioning over the years, causing limiting beliefs, lack of self-trust, lack of clarity, inner conflict and unfulfillment. Just like me, many people hear the whisper, yet they choose to ignore, suppress, and try to find happiness outside. Through my own experience of leaning into the soft voice inside of me, I realised that the one gift which can help everyone achieve their best and live in harmony with themselves and others, is a healthy mindset.
I have embarked on the journey of service and contribution through my Coaching practice. My mission is to grow trust, love and positivity in the world, by helping people see the best in themselves and in others. I work with overwhelmed individuals to help them get past their stress and anxiety, gain clarity and find balance in life. I work on evidence-based strategies and methodologies rooted in positive psychology, cognitive behavioural therapy, neuroscience and adult learning techniques to achieve outstanding results for my clients.
The ability to spread positivity through my thoughts, actions and insights, to connect with people from all over the world, and the endless opportunities to teach (and learn!) something new every day, obsesses me. I love what I do and I cannot be more grateful for every part and every person involved in my journey. I firmly believe, what we can see, we can be. If we allow ourselves to visualise without any fear, without any judgements, the creative power of our subconscious mind shows us the way. It motivates us to work harder at creating solutions. It pushes us to do things that normally we would avoid, but that will take us closer to success.
There is always a road that takes you to your dreams! Are you willing to take it? Follow your heart. Go after your dreams. Don’t just wonder, commit! Say YES to you, create the reality
that you want for YOU! I am right here, cheering for you!
