A Life of Tales and Training

Today we introduce to you, Neha Karia Mody, a woman who adorns many hats. In fact, her hat is filled with feathers of her various achievements. And yet, she is someone who believes in staying true to oneself and to all those around her. Each day she hopes to work towards healing and helping anyone who comes to her to seek guidance or assistance. She finds comfort in knowing that she has managed to make a difference in someone’s life no matter how small it may be.

Neha considers herself extremely fortunate as she was born to very liberal and understanding parents. Hailing from an educated Gujarati family, Neha was always encouraged to think independently and to also openly express her opinions. However, her mother was a strict disciplinarian and Neha was expected to be responsible for her actions. Rules were always expected to be followed. She gives a lot of credit for her successful life to her mother’s strictness.

Being the younger of two siblings, Neha was in awe of her older brother. As a child, she aspired to be like him and so began to imitate him in every possible way including the way he dressed, he walked and behaved. Unknowingly, she grew up to become the quintessential ‘tomboy’.

As a result of being raised by parents who expected her to stand up for herself and do what she believed was right, Neha grew up taking her own responsibilities from a young age. It gave her a sense of pride when she was able to contribute to the family even if it was in a small way.

Neha was encouraged to focus her attention towards understanding her own needs and emotions. As a result, a career path in Psychology, counselling, healing and training seemed to be the natural selection for her. However, this was not her first choice. She chose to get educated in the field of Home Science as at that time she seemed to be influenced by her mother educational background. But it wasn’t very long before she realised how unhappy she was as a result of which she experienced a lot of emotional turmoil in her early life. She was fortunate enough to meet some great mentors who counselled and guided her towards her true calling; Psychology. Once this choice was made, there was really no looking back for Neha.

According to Neha, she is perfect blend of a homemaker and a professional. She says they are both an inherent part of her personality and she is often unable to differentiate between the two. On account of the fact that the two are closely linked to each other, Neha lives with the constant fear of losing a loved one. She often finds herself struggling to come to terms with this eventuality.

Failures are war scars and no success story is complete without these. Having initially chosen the wrong career path is what Neha considers a minor setback. She is however grateful that the feeling lasted only a year.

On the personal front, there have been several occasions where she has felt that she has let herself down. But she has never allowed that feeling to linger. She believes is picking oneself up and starting from right where she had left it. Her life has room for errors but not for regrets.

At the beginning of her career, Neha did not have to face too many challenges. The real fight began after she gave birth to her son. Torn between the urge to stay at home to be with her new born and to cater to the needs of her clients, there was a constant struggle. The mother within her eventually won and she devoted herself fully to raising her son for the first few years. After a hiatus of 4 to 5 years, she was able to jump right back into work mode, thanks to the continuous support she received from the home front.

She says that as is the case with any profession, the training industry has also undergone a tremendous change. The field is a lot more competitive now then it was maybe ten years earlier. Another big challenge has been to adapt to media and online presence. One has to ensure that visual records are maintained of all work done by a professional. In order to keep herself abreast with the demands of the industry’s dynamics, she is currently pursuing a Diploma in Training and Development.

We asked her to describe her feelings during her most satisfying moments in life and pat comes the reply, “the moment when I held my son in my arms for the first time.”

Her professional moments of pride include the time that she was featured in a local newspaper along with her photograph and when she sees client life changing for the better as a result of her coaching. 

She believes that spending quality time with loved ones, playing together and most importantly communicating with each other. Open communication channels provide for healthy discussions and equal opportunities to express oneself.

As far as her work is concerned, she is an avid reader and likes to keep herself updated with all that is happening in her professional field. She also likes to experiment with the different techniques that she learns and also enjoys connecting and seeking opinion of those who are senior to her.

Neha strongly believes that education plays a very crucial role in a person’s success as it provides five very important benefits to enhancing once entrepreneurial skills.

1. Early Launch pad- Most business schools today have excellent placement facilities that can give young achievers the boost that require at the onset if the careers.
2. Building Networks- Institutes and universities are an excellent place to establish new contacts.
3. Learning from Theory- While hands on learning is always beneficial, certain theories that are taught and learnt at the university level, provides great insight into different business strategies.
4. Stimulation of the Intellect- The over-all atmosphere of a learning institute helps to stimulate the mind. Accessibility to new ideas and thoughts from peers and facilitators allows for the development of the mind.
5. Development of alternate skills- As universities offer a wide variety of topics, programs and streams to pick from, individuals can greatly benefit from trying their hands at various skills. This allows them to objectively assess their strengths and areas of improvements.

Laja is very inspired by Neha’s solution oriented attitude. She firmly believes that every problem has a definite solution and it is only a matter of time till one is able to arrive at the right one. Sometimes all that one needs is to let go of previously held notions and beliefs. A fresh perspective is all that is needed.

We wish her the very best for her future and may she continue to guide, counsel and heal all those who need it.