Last two months, I was involved with a project which was radically different. It had nothing to do with technology, marketing and diversity – my 3 BIG passions. I got the idea and I decided to run with it. So, I drafted a business plan, raised some angel money and even found other relevant partners. This was a strenuous and time consuming project. I worked very hard on it since this was a project out of my domain of expertise.

And during this period, I found a lot of things that I had no clue of…some restrictive state laws, some hiring challenges and even the margins in the business plan started to look difficult to justify. It is then my inner voice started to talk to me. It became my own adversary. It started to tell me, “Don’t do it”, “This is not for you” and “It does not make sense”.

Like every normal person, I was compelled to dismiss these fears thinking these were starting hiccups. We all have read those books which motivate us to “Fight our fears”, “Take a leap of faith” and “Never give up”. Well! it is true you need passion to make a thing happen.

But it is important to remember that certain things get obsolete and if you are following a business that is outdated or even a practice that is not relevant in the current situation – you need to pay attention to that. During my work, I have developed a habit of meeting a lot of people, mentors and advisors and this habit has always come to my rescue. They challenge me and make me justify my assumptions…Finally, I encountered a nay sayer. This person was an industry expert and he looked at the business plan and within two minutes asked me to walk away without any further delay.

So, I did. I knew instantly that he had been super kind to share his insights and was looking out for me.

While sharing this with some entrepreneurs at 500startups recently, some of them came up with really interesting observations:

1. Writing a business plan is like dating period. If everything goes well, you get into a relationship, if not you decide to move on.

2. The Due diligence period is the time for internal reflection. If you find out that this idea is NOT YOU, you need to give it up. To succeed you will need a lot of passion and even if this is a great idea and NOT YOU, you will eventually set yourself up for failure.

3. Success is not only in accomplishing things; success is also in listening to yourself and not to your ego that drives you to do things without any consciousness. Success is also in getting to a point, trying a new thing and learning a lot in that process.

Finally this morning, reading Robin Sharma’s blog, he had an article PICK FIGHTS FAST – very catchy title he emphasizes not to fall in love with your idea blindly. He says maybe it is better to surround yourself with “NO PEOPLE” than “YES SIR” people. They will challenge your assumptions and probably act as an adversary and save you a lot of trouble. Develop a habit to listen to yourself and to nay sayers before making a decision.

So, Don’t fall in love with your idea and that will liberate you to look for fresher approach or create a new one… – you kiss your idea GOOD BYE.

Have a super weekend!

Before we get into what it means “being unreasonable in business“. I want to throw some light into what it means to be REASONABLE. From the time, we are kids we are requested to be reasonable in our requests, demands and actions. In our world, there is big PUSH for usto compromise and tolerate. Even though, we understand that it is important for us to co-exist with others, the dilemma that we have is why we need to be Reason-ABLE.

So, what does it mean to be REASONABLE?

“Reason-ABLE is not taking responsibility of who you could become – with a perfectly good justification”. For all the possibilities of who
we could be in this world, when we have a perfectly ONE valid reason of why we can’t be that person – it makes us Reason-ABLE.

As you can see, if we are REASONABLE then chances are that we are not taking responsibility to live to our maximum potential.

Now, lets talk about being UNREASONABLE in business….

As we all know that business professionals are always faced with challenging situations and sometimes it is easy to give up. So, in
business being UNREASONABLE with yourself is important…it is important to demand more out of yourself, not to give up, believe in
yourself and to be fearless.

In the ebook PINK and Grow RICH, I shared 11 UNREASONABLE rules of success and my favorite rule is Unreasonable Rule # 2: Be Fearless.

Continue Reading my article at WE magazine: Being unreasonable in Business...

This thanksgiving I am giving thanks to the Tribe that came together to help me conceptualize and write my e-book “PINK and Grow RICH“. This e-book came out of my conversations with many successful leaders. While I was speaking to them, I felt something totally shifted in me – a sense of purpose. Why did this happen? I have no idea. But I knew that I wanted to bring to the world their insights so that others can feel the same “sense of purpose” that I had experienced.
Why this is a BIG deal?

Well! this eBook came about when I had no idea how I will connect with leaders and get their time to share their insights. I wanted to know what it took for these leaders to get where they are today. And so I reached out to my network if they would be willing to connect me with someone they thought was a leader. The first connection was VP of Sprint, I spoke to her and she shared her insights. I asked her if she knew other people and she pointed me to three new people. It was a matter of time that I had spoken to 30 such cool people. And it was the gift of connection that the Tribe shared with me to get access to these leaders. The Tribe was motivated by the common goal and that is the essence of every Tribe.

So, after endless cycles of compiling the information and weeks of writing… the e-book is finally ready and launched on Active Garage under the new Resource section. 

Continue Reading the post on Social Media and Tribes #22: Pink and Grow Rich – My thanksgiving gift!

A small segment of Total US population BUT a force to reckon with. I am honored and humbled to represent this population at the North Carolina Governor’s conference for women.

Sharing my presentation below:

My message was simple: This section is NOT spoken to like they need TO – They are ready for PRIME TIME.

An important point: Their BUYING power is expected to rise to $700B by 2014. Are you ready for them?

I am in Raleigh, North Carolina speaking at the North Carolina Governer’s conference for women. My role is to represent the Asian American women who are 5% of the Total US population.

As I started to think about how to represent this segment, I realized that the American Media has clubbed a large diverse community into one and coined the term – Asian American. There are many sub-groups like Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Cambodians, Koreans, Thai and Pakistanis who are part of this community.

And then I started to think of this Tribe as they have come to be known Asian American women Tribe. I started to wonder about their engagement on social media. I did a bit of research and found interesting that there are a lot of channels and organizations that support this Tribe. And most of them have presence on social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin.

But here are some cool facts that about Asian American women tribe:

Continue Reading my column at ActiveGarage: Asian American women – A tribe ready for PRIME TIME

Every now and then, there is an event that brings forth an open dialogue and an opportunity to meet thought leaders. And I believe North Carolina’s Governer’s Women’s conference is one such event. I have been invited to speak at the conference Explore the Chasm—Change the World: Building Trust Across Race and Culture.

This topic is very close to my heart and as I thought about it – I am convinced that we have reached a point where “We have crossed the chasm – and the change is already there within us and in the world around us“. There is a growing SELF Trust among women ( given that American women have surpassed men in the workforce and they are more comfortable with the cultural conflict accepting both parts of their identity). This is the reason they TRUST the world to be a friendly place and in sum means that we have embarked on a new era for multicultural women to have freedom of self-expression and cultural identity.

At the panel, I am representing the American Asian women. This is 2% of the total labor population and YET is the second highest for meeting ethnic group in buying power…I am excited about this opportunity.

Being one of the many Asian American women in the US, I am excited to share my story of coming to America, facing some challenges, dealing with cultural stereotypes and then making these challenges an opportunity for self-growth to live a fulfilling life.

I have not written in a while and I missed it a lot. In my travels, I have had some really cool experiences and one thing that was so refreshing to note was that YOUTH of the world GET BEING GLOBAL….

And it is powered by their ability to relate, understand and communicate…

It was 4am on Barcelona airport I was sitting waiting for my flight which was delayed to leave at 7:40am. The airport was deserted and I was hoping to find some way to pass my time. Since it was the wee hours of the morning, I was chugging in my second cup of “cafe con leche” (coffee with milk) trying to stay awake. Behind me I heard two voices. There were two young girls sitting and they were discussing the plight of our world. One said, “It is funny how unsafe it is for travelers in Barcelona. The chances of robbery have increased exponentially. And it is also over-crowded.” Then the conversation went to state of Iran, students in Belgrade and even how we stereotype people based on where they are from. I decided to give up pretending that I was not listening and decided to turn my head and said, “All this is too interesting and I can’t help over hearing it.” They both laughed and called me over.

I joined in the conversation. And at that moment, it struck me how the world had changed in just last ten years. I recall when I used to travel ten years ago, it was so hard to find anyone who you could talk to in a Non-English speaking country.

There is this certain sense of connection which was powered by youth all over the world embracing English. I remember being in Granada, Spain and asking people for where to get the bus to the domestic airport. I was not able to communicate to people at the bus stop. Then I looked at this young student and went up to him and asked, “Do you speak in English?” He said, ” A little”. There I sighed with relief. He not only helped me with where to get the bus, how the bus looked and how much change I should keep handy.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that English is better or worse than any other language. The important thing is that the youth are embracing their languages and at the same time are opening up to the possibility of understanding, collaborating and communicating with the rest of the world…

Here are my two cents: If you find yourself stuck someplace in the world where you can’t speak the local language. Look for a youngster, they will be able to help you…

Welcome to the new age of communication – it doesn’t always take internet, satellite connection and mobile phones. Language will be the winner – ALWAYS.

Global citizens experience cultural freedom—they draw from their home culture but they also absorb experiences from many cultures and backgrounds. They are not cultural tourists who just travel the world and go shopping. They embrace discomfort and immerse themselves in different cultures. The journey to become a global citizen often includes personal sacrifice and pain. They look beyond stereotypes, and they don’t talk about diversity. Instead, they manifest the change they want to appear within the world.

Here is a slideshow with “Eight attributes of Global citizens”

Here are some attributes of Global citizens.

1. Curiosity—a global citizen is always curious about learning about different people, places, and cultures. She wants to discover new things and is willing to take a risk to do so.

2. Adventurous—a global citizen is comfortable with unfamiliar people She strives to experience her world fully—whether meeting people in her neighborhood or moving to a different country.

3. Rebel—she challenges the norms and dogma of our cultures. She moves past outdated rituals, prejudices, or historical events that commonly divide people.

4. Change Catalyst—she projects the changes she wants to see in the world. There is no single way for her to experience the world.

5. Weird—global citizens don’t fit into a cookie-cutter version of “normal.” She feels uncomfortable when she is asked to serve as a representative of her race, culture, or religion. She carries elements of many backgrounds within her—that it feels uncomfortable to stand as a representative for just one.

6. Endurance—she is willing to go the extra mile to create a new normal.

7. Courageous—she has the courage to challenge the mindsets she was born with. She loves people who are not her family members and cares about issues which are not directly hurting her.

8. Trust – she is able to build trust with people with no prior familiarity. She does so by extending trust first. This helps her build relationships which is a unique competitive advantage in the new global econom

“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” Lao Tzu, founder of Taoism.

When I began my journey about twelve years ago, I had no clue what was in store for me. Leaving my family and friends to build a life in America, I simply packed a suitcase, a camera and off I was on my way…

I met with Helen Lerner at a conference in New York and during our conversation I started to share my story. She was intently listening and was kind to invite me to share it with WomenWorking.com community.

Leaving my home and moving to a new country brought forth new challenges and opportunities…

Here is my story under DARING section namely “American Dreamer”

Deepika Bajaj’s first year living in America was a rocky one. After only three months in the United States, her workday was interrupted by a call from her husband; they had been robbed. She thought he was playing a joke until she arrived home to find their computer, her wedding jewelry, and even their important papers and passports were all gone. “For a second, I couldn’t grip the situation”, Deepika recalls. “Suddenly, we had no official proof of our identities. We couldn’t leave the country, and we had to work upside down to get our papers back in place.”

Continue Reading my story: American Dreamer on WomenWorking.com.

This is that time of the year when we get a chance to reflect back on the year and be grateful for things in our lives.

When I started my Diversity and Advancement Of Women journey in 2007, I was clueless of how things will shape out. I knew I loved this work and this was my “calling”. My desire to dabble in this work tested me out as I faced many challenges. And then, I found many people along the way who believed in me and enriched my life with their guidance.

So, today I am taking the opportunity to Thank these people who accompanied me and guided me.

1.
Seth Godin Live in Silicon Valley: I was in my MBA program when I first came across Seth’s name. I read his book “Purple Cow” and became a huge fan. In 2007, he visited Bay Area sponsored by “Invincibelle” and “Edithyeung.com“. It meant a lot to me. Thanks to Rajesh Setty, Edith Yeung and SETH himself.

2. Steve Piazzale invited me to his “You’re Hired” TV show: I was invited to speak about what vision I had to empower women in the workforce. Thanks to Steve Piazzale for sharing my vision with his viewers.

3.
Trust Workshop for Working Mother Media: I was invited to speak about “Trust” by Working Mother Media in Houston and Washington. I was inspired by Dr. Flores thoughts to develop this talk. Thanks to Carol Evans for the opportunity to share it with participants of Working Mother Media events.

4. PWC Diversity Leadership Forum: At this event, I was representing the “New voice of Diversity” and later heard Malcolm Gladwell and Condeleeza Rice on topics relevant to Diversity. Thanks to Laura Swapp, Jennifer Allyn, Carol Evans, Ilene Lang, Ted Childs, Malcolm Gladwell and Condoleezza Rice.

5. Global Advancement of Conference in India: I had the opportunity to talk to many professional women in India about the issues they face in the workforce. I believe India will lead the way for Work Life integration for women in the workforce in the coming years. I was excited to work on this project in identifying the burning issues for women in India…it was like home coming. Thanks to Carol Evans, Jackie Glen, Rohini Anand and Tracy Ann Curtis for their leadership in shaping this event.

6. DiversityTweet: Embracing growing Diversity in our world - my first book. This was possible because of relentless efforts of Rajesh Setty, Bill Sherman, Mitchell Levy. Thanks to Carol, Evans, Aida Sabo, Rosalyn O’Neale Taylor, Dr. Rita Boags, Tracy Ann Curtis, Capt. Ken Barett and Rohini Anand for endorsing the book.

7. eBay Work Life Integration talk: I was invited to speak to speak to women in technology about work life issues. Thanks to eBay WIT organization.

8. Women of Personality Project: Rohit Bhargava invited me to be part of this fascinating project. In this I shared a story that is very close to my heart. Thanks Rohit.

9. Friends and Family: Thanks for your constant support. You make life FUN and JOYOUS.

10. Building Trust across Race, culture and Ethnicity: I was invited my to Women’s Inter-Cultural Exchange to keynote the Talk on “Building Trust across cultures, business and relationships”. The day before the event, Dr. Carter opened the Smith house to host a reception. He warmed everyone’s hearts with his hospitality. I was thrilled to be part of the Reception. Next day, we had the Basketball court, turned into a packed hall where people gathered to hear my talk. Thanks to to to Women’s Inter-Cultural Exchange founders and organizers.