Puja Madan is a leadership coach, author and speaker specializing in supporting women entrepreneurs build their business with intentional productivity and mindfulness. She’s the creator of WildRadiantWoman.com and Productivity Archetypes. She is the best-selling co-author of “Unleash Your Inner Magnificence” and “365 Ways to Connect with Your Soul”. Puja also contributes regularly to publications like the Huffington Post, MindBodyGreen and ElephantJournal. Puja’s qualifications include an MBA, 8 years in tech startups, and 12+ years of meditation and spiritual development from India. She lives in Orlando, FL and and holds in-person retreats and playshops. She coaches women around the world via Skype.
What motivated and inspired you to start your own business?
It wasn’t an inspiration as much as it was a conflicted, double-life I was leading in India that led to the birth of my business. While I was completing my MBA and interning for a tech startup, I began my spiritual journey. Thus began a decade of living through very extreme yin and yang energies. On the weekdays, I worked for tech startups, launching products, hiring and training new talent. Very yang and goal-oriented energy. On the weekends I would be at the meditation center, moving into my feminine, receptive, heart-centered energy: meditating, exploring healing modalities and energy work. No goals, just flow. Very yin. The conflict I felt moving between these two worlds was getting more palpable and unbearable. I knew I had to integrate both these worlds into my life and work. I couldn’t go on like this.
Then one day the two worlds collided. In 2008 I discovered I had gigantic fibroid tumors. This felt like a wake up call, the universe telling me that I if I continued this way- split, disintegrated – I would suffer in the body and mind. I had to integrate my yin and yang energies and teach other ambitious women like me how to do it too. After I moved to the US I knew this would be my work: to guide women to build their businesses with a healthy, balanced union of:
- Framework and flow
- Milestones and mindfulness
- Planning and playfulness
- Implementation and intuition
- Doing and being
- Structure and spirituality
Tell us about your business.
My business is founded on the vision that the world (desperately) needs more women in sovereign positions of power and leadership. Starting a business is a courageous way for women to assert their autonomy and design a lifestyle that works for them.
However as women scale their business, they can get plagued with overwhelm. As a result they might find they’re losing the passion and joy for their work or that other areas of their life – their health, relationships or me-time – are being compromised on.
I specialize in providing strategic, spiritual and productivity resources to high achieving, in-profit women entrepreneurs so they can grow their business with intention and mindfulness.
Some results my clients have experienced as a result of working with me are:
- 20% increase in revenue to their million dollar business
- Expand to a bigger space as a result of substantial business growth
- Take Fridays off or in some cases, every other Friday off
- Schedule a monthly “CEO day” for big-picture planning
- Introduce passive sources of income to their business model
- 25% increase in revenue to their 6-figure business
- Expand their team, delegate and outsource so they can stay in their zone of genius
- Uncover the language to describe the problems they’re solving for their clients
- Crystal clarity around target audience, packages and pricing
- Finding their strategic and spiritual blue ocean strategy to stand out from the competition
Are you currently running any promos/contests/giveaways that you would like our readers to know about?
Recently I interviewed eleven highly successful women entrepreneurs and industry experts on their entrepreneurial journey and daily habits that contribute to their success. The eBook can be found at www.wildradiantwoman.com/gift.
List awards/certifications/accomplishments.
- MBA in Marketing and Finance
- Holistic Health Coach certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition
- Nominated for the ‘Women who mean business’ awards by Orlando Business Journal
- Featured in the Huffington Post, Chicago Tribune, Elephant Journal and MindBodyGreen
- Presented at small business and women’s conferences at Microsoft, Siemens, weVENTURE and FemCity.
Where is your business based?
My business is location-independent. I live in Orlando FL and host local retreats and workshops here, but I work via Skype with clients from Switzerland, Australia, California and beyond.
What were the first few steps you took to get your business up and running?
I’m a natural connector and I began by building relationships, being curious about the challenges women were experiencing in their business and just showing up everywhere – at conferences and events with an open heart and mind.
The other step was to invest in a good business coach who understood my challenges and at the same time could see my full potential and help me explore it. I’ve been blessed to have mentors and guides like Marie Forleo, Kendall Summerhawk, Todd Herman and others.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers?
Speaking was probably been the most effective – both local in person speaking events as well as podcasts, summits and radio shows. Referrals and word of mouth have been a big contributor to my business success.
What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Working from home and staying focused and disciplined. I still struggle to get showered from time to time.
How did you overcome these challenges?
I plan my day the night before so I wake up with clarity around how to approach my time and energy. I also make it a point to check in with my mastermind sisters so we can hold each other accountable and cheer each other on. Entrepreneurship can get so lonely and that is completely at odds with who we are as women, it’s important to prioritize connection and quality time with loved ones.
How do you keep motivated through difficult times?
I have a morning routine that sets me up for body-mind-spirit alignment which as a result fortifies me during difficult times. I spend my mornings nourishing my body through yoga and a healthy breakfast, my mind through planning and intention-setting, my heart through gratitude journaling and my spirit through a daily meditation practice.
I wrote an article about it: Four Morning Habits to Supercharge Your Productivity.
The difficult times are inevitable and I try as much as possible to ride through everything with gratitude and grace.
How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?
I believe we’re entering a new era of human consciousness that embraces feminine values of collaboration instead of competition.
So from that perspective, I feel really grounded in my business and brand values. On a practical note, I was born and raised in India and have spent my life immersed in spiritual teachings and wisdom. I bring a very unique perspective into the western world of business, one that integrates both masculine and feminine principles to create sustainable, world-changing businesses and joyful, balanced entrepreneurs behind them.
What is the best advice you have received recently?
There are so many systems, formulae, and frameworks out there that claim to teach entrepreneurs exactly how they should launch a program, discover their niche, plan their talk, grow and scale their business etc. The only problem with these systems is that they lack the unique, distinct essence of the entrepreneur herself. It’s important to remain authentic and in your power when learning a new system. It might not work at all if it’s not infused with what makes you unique.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
Be prepared – financially and emotionally for the ups and downs especially in the first few years. But remember also, you’re incredibly brave for wanting to do this. Very few people choose to leave the comfort and security of a regular job to follow their dreams and design a life they truly want. Celebrate your big-small victories often. And don’t do it alone: get the support you need – your vision is better and faster realized when you have a support system.
What is your favorite business tool or resource?
- I love Evernote. I write extensively and love that everything can be organized and so accessible easily.
- Other shoutouts to Google Calendar, Acuity Scheduling and DirectPay.
What is a good article or book you have read recently?
“The Magic” by Rhonda Byrnes is a 28-day gratitude process. I’ve always considered myself to be a grateful person. And yet as I immerse myself consciously and intentionally in the process of acknowledging life’s many blessings, I’m blown away with the depth of my inner peace and outer manifestations unfolding.
What are you currently learning about for your business or looking for help with?
I’m learning to re-connect with my zone of genius and outsource what I’m not good at. I’m learning how to trust others with my precious business baby. Haha.
What are your goals for the next few months and how are you striving to achieve them?
- I’m working on longer, immersive, higher-end programs and would love to hear ideas and insights from others who have done this successfully.
- I’m also working on my book and hope to have a final draft ready by the end of summer. I will be on the lookout for editors then.
What social media outlets do you use? List them below.
Instagram @pujamadan
Twitter @pujamadan
Facebook www.facebook.com/pujamadan11
Facebook Group www.facebook.com/groups/highperformingsoulpreneur
Website www.wildradiantwoman.com
Email puja@wildradiantwoman.com
Hashtags #wildradiantwomen #mindfulleadership #intentionalproductivity