I have had the honor of creating
job opportunities via Zumba®
Fitness LLC in India for thousands
of women and to see mothers and
grandmothers or full time corporate
goers creating a livelihood with
this alternate fitness and bringing
about a positive change in the
society keeps me going.
Finally, I am truly passionate about
education. Being part of a fitness
science education academy
or opening one of my own is a
dream. Fitness science education
should be a compulsory part of
schools is what I strongly believe
in and will strive for in thr coming
years. The increasing issues of
hypertension,obesity and diabetes
in young adults we can uproot from
the start itself, if this education
introduced.
Back in 2015, I had the honor of
hosting India’s first and largest
Zumba® Fitness concert
in
Mumbai with the creator of Zumba®
himself - Alberto ‘Beto’ Perez with
more than 1500 attendees. That
experience was a humbling one
from planning the minutest detail
and taking the opportunity to bring
Zumba® to the forefront in India.
It was not just about executing
the event but ensuring we involve
hard-working individuals among
the instructor community to be part
of the core team. The right team
was picked months ahead and
planning was done end-to-end.
It taught me the value of leading
from the front. I am thankful to
work closely for guidance with my
superiors from Zumba® , MD Dave
Sibley (ex-MTV) and VP Darren
Jacobson(ex Virgin Active) Since
then I have been consciously
involving and giving a chance to
genuine hardworking people to
take up and own some operational
part of my events. While this does
increase my work in co-ordinating,
it has helped me to give a personal
touch to my events and help me
20 | HELLOBIZ NOV 2017
strengthen the bond amongst
the members of the instructor
community.
Also as currently I am leading the
country officially for Zumba® as
their Business Advisor and Lead
Zumba® Education Specialist for the
next phase of growth hence my team
of ten master trainers and me are
responsible to take the phenomena to
two and three tier cities like Orissa,
Chandigarh,Goa,Patna, Indore and the
list is long. I not only have to ensure
that my team is empowered but the
“how” of this empowerment is ensured.
A typical week would have atleast
one concall, once a month of a
business related knowledge-
sharing session and finally sharing
best practices that I have gathered
over the past years so that they
have the tools to be successful.
The challenge is that they are not
all at one place but instead spread
across various cities of India,
Hence my efforts to communicate
our doubled. Thus effective
communication as a leader and
empowering a team has been a
great learning for me.
Being in the thick and thin of the
fitness industry has given me the
opportunity to work with multiple
people from different walks of
life, the likes of fitness stalwarts,
media houses, and brands. I have
realized that great associations
happen only when there is a
mutual respect to what all parties
bring to the table and a nuanced
understanding of what the brands
stand for and how each interaction
should be a win-win.
Taking the time of my loved ones
for granted is what I regret. Im
blessed with a wonderful family
and a great set of friends and it
seems they are tailor-made to my
hectic life of travelling. But for the
longest time I lost focus and it
was all about phonecalls at dinner
tables and answering interview
questions during a movie. After a
strong intervention from the family
, realization dawned and today the
priorities are clear. Work and family
go hand in hand. Due importance
is deserved by both. For your own
sake.
With multiple trainings each month
and tireless travel in and out of India,
it becomes very important for me
to take deliberate mini-vacations
from work. I love traveling, learning
about new cultures and trying out
local flavors. I try to schedule my
travel plans to coincide with my
work schedule whenever possible.
Lately, I have put more time to
reading and the recent books I
liked are from Amish Tripathi.
I am a constant thinker and am
countlessly surprised by how
powerful our human minds are.
In most stressful situations, I turn
inward and become reflective to
rethink the situation and what
should I do going forward.
Firstly, Show courage for the self!
Lose a few battles to win the war.
Have the courage to fall, and
develop the determination to pick
yourself up to win that battle of life.
Secondly, it is not going to be an
easy path to follow your passion
and dreams. Have at least one
confidant, one support system, be
it an individual, education or job.
A safety net gives you the power
to soar, and if you fall, there is
someone or something to catch
you. And thirdly when it comes
to winning in life, you have to
first know how to lose, and it’s an
important process. So, live it, feel
it and when you win, which we all
eventually do, laugh at it!