Richa Chadha with Coachampion

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for High Velocity Radio.

Stone Payton: Welcome to the High Velocity Radio show, where we celebrate top performers producing better results and less time. Stone Payton here with you this afternoon. Please join me in welcoming to the broadcast, executive leadership coach, mentor, author and speaker, Richa Chadha. How are you?

Richa Chadha: I am great Stone. Thank you so much. It’s so amazing to be on your show tonight.

Stone Payton: Oh, I am so excited to have this conversation. I know we have a great deal of some insightful wisdom to share with our listeners. I think a great place to start would be if you could share with us mission. Purpose. What are you really out there trying to do for folks? Richa?

Richa Chadha: Yeah. And, um, like, you know, this fills me with so much of energy. Your question, like my mission and purpose, I think I am on a mission stone to help leaders, teams, and individuals pivot with purpose and leverage their strengths to navigate challenges and lead with confidence. You know, through my own journey, both personally and professionally, I have learned that setbacks can be springboards if we shift our mindset and take intentional action. And so that’s what I want to do for people.

Stone Payton: Well, let’s talk a little bit about that journey, the backstory. How did you end up doing this this kind of work?

Richa Chadha: So I have almost a decade of, uh, corporate background in the finance sector. However, I never felt fulfilled. Stone so I knew that there was something else that I wanted to do. So during the last part of my career, I started freelancing as a consultant, a leadership and team coach, etc. so I’ve been coaching even before I knew that I was a coach, and even before I knew that there was a professional training. Uh, right. You know, that was there. But when I moved to the US a few years ago, I had a choice. I could go back to banking, which was familiar, which was a known space where I thrived. I was one of the youngest, uh, managers in the country. And there was another choice, which I wanted to take for my heart, my soul, which was to empower people so that they thrive. I chose the latter. And then I am so grateful that I did, even though the paychecks, I really missed them coming every month, but I feel I am more fulfilled.

Stone Payton: So yeah, what was that transition like in the early going? It had to be a little bit intimidating, a little bit scary going out. Now you’re you’re you’re becoming a practitioner out in the wild and you’re running a business. Yeah.

Richa Chadha: So I think the same things that I said in the beginning, the mindset shifts, right? So like I used to think that leadership was all about expertise and strategy until I coached people and I just thought, I have to get my feet wet. I have to throw myself in the waters out there. So I coached people. I was like, I had imposter thoughts. I still do sometimes, but then that doesn’t mean I’m not enough, right? So, you know, people usually look for insights, perspectives, real talk, and imposter syndrome usually thrives in silence. The moment I started owning my voice, my value, it started to fade for me.

Stone Payton: So engaging in this kind of work, serving other people, helping them make these mindset shifts, uh, it concurrently, you’re you’re growing as well the whole time. Right?

Richa Chadha: Exactly, exactly. And, you know, I am a global mentor. I am a coach. And I believe that through each person I coach, I mentor, they grow and I grow alongside them. So each interaction is a learning a growth curve for me.

Stone Payton: Yeah. And you do make a distinction. If I remember from our previous conversation, uh, that you do make quite a distinction between coaching and mentoring, don’t you?

Richa Chadha: I do, I do, and, you know, a mentor once told me, here’s what I did when I was in your shoes. However, my coach asked, what do you think is the best path for you? That’s the difference. Stone mentor shared their experience to guide you. While coaches, they hold space for you to uncover your own solutions because they know you are whole, complete, and resourceful while both are invaluable. But coaching is where the real transformation happens because you become the expert of your own journey.

Stone Payton: So this idea of helping to facilitate a mindset shift for folks so that they can do more and do better and produce better results, and in less time. It sounds, uh, it sounds exciting. It sounds like incredibly rewarding work. But talk about the work itself, the mechanism. I mean, how do you help someone shift and maybe even define mindset, but how do you help them shift and change that mindset?

Richa Chadha: Well, as I said before, like, it’s not only about when you make those pivots or when you are forced to like, you know, work on your mindset. It’s also about how can you leverage what you already have. So that’s that’s what I do. Like, you know, when I moved from India to the US and later from corporate to coaching, I felt like I was starting from scratch. Stone but looking back, I wasn’t. The ability to manage teams, communicate effectively, thinking strategically, all of those skills traveled with me. And what was my biggest lesson? That I evolved my skills with myself only if I led them. So the key is to stop focusing on job titles or anything that’s holding you back, and to start recognizing the value of what we already have and what we already bring to the table. So that is a big mindset shift altogether. That’s what I help people do, help them leverage what they already have into navigating anything unknown or the challenges that they see in the future.

Stone Payton: You must be incredibly gifted, skilled at asking the the right questions for someone to sort of find their their own way. That’s. Well, and you probably you’ve got all this experience and probably some formal training in this regard, don’t you.

Richa Chadha: I do, I do. So I am an organizational psychologist. Uh, in fact, uh, I am still pursuing my second masters. I am an MBA and my corporate background, so I have a lot of practical experience. But now I’m also pursuing my M.S. in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. And then I’m also a professional certified coach and a credentialed team coach by the International Coaching Federation. So a bunch of experience, a bunch of training. I love psychology, and so my approach is science backed, wherein I also bring in my experience, my wisdom, etc. to meet you exactly where you are.

Stone Payton: So did you jump into the world of professional speaking in much the same manner, like with all fours as my dad would would say. And if so, I mean surely. I mean, was that a little scary at first too?

Richa Chadha: No. In fact, it felt natural because I’ve been doing it my entire student life. And, you know, I felt like I lost a piece of myself when I stopped being on the stage when I gave up the mic. Because, you know, the corporate rat took everything from me. And then it was just about, okay, How to survive one day. It was immensely, immensely like, you know, it did burn me out a lot the corporate. So but when I moved into what nourished my soul, which is org psychology, which is coaching, which is empowering others, I got all of what made me feel alive, which was writing I am a published author. I published, I coauthored my first book in the last year, and then we got it published in November. I am a speaker because these are all the things that come naturally to me. So it wasn’t scary at all. It felt like I came back home.

Stone Payton: Oh, you got to tell us more about this book. I’m interested in the content. I definitely would like to hear the content, how it was structured. Uh, but also the just the process of taking your ideas and committing them to, to paper. What was that like?

Richa Chadha: Oh, it was, I think, a journey of self revelation. So the book is about compassion fatigue. It’s called relit. And, um, it’s available on Amazon and other platforms, etc. but so we we authors, we came together to share our perspectives on compassion fatigue, how we navigated through it, and to provide the readers some practical insights on how they can navigate their navigate their path out of compassion fatigue and caregiver burnout. And we think that it is only with people who are taking care of elderly or sick family members, etc. but it is very much prevalent in the corporate as well. So like, you know, just to narrate a quick anecdote, I once coached a nonprofit leader who was deeply passionate about her work, like deeply passionate. But she was exhausted beyond belief. She felt guilty taking breaks because there’s always more to do. How can I take a break? But here’s the truth stone like you can’t pour from an empty cup, can you? Like sustainable leadership means recognizing that rest is not a reward. It’s a requirement. So leaders need to give themselves permission to recharge so that they can keep showing up for others, and that that’s the perspective that I brought in into my coaching as well.

Stone Payton: We can hear it in your voice how much you enjoy the work, how much you grow from the work. Like I have to imagine, just like the speaking and the practitioner work authoring this, uh, being a published author, uh, it’s probably made you that much better as a practitioner. Huh?

Richa Chadha: Oh, yes. And, uh, I don’t know. Of course, I’m sure, as a practitioner, but more so as a human being. I find myself to be, like, grounded more. I find myself to be connecting more authentically with people and to have much deeper connections than I used to before. So all of this has changed me tremendously, and I’m grateful for this journey.

Stone Payton: I’m sure every client is distinct and different and with with the varying challenges or things that they want to to work on. But I’m interested if you see any patterns, some things that crop up more often than others. And I want to go back to something you mentioned earlier and get a little more depth on this because I’ve heard the phrase imposter syndrome.

Richa Chadha: And I think this is one of the most common things. So I think high achievers having imposter thoughts are usually the kind of clients I attract, along with alongside people who want to build an executive presence. So I’ll quickly speak to both. So, um, and you know, why I can speak to it so intentionally is because, like, I have walked into boardrooms full of senior executives, like heart pounding, convinced I wasn’t experienced enough. Like, you know, as I mentioned, I was the youngest leader in my last organization in the country, managing a team of 15 people, of which half of them were like at least 5 or 10 years older than I was. So I had those impostor thoughts. I’m like, aren’t these people more experienced to be in my shoes? But, you know, halfway through all of those conversations, I would start to feel like, no, there is a reason why I am where I am. And I started owning my value, my voice. And that’s what I coach people on when they come to me with self-doubt, impostor thoughts. And the second thing which I talked about executive presence, like, you know, a lot of people come to me, they’re like, I don’t think I have that in my voice where people would listen to me. So you know what? I make them realize, of course, through, like, you know, appreciative inquiry through like just helping them discover what they have within themselves is that leadership is not about being the loudest, but it’s about being the most intentional. Right? So executive presence isn’t about being perfect.

Richa Chadha: It’s just like who is the most present? Who is connecting to the the teams or the colleagues from where they are, as we say in coaching. So, you know, some key strategies that we often discuss and we come up with is one, owning your voice. So stand up for what you believe in. And I’ve done all of this. And that’s why there’s a lot of conviction, even when I’ve talked, even when I talk about it. Speak with clarity, speak with conviction. Second, listen like you mean it. So when we were kids, we were all taught how to read, how to write, how to speak. We were never, ever taught how to listen. That’s what these are, the basics that we go to in my coaching where, you know, I tell people or I coach them into listening, becoming better leaders by listening better listen like you mean it. And third, and the most important is embracing the pauses, right? So when you’re having a conversation, have it like a leader. Do not rush to fill the silences. Confidence. Usually I see. I see that it’s the most powerful and it lives in the spaces between words. So all of these three simple tricks, tips and tricks that I share on my different channels as well. These are some things that we can build in our everyday life to become better leaders.

Stone Payton: So at this point in your career, what what are you finding the most the most rewarding? What’s the most fun about it these days for you?

Richa Chadha: So my why, the reason why I do things, why I do, is because I want to empower others so that they thrive, right? So this is my why. And when I’m doing the work that I am doing. Stone this is I’m living my why. So this is the most rewarding, gratifying, and the most fun part of my job that it doesn’t feel like a job. It feels like I’m partnering with people and empowering them on their journey in in return, empowering myself as a coach, as a partner, as a thinking partner. So everything about it is fun. I’m working on my second book, I am I’m constantly like speaking at conferences. I’m constantly engaging with people, meeting new people, networking. I’m on the executive board of International Coaching Federation San Francisco chapter. That makes it so much fun when I’m doing and all of it is pro bono, like the ICF chapter work, etc. but the hours that we put into it and the reward, the impact that we see, oh my God, it’s it’s amazing, it’s beautiful.

Stone Payton: And it strikes me or I’ve come to believe that so much of of what you’re describing here actually has a great deal of solid foundation in science. I mean, there’s some real science behind a great deal of this, isn’t there?

Richa Chadha: And, you know, our mentor once told me that resilience isn’t about bouncing back, it’s about bouncing forward. And that stuck with me. Stone. So the toughest moments in my life, whether it was adapting to a new country, dealing with personal loss, health issues or starting over in my career when I was already doing so well, it wasn’t just about surviving. They were all of those things were about growing. And science backs this up. Resilience is built through mindset, emotional regulation, strong relationships, and staying connected to a purpose bigger than yourself. So all I have been a science throughout my life. Like I’m a graduate in zoology, then I have an MBA and then I have organizational psychology, second master’s. So everything that I do is science backed. And I am a big, big fan of these frameworks that tell me how human mind is so powerful and how can we make it work for our benefit?

Stone Payton: I suspect it’s so important for someone in your profession to to eat their own cooking. I think my mom would say, isn’t that you have to be like a model for some of these behaviors. What I’m what I’m getting at. I’m trying to get my arms around the depth of trust, uh, that you must have to cultivate, whether you’re in a group environment or with an individual to get, you know, some of this truly meaningful work done, you you really have to build a great deal of trust and fairly rapidly, don’t you?

Richa Chadha: And I think a lot of it comes from me being authentic, me being vulnerable. I do not I do not shy away from talking about how, as I mentioned in our talk before, like how imposter thoughts still sometimes haunt me. And that’s okay. We are all human beings and, you know, so leaving a stable corporate career to start. My coaching and consulting practice was one of the scariest, scariest things I’ve done. There was no safety net whatsoever, no clear roadmap, just a deep belief that this was the work I was meant to do. Looking back, I see that every job, every challenge, every moment of doubt prepared me for this. And your career is anyway never a straight path. It’s a series of pivots, and the magic happens when you start trusting yourself to make the leap. That’s what I did, and that’s where people see the authenticity into what I bring on the table. And that’s where they trust me to be their thought partner or their coach.

Stone Payton: Yeah. All right. I’m going to change the direction of the conversation for a moment, if I might, because I am genuinely interested and I think our listeners will be as well. Hobbies, interests, pursuits, passions outside the scope of your coaching and speaking work.

Richa Chadha: Oh my God, I am a big Adventurer and I am supported by my husband in this. So both of us are big foodies, big adventurers. So we’ve traveled to six continents in the world. We’ve traveled to more than 28, 30, I think 28 states. We are on to our 29th and 30th tomorrow, uh, 28 states in the United States. And, um, wherever we go, we we travel like a local, we live with locals, we eat local food. So all of these things, they kind of, um, you know, feed into my passion. That’s what I love about my life, that I get to do whatever I want from wherever I want.

Stone Payton: I’ll bet that you are a marvelous participant, but also a terrific observer. When you immerse yourself in these different cultures and you and you get the full enjoyment of that activity. But I got to believe it strengthens you as a practitioner when you come back to the to the job.

Richa Chadha: Absolutely. So, you know, when I was back in my country, we used to travel. Still there? I mean, a lot. But when I moved to the US Stone, I interacted with people. And my first home was MIT. Right. So there. My husband was an MIT student, and we moved straight from India to Boston, and I interacted with folks from around the world. And then I realized that it’s not about me. My problems are like, you know, not even like a dust particle in this universe. And people are grappling with much bigger things. So that broadened my perspectives, my horizons. And I began to be more empathetic towards others. And I started to realize that, uh, in this world, everything is not about me. We we tend to make ourselves so much big and more important than we are in our worlds, in our lives. But trust me, we are nothing as compared to when we see others and their problems and their situations. So I think every interaction that I have with anyone or that I’ve had has fed into me growing and evolving into the person that I am today. And I’m sure that process is still ongoing.

Stone Payton: You mentioned working on on your next book. What else is next for you? I mean, you’ve already done so much, but what’s on the horizon for you in the coming months, you think?

Richa Chadha: Yeah. So I’m working on my next book for sure. And then I’m also working on creating programs, uh, sort of like customized workshops for high achievers battling with imposter for people to develop their EQ. And that is something which I’m very, very passionate about. We believe that. And there’s so much of importance given to IQ in our cultures. In our societies we believe. We believe intelligence is everything. But research shows that 70% of all individuals who have succeeded, they? They do. They have lesser IQ than the remaining 30%. Yet they succeeded because they had a better EQ and we don’t talk about it. How much it’s important for us to have it in our lives to develop it. And it’s not like, you know, you have to be born with it. Um, you you can totally develop it. It’s a it’s a skill that you can work on and you can hone on. So I’m working on developing that program. And then of course my master’s is still an ongoing. So I traveled to Philly quite often. I’m traveling later this month for my spring course. So all of these exciting things and I’m when I speak about it, I think I’m filled with even more enthusiasm.

Stone Payton: Well, you certainly have a lot going on. And I gotta tell you, it’s I find it encouraging that this EQ is something that one can work on to improve. You’re not just dealing with the the hands you were dealt, let’s say.

Richa Chadha: Exactly, exactly. And that’s important for people to know.

Stone Payton: Uh, well, listen, before we wrap, I would love to leave our listeners with a pro tip for producing better results in less time, or connected to any of what we briefly talked about here. And look, gang, the number one pro tip I have for you is if any of this strikes a chord with you and causes some initial interest, and I’m sure it does. Reach out and connect with with Richie. But between now and then, let’s leave them with a little little piece of wisdom. Richie.

Richa Chadha: This piece of wisdom stone is more like a question, and I would love for our listeners to reflect on this. And if they want, I’m happy to, like, talk to them and just listen to their reflections. Right. And my question is, if you had to pivot today, how would you leverage your experiences to move forward with purpose?

Stone Payton: What a fantastic question to be reflecting on. All right. What’s the best way for our listeners to tap into your work? Get their. Their hands and their eyes on the on these books that you’re writing and the work that you’re doing, website, LinkedIn, whatever you feel like is appropriate.

Richa Chadha: So, um, all of like there are several ways to get in touch with me. I have an Instagram coaching community. Uh, the handle is co-champion dot global, and you spell co-champion s c o a c h a m p I o n. So co-champion dot global is my Instagram coaching community handle. I am on LinkedIn as Richa Chadha PCC Actc and then my website is co-champion dot com coach champion. So yeah. And there are links on my website where you can book a call with me where you can send me a message, and on LinkedIn as well, if you want me to reflect with you on your question or you have something to share with me, I would love to partner with you.

Stone Payton: Richa. It has been an absolute delight visiting with you this afternoon. It’s, uh. Thank you for your insight, your perspective, your enthusiasm and the the work that you’re doing to impact so many. Keep up the good work. And and thank you again for investing your your time and energy with us this afternoon.

Richa Chadha: Thank you so much. It’s been an honor being on your show and connecting with your listeners. You are such a delight to talk to. Thank you so much.

Stone Payton: My pleasure. Alright, until next time. This is Stone Payton for our guest today, Richa Chadha and everyone here at the Business RadioX family saying we’ll see you in the fast lane.