Coach FEATURE: Ruchi Parekh

In this month's "Meet the Coach" feature, we meet Executive and Life Coach Ruchi Parekh.

About Ruchi

Lives In: Singapore

Company: Ruchi Parekh

Type of Coach: Executive/Life Coach

Describe your coaching business in one sentence: I help high-potential professionals build emotional resilience and a positive mindset to get to the next level in their lives personally and professionally.

Meet Ruchi

Ruchi is a certified Executive/Life Coach, NLP Practitioner, Keynote Speaker, Accredited Belbin Team Roles Facilitator and Lawyer.

My main objective is to help clients move forward and find fulfilment and success in all the roles they play. Guiding individuals through a transition is part of this process, making them feel empowered and accomplished. My coaching style is results-oriented, helping clients experience a 'paradigm shift' to achieve results in their professional and personal lives.

I have worked with leaders in various industries including but not limited to financial services, legal, medical, media, technology and human resources. I like to take a collaborative approach to bring coaching and personal development to companies via talks and workshops. I am also featured in the Asian Money Guide amongst the 50 power women of Asia.

QUESTION 1. What one book should every coach read - and why?

Trillion Dollar Coach by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg and Alan Eagle.

This book has lessons from ex-football coach Bill Campbell, who mentored tech giants at Apple, Google, Intuit, eBay, and Facebook are something all coaches should try to embody in their coaching practice.

Leaders can help their team be more productive, more innovative, and just plain happier by leading like a coach, not just a manager.

A sports coach's role is to encourage with honesty and care to help every member of the team do well in a game. In the same way, leaders should do the same, infusing their workplaces with people-first values and compassion.

QUESTION 2. Which website do you visit the most?

I visit Google for all my research and Coursera for any new courses to upskill my learnings.

QUESTION 3. Whom do you admire most and why?

I admire my husband Mrinal Parekh the most. He has the innate ability to face triumph and disaster alike. It is a very rare strength in most individuals.

Most individuals react to every situation instantly in the present moment. Yet Mrinal has the capability to absorb, assimilate and then react. This helps him have an objective view on most life situations and has also helped him be successful in his professional life. And his calm and composed demeanour is extremely reassuring to everyone in his environment making him a magnet for 'good stuff'.

QUESTION 4. What's your vision for your life? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

My vision in life is to reach out to as many people as possible across the globe to help them learn to stand up for themselves and build their self-esteem.

I'm on a mission to empower ambitious professionals, who proverbially have "everything" but feel they're still missing something in their lives.

It could that life is passing them by too quickly and that they want to slow down. Or they could feel lost juggling the various roles they play, leaving no time for themselves. Perhaps they are beginning to lose confidence and wonder if they're on the right path. Or maybe they've hit the glass ceiling at work!

In 5 years time I see myself building a coaching practice where people can come and define what "having it all" means for them—as opposed to what society has told them. I will help them realign their inner compass and then take the positive steps needed to achieve it.

QUESTION 5. What is your "big project" at the moment?

I am creating a Ted Talk that I want to give this year. A Ted Talk is very different from regular motivational talks and involves a lot of meticulous learning and planning. I want to give a Ted Talk to come up with an idea that is unique and transcending.

QUESTION 6. What has been your favourite coaching moment so far?

My favourite coaching moment was when my client who had come to me to tackle and deal with lack of self-confidence and self esteem issues was finally given a leadership role.

The management team had noticed the changes we had been working on together, and the long awaited promotion was finally given to her.

QUESTION 7. What are your Top 3 favourite coaching tools and/or resources?

1. Wheel of Life*
2. Journaling exercises
3. A personality and character strengths report from Viacharacter.org

* Editor's Note: Get your Free Wheel of Life Coaching Tool here >>

QUESTION 8. What do you love most about being a coach?

I believe in making a difference and in awakening possibilities in professionals' lives. I believe in unleashing the human potential, allowing professionals to be the best version of themselves. And I am determined to help individuals live their life courageously and passionately.

Coaching allows me to do all of the above.

QUESTION 9. Tell us a secret about you...

I am also a lawyer having practised in both India and Hong Kong. I switched careers when I was 33 years old.

QUESTION 10. If you could change one thing in our world, what would it be? And how would you go about it?

I would make the world a kinder and happier place. And I would lead by example. I would show proof of how kindness and being positive can impact both one's life and environment.

LEARN MORE about Ruchi here: Visit Ruchi's Website here >> Follow Ruchi on Facebook >> Connect with Ruchi on LinkedIn >> Follow Ruchi on Instagram >>