Meet Preethi Gopalarathnam | Program Director, Invest in Awareness

We had the good fortune of connecting with Preethi Gopalarathnam and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Preethi, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

More than an idea it was the collective need that created Invest in Awareness. The need for greater contentment and true happiness in life, especially from our work, where we spend the most time. 

Every business aims to be successful, make exceptional margins, and at the same time provide world-class products or services in their field of specialization. 

But none of this is possible without being mindful of the ‘health and wellbeing’ of the primary resource responsible for building the business – the workforce, ‘the backbone’ of any business.

As Businesses move along, delivering their products or services, they face situations where their wheels get stuck in the tracks due to various problems that we cannot control. Be it an employee issue, an issue with the product or delivering a service, an increase in competition, or a sudden fall in sales. 

Whatever the cause may be, it has a ripple effect on business health.

In addition, the covid pandemic heightened our fears, anxiety, uncertainty and resulted in massive burnout and loss of talent. The long hours and the Zoom fatigue of lockdown working, got people thinking ‘what’s the point of it all?’.

This drove the idea to create Invest in Awareness. The purpose behind IIA, a global training, and consulting company, is to transform businesses through their employees by honing their strengths, skills, capabilities and helping maintain their stability. Investing in the awareness of employees benefits businesses by empowering their task force to become stronger individuals and collectively high-performing teams, who achieve sustained great results with clarity. We firmly believe that successful businesses are built by happy, stable, and contented employees, who can bring their authentic selves to work.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

My journey as a trainer and a wellness coach began years ago when I quit my career as a consultant with an international consulting firm to spend time with my family. I used this time to research and work on the one thing I thought mattered the most, myself. Having read different books on spiritual masters from my graduation days, I always felt inclined to integrate spiritual wisdom with my everyday practical corporate life. The break from a hectic career allowed me to learn yoga, meditation, breath-work, introspect and find my mojo. I also learnt various health and wellness modalities like the Journey Method, Energy Work, NLP, Emotional Release Processes, which helped me transform my issues into strengths that I could learn from and evolve. This personal transformation brought me to appreciate the value of mental health and stability in an individual’s overall wellbeing. I also realised that “stable and happy” individuals had a trickling effect on their families, teams and workplace which led to my need to share this awareness with others.

When I met the IIA team and understood the vision behind their company, it was perfectly in line with what I wanted to pursue in my life. Since I was already working with many personal and corporate clients individually, my decision to get on board was natural. My role at IIA is deeply fulfilling as it gives me a platform to experience my flow state.

At IIA we have worked with many personal and corporate clients with issues ranging from physical and emotional health, career and personal development including, relationship issues at work /life.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

I live in Mumbai, also known as the City of Dreams and a City that never Sleeps! I would take them on a tour of Mumbai to experience the stark difference in people’s lifestyles, beginning from a trip to Malabar Hills and Fort where the rich reside and ending it at Dharavi, known as the biggest slum in Mumbai. While there is an economic disparity, which is stark and shocking at times to look at, one feels a different vibe as we mingle with the people in the streets of Mumbai. The culture of Mumbaites is being busy, doing what they do purposefully. We can feel this in the crowded trains that ply on weekdays carrying the working class; to the high-end malls where the city’s elite cool their heels.

Our tour of Mumbai is not complete without trying the myriad cuisines at fine restaurants, followed by snacking on Mumbai’s street food at roadside joints. To me, Mumbai represents life with its ups and downs and an underlying culture that this city teaches you; to experience it as it comes.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

At Invest in Awareness, we draw our inspiration from Mohanji, a world-renowned humanitarian, philanthropist and founder of various platforms like the Mohanji Foundation, ACT Foundation, Himalayan School of Traditional Yoga, Language and Performing Arts. We dedicate our shoutout to our mentor and guide Mohanji, who believes in Humanity beyond all man-made barriers such as caste, colour, creed, nationality and culture. His core teaching is to add value to the world at every given opportunity.

Website: https://www.investinawareness.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/invest-in-awareness/

Image Credits
Invest in Awareness