Bavani Periasamy - Founder of BP Global Consult

For Bavani Periasamy low self-esteem meant lack of ambition, until someone saw her potential and convinced her she was capable of more.

What’s your story?

I used to think I was just a normal girl from a small town. I had no ambition, goals or purpose. It was all about going to work, earning a living and, if time permits, enjoying life a little. It was not until I joined a training company in 2009 that my life changed. My employers and colleagues saw potential in me and pushed me out of my comfort zone to start crafting out dreams and goals. Today, 12 years later , I am doing what I would not have believed I could be doing then.

What excites you most about your industry?

The bond and friendship of my peers. I’m in a speaking industry and our biggest belief is ‘lets make the pie bigger’ which was by the founder Cavett Robert of the National Speakers Association. People are always willing to share, help you and willing to guide you to be a better person and speaker. I must give thanks to this tribe of people that I have been blessed to be part of, as they have been my key motivators, supporters and cheerleaders. The people have been a big part of my learning and growing journey.

What drives you in business to push beyond what other people consider normal?

I work a lot with teenagers, youth and young adults. I spend a lot of time with them because I hope and strongly wish that I can help them to believe in their goals and beliefs. I only had that when I joined my previous employment, and I wish these young people would be able to start their journey to reaching their goals and success earlier. It is a segment of the market that not many people are focusing on much, as compared to corporate and SME.

What have been the most useful skills you have learnt and applied in your journey?

The power of listening. I do a lot of coaching work especially with unemployed graduates and I realise that many need the space to be listened to. As much as they are unemployed, they are also living in frustration, unable to meet expectations of family and society. Listening to them really gives them the space to pour out, let go of their burden and then start work on goals. It is very humbling to hear many of their stories.

What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?

What is the worst that can happen?

An ex-colleague used to say this to me all the time when I was hesitant to move forward or take action. She used to tell me what is the worst that can happen? You will still be alive and at least you will live with no regrets because you actually tried it. Now you know if it works or not. What if things could have worked but you had never tried? So that has been my mantra every time I have ideas and fear creeps in. Just do it.

Who inspires you?

My parents. I feel like I am the black sheep of the family. Most of my family members have professional careers. My parents are retired teachers. From a young age, they always told me to try things, to believe in myself, that if I think negative, nothing will happen but if I was positive, it will. Them being teachers & parents, I thought its their job to tell and advice me of those things. Till today, they are my biggest supporters and are always telling me there is nothing I can’t do. Seeing how they impacted lives inspires me.

What have you learnt recently that blew you away?

My passion is deep rooted in advocating gratitude. My life changed when I started being grateful and changing my own attitude to gratitude. I speak about, share it in my sessions, coach people about it. But I never really thought that I could be a catalyst of change in people. Recently a student whom I coached, who was running a part time cosmetic business, started following all the gratitude practice I had shared. He started having amazing results and started sharing it to his team and friends. That started a ripple effect and I am still amazed that I could do that.

If you had your time again, what would you do differently?

I would believe in what my parents told me when I was in school. That I have potential and that I can do anything I want to or put my mind to. I regret that it took me many years to believe about that in me. But I am glad, I did discover it and made it to where I am.

How do you unwind?

I read novels. I get engrossed in them, and the world just passes by me. It helps me relax, and not think. My brain sort of goes into the storyline and I find my body and mind settles down. So I always have some novels downloaded into my iPad to read when I am too tired or stressed up. I also love to put my phone on ‘no data and wifi’ mode. the phone will be switched on in case of emergencies for people to call. I enjoy the time away from chats, social media etc.

What is a major mindset change, belief shift or ‘ah ha’ moment that you’ve experienced in relation to your business?

Customer experience. I noticed early on that I kind of gravitate towards observing and understanding people. In the case of business, it is our clients. Its the little things we do that makes a difference to them. I have had many followers on LinkedIn for many years now. So when I get a new client, many will say that they have been following me for a some years. They then go on to say that they have reached out in the past, and how I attended to them made me stand out in their mind.

Everyone in business should read this book:

For me, it was Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill that helped me with mindset change. It was one of the first books I read and I found hope in my dreams.