Crucial Success Skills Forged Through My Journey
The key skills that I have cultivated are being creative and a leader both. In my career as head nutritionist and head of education for a new organization, I faced challenges regularly, as we had launched the organization during peak lockdown! right from being understaffed, to not having enough infrastructure, to untrained faculties, being a leader i not only managed faculties on a daily basis, but also ensured that they are happy personally too! and their performance actually improved and which got reflected in students' marks.
Being a leader made me realize that I don't have to walk ahead of rest, but walk along with my team to get best results. Apart from head of education i was also a nutritionist by profession and i have handled many difficult cases, while i knew my concept very well, i also understand that all clients are different and in order to give them results, i need to gain their trust , this lead me to become a good listener, have patience and also come up with innovative ideas to feed healthy to my clients.
For example one of my clients( an 18 year old cancer client) did not eat vegetables, we use to blend vegetables and make soft and tasty rotis out of it which she thoroughly enjoyed, and also apart from being creative with food options, I backed up my talks with science and research to build my clients trust. I can proudly say that I can churn up any recipe into its healthy version!
Crafting Creative Opportunities from Every Challenge
I strongly believe in “Mindset Matters”! I was a faculty of biotechnology at one of the colleges in Mumbai, and due to my health condition, I was on sabbatical at that time. We were planning to have a second child, but I was advised not to, as I would be on steroids for a year. I chose to study nutrition at that point, when my fellow classmates were 10 years younger and I already had a 3-year-old at home.
Despite all odds (read guilt of leaving a kid at home, to side effects of strong medicine, to trying to manage balance between studies and family), I was 3rd in Mumbai University at that time. This was one odd challenge, but I had many challenges at a personal and professional level like expectations from family, self-doubts of will I make it, guilt of not staying at home for the kid, not being tech-savvy, short height, average looks, etc., BUT the only thing that kept me going was I am Hemali Malavia and I am a topper.
I don't give up easily, I am a fighter. I want to make a difference in people's lives, I want to help people. I can vouch that the lives that I touched are forever grateful to me, and they love me! My principles in life are very simple - God gives me challenges because he knows I am capable of converting those challenges into opportunities! I am grateful for all that I have, and I still have a long way to go.
Now as I have started my own company, while I have already touched hundreds of lives, I want to be recognized for touching thousands and lakhs of lives - this goal of mine keeps me going.
My Impact
For more than a decade, I have worked as a clinical nutritionist, a lifestyle coach and an education officer, my work revolved around helping people change their lifestyle, so that we can manage clinical condition like diabetes , types of thyroid disorders, hormonal imbalance, cancer, autoimmune conditions, gut health, high blood pressure etc. Majority of clients that I have handled were cancer cases.
Many of my clients were successfully able to wean off their BP meds, diabetes and thyroid meds , lose weight without side effects and many cancer warriors have successfully conquered cancer and for years are cancer free. One lesson that I learnt from them is that disease starts in the mind and then manifests in the body!!
And this learning actually compelled me to do courseslike NLP , life coaching, emotional intelligence trainer, which not only benefited me personally , but also my clients heal faster, while Nutrition matters, mindset matters too! And I actually came up with the concept of “Wheel of Health and Lifestyle” which we are working to Trade mark it now. While I earned money, biggest perk was their blessings and love
Scaling New Heights in Personal and Professional Triumphs
Well! Success is a very relative term, quantifying it in criterias to measure it will be a challenge, it's a very relative term for me! Ideal definition of success is money, recognition, fame, ability to achieve targets besides all hiccups! And who doesn't want money? I do, who doesn't want fame - well i slightly beg to differ here, I want recognition for my work and not for money , when i am able to use my knowledge and help my client wean off their medicine, support them in their cancer treatment, or when my client sign up and pay just to talk to me , I definitely feel successful, compared to when I began my journey.
For me success definitely means - more money, more clients, but for me being more mindful and staying contended , calm even in odd condition is also a success, consistently working hard and being disciplined will definitely help me achieve my personal and professional goals like my company earning X amount every month, me able to remain healthy( please note my kidneys and left leg were impacted due to accidents and i have to ensure that my blood parameters stays normal and i am able to walk, i am successful here as i did a trek and i was way ahead compared to so called young and healthy enthusiast), but each year my benchmark for success changes and i am very confident on reaching my goals, one of them being winning this award
The Synergy Between My Path and Recognition Values
My Award category is against all odds- well personally and professionally i have faced and hardships in life, i lost my elder daughter to doctors mistake, fought depression for a decade, overcame that, studied nutrition at the age of 30, with a small kid topped university , but struggle didn't end, faced 3 accidents, left leg nerves got permanently damaged and kidneys were impacted too!
But I took my nutrition knowledge in practice and now I not only walk now but can run and trek and dance. My kidney issues gave me constant UTI and I was on steroids, worked on that too! Managing my kidney parameters since a decade, that wasnt enough, i couldn't work offline due to small kid, started online job, but I wasn't tech savvy, learnt how to use excel and google, there was a point I wasn't given clients as my boss felt i still have a long way to go, my colleagues were young and tech savvy, so i suffered from self doubt, or not worthy off feelings, but the thing that kept me going was i cannot give,up so easily!
I have knowledge, gradually things started changing and I was loved by all my clients , my boss valued me and he is an amazing mentor! my fellow nutritionist and juniors look forward to my advices on life and nutrition, I have not only worked on my health, but also on my emotions, i am more mindful now in every aspect of my life, i haven started my own nutrition company with a doctor and i look forward to only success , love happiness and recognition in life henceforth, since i have overcome so many battles, i feel i am the right candidate for this award against all odds In the face of formidable personal and professional challenges, my journey epitomizes resilience and determination.
My path to the "Against All Odds" award has been marked by profound adversity, beginning with the devastating loss of my elder daughter due to medical negligence. Despite enduring a decade-long battle with depression, I refused to succumb to despair. At the age of 30, while raising a young child, I pursued a degree in nutrition, ultimately achieving academic excellence. However, my struggles persisted as I encountered three life-altering accidents, resulting in permanent nerve damage to my left leg and kidney complications.
Undeterred, I leveraged my expertise in nutrition to regain mobility and health. Despite enduring constant UTIs and steroid treatments, I diligently managed my kidney parameters for over a decade. Transitioning to online work due to parental responsibilities, I confronted unfamiliar technological challenges. Despite initial setbacks and self-doubt, I persevered, mastering essential tools such as Excel and Google.
Over time, I earned the trust and admiration of both clients and colleagues, proving my worth through dedication and competence. Moreover, I prioritized holistic self-improvement, cultivating mindfulness and emotional resilience. Today, I am not only a respected nutritionist but also a mentor and entrepreneur.
Collaborating with a doctor, I founded my own nutrition company, driven by a steadfast commitment to success, fulfillment, and recognition. Having triumphed over myriad obstacles, I believe I am eminently deserving of this award, symbolizing the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity.