From directing exports for Jockey India to transforming lives through NLP – the story of Puja Kirpalani

After establishing the export division of the family-owned homewear manufacturing and distribution company, Jockey India of Page Industries, Pamela ‘Puja’ Kirpalani gave up everything for marriage.

But it also paved the way for Puja to consider starting in another direction. With her company, Inner High Living, she trains world-class businesses, private companies and private groups in scientific persuasion and non-verbal communication workshops, with the help of Neuro-Linguistic Programming Techniques (NLP).

From exports to NLP, the transition was marked by serendipity. But it was also an extension of a personality that embraced connection and communication like no other.

Puja explains, “I was born in the Philippines and grew up in different countries: Indonesia, Africa and the UK. I am therefore close to several cultures. My father moved to Bangalore in 1995 to start his own business. After completing a business education at King’s College London, I worked for a while at EY as an investment banker. But it was natural for me to follow in my father’s footsteps.

Between 2004 and 2006, Puja helped his industrial father Sunder Genomal set up the export branch of Activity area, liaise with buyers and customers, and supply underwear to brands such as Marks & Spencer and Benetton.

A new direction

After getting married in 2006, Puja moved to Indonesia and became a housewife. After having two children, she decided to start working again but did not want to enter the same sector due to the long hours of work.

While visiting Bengaluru, she signed up for an NLP lesson on a lark and said she was hooked.

“I fell in love with it. I have always been fascinated with what motivates people and how interpersonal relationships and psychology work together. This course has been a huge support to me. I am a human person and the one of the areas that interests me the most is non-verbal communication or body language, ”she says.

Puja reached out to FBI experts in the United States to hone her skills in the field and really enjoyed the process. Soon she was taking classes – left, right, and center – to earn certifications in these areas. She is certified by the prestigious Australian Board of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (ABNLP) as an international NLP master practitioner, trainer and life coach.

Understanding silent messages

Its most requested workshops focus specifically on teaching potential clients how to use and review body language ‘silent messages’ – with the aim of increasing sales and creating more powerful connections.

Puja emphasizes the need to communicate effectively in today’s world. She says, “One of the reasons my workshops are popular is that the millennials have become detached from face-to-face communication. They just don’t have the skills to interact effectively. But people are also curious and my goal is to give them the means to communicate better.

She also agrees that most of us suffer from isolation and that there is so much social anxiety.

“The Internet has changed the social landscape in different ways and our eyes are now virtually fixed on screens. It’s debilitating and that’s why people are increasingly interested in effective communication, ”she adds.

As a life coach, Puja’s clientele is predominantly female, often young mothers struggling to find purpose. Using NLP techniques, she helps them chart new paths and gives them direction in life.

In today’s world, when work-life balance seems to be elusive, what is her advice for working moms?

She says, “My best advice is to put what you want out of life and work first. My rule of thumb is that I can only do three big things in a day – take care of myself which includes exercise, prayer or meditation, work related activities, and time for my family.

For her target generation, millennials, Puja thinks they should identify their true talent. She explains: “They must understand what their innate abilities are and work around the problem to make it happen. Once they do, they will constantly change jobs. Many of them have also become entrepreneurs.

Empowering others, Puja says, gives her a deep sense of satisfaction. Does she regret having given up her role in her father’s business?

She says: “I had no choice because I had to leave the country after my marriage. If I was in India, I would have continued the work. But I’m thankful that my love has led me on a different path. I am still associated with Page Industries as a trainer.

Puja plans to expand Inner High Living to more countries and focus more on India. She also wrote a book, Together, about being a healthy individual and embracing 11 virtues and values ​​with the help of neuroscience.

(Edited by Saheli Sen Gupta)