Hear it from our Changemaker Clients

RK Changemaker 1:1 Coaching

I began working with Payal in the beginning of 2021. After one of the most difficult years of my life, both professionally and personally, I knew something had to change. After doing some personal work the first few months, I learned to value my emotions and my empathy. I knew my next goal was to harness my empathy and not let it control me. Back then, I thought I had to have a "work" personality (standoffish, rigid, impersonal). I started Payal's course in March and wow, I felt (and still feel) like I am a whole new person. During my time working with Payal, I learned to value my empathy and see it as a strength. I also learned to deal with overlapping issues such as perfectionism, all or nothing thinking, and just being really hard on myself. I remember one of my first sessions where Payal wanted me to accept a compliment - sounds easy right? I remember being so physically uncomfortable - not looking at her, lowering my voice, minimizing my actions. Now, I readily accept compliments and say thank you like "Yeah, I know I did the damn thing." It's always nice to feel you have changed by the way you carry yourself and talk. It's another thing to be told by people you supervise, your colleagues, and your manager. After finishing up my time with Payal, I was promoted to a higher level of management. Learning how to communicate with my superiors, being more confident in my abilities, and being intuitive with my team helped me get to this level of management (and a nice pay raise to boot!) All of this couldn't have been done without working with Payal. I still use so many of the tools she has taught me and I help newer leaders come into their own. Empathy is a gift and it's about time we all start treating it as such!

- Kaushiki Chowdhury, Lawyer at  Still She Rises Non-Profit 

I worked with Payal when I was feeling anxious about my career and feeling uninspired with my work. She asked me questions, not because it was her job, but because she really cared to help me get in touch with what I REALLY wanted for myself. She gave me tons of valuable homework, pointed me to the right people, and encouraged me to do the things that both excited and scared me. One year later, I’m in a completely different place! My life has totally flipped, as I run my own coaching business… the very thing I told Payal I felt I needed to go towards. She has been an incredible source of support and insight as I navigate through growing pains. I am so grateful to have her in my corner! 

- Cybele Safadi, Purpose-Driven Entrepreneur, Attachment Relationship Coach

Payal has had a lasting impact on our organization. While she was an exceptional thought partner and subject matter expert across initiatives that touched leadership, Payal's superpower lies in her ability to create an environment that inspires people to think bigger and bolder about the future by emboldening them to embody the strengths they possess today. She did that for me as my thought partner and it was transformational.

- Andy Duddleston, COO of i.c.stars 

“Payal exceeded my expectations! This was a transformational opportunity that I am so appreciative of while becoming a new leader. Payal provided me with the tools and resources  that helped with the alignment of my greater purpose. I did, however, show up every single day for myself and I put in the work. This facet of the program was not easy to say the least because I had to challenge myself, challenge the norms and most importantly question the narratives that we as women so wholeheartedly believe in. This experience has been enlightening, not only for my professional development, but my emotional, physical, mental and spiritual self. I have been able to identify trigger points and where they transcend from. Also, actively being conscious of the unconscious mind and “flipping the script” when I had doubtful thoughts of myself. I highly recommend Payal’s programs as it transmutes you into an empowering being you didn’t even know existed within you!”

- Barbara Castillo, Leader at Northrup Grumman 

“In my work with Payal, her ability to deeply listen to me (including what I was communicating but not actually saying) enabled her to pull out provocative and insightful lines of inquiry for us to explore together.  Our sessions were critical in helping me identify and illuminate new ways of thinking about how I made sense of the things I was navigating in my life and empowered me to “try on” new ways of thinking and acting.  Having experienced a variety of coaches with a range of skill and competence throughout my career, Payal’s ability to strike the right balance of listening and probing was a gift that I grew to value.  Her ability to artfully do this enabled a level of professional trust and vulnerability that has been rare for me.  Being able to lean into trust and vulnerability with Payal was a foundational gift that provoked real transformation in my personal and professional life.”

- Cheryl Camacho, Nonprofit Executive + Changemaker