"Stories are an important way of communicating in the workplace."
Rajyeshwari Ghosh conducts workshops, delivers talks, provides consultancy and writes articles on her core areas. The contents are multidisciplinary, research-driven and based on the Quantum paradigm – the study of ancient wisdom (applied spirituality).
She lives a holistic, organic, and meditative life. She is mindful of people and the planet. Her work and relationships have a unique flavor – a combination of trust, transparency, quality, purpose, and passion. She believes humility, truthfulness, generosity, and authenticity are foundations for a good life.
Rajyeshwari is known for innovative ideas and fresh thinking. She is a regular speaker and contributor. She was also a Speaker at IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras, Calcutta University, Nepal’s Kantipur Conclave, and USIEF, to name a few. She has contributed pieces to Thrive Global, Café Dissensus Everyday, and The Kathmandu Post.
Check out more interviews with entrepreneurs here.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET FEATURED?
All interviews are 100% FREE OF CHARGE
Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Rajyeshwari Ghosh: I am Rajyeshwari Ghosh, Founder at Quantum Holistic Advisory Services – an alternative choice of living based on wisdom – Higher Consciousness. Truth and Joy.
Education:
I studied at South Point High School in Kolkata, India. In 1998, I left for the U.S.A. to study at Brewton-Parker College (BPC) to earn B.Sc. in Business Administration with a Major in Management and a Minor in Philosophy. BPC is a private, Liberal Arts, Christian college in South Georgia. BPC played an important role in my life to prepare me as a person who leads from heart and soul. Later, I completed an MBA with a focus in Finance and Decision Support Systems from Webster University. I also took additional courses in Project Management from New York University. In 2019, I completed a Certification in Blockchain.
Work Experience:
During my college days, I worked in several odd jobs. I learned I could work 20 hours a week on campus, as an International Student in the USA. So, in Kolkata, I worked as a Sales and Marketing Representative to get job experience so that I could show the same on my profile. In the U.S.A., I worked as a server in the college cafeteria, as an usher in theater, as a work-study student at Fiscal Affairs, Admissions and Evening College, lab assistant, and distant learning coordinator. I also worked as a sales girl in a department store and as a waitress in a restaurant. All these experiences enriched my life in various ways. I have a wide range of professional experiences as well. I worked as a Financial Analyst at a family-owned Jewelry company in NYC, as a Program Manager at Webster University’s Multicultural Centre, as a Document Review Specialist and Loan Processor at Citigroup, and as a Business Analyst at NYSE-FINRA.
I relocated back to India in 2009. I joined PwC India in Mumbai in 2010 as a Senior Consultant in Technology Consulting. Later, I joined as the Associate Director in Management Consulting in KPMG India, Mumbai office. I worked in all major cities in India and was fortunate to serve a wide variety of clients, ranging from family-owned businesses to mid-sized firms to Fortune 500 companies. I was responsible for practice building which included sales, marketing, client services, and team building.
My current role at Quantum Holistic Advisory Services (QHAS) is to define the overall strategic direction and to ensure that we follow through with our promises and drive the purpose we are here for, while keeping our inner and outer worlds in balance. I do what I love the most – I regularly write, I do speaking engagements, I teach and I do research work.
I am a published author. My first book of poetry – Essence of my Existence: Poems to Acknowledge my Truth was self-published in 2009. It was read in India, US, Ireland, UK, and Sweden. I also write articles and short stories on my core areas for the Thrive Global, the Café Dissensus Everyday, and The Kathmandu Post.
I do speaking engagements. I was a Speaker at various places such as IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras, Calcutta University, e-Chai Network, Nepal’s Kantipur Conclave, US-India Educational Foundation, PMI SVC USA, and SAP INDUS.
I am fortunate that I met people from more than 125+ countries around the world, traveled extensively in 10 countries, and worked and studied in the U.S.A., India, Thailand, Bangladesh, and Singapore.
Community Giving:
Giving back to the Community is an integral part of my upbringing at home. As a Rotaractor, I participated in and organized various social initiatives such as Polio Vaccination Drive, Sit and Draw Competition at Kolkata’s Red Light Area, and building ramps for differently-abled in Georgia, US. I also volunteered to teach English as a second language to immigrants in NY Public Library. I visited Old Age Home in Kolkata and raised funds for the Blind Society. I served as the President of the International Student Organization in college and initiated several multicultural, social activities to raise awareness. Since 2009, I have started Christmas Food Drive in Kolkata to ‘pay it forward’ to bring Christmas joy to the needy, homeless, and differently-abled in and around my locality. I also support my digital Community on LinkedIn in various ways such as job leads, mentorship, and participation in surveys.
By nature, I am unpretentious, open, truthful, transparent, conscientious, and caring. I am a life-long learner and very spiritual. I love to live with great joy and love. So, I take the time out to pursue my interests in nature, music, reading, and heritage preservation. I also spend quality time with my friends and family.
My current work at Quantum Holistic is more of a culmination of my journey at various levels – spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and social. It is an extension of who I am. Hence my work at Quantum Holistic is Quantum paradigm-based, purpose-driven, for-profit, and research-based.
About Quantum Holistic Advisory Services:
At Quantum Holistic, we envision a space for people like you and me from all parts of our beautiful world who want to live with truth, consciousness, harmony, joy, love, and light. In other words, we create a life that embodies our deepest values. We bring those values with us when we build relations at home, at work, and in social gatherings. We aspire to create loving families, supportive communities, and meaningful work that fulfills us. Our work is for all of us who care for the planet, people, and economic and social well-being. We directly impact United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, 8, and 10 and through our community initiatives, we impact Goals 5, 11, 16, and 17. Our work is also in alignment with several social welfare initiatives taken by the Indian Government such as National Education Policy 2020, Skill India, Niti Aayog, and Atal Innovation Mission.
Quantum Holistic Advisory Services is a Quantum paradigm-based interdisciplinary research-oriented, purpose-driven, for-profit leadership and management consultancy. Spiritual Intelligence (practical wisdom) is at the core of the Quantum paradigm. Therefore, the guiding forces are Higher Truth, Consciousness, and Joy. The intent is to invoke a sense of sacredness, stability, and security against the backdrop of an increasingly interconnected world disrupted by forces of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA).
What differentiates us is the way we teach – reflective, experiential, and reality-driven. The courses are interdisciplinary. We aim to engage the whole self – soul, heart, and mind.
In everything we do, we surrender to Higher Will and we seek Divine Grace.
Currently, my brother, Dr. Biswaraj Ghosh, and I share the responsibilities of our work. We are Global Professionals with a deep appreciation for our roots. We grew up in India, while my brother studied in the U.K., I studied in the U.S.A. We have combined work experience in U.S.A., U.K., Germany, Thailand, Singapore, Bangladesh, and India. As you have already read, our work is research-based and reality-driven, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary, drawing from our diverse background and studies in Spirituality, Philosophy, Liberal Arts, Finance, Business, Quantum Paradigm, Sustainability, Technology, and Corporate Social Responsibility. We are published authors and have presented papers and delivered talks at various Institutions and Conferences. We celebrate diversity of thoughts and expressions. We have met people from more than 125+ countries around the world and we have extensively traveled in India. We complement each other with our academic insights and practical, hands-on experience of industry knowledge.
Our work and our life emerged at the confluence and at the intersection of three legacies that we are fortunate to carry. The three legacies are our spiritual legacy, intellectual legacy, and material legacy. At home, we follow the path of Non-dualism as taught by our Maharaj Srimat Swami Biswa Pranab Atyashram. Our current work is based on Raj Rajyeshwari and Relative Humanity – the intellectual legacies of our grandfather, Sri Shyam Sundar Dutta. We also come from an ‘old world’ Bengali family lineage which is closely linked to Bengal’s history, heritage and culture. At this confluence, we were raised in a simple, warm, loving family in Kolkata, India. We engage in various Community Outreach Programs and Social Services. We bring our wholeness in what we do at an individual, community, and collective level through various community-centric and humanitarian initiatives – both globally and locally. We are building an ecosystem of people and organizations like us who are honest, warm, genuine, humble, and conscientious.
2020 and 2021 threw a lot of curve balls into business on a global scale. Based on the experience gleaned in the past couple years, how can businesses thrive in 2022? What lessons have you learned?
Rajyeshwari Ghosh: True 2020 and 2021 threw a lot of curve balls into business on a global scale. The following lessons I have learned and I believe would be important:
We are living in the VUCA world marked by Velocity, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity.
Velocity – To manage velocity better, keep the pace reflective, slow and steady. It is also good to be well-planned. The reason is if we do mistakes (which are normal on an entrepreneurial path), we can correct ourselves quickly and can bounce back.
Uncertainty – To manage uncertainty better, keep the certainties in structure. Usually, uncertainties are more unstructured. These are the unconscious and unknown elements. Building meaningful trustworthy relations with people who are principle-centered and value-based brings a lot of stability during uncertainties because they tend to be much more predictable.
Complexity – To manage complexities better, be simple and keep things simple. Simplicity is tough. It requires a lot of hard work through complexities.
Ambiguity – To manage ambiguity better, be very clear so that we reduce the risk of being misunderstood. Another perspective is our universe and the larger macro-cosmic system are beyond our comprehension. A state of inquiry into life helps us to unravel the mysteries of the mind and matter both.
Other lessons I learned are the emergence of ‘glocalization.’ It means we can do business, digitally, at a global level while keeping our focus on the local communities around us. Another beautiful aspect I learned that we only learn during a crisis is the emergence of well-meaning, good-hearted people who go above and beyond their call of duty to serve others. I have nominated 24 individuals, as part of my work, who rose to the occasion during the pandemic crisis. We see what true leadership looks like during tough times.
The pandemic seems to keep on disrupting the economy, what should businesses focus on in 2022? What advice would you share?
Rajyeshwari Ghosh: I agree. The pandemic has disrupted the economy. It revealed why it is truly important to create a new system for all of us to live, work and connect in a more humane way. Businesses should focus on acknowledging the needs of the different socio-economic sections of the society and find ways to meet those needs in an affordable, accessible, and trustworthy way. It is also important for all of us especially business leaders to embody the values and principles and embed these in the process of how we work.
How has the pandemic changed your industry and how have you adapted?
Rajyeshwari Ghosh: Pandemic has taught me many wisdom and insights about life. I teach practical and experiential courses on Leadership Development, Spiritual Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence, Contextual Intelligence, and the Digital world. During the pandemic, I researched and found so many amazing and inspiring human beings who not only embodied the higher traits such as generosity, humility, thoughtfulness, faith, empathy, and compassion but also went above and beyond to serve humanity with an open heart.
The pandemic has reinforced in us how important these traits are and what it is to actually live with Emotional Wisdom. The pandemic has also revealed shift in the future of work such as hybrid work model or remote work. I also found ample real life inspiring examples of living and working with Spiritual Intelligence and Contextual Intelligence.
What advice do you wish you received when the pandemic started and what do you intend on improving in 2022?
Rajyeshwari Ghosh: I have learned to forgive more. I have learned to be much more accepting of myself and others. I also realized it is so very important to honor and find those who are honest, genuine, thoughtful, and giving. They are the ones who create a place in our hearts. We have to look beyond physics, to find chemistry. What I mean by physics is the superficial, material, physical world to understand the chemistry which is the inner world of thoughts, emotions, feelings, and values. Behaviors and code of conduct bridge our inner and outer worlds.
Online business surged higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for 2022?
Rajyeshwari Ghosh: True. Online business surged higher because of the pandemic.
I expect that it will be more of a balance between the physical and virtual world in 2022. In many ways, I feel, we need a full physical presence to build a more solid relationship. However, I would be happy to be proven otherwise.
How many hours a day do you spend in front of a screen?
Rajyeshwari Ghosh: It depends.
If I am doing research work, digital marketing, and virtual classes, then I put in more hours. Otherwise, I like to keep a balance between my digital and physical worlds. While digitally, the world seems a lot closer, however, if we are not careful, it can also be very delusive.
The majority of executives use stories to persuade and communicate in the workplace. Can you share with our readers examples of how you implement that in your business to communicate effectively with your team?
Rajyeshwari Ghosh: Stories are an important way of communicating in the workplace. Being a writer, I write real-life stories of trials, tribulations, and triumphs. I take my readers on a journey through storytelling. Readers get to share with me the feelings, thoughts, and actions and also gather insights and wisdom. When I first started my practice based on Quantum Paradigm, most people could not relate to it intellectually. I started writing real-life stories and I could see they could resonate more with stories than they did with theories.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as the real challenge right now?
Rajyeshwari Ghosh: I find a lot of similarities between life itself and business – in both cases, we overcome obstacles and create growth opportunities. I see it a bit differently though. I would say because of our obstacles, we create opportunities for expansion and growth. When I first started in 2018 – that was before the pandemic – not many people believed what I could see was coming. They didn’t believe in the work I was so passionate about. Post pandemic, I do not have to convince anymore.
People have already experienced it first-hand. The other challenges I faced are gender bias as a woman and unprofessional work culture. Since I faced those, I am vocal about gender equity and inspiring work culture. Work is such an important part of our lives that I aspire to see all of us are inspired to contribute with our whole selves through our work.
In 2022, what are you most interested in learning about? Crypto, NFTs, online marketing, or any other skill sets? Please share your motivations.
Rajyeshwari Ghosh: In 2022, as part of my work, I am most interested in learning the projections and the preconceived notions people have built around work and money. My work is experiential, reality-driven, and research-based. This is the area in, which I am going to focus. I am also going to learn more about how we can create wealth more consciously which restores our relationship with money at an individual, family, social and global level.
A record 4.4 million Americans left their jobs in September in 2021, accelerating a trend that has become known as the Great Resignation. 47% of people plan to leave their job during 2022. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued and misunderstood in the workplace. Do you think leaders see the data and think “that’s not me – I’m not that boss they don’t want to work for? What changes do you think need to happen?
Rajyeshwari Ghosh: The most important change that is required is a change in the mindset and the worldview. The current Newtonian paradigm worked well for us for many centuries. It gave us a lot we are proud to have. However, we also need to recognize that the system is no longer working for most of us. I have left corporate life and I found it difficult to go back because there is hardly any value for those of us who are principle-centered and value-based.
Change starts with us in our hearts. It is a personal responsibility. At some point, I realized I want to build my life based on universal and timeless spiritual wisdom and that’s my true calling of life. So, I have started my work and practice based on the Quantum paradigm, where spiritual wisdom is the core.
The work culture issue is universal in all parts of the world. The issue is in the system. I am hopeful though because changes have already started happening. So, from a practical standpoint, some of the changes are to bring a conscious shift in the mental plane from the mechanistic, objective, Newtonian way to the holistic, dynamic, Quantum way.
The second change is the global business model needs to move from a mind-based, degenerative, life-depleting way to a holistic (mind-body-spirit), regenerative, life-giving way of life. As a result, the conscious, living organizations operating on a multi-stakeholder model in place of a share-holder maximization model would be thriving in the near future. Some other changes that are coming are hybrid work culture, distributed leadership, self-governance, inclusive work culture, and contribution to the community and society at large. I firmly believe the Universe finds a way to balance – everything is transient. My conviction makes me hopeful about the future.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Rajyeshwari Ghosh: I think it is difficult to identify one business superpower. It is a convergence of different skills and talents along with a deep and genuine intent at heart and spirit to do something truly meaningful for the world by solving various social, economic, and political challenges.
Having said that, at Quantum Holistic, I also realized, that affordable, trustworthy, quality services should be at the core and that everyone irrespective of their socioeconomic background, should be able to access and avail of the services. That’s why, we have put into practice in an experimental mode a wealth creation model based on household income so that we truly build an inclusive, wealthy society.
What does “success” in 2022 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Rajyeshwari Ghosh: What I believe, what I think, how I live, and what I do for work are all aligned. It is creating a life based on the philosophy of non-dualism.
Hence, my professional, personal, and social lives are interconnected. It is hard to separate one from the other. Hence, for me, success means to work, live, and build relations from a higher state of consciousness. It also means being able to keep prioritizing and balancing my responsibilities and doing so based on my principles and values. It is my long-term vision to continue to build wealth for my family, for our community, and for our Earth family at large through the work I so love to do and I do with a lot of love.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Rajyeshwari Ghosh for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Rajyeshwari Ghosh or her company, you can do it through her – Linkedin Page or directly at [email protected].
Disclaimer: The ValiantCEO Community welcomes voices from many spheres on our open platform. We publish pieces as written by outside contributors with a wide range of opinions, which don’t necessarily reflect our own. Community stories are not commissioned by our editorial team and must meet our guidelines prior to being published.
