Show Notes: 

Instagram: @Neal.Bakshi

Website: NealBakshi.com

Leah Gervais: Hello, visionaries. Welcome back to the, your biggest vision show. I’m your host, Leah Turvey. We are here live for those of you that are here, live, uh, with Neil and hi Neil, and we’re very excited and lucky to have him. So, as we were saying before, we decided to, um, before we started this before we counted down, uh, Neil and I have known each other for going on a decade now. So we’ve been friends for a long time. We have some really wild things in common, both beautiful and tragic. Um, and we’re really lucky to have him today, so he can talk to us a little bit about his story going from the golden handcuffs. He has maybe the best job in the world to finding himself and listening to himself.

Neal Bakshi: Yeah, I couldn’t be, I couldn’t be happier to be here and thanks for having me, Leah, just following your story over the last few years as well. And just everything that’s transpired over the last year for me, it’s just been absolutely inspirational to see what you’ve been able to do and the guidance you’ve been able to provide so many other entrepreneurs, including myself to, to really stepping out there and finding their true voice and doing things to help others and really follow their own paths. 

Leah Gervais: Oh, thank you. That’s so nice. I’m so grateful to be on this journey together. Um, all right. So let’s make sure that we are live on Facebook and everyone can see us. Cool. And hello everyone on Instagram. So let’s start a little bit, uh, let’s go back a little bit. Tell us a little bit about where you’re from and I’d love to hear what you thought you were going to be when you grew up.

Neal Bakshi: Sure, sure. So I grew up in Princeton, New Jersey. So about an hour and a half out of the state and growing up, I actually always wanted to be an investment banker. It sounds crazy. And, um, but in seventh grade we were asked to basically write an essay and make example business cards of what we wanted to be when we grew up. And so my mom working as a partisan, as a CFO at a hospital, um, I kind of call the finance hat. My sister followed up with the doctor path. I wanted to be a banker. 

I wrote about investment banking. I created a little fake business card that said actually thoughts, investment banker. And you could really say that from seventh grade, I was truly manifesting what I wanted to become because, uh, after college and I’ve been working in investment banking, talk to your us all called from, for the last seven years. Uh, so that’s really kind of my background, what I want it to be and kind of came to fruition.

Leah Gervais: Wow. So wild. So growing up, you are your child of immigrants, right?

Neal Bakshi: Yeah. Both my parents immigrated here from India.

Leah Gervais: Okay. So is it, did you feel like you had one of those dynamics where it wasn’t, it wasn’t so much, do you want to be a doctor origin finance? It was which like, which one?

Neal Bakshi: So, it’s basically like, there’s like four or five, like at the family parties at the Christmas party. Like everyone is like either like a doctor or a banker or a lawyer, like a programmer. It’s like a very, it feels like very homogenized in terms of like the cultural norms that most Indian people kind of fall into.

Leah Gervais: Right. Okay. So, but this didn’t seem to, by you growing up, you didn’t really question this. He didn’t feel resentful of it. It just was what it was. And you were excited to go into finance.

Neal Bakshi: Yeah. It just kind of seemed like something that was pretty natural. Again, like everyone around me had always been doing that. It’s kind of like what I felt like I was just being guided into in a way, just given the people that I was surrounded by sort of what I saw that as being successful and that’s kind of what I wanted. So it’s was just kind of, I wanted to follow that path and do that for myself.

Leah Gervais: Right. Okay. It makes sense. 

Neal Bakshi: That’s where I met you! Yeah, we met on a bus, probably the best way data sets in terms of how we are on the bus and we both have blackberries at the time. And so we look over and we’re like, oh, you still have a blackberry. 

Leah Gervais: [inaudible] that is so funny. So you go to NYU-

Neal Bakshi: major in economics and minor in history and investment banking is still my clear cut path is what I want to do. It’s where all my focus is going to all of their recruiting hours, cover letters and resumes, intensive interview prep, even in all the kids in my fraternity were very much in finance as well. And so seeing that pathway as well as like, it kind of felt like, okay, well, this is what most of the people that I’m friends with are doing this. It’s kind of the path that is carved out for me. This is what I should be.

Leah Gervais: Right. And for those that are listening to unfamiliar, NYU stern school of business at MIT is one of the best in the world, if not the best in the world. So I’m sure it was exciting on many levels to be in that environment and to be with those people and kind of like, you’re kind of already at the top and you’re 20 years old, Right? 

Neal Bakshi: No, that’s, that’s totally, totally true. And it is one of the better schools out there in terms of like the opportunities that can come after graduation as well. But just the rigor that you’re in such an intensive competitive environment with all these other people that are vying for basically the same position. Um, it makes it sort of like a very, uh, heated environment.

Leah Gervais: Was it? Yeah. So it was like both inspiring and stressful, right? Yeah. Okay. So looking back during that time and during your childhood, would you say, can you recall any whisper elsewhere or any questioning of it or how did not really happen at all at that point?

Neal Bakshi: I mean, here and there in the sense that sometimes I was like, you know, I’m kind of interested in like psychology or a kind of, I was a very like people oriented person, very extroverted, outgoing, like to kind of relate to people, hear their story, help them through situations, offer them guidance, little pieces of wisdom. And my friends were always like, you’re so wise, like, thanks for like helping me out. So those kind of things were kind of always been there for me and tell me like, oh, like, that’s kind of interesting. Like if I would do it again, maybe I would do, you know, do like a minor in psychology or something, but nothing that really transformed me like over the past year. Right.

Leah Gervais: Right. Okay. Amazing. So you graduated from NYU. Entrepreneurship is not, it couldn’t be less on your radar and you get an incredible job. I mean, pretty young, like we were, it was like the first year out of college that you started working where you work now, right?

Neal Bakshi: Yep. Yeah. I’m working at really one of the top tier us ball tracking investment things. I, it was really a blessing. I was, I was a big deal. Yes. It was a huge deal at 19 interviews. It was like, it was exceptionally competitive. And when I got the job, I couldn’t be more elated. My family was so happy exuberant. Everyone was like, wow. You know, you really reached the top. Right. And, uh, it wasn’t necessarily easy math. I didn’t necessarily, wasn’t the smartest kid in the room growing up through grade school, but I always worked really hard. Yeah. And so that’s why at the end it was like a kind of a validation of like, wow. You know? Right, right.

Leah Gervais: Totally. So when, okay, when did things feel? Not so fun?

Neal Bakshi: So for anyone that doesn’t know, it was for background in terms of what really goes on at some of these firms in investment banking and wall street, you come in as an analyst and you really have to grind it’s it’s grunt work. It’s like databases, market, update pages. Like you you’re total told to do any tasks that basically anyone doesn’t want to do the hours can really be pretty brutal. It’s like 80 to a hundred hours a week. And sometimes it can be like that pretty consistently for months on end. And so it would go in spurts and stops. And so it would go through periods of time where I’d be like, wow, this is a lot like, but I know what I signed up for. And then things would ease up. And then it started to be like, okay, this is getting to be more and more important, it’s it didn’t slow up.

And everybody’s like, I’m an analyst. Now when I’m becoming an associate, things will always chasing the next exactly. And things didn’t necessarily become in a way that I would perceive it because it was like still doing the same tasks, still working just as many hours, if not more, in some instances, and it kind of became this, like, what am I really chasing? Like, am I chasing this extra validation? Who am I doing this for? And so, yeah, that’s kind of, that’s kind of when things started to be like, is this really what I wanted to do? You know, extremely long-term is this what’s making me happy because of

Leah Gervais: That. Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, you know what I do, and you know, how many people I’ve worked with that have left corporate America. And, um, this is not a story I haven’t heard before. Is it something you felt like you had in common with your peers or did you feel kind of alone? Was it something you felt like you could talk to people about at work or even just your friends from, and why are you feeling like, holy, this is so intense. Is this really what we want to be doing? Or did he did not really talk like that?

Neal Bakshi: Yeah. So it kind of, it’s interesting because I feel like the culture kind of breeds itself a little bit. So people, everyone knows it’s super hard work and he wouldn’t be like, wow, you know, we’re working so hard, but it got to the point where everyone would just kind of commiserate in terms of how many hours they worked that week. And it kind of became a contest of like, oh, I didn’t need the office till two in the morning. And then I was back at my desk at 9:00 AM, putting together presentations for a board pitch or something like that. And so it was, it was kind of just like a very, I don’t want to use the word toxic, but it’s like, you’re in an environment where people are working super hard. 

They’re working themselves to basically no sleep, no health, no looking after their diet, things like that. And so it’s like, you’re like the mindset that perpetuates is like, I just need to work. And if I’m not working and getting things done, then I’m a total slacker and I’m not going to get promoted or not going to get paid. And people were just kind of like, okay, well, you know, I’m working this much, but I’m also getting paid this much. And so they kind of just, it just, it was what it was. And you didn’t really have time to complain because you

We’re so busy, basically wake up, eat breakfast, go to the gym. If you have time, go to work, come back home and literally hit the bed. Right. Same cycle all day, every week. 

Leah Gervais: Crazy. But it’s not. It’s how so many people in New York live. And so many people that work on all the streets live, so then things change?

Neal Bakshi: And then things change for sure. So unfortunately, um, so I’ve been at this from where I am and working on wall street for the last seven years. And so unfortunately last year had a pretty traumatic experience with loss of my family. My mom went in for a routine 30 minute outpatient thumb surgery, just to fix a partially torn ligament in her thumb after the surgery, they couldn’t arouse her and they didn’t really know what happened. Uh, she ultimately was in a coma on life support in the ICU for three weeks. Um, try to suppress some pretty serious seizure activity in our brain, which was just, it’s a very looking back on that time. It was just probably one of the most blurred times in my life that was also just so impactful in every way. And that didn’t really have time to emotionally process what was going on.

Neal Bakshi: Uh, ultimately it kind of found out that she likely suffered an anoxic brain injury while she was, um, under the anesthesia for an unknown amount of time could have been as long as 25 minutes where she was without oxygen to the brain. And so she ultimately passed away last July and it kind of changed basically everything for me. I went into initially it went into a mode of basically I need to provide for my family. I need to like basically have my dad through this who was in complete shock and kind of was for five, five or so months trying to organize the entire finances. He was retired. My mom was the only one still working. Um, she managed basically everything for the household. She was super woman and she helped my sister and I throughout growing up all of our extracurriculars. My dad was traveling four to five days a week.

Neal Bakshi: Um, he lived basically elsewhere for his job during the week and just came back on the weekend. So the bond that my mom could not have been closer, um, compared to like the respective family dynamic. And so after that, I kind of went through a bit of a shift. So after that happened, a friend recommended in October or so, October, November, he’s like, yeah, I’ve been working with this life coat shoe. You know, you might want to check out working with, she’s been really beneficial for me. And it really changed a lot of my mindset, kind of helping me generate a lot of the self love that I’ve been lacking and, um, and really getting through a lot of eliminating the leaks or external need for external validation really made me become very introspective as to why I was doing what I was doing and what was important to me.

Neal Bakshi: And then in the beginning of this year, the 80 to a hundred hours a week, didn’t stop. And so I was still doing that for quite literally three months in the first three months of this year. And it got to a point in that in my morning meditations every morning, I had a very strong, just intuitive calling that I’ve never had that just kept hounding me. That said, you need to help people. You need to help people. And from there, I had a couple of conversations with you just as like a good friend and someone that, you know, has been through a pretty dramatic loss in your own immediate family as well. 

And you really helped me through that. So thank you for your support. And so just in talking with you, it became apparent what skills I really had and what I could help people in terms of doing from my own being and what I, what I was really empowered to do, which was helping people become empowered for their own own belief and their own good and really helping them generate a lot of that self-love and helping them kind of change their perspective and see life in a different way, see themselves in a different way, their interactions with other people in a different way. And I mean, that’s kind of just the backstory and then I’m happy to go into like how we built this business over the last, just even four months. It’s been really remarkable looking back on it as reflecting.

Leah Gervais: Yeah. I definitely do want to hear about that, but well, for small making nuances, I’m so sorry about your loss. If it’s just terrible to hear about him and brings tears to my eyes every time. So I’m so sorry you went through that and a hugely admire the grace that you’ve carried yourself through it and what you’ve done with it. And I can only imagine your mom would have no shock cause she raised someone like you that, you know, you would get through this. I’m sure she was a very wonderful woman in that never had the privilege of meeting her. 

But anyway, I’m so sorry that happened to you. And, um, it’s really amazing what you’ve channeled from it. So over the last year you have gone through loss. I mean, losing a parent is I think one of the hardest things anyone goes through, you hired a life coach and from what you’ve told us so far, you’ve had to peel back a lot of your identity, you know, because so much of your career and the path that you’ve been on has been from your parents’ beliefs, the way you grew up your friends.

I mean, there’s so many layers to who you are attached to what you currently do and deciding to shift that is all a big decision and has a lot of implications behind it. What would you say have been to kind of both mindset questions? What would you say has been the most interesting or surprising thing you’ve learned about yourself in the last year that maybe you hadn’t thought about before? And what’s been the hardest part of making the decision so far?

Neal Bakshi: For sure. Those are great questions and thank you so much for, for thoughtful condolences as well. It’s, uh, it’s definitely been, you know, it’s horrible. Yes. It’s an experience to live through that, you know, no one really has to live through it. It’s been it’s. Uh, but the things that, again, the mindset shift that you, you talk about, it’s been a few things, um, I will say probably the most immediate sort of mindset point that kind of came to me and I I’ve been pretty spiritual and I, in my entire life, my family raised me on a spiritual path. I learned to meditate when I was eight years old. And so I’ve been kind of just doing that, but doing it just in like a mindless state, in something that I wasn’t fully committed to. I was more so living in the material world that I wanted the house in the Hamptons.

I wanted all the money from investment banking. I wanted the status. I wanted, you know, the connections with power, things like that. And so I didn’t really take the time to slow down and internalize my own spirituality. I think the mindset that I really grew from all for this entire experience is one that, and this isn’t just a Wu-wu mindset. It’s just really that like, I have connected deeper to my soul than I ever thought I possibly could. And that I’m not just this physical body that’s put on this earth to work nonstop and make money and impress other people. It’s really my intrinsic soul and taking care of that and helping other people in the process. And so that’s kind of the biggest mindset shift that’s grown from all this.

Leah Gervais: Wow. What about the biggest challenge?

Neal Bakshi: The biggest challenge I will say is basically leaving a, that that’s harder to get into than it is to get into hard work. And I’m not saying that-

Leah Gervais: I mean, you worked your off to do it for sure. Yeah.

Neal Bakshi: I built a great track record. I have great relationships with everyone there. It’s, it’s really leaving something that feels so comfortable. That basically is like your life has given to you on a platter in the sense that your income is basically going to be taken care of and you can live a comfortable life without, you know, really needing to worry about where you’re going to be able to provide for your family or even do recreational enjoyment activities. And even beyond that, it’s kind of, even when I told him some close family members are like, well, what are you doing? Like, why are you doing this right? You’re giving up a job at one of the greatest financial institutions really in the world. 

And it’s the biggest risk is just going out there and doing what I need to do on my own because you’re starting from ground zero. And that was, that’s kind of a biggest fear, I guess, that’s that I’ve had to overcome. And you’ve been really instrumental in helping me overcome that fear. And it’s, it is very much a mindset driven and mindset oriented. And I think that your listeners here can basically see you as a Testament to that as someone that’s been able to go out and achieve what they really set out to achieve and embody that with their mindsets.

Leah Gervais: Well, thank you very much. It’s been amazing to watch you do it as well. Um, you don’t have to answer this question, but I’m curious if you want to talk about it because I think about this a lot. Where are you at now with grief? Um, if you’re willing to share and have you made some sort of sense over your mom’s transition and how have you, how do you think about that now in your own life’s path and feel no pressure? If that feels like it’s something you’re still processing and don’t really know or want to respond to.

Neal Bakshi: No, I appreciate you saying that in holding the space, it’s where I am with the grief. It’s um, I would be remiss if I didn’t say that. I don’t think about her every single day, every single day I wake up it’s uh, I mean, I can not think about her. Um, and so I can still there, but I will say that the heaviness of the immediate impact in the first five, six months has gone away. Like I would even be just like going on a run to clear my head and just like start sobbing while I’m running. That sort of feeling has gone away. The feeling that kind of this relates back to the question you just asked me on the mindset where I responded with really finding my own soul throughout all of this. It’s hard to put this into words, but I can honestly still feel her presence with me, which is why I don’t think in the beginning of it was necessarily even as distraught as my sister or my dad, because there was something there that I could just feel like it was a far deeper presence than I’ve ever been able to feel.

Just like physically, that I’ve been like, wow, you know, she’s gone in like this world. That’s totally, totally true. But like, I’m not as decided myself as I thought I would be because I still feel her presence honestly with me. And I think that in those morning meditations over the first three months, this year, that was probably her just being like, you need to help people and you need to get on and living your life, mission and sole purpose.

Leah Gervais: Wow. So she’s got you. Cause we all feels thank you for sharing that. It is. Um, I know from my experience with grief has been everything, you know, sometimes I feel very angry that he left. Sometimes I feel very sad and sometimes I feel very grateful that sometimes I feel like I look around at everything I’ve created and I don’t know if I would have had the kick in the to do it if I didn’t go through that. And I don’t know, I don’t always love that. Sometimes I’m annoyed that like, I feel like I had to go through that. But I’m not annoyed because that’s how life goes. And I’m proud of myself for having turned something so horrible into something with purpose it’s I just wish we were here for it, but he is.

Neal Bakshi: I couldn’t agree more. And I wholeheartedly understand exactly what you’re saying and there’s a quote. I actually heard it just this last week. It was how low you’ve gone, you will go that high. And so I believe it, you know, those kinds of things are really like the trots of, of our life. It’s on a scale of like one to a hundred. What’s the worst thing that you could imagine. It really is at like 100. And so when you’re really, at that point, it puts into perspective your entire life and it makes you, I think, pushes you to really just evolve your yourself and really do it the way they would be proud of seeing

Leah Gervais: Totally. I totally agree. It plays into the universal law of polarity, like something that was so horrible resulted in something that was equally as magnificent. Um, it’s an interesting phenomenon. Have you found that because of your kind of purpose, don’t mind this guys playing a little in here because of this purpose you’ve found for years reef that’s some of the mindset, parts of entrepreneurship are easier because they don’t seem like that big of deals anymore because I feel like that.

Neal Bakshi: Yup. I actually, I actually totally do do believe that it’s the mindset art has been, has been one of the more, I think just natural flows as part of the entrepreneurship journey for me, because they’re going through this grief and traumatic life experience because it does put into perspective everything else. And it does really make you realize that through terrible times, you have the ability to take this, you know, heartbreaking, just tragic incidents that occur and make it into, you know, make it flourish into something that, that would really do, you know, your dad and my mom proud. Right,

Leah Gervais: Right. So, um, let’s shift a little bit into your business because I, I can attest to how much mindset work you do and you’ve been dedicated to do this. Is there anything else you wanna share about your mom? So tell me about, I mean, I really want to like zoom in here. One of my favorite things I love hearing and I love sharing on this show, um, the, the like the month one, because I think that that’s kind of when you have to make the hardest decisions and, and what I really see you do that, um, really only, well, I shouldn’t say only, but the people who do this tend to be the most successful, you went all in right away. Once you decided once you like energetically made the decision, you were going to do this, you did it, you know, you technically did it. You emotionally did it financially did it. You totally did it. Um, so walk me through what that was like a little bit.

Neal Bakshi: Yeah, great question. And it’s interesting to look back and really reflect on this time because it was, it was really just April of this year. And so looking at basically how far- it’s pretty crazy to think about how far we’ve come and just a few months, but the initial thought was really, you know, what do I want my life to look like? Like, is it going to be 80 to a hundred hours a week every day? Like, or sorry, 80 to a hundred hours a week every week? Or like, like what, what’s the shift? Like, where’s the enjoyment in my life. Like, what do I really want out of life is what it came down to. And you know, I, again, climbing up the career ladder and thinking it’s going to get better. And like the hours are going to get less and the pay is going to get better and you can just pawn off work to other people as much as I want to think that it’s that way. Every, every instance that I’ve observed from even the senior partners at this firm, it doesn’t look like that.

They’re still working on the weekends, nonstop. They’re on vacations working. It’s like, what? Like, where’s the boundary for yourself? Like where’s your own personal time to take care of yourself and take care of other people. And when I, when I really sat down and thought about what do, what do I want out of life? I was like, this is the turning point. If I’m not going to go all in for it, myself and no one else is going to do it. This is my life. No one else is really going to grab it by the horns as much as I’m going to. And so if I’m going to do it, I need to go all in and I need to do it now because this is what I’m supposed to be doing. And delaying it any further is just going to be doing myself a massive disservice.

Neal Bakshi: It’s going to keep me in a mindset of lack and scarcity and depressive illness. And, um, what was me? I can be a victim for sure. Totally. And so it really came to a point where I was like, and that’s why I think we’re like, you know, working with the life coach really helped me to springboard to realize a lot of these things that I was doing was just very conditioned in me since growing up and being able to shed all that and then have these conversations with you really opened my eyes to what, the possibilities of me being able to work for myself, to help other people in the process to dictate my own schedule, to do things that excite me, to allow myself to creatively flow in ways that corporate America doesn’t necessarily let all of that stuff has contributed to this massive drive that I don’t think I’ve really ever had since, you know, applying for jobs seven years. Yeah. So that was kind of where it’s at

Leah Gervais: So awesome. So something I want to pull out there that you’ve said that is so good is that moment of no one else has been going to make this happen for me. No one else is going to come down from the heavens and say, now, here is your work life balance. Now here you have an impactful career. Now hearing you’re helping people. It’s only you. And I think that we, that sounds so obvious. Like Doug, no one else is going to live my life for me yet. So many people are in the passenger seat of their own life. And how do you, how, what advice would you give to someone if they are maybe listening to this and they’re starting to realize, huh, I’ve listened to this podcast before I wanted to start a business, but for whatever reason I haven’t done it, I’m scared. How can they get into the driver’s seat?

Neal Bakshi: That’s that’s a great question. 

Leah Gervais: How would you tell a client? 

Neal Bakshi:  No, it’s, it’s a great question. Because a lot of what, you know, holds us back are these fears, a lot of fear of the unknown what’s going to happen. It’s like, where’s my time going to go? The it’s also the I’m too busy drafts. I don’t have time. Right. And so what I’ll say to that is you make time for what you want to make time for. It’s kind of the same thing. As someone, when someone texts you and you don’t text back immediately, but if you want it to text back immediately, you probably more often than not.

It’s just, you make time for what you want to make time for. It really comes down to how bad we need one. How much does this change matters? And what are you losing and what are you missing out on by not going for it is really what it comes down to. Is it you’re going to be stuck in the same nine to five. You’re stuck in the same corporate job that’s making you miserable, drain your energy, making you cancel your dinner plans or social plans, or is it you want to do something that’s going to energize. You make you feel creative, make you go out there and do something totally different. That allows you to show your unique creativeness with the world and share that with other people,

Leah Gervais: Something, I think you said that was so good. There is that you notice, and that I wish more people paid attention to like what you’re losing by not taking that action. And I think that a lot of times we can say, well, I will start this in six months or in a year when I have more time, when I have more money, when the busy seasons over from the holidays over the whatever. And I think when you go through something like you just went through and that I’ve gone through, when you lose someone, time feels different. And you realize that that, that does cost you something. Yeah. Maybe you’d have a little more time after the busy season, after the holidays, maybe you’d have a little more time or money after you get your bonus. That’s something I hear a lot. People are waiting to like start their dreams until it’s like, if it’s all about my, how I feel about that, um, opportunity cost is real, you know, losing days, months, weeks of your life doing something you don’t want to do hurts, especially when you see someone leave so fast. So I think that that’s probably a heavily kick your butt a little.

Neal Bakshi: Okay. I think you actually hit the nail right on the head and very beautiful. Is that exactly the way you said it when you’re put in that situation where you do lose somewhat so instantly, that’s so healthy and it just happens in such a really traumatic, drastic way. And it makes you realize that everyone always says it’s like they say it in a workplace all the time too. They say, you know, life’s too short.

Leah Gervais: Right, it’s the bumper sticker. What’s anyone doing about?

Neal Bakshi: Exactly. It’s like, it really, it really hits you. Yeah. When you’re like, wow, life is too short. Like you have no idea. People are like, oh, tomorrow’s never promised like tomorrow quite literally is never promised you have no idea what’s going to happen.

Leah Gervais: I think about that. You know, something I’ve talked about before on the show is that like my, my dad passed when he was 58, which he had a great life and I’m really grateful for that. And I always will be, but that was young. That was, you know, way younger than we thought he would. He had no health issues. And it was, it felt very young, especially now. I mean, being pregnant, I can’t believe he’s not going to be here for that. So if I were to pass at the same age as him I’d be half way there. And I don’t even mean that in a morbid way. 

I just mean that in a very real, like, let that sink in and think like, am I really scared about sending this email? And I really afraid of what people are going to think about me on an app on my phone. You know, I get into these traps too. I’m human. I go through these, but I’m able to snap out of them so much faster because I remember things like that. But like if my journey around or my journey physically here is could, could be halfway over. It couldn’t less than halfway over. It could be more than halfway over. I don’t know. But you know, just looking at what happened to my dad, am I really going to spend a moment stressed about this, worried about this acts of really not.

Neal Bakshi: I couldn’t hear you more and then on top of that, it just, it kind of makes all the other situations that happen in life, kind of back to that scale of like zero to a hundred, what’s like the most intense thing that can happen. It really puts that scale into much more realistic perspective as to like, where does this truly fall on my scale?

Leah Gervais: Right, is this like a five and then crying about it?

Neal Bakshi:  [inaudible]

Leah Gervais: Um, so many things I could go on and on. Um, okay, amazing. So let’s go back in that first month. So you make the decision, you decide that you’re not going to like continue to live your life, doing that. Um, at that point, do you feel like you have pretty confidently made the decision and you didn’t need to work through any mindset, things and you just kind of executed and took action or were you still a little afraid?

Neal Bakshi: Definitely still a little afraid. And did the initial sort of journey. It wasn’t just, you know, every, you hit the ground running and everything goes totally smooth. And we talked about this, it’s it kind of went, it’s like a roller coaster. Like you have your updates and then you have your down days. But you know, I think what you kind of told me is that every day can be an update just some days it’s a little, it takes a little bit more effort to go off. Exactly. And so, yeah, it’s not an instantaneous mindset shift by any means. It’s definitely a gradual shift, but it’s again, putting, putting those small pieces in place day by day and really building towards that big goal that you have, that makes the big difference. If these changes don’t sometimes they happen overnight, but like more often than not, it’s the small incremental habits that you build, the small, the small, like people you reach out to whoever it’s like, whatever the task is on your to do as you don’t all have out to get you to where it needs to do.

Leah Gervais: Right? Yeah, totally. So having watched you do this, having the privilege of watching you do this, I think the two biggest things I can attest that you’ve done a great job at, and that you’re really committed to are one, you understand that mindset work is like probably 75% or 80% of the entrepreneurship puzzle. I think a lot of people resist early on that they, um, you know, that they have to do mindset work. They, a lot of people come to me and they just want to hear about strategy, or they just want to hear about the funnel or her numbers or anything like that. And I think you, you’ve never, you’ve always known that that is just, that’s part of it, but that’s not the whole big picture. And the other thing that I think you’re really committed to is your own just growth and like taking care of yourself throughout this all, um, knowing that like, you can’t really give to others what you don’t have within yourself, which is all, which is nice, but it’s also like your health and your spacing, your boundaries and all of that. So how, how are you so good at those?

Neal Bakshi:  Uh, again, it’s, well, I, I will say that, you know, working with you and been helpful beyond words, that’s why it’s really hard to put into words how much you’ve been able to help me on this path, just organize what I need to do, make the steps I need to do, keep me on track, be accountable, push me outside of my comfort zone at times. Like some of the things that I wanted to do, I was like pretty apprehensive, just going out there and putting myself out there and just whatever, being like posting on Instagram, talking to Instagram lives, things like that, that pushed me outside of my comfort zone. Like I never thought, but once we slowly expand that comfort zone, you just, you know, that like, okay, well this is comfortable. Like, let’s go a little bit further. And so it doesn’t need to be like the big change again, and just be like a slowly expand that.

Neal Bakshi: But how I became, so I guess how focused on the mindset work, I’ll say that I’ve definitely done a lot of my own sort of mindset studying. I’ve taken a number of courses. I’ve done a number of classes, read a ton of time books, just trying to continually better myself. Because again, if you’re not taking care of yourself first and being able to live the way you want to live, you can’t provide for other people and give back to other people the way you want to make an impact. And so it really starts with yourself. First people, it sounds selfish, but it’s really not selfish because you’re doing it in order to help other people to change the way you think to, to expand your own boundaries, to really allow that, that space to arrive. 

Leah Gervais: Totally. So tell me a little bit about the work you do with your clients. Tell us about that. And I know that now you’ve worked with the life coach and then you work with me and I’m a business coach, but I still do so much mindset work. So tell me about what you really can work with your, what, what you help your clients do in the transformation?

Neal Bakshi: Yeah, absolutely. And so I am a, I’m a life coach, a perspective and self-empowerment guide. And so what I really do is I help people really pull the answers out for themselves. And so it’s a journey. It’s two experts meeting. I’m not a therapist, I’m not, um, I’m not a consultant, I’m not a mentor. It’s really, you know, two equals meeting two experts in their field. You’re an expert on basically your thoughts or feelings, your emotions, what’s important to you where you want to be. And I’m sort of the expert on the process. And so it’s really helping you get there and really maintaining the, like helping you build the awareness, helping you audit your life, the different areas of your life, because everything is so interconnected. Whether we think it or not our relationships, our health, our career, our finances, everything’s, it’s just all just like a wheel, really.

And so from there, it’s understanding what areas clients want to see the biggest improvement or the biggest change in their life and working with them to build the habits, to obtain those goals and hold them accountable and really putting in place the consistency to, to master that for themselves. And so I’ve worked in clients, everyone from aspiring and up and coming, uh, you know, rap artists to, uh, people that have just, um, gone through pretty difficult times, or they’re looking lost with family member, a tough breakup. Um, someone that is looking for more career fulfillment is what I really see a lot of check is. Um, and, and so it’s just, it’s been pretty fascinating to see the response that has come from working with these clients. 

It’s been, it really gives me the enjoyment of I’m giving back on helping. Like this is the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever been able to do to really have an impact on these people’s lives and allow them to really pull the answers out for themselves is what it’s all about. Like, I don’t really tell people what to do. It’s, it’s not, you need to do this, or it’s not going to go as well. And it’s really allowing them to realize that this is what they need to do. And when they do that themselves, it’s so much more impactful because they intrinsically understand the value of it.

Leah Gervais: Sure, totally. I love that. And I mean, I agree. I think that I love that you are so committed to bringing things out in people. Um, I really try to do the same thing. Even when you like fake me for what I’ve helped you do. I appreciate it. I’m touched, but you did this, you did this and you don’t, it was all within you all along. And I’m grateful that I was able to help you. And I love that. You’re able to share that perspective with your clients too, because that’s what this is all about is your inner journey and your inner purpose. So someone’s listening to this and they like are super into your energy and they totally align with what you’re saying, who, like, I know you work with so many people that do so many different things, but who really would be in the perfect before place for the type of transformation are we able to provide what kind of is their day-to-day life like, or a pain point of theirs? What are they?

Neal Bakshi: Yeah, absolutely. So again, I think I most closely relate to the corporate partner. That’s been working super hard, but you know, there’s something off, there’s something missing. Something can be better. It just like, it’s not really, even that apparent at times, it’s just like a feeling of like going through the motions of another day, but not really feeling fully energized or fully present, or really being able to understand what they want out of life, but just going through everything could seemingly be totally fine. Right? The relationship would be great. Pays great performing well at work. But there’s just something that pulls you saying that something could be different. Something’s just off. And when that energy is off, it often means that you’re not in the right place. And when you’re not in the right place, you need someone to really guide you and understand what kind of place do you want to be in. And really what kind of place will allow you to be aligned with really your true self, right? Which

Leah Gervais: Is so exciting because for some people they’ve never even taken the time to reflect on what that really could be. Sometimes I talk about what I call the trap of fine. And the good test for being in that trap is if people are asking you how’s work, how’s your relationship? How are you feeling? If you say, find a lot, that could be an indication that they should be on you because it’s, it’s, it’s an insidious trap to be in because nothing’s wrong. You know, like life isn’t bad, you have a good job, you have a fine relationship. You have a fine life on the surface. Things are fine, but why am I going to answering with great? Why aren’t you like jumping out of bed, excited about what you can do you deserve to live life like that people really do. And I think sometimes people either just don’t believe that, or they don’t even, it doesn’t even cross their mind or they grew up in a way where it’s just assumed that you’re stressed about money or that you don’t really like your job. And that’s okay. It really doesn’t have to be that way at all. 

Neal Bakshi: And I’ll totally say that I’m the first person to admit that I was actually in that exact position, really? Not that long ago. Right. I was always like, oh, these people living their lives, doing these dream jobs, like making their own schedules, working from wherever they want. I was like, that’s not real. Like you can’t, you can’t do that and be like a contributing member of society or like, you can’t be like really fulfilled in what you’re doing. Like, it’s definitely not true. But as someone that’s gone through this transformation, just even recently, this year alone, I can not be a Testament to a more that this is, it’s very real. It is very real. And if you’re not doing something that energizes you, people say all the time, if work should be something you love, right. If you’re not doing something that you love, you know, there’s still an ability to do that. 

Leah Gervais: Yeah, absolutely. Um, that’s funny that you, well, you know, I think that’s why you’re so good at what you do, because you can really put yourself in the shoes of the people you work with and that you are your own ideal client in a sense I’m luckily I know I was, and it definitely makes it a lot easier because whenever I talk about what, you know, what I can do with people, I just remember, like, how did I feel in that cubicle wondering when my life was going to become spectacular and you know, it’s, it’s very real when you’ve been in those shoes on your own. Yeah. Yeah. But now you’re not.

Neal Bakshi: No, I’m not. And, and really, you know, working with you, first of all, to allow me to understand what those strengths are within me, that I can really share with the world, that gift within me, that I can share with the world. And from there helping me build strategy to really putting in place a, you an ability to, to concretely build a really like a business out of it. And being able to provide for myself, by sharing my gift with other people is what is what you’ve really been able to help me do. And, you know, everything just even the beginning, like getting up and running everything from like, I need to get a website or I need to like, you know, get a business address or like, whatever. It might be like the littlest things that you’re, that seem like the biggest roadblocks to building your own business and creating your own path forward. You really break it down into the simplest steps. And again, you totally held me accountable. And by doing that, I’ve been able to really ramp a business from zero just in four months. It’s been honestly spectacular. I didn’t even think something like this couldn’t be possible, but I have a fully operating business in four months. Clients say, Hey, thanks for your hours. It’s like pretty perfect.

Leah Gervais: That is so fabulous. I am so happy for you. And I know that this is only the beginning. That’s the most exciting part. It’s like, if you did this last four months, what in a year from now, what’s it going to be like?

Neal Bakshi: It’s, it’s going to be incredible. And I see all the stories that you have, uh, your own mastermind clients, your other clients that, that tap $20,000 a months, or you’d like things that they didn’t even think were possible that just transformed for them. I am ushering in an entire wave of just complete abundance and manifestation that if something that I know is going to be a reality, it’s something that, you know, I am, I believe in I, and again, manifesting something is, it’s not, you can’t just manifest something because it wants it. You can’t, you have to believe it is what it really comes down to.

Leah Gervais: Totally. And you’re very good at understanding that you’ve been manifesting since you were eight, since you wanted to be an investment banker and you made the card, there you go. That’s so awesome. You’re a good manifester. You’re manifesting all the time. Even if you’re manifesting things you don’t want to manifest, that’s why it’s important to learn it.

Neal Bakshi: And that’s why I think also this goes back to the mindset work. It’s super important to think about. What are you thinking about? What do you really want in your life? Are you just thinking about these negative things that keep happening, or like, do you really just keep your eye on the positive focus prize that you really want? And then that’s what you will manifest

Leah Gervais: Amazing. I’m so in awe of what you’ve done. Thank you. Oh my gosh. It’s been an absolute pleasure and enjoyed to do it. Um, my final question for, from like the word perspective is, so you’ve kind of talked to us about how you’ve moved past identity, uh, ties. It actually sounds like after the passing of your mom, that was something that you were just, it feels like you’re, you’re very identified with, for your mom meeting you. So it’s not like you’re like going against the family or whatever by doing this. But you talked to us about that. You talked to us about, you know, leading this, my final question, your job, my question is, um, have you experienced, you’re very aware of your own ego, but what would you say to the person who’s going from a great job to I’m new at this? Has that been hard in some regards for you?

Neal Bakshi: I think that that definitely has been hard for sure. There are times when I fall into either I’m not good enough for imposter syndrome or there’s so many other people out there doing this. Like, it makes me think like I’m going to be differentiated, but it’s, it’s again, it’s really pushing those negative thoughts just completely out of your mind. And it’s not just saying that just to be like, oh, you need to be positive. Like, it’s really like really just not letting those get to you because again, like you look where you started, right? It’s like, and now you, you built an incredible business for yourself. It’s like, look at all of these other people that really started from zero. And I think that what holds people back is really that fear of being like, oh, like there’s so many other people out there doing this, or like, are people going to resonate with what I have to offer?

Or how do I get clients? Things like that. But it is really, as you say, 70% mindset work being really persistent with it and just taking the first step to first of all, reflect on being like, where am I right now? And is this what I want? And where is this going to lead me? If I continue to do this? And then it’s taking a look at, where would I want to be? What’s stopping me from getting there. What have I tried? That’s not working. Why is that not working? Right. And it’s really just making that shift for yourself and being like, okay, well, this is clearly something that’s important to me. This is something that I want to achieve. I need to do this. Otherwise I’m not going to be where I want to be. And I’m going to be just stuck living, you know, society, dream of mine. 

Leah Gervais: So one of my favorite metaphors that I’m sure my clients hate, but I think is really strong is that like a lot of times we are attached to the things like we’re attached to our fears because we think that the things like for me a long time, for a long time, you know, that I went into debt to start my business. I’m very open about that when you have a lot of money at the time. Um, and I really pride myself on being someone who didn’t have that before that I had student loans, but I never had consumer debt because my dad was a CPA. And I just, I listened to Dave Ramsey. I thought I had life figured out until three years into it. I’m like, why aren’t I happy? I need to do something different. And so I had to see something that I thought was an asset of my miss strength of mine.

Like basically self-discipline and responsibility of, you know, not spending more, not spending more than, um, what’s the phrase not living inside of my needs. Um, that I thought was a good thing as something that was my enemy. And that’s a very hard mindset shift. And I think about it, like I like in that book, um, between rock and a hard place, victims’ Franco made a movie out of it where he was in the slack community is to cut off his own arm. And it’s like sometimes things that have been an asset for you in the past. You don’t have to dislike them about yourself, but you have to see where it’s holding you back and where you need to. I mean, something in his mind must have completely seen my arm. My arm that I love so much is literally stopping me from staying alive right now. And that’s an extreme example, but I think it’s very powerful when we sometimes are so attached to things that we think are good traits that ourselves, that doesn’t mean they’re bad traits, but are they holding you back in this situation? And how can you see it that way and move past it?

Neal Bakshi: I couldn’t, that was honestly a great example and yes, it wasn’t extreme, but you’re right. It gets to the point of like us being very attached. And I think you’ve got to, you got to really the root of it. It’s like the root of attachment, right? And it’s like, just releasing the attachment. 

Leah Gervais: Right. Who would you be without those things shackling you down? And I think that’s what we help your clients find, which is probably why they find such freedom. It’s amazing. Okay. I actually do have one more question for you. I thought it was done, but I’m not what I, you know, it’s amazing how you’ve shared kind of the bigger ways that, um, things have changed for you in the past year or year. You know, you saw a life coach, you starting your business, you’re meditating so much cheaper. You have a business four months into it, all that was so incredible. What is different about like your day to day life than it was a year ago, two years ago? Like, what’s different about when you wake up in the morning, that’s really what matters, you know, how are your accounts your day to day?

Neal Bakshi:  Yeah, it could not be really more different. And I say that in again, a little things that I do on a daily basis, it’s like getting up in the morning and like before I get out of bed, like three things, I’m grateful for it. And like it, that immediately that I didn’t know itself, just puts me in just like a positive, grateful abundance mindset and a day from there. It’s like, I really take, take the time to do what I need to do. Is it like a morning workout? Is it yoga? Is it, you know, cooking breakfast for myself from there? It’s just like really, I do honestly like an hour of a mindset work in the morning and that can be just like journaling. That can be, um, some like online and just like micro courses I take on a daily basis.

And so just really putting myself in the mindset that I want to be in and, and just honestly knowing my own schedule from there, it’s really being in control of my own life and being in control of my own persona and knowing what’s important and just like really having that confidence that I never necessarily had before, because I was just taking instructions from other people persistently and being told what to do and not really allowing myself to create my own schedule, to be creative and what I want to create to like, make, make different classes, make different courses for people to talk to clients when, when I can and where they want to, things like that. 

Leah Gervais: So you’re happy. 

Neal Bakshi: Yes. Yes.

Leah Gervais: It’s so good that, you know, I think that that’s really important. I think I do. I talk a lot about the $20,000 a month and everything, and that is exciting and important and it’s something to be, you know, to celebrate. But the reason we do this and we commit to these servings is so hard. Life is better. And so our day-to-day is better. That’s what really, I think, matters here and also bake you for sharing your story. I really am so grateful that you came over and that you shared with us in person and that you shared with my audience and that you’ve done it.

Neal Bakshi: Thank you for having me. And honestly thank you for, for all of your coaching and guidance, just over the last four months. It’s again, remarkable to see this taking a step back and being like, wow, like this started from nothing and Dallas, like really grown into something great. And it’s going to continue to grow. And I really have a YouTube thing for pulling that out of your initially. And I, again, I was in resistance to it at first. I was like, is this really what’s right. For me, it’s a big fun. And just like, maybe it’s a big investment for me to, to do this and like time investment money or whatever it is, but it could not have been more worth it. And, you know, I believe there’s no coincidences in life, everyone, every circumstance, every situation comes into your life for a reason. And just, you know, 10 years ago, who would have thought?

Leah Gervais: shout out to the Blackberry! Well, you have really helped my wife as well. And then a big impact on me too. So it goes both ways. Um, okay. I have, uh, three lightning questions for you. Are you ready? Okay. When you are having a bad day or your business, isn’t going as planned, there’s something’s in your way, what is your go to?

Neal Bakshi: What is my, go-to a couple of things, either a walk or just writing. And it’s interesting because writing really helps me get a lot out. It helps me like feel as if I’m talking to someone and beyond that, it’s also like, how would I console a friend if they were in this situation and write it from that perspective? Because when I put it in that way, it’s like, okay. Like, if I can, if I’m going to tell a friend that like, I can’t, I tell myself, so it’s like, it’s either writing, clearing my head and just like taking time for just like myself. 

Leah Gervais: NY is such a good place to walk. Do you like living here and you’re for 11 years? 

Neal Bakshi: I can’t say definitely. 

Leah Gervais: Yeah. Yeah. It’s the best city ever. It’s great. Huge fan of it. Cool. Okay, great. Um, what is your proudest business moment so far proudest?

Neal Bakshi:  Uh, and then there’s so there’s really so many. I think honestly, our proudest moment still to date is really just sending my first email to my list. And it was really just like cementing, like, you know, this is it like, this is the path forward. This is what we’re doing. And the overwhelming positive response I got from it was just like 65 plus responses. 

Leah Gervais: You got a lot of love from that. 

Neal Bakshi: Yeah. So I think just like, that was just a reassurance of like, you know, you’re doing the right thing, you’re on the right path. Yes. It’s going to be scary at times. Yes. You’re going to feel super out of your comfort zone, but just know that the university behind you and people believe in this is going to be right.

Leah Gervais: Amazing. Do you have a podcast or a book that specifically around business has really helped you a resource? Okay.

Neal Bakshi: I had a, uh, honestly, yeah. And it came from, from your recommendation, it was like, it’s a small 50 page book, the science of getting rich. And I read that kind of at the beginning of my, my journey into like building a business. And it just really, this, the concepts in there it’s written what, like in the 1920s or something like that, but the concept still holds true. And it’s really about creating versus competing. It’s about, again, like building that mindset that you want to really attract things to you, law of attraction and all of that. I never, I never really even realized at the time that the book necessarily had such a dramatic impact on, on my business and online like mindset and out business and what I was really capable of doing, but really a 50 page tiny book that I highly recommend a super quick read. You can read it in a day in two days and just that ended up itself. Can it gets a little abstract, but it can give you sort of a confidence in like, if you knew it on some of the thoughts there there’s, it goes a lot deeper.

Leah Gervais: Totally, totally. I mean, you know how I feel about that book. I still listen to it all the time and it makes me cry sometimes because it’s not that it’s, that it’s kind of boring. Let’s get real. And it is a little abstract and it was written a long time ago, but I think what was, so what is still so incredible about it for me is that it is able to put into words, things that I always knew to be true, but never really knew how to articulate and never really gave myself permission to believe like it doesn’t have to be hard, you know, and you don’t have to compete with people in order to make money, which is something that you do kind of think, especially being in New York and just seeing how he so eloquently states that like, as long as you’re creating, you don’t have to, it was so, so much permission was wrapped in that book for me.

Neal Bakshi: Um, another thing that I really loved about it having worked, you know, I worked at a non-profit before I went out on my own, um, was just how I love how he talks about how the greatest thing you can do for the world is to make the most of yourself. And I found that so aligned for me from a spiritual perspective, because it really allowed you to realize that you’re here with a unique purpose and you don’t have to sacrifice yourself in order to help others quite the opposite. And I’ve really found that to be true because similar to you, I mean, I didn’t have as nearly as procedures of a job as you did. Um, but I had a higher impact focused job working at a nonprofit and I never, ever, ever have felt like I helped people as much as I is what I do now. Um, as I did at a non-profit at a job focused around working. And I really believe that it’s because a lot of nonprofits have this self-sacrificing attitude that if you’re not poor, you’re doing it wrong basically. And it’s just not true. It’s not true at all.

Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, even on further people on a spiritual path, you think that, you know, you look at all these like great either spiritual leaders or like even monks or people that have just renounced all of their worldly possessions for the search of universal truth, whatever that may be. It doesn’t need to be like that for everyone is what it comes down to. It’s like, you can really do good things for the world, still be in alignment with your spirituality and on your own true life path and soul mission, even by doing things and to share your gift and building a business out of it. 

Leah Gervais: Totally like this is why, I don’t know if you like this example, this might be a little too materialistic for you, but, um, I always, you know, I always want to move tons, like ever since I was little and I just never thought I’d ever have them because they’re so expensive for a pair of heels. And my, I just didn’t come from a family where we valued that kind of thing. And I came from Colorado where we could wear heels, but long story short, I remember when I made, I think it was like my first, I don’t know. It wasn’t even that huge of a milestone. I think it was when I quit my nine to five job, I bought myself a dam here in little towns and keep in mind, I still had debt at this time. You know, it wasn’t like I was rolling in an amount of money that it wouldn’t make a ton of financial sense on paper to, to buy those.

But I bought them. And, uh, about a year later, one of my clients told me that me like having no shoes, I’m very lucky now to have a collection of them. But me having those shoes make her realize that she could also buy them for herself because she always thought like it had to be your husband who would buy something like that for you. And that your husband had to make more than you and I, it just really kind of helped her see a different dynamic where like women could make their own money. They could deal with it, what they wanted. They didn’t have to ask permission for how to sell it or how to spend it. And I remember thinking, oh my God, that’s, that’s a full circle moment. It wasn’t just about me having these shoes. It was like, if I really can help someone see that they can make it on money and that they don’t have to rely on a man to make money and that they can do this on their own. That is so worth it. I believe

Neal Bakshi: That it’s true. Yeah, exactly.

Leah Gervais: So don’t deny your desires, ladies, if you want something, go for it. You never know who’s going to be watching and what is going to make a difference on them really? That goes for everything I believe. Absolutely. Okay. Where can people find out more about you?

Neal Bakshi: People can find out more about me on our website, NeilBakshi.com my Instagram, Neal.Bakshi. And my Facebook page, Neal Bakshi.

Leah Gervais: Awesome. We will have all those links in the show notes of this episode, DM meal. Tell him that you heard him on my show. He is super nice. And I’m sure he’d love to say hi. 

Neal Bakshi: Would Love to say. Yeah, let me know what you’re thinking about. I’m going to what your feeling, anything totally. 

Leah Gervais: That’s so good. Well, thank you once again for being here. Thanks for sharing this with us. Thank you for your dedication to the work you do and things to everything that you write.

Neal Bakshi: Thank you too. It really wouldn’t have been without you and so grateful for you to have you on this journey. So that’s my gratitude.

Leah Gervais: Aw, you’re my gratitude note to Neil. All right, visionaries, go check Neil out. If you haven’t already go ahead and DM him on Instagram. I hope you guys love this. I hope it gives you permission to follow your own alignment. I hope it gets you some bravery to move past any identity. You have to things that are no longer serving you. And here is your biggest vision. Talk to you later. Okay.

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