Kavita Ahuja Joins The Roster Of Kuel Life Thought Leaders

Utilizing her own transition in midlife as a catalyst, Kavita empowers women to embrace the “It’s my time now” concept. Kavita and I stumbled upon one another through LinkedIn. There is power in social media platforms, allowing us to discover and know people from around the world. A couple conversations later, we realized we needed to combine forces. After reading Kavita’s interview below, you will know exactly why.

Welcome Kavita Ahuja to the Kuel Life Thought Leaders.

KUELLIFE: What type of business do you own/run?

Kavita: I am an Entrepreneur, and a Certified Life Transitions and Core Energy* Coach, dedicated to guiding my clients through the many challenges and opportunities midlife brings with it. Through my transformational coaching program, I work together with my clients to identify their goals, limit their obstacles, and help them gain the confidence to make this next stage in life, the best stage ever.

As the founder of Power Purpose Play I encourage women globally to be inspired with my Podcast, The Midlife Reinvention,  to learn through my comprehensive course “It’s My Time Now”, and to receive personal guidance from me – because I have not only reinvented myself after the age of 50, but I have created a  step-by-step process to help my clients do the same. Now, I am so excited to be a Thought Leader for Kuel Life, and to learn from all the other magnificent women here as well!

*IPEC (Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching) 

Kavita Ahuja – A Corporate Dropout:

KUELLIFE:  What prompted you or drove you to become an entrepreneur? When?

“I heard this little voice inside of me that nagged at me and asked me, “Is this it? Who are you really, and what do you really want?””

Kavita: My transition from the corporate world to entrepreneurship was prompted entirely by my mission to empower women in their midlife to live their next stage in life to the fullest. If you asked me 10 years ago if I would have ever imagined that I’d be doing what I am doing today, I would tell you – “you’re crazy!” 

You see, I led a traditional life – I had a super successful corporate sales & marketing 25-year long career in the pharmaceutical industry after earning two degrees, raising two boys (now 25 and 22), and being married for now almost 29 years. Everything was just “fine” – until it wasn’t. At around the time I turned 50 (I will be 56 in August) I heard this little voice inside of me (does that sound familiar?) that nagged at me and asked me, “Is this it? Who are you really, and what do you really want?”

I couldn’t ignore it when the volume of that voice grew louder and louder. I went on a journey of self-discovery then, and realized I had so much more to give, experience, and learn. And I knew other women in midlife did too – but they often didn’t know how to even begin. It became my mission then to guide women through this time of transition in their lives, based on my own experience and learnings. I want women in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and beyond to realize this is their time now – to rediscover what has always been inside of them and bring it out into the world.

I founded Power Purpose Play in early 2020 (yes, right before the Pandemic!) to fulfill my mission. Since then, through my course, podcast, and now my personal coaching practice, I am even more motivated to guide women through this exciting time in their lives!

Wearing All The Hats:

KUELLIFE: What’s your biggest struggle?

Kavita:  I think my biggest struggle thus far has been being CEO, CTO, CFO, CMO of my business all in one! I was very accustomed to having everything done for me in the corporate world, where I kind of just “showed up” for my work. As an entrepreneur you are constantly thinking about the marketing, the sales, the content, the finances, the technology, everything. It is daunting and a struggle at first, but it is also a time of my greatest growth and learning.

For example, I never would have imagined I would be the host of a podcast, yet here I am now – it its second season and loving every minute of it! Another struggle for me (as I’m sure it is for other entrepreneurs) is to remember to take time for myself – which is one of the reasons I put “Play” in “Power Purpose Play.” I try to do that everyday – even if my “to-do” list gets longer in the process 😊. Sometimes, its better to just BE.

Internalized Fear:

KUELLIFE: What is your biggest fear as an entrepreneur? How do you work through it? 

“Our fears are blocks of positive energy which stop the momentum moving forward”

Kavita: As an entrepreneur, my fears are largely internally created, as they are for many of us. Initially, I think the biggest one was the fear of failure. After all – I left the comforts of this career I had been in for so long to start something new – I better be “successful”! When you are in the corporate world, there are measurements of success placed on you – and you either achieve them or not. As an entrepreneur – you set your own measurements of success and it can be discouraging if you don’t achieve those milestones.

One of the biggest things I do to work through it is the same type of exercises I take my clients through. Our fears are blocks of positive energy which stop the momentum moving forward. If I have a fear of failure, it may be rooted in, for example, feelings of being “not good enough,” or “not qualified enough,” or all the “not enough’s” we tell ourselves. I ask myself, “is this really true?” and “where does this belief come from?”

By drilling down on the source of our fears, we can begin to overcome them. I also work through these feelings of self-doubt by maintaining a regular morning practice of meditation and journaling. Once we take time for ourselves in reflection, these fears do eventually subside. 

KUELLIFE: How do you measure your success? 

“For me, now, my measurement of success is how many lives I’ve impacted.”

Kavita: Great question! I think as we enter this midlife transition, our definition or measurement of success really changes. It did for me. I mentioned above how, for example, when I was in my sales career, we had a sales target we had to reach – either we did or didn’t, and that affected our bonus. So, it was primarily monetarily driven.

For me, now, my measurement of success is how many lives I’ve impacted. If I think about how many people I want to serve authentically and keep that as my benchmark of success – that is what I strive for. I have recently stated my mission for Power Purpose Play, and it is this: “To empower one million Women in Midlife Worldwide to live their next stage in life to the fullest…One Strong Woman at a Time!” 

One may think this is a lofty goal – arrogant even – but it’s not about making money from one million people. It’s about touching at least one million lives in some way that makes people realize the true power and potential they have inside of them. I will do this by spreading the word, as well as the knowledge I’ve gained, and by making my online course open and available to anyone who wants it – free of charge. That is my measure of success!

Listen To Your Inside Voice:

KUELLIFE: Finally, what advice would you give other women about taking an entrepreneurial path? 

“If you don’t take that first step towards reinvention, you will never know what you can actually achieve.”

Kavita: My advice to other women who are considering an entrepreneurial path is to listen to that voice inside of you. It exists because it is trying to tell you something. Also, observe your inner critic which is pulling you in the opposite direction. Put it to the side and tell it – “thanks for trying to protect me, but I’ve got this!”

If you don’t take that first step towards reinvention, you will never know what you can actually achieve. Be excited by the possibilities ahead of you. Utilize your strengths, your buried passions, and your changing values and figure out what it is you really want, and who you really want to serve. If you don’t know how, seek help from a coach or from a tribe of other women to support you.

You don’t have to see the whole staircase in front of you. Just take one step up and you will find your way, if you have an open heart, true intentions, and a willingness to “fall.” It’s not for everybody – but by taking the chance on yourself, it can be the most rewarding thing you have ever done – regardless of your age or circumstances.

I always say, “If Not Now, When?”

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