I was fortunate to get a convent school background and then did graduation from the prestigious Lady Irwin College, New Delhi. I have a master’s degree in Finance from Symbiosis Institute of Management. However, as far as my current profession is considered my grandmother groomed me with her expertise and values that gave me a rock solid foundation.
Hence, I designed my own courses and workshops, and modules for Grooming, Etiquette, Communication skills, and Personality Development and started coaching students studying in various public schools and universities across the country. My certifications are mainly from Emma DuPont, UK, and The British School of Etiquette, London.
I am, however, the First Coach in India to combine the concept of Etiquette with Mindfulness.
2. Why and how did you decide that you wanted to be a holistic, etiquette development coach and a motivational speaker?
I sensed an increasing need to create awareness about good manners, etiquette, and polite and mindful behaviour in the society around me. Lack of empathy and compassion was growing by the day and there was a birth of so called “toxic “ people, friends and family so to speak. I wanted to devise a Holistic program that would not just teach people about these essential life skills but also educate them about why it’s so important and needed thereby creating a more mindful and compassionate world.
Motivational speaking comes to me naturally besides the fact that I wanted to be someone I needed when I was young and was looking for support. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to get people’s support when you refuse to compromise on your values and remain nice and polite in today’s day and age. I wanted to be there as a flag bearer and support system for all those nice people who are paying a price for being righteous and motivate them to keep going!
3. What soft skills are needed in a corporate world and how to develop them?
The most important soft skills needed in a corporate setup are good communication skills, the right body language, teamwork, conflict resolution, creative thinking, time management and most importantly having a positive vibe at workplace.
4. Tell us about your seminars and do you have any interesting/thoughtful experiences with your clients that you would like to share?
My seminars and workshops are a beautiful experience not just for my audience but for me as well. It’s heartwarming to connect with people who feel like family inspite of being absolute strangers! As a coach, I can connect at the deepest level with them as they share their most personal experiences and feelings to seek a mindful and empathetic solution. It’s a beautiful exchange of energies and the best part is being to touch lives in the most compassionate way.
5. What would you suggest as to how to not give the script of our life to someone else and take full charge of our own life?
The most important aspect in personal growth is education, financial independence, and setting boundaries for yourself is quite sufficient to take charge of one’s own life instead of someone else!
6. What are self-care and self-love and how does one practice them?
Self-care / Self-love according to me is simply looking after oneself, understanding our boundaries and not leading a life that’s based on compromises. Having said that, self-love is not about being selfish or doing things at other people’s expense.
7. What are some of the challenges and roadblocks you have faced along your journey?
The biggest challenge for me was explaining the word “Etiquette “ which would make people a bit uncomfortable considering the fact that they probably need it to learn about it. It was almost like a taboo word especially here in India since it was being related with not knowing good manners. People were apprehensive about learning more about it for the same reason. In reality, manners and etiquette are two different terms with totally different meanings and connotations.
8. How can we avoid arguments and turn nasty debates into healthy discussions when we know that the other person is wrong?
That’s a great question. The first point to keep in mind is maintaining a neutral body language, expressions, and pitch of your voice. Follow it up by hearing the other person out completely with patience and then putting your point across firmly but politely.
Try using phrases like, “That’s interesting but .. / “You could be right but actually./ I understand your take but .. Acknowledging the person’s viewpoint to start your argument and then putting across your viewpoint is a game changer!
9. What impact did all these learnings make in your life? Any experience that you would like to share?
I feel blessed to be in a profession that I am so passionate about. It is more like a purpose of life for me. I always wanted to leave something behind before I bid goodbye to this world and I so glad that being a personality development and mindful living coach has helped me touch so many lives in the most heartwarming ways.
It’s endearing when my students across all age groups (5 years - 65 years) feel happy, more confident, and positive toward life and give me the credit for changing their life overnight. While I am just a medium, it feels so good and keeps me going as well.
10. What are some of the words that we should replace and use in our daily vocabulary.
I feel simple words like sorry, thank you, and please are going completely missing in today’s society. People are becoming too casual and even cold and indifferent to a certain extent. In the same breath, the use of cuss words has become a part of our culture and everyday life and offensive words and slang are being projected as “cool”. I feel we must pay attention on our basic vocabulary first.
11. How to prepare an elevator pitch for ourselves?
An elevator pitch also known as an elevator speech—is a quick synopsis of your background, experience, and purpose. The reason it's called an elevator pitch is that it should be short enough to present during a brief elevator ride. This speech is all about you: who you are, what you do, and what you want to do (if you're job hunting) or are doing. Your elevator pitch is a way to share your expertise and credentials quickly and effectively with people who don't know you. Done right, this short speech helps you introduce yourself to career and business connections in a compelling way. It can help you build your network, land a job, or connect with new colleagues on your first day of work.
Keep your elevator speech short and sweet, aiming to deliver your message in 60 seconds or less.
Say who you are, what you do, and what you want to achieve. Your goal is to focus on the essentials.
Be positive and persuasive with your limited time. Focus on what you want to do, not what you don’t want to do.
Deliver your speech to a friend or record it, so that you can be sure that your message is clear. The more you practice, the better your speech.
Bio -
Manik Kaur is a certified Grooming and Etiquette trainer from the British School of Etiquette, Mindful living coach, Personality Development Coach, Communication skills trainer, and Motivational Speaker by profession.
A graduate from Lady Irwin College, New Delhi, and a postgraduate in Finance from Symbiosis Institute of Management, her passion lies in adding value to the life of those around her and society at large.
She has been working with premium educational institutions like The Doon School, Welham Girls School, Welham Boys School, Dehradun, Scindia School Gwalior, ModernSchool, New Delhi, and Pathways Gurgaon ..to name a few. Various Universities, Corporates, International Banks, and NGOs across the country to spread awareness about Mindful behaviour and people become their best version inside and out.
She is also a skilled writer and a much appreciated blogger. Her work finds space in the leading newspapers like the Times of India, Ht City, and The Pioneer, and media platforms like FICCI and Sipping Thoughts.
She has been addressing relevant issues on her social handles like Facebook and Instagram page called ‘Mindful Living’ by Manik Kaur. With a tagline of “Be your Best version inside and out “ , she aims to influence the minds of as many as towards making the world more positive, groomed, kind and compassionate.
Hence, she is one of the First Personal Growth coaches in India who has combined the aspect of Grooming and Etiquette with compassion, empathy, and Mindful Living.
Manik is now penning a book on the same cause and is working towards making the art of Etiquette and Mindful Living available and accessible to all sections of society worldwide.
Interviewed By - Shashank Sehgal
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