Meet Pratibha Singh

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Pratibha Singh a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Pratibha, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I arrived in the United States in 2014. It felt like I was going through an interview process. I got married, and my husband had already been living there, although not for a very long time.He had arrived just a year before me. Back in India, I was quite independent and held a managerial position. However, upon coming here, the visa situation became a significant concern. At that time, I couldn’t believe I might not be able to work, as dependent visas (H-4) didn’t allow employment for spouses. My husband was supportive and suggested that we could always return if I didn’t like it. However, I had already left my job, and the prospect of finding employment again after returning was daunting. So, I decided to research my options.

Unfortunately, there were no courses related to my field in the US at that time. Eventually, I enrolled in a program at UCSC Extension that allowed me to study on an F-1 visa, which also granted one year of Optional Practical Training (OPT) for work. Given my non-technical background, finding a job outside the tech industry was challenging, especially with visa restrictions. Many agencies offering H-1B sponsorship were not trustworthy.
I realized I had only one year to study and explore my options. During this time, the H-4 EAD rule was introduced, allowing spouses to work if their partner filed for a green card. Fortunately, we were eligible for this, and I could finally work legally. I embarked on my career and received job offers from reputable companies, including Google and Amazon. However, the visa issue remained a significant challenge. When I was laid off, it was a tough period, especially as I had to manage everything with my daughter. The uncertainty of being an immigrant and the limited time to make decisions added stress.

This experience made me realize the importance of having side businesses. I started a food blog and a food YouTube channel, which allowed me to share healthy recipes. I also pursued my passion for fashion by creating an Instagram page. These ventures helped me build connections and communities.
Despite the challenges, I was grateful for the opportunities the US offered. I accomplished things I couldn’t have back in India, such as representing India in an event, engaging in hiking and fitness, and winning the Mrs. India competition. I also became a career coach, assisting thousands of individuals in navigating the job market and achieving their career goals.

Currently, I work as a Human Resources Manager and continue to serve as a part-time career coach at Interview Kick Start. I maintain active Instagram pages to connect with people. Additionally, I’m passionate about preserving my Hindu culture, ensuring that my daughter learns about it through celebrations and gatherings.
Living in the US has its challenges, but it also provides numerous opportunities for personal and professional growth. It requires determination and a willingness to step out of your comfort zone to pursue your dreams.

To sum up, here are three lessons I’ve learned:

1) Never give up: As an immigrant in the US, you’ll face unexpected challenges that may disrupt your plans. However, persistence is key to overcoming these hurdles.
2) Be flexible and open-minded: Embrace the possibility of your career taking unexpected turns. Your journey might lead you to discover new passions and opportunities you hadn’t considered before.
3) Go with the flow: Immigrating to a new country means adapting to different cultures and customs. Stay open-minded, be mindful of others’ backgrounds, and approach each experience with kindness.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

So moving from India and calling US as my home was a daunting task but I had no other option. I wanted to explore this new country along with my husband with whom I moved here after getting married. Back in India I was working full time and had a good career but here suddenly staying at home wasn’t an easy concept for me. I realized that finding a job here is a tedious task and to get that I need to acquaint myself with US education. I enrolled myself with University of California, Santa Cruz and finished my certification in human resource management. Since then I was fortunate to work with companies like Google, Amazon, Walmart etc. Being an immigrant I had to go through various challenges of visa restrictions, renewal etc but they all helped me find various ways to learn more about the system and processes in this country. While I was working with Walmart, I was approached by Interview Kickstart, Santa Clara based coaching company to help their candidates, prepare for behavioral interviews & offer negotiation. This side gig started a new coaching journey for me which eventually led me to start my own coaching and mentoring services. I am fortunate to helped so far more than 10,000+ students to get through top tech companies in bay area and US. Helping students in this tough job market gives me tremendous sense of fulfillment. In 2020, when Covid hit us all and we all were locked down at home,I came up with the idea of creating unique food recipes and started my social media journey.I felt a urge to find healthy and easy cooking techniques while not compromising on the nutritional value of the food. This gave me an idea to work on my creative side and I started my Instagram page and Youtube channel for food. My channel revolves around mostly for working moms like me who can cook fast & easy but also healthy. While I was experimenting with different cuisines and baking, I started my another page to connect more people in my neighborhood and in bay area in general. I started posting content about my fashion ideas & trends and got an opportunity to participate in Mrs India 2023 competition and luckily won the title for Mrs India and Mrs India most popular world 2023.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

During my creative journey of 3+ years I would say I have been fortunate enough to connect with lot of like minded individuals and personalities which definitely helped me to create a path for myself. Also, I learnt and grew as a professional and as an individual while embarking on my self growth journey. I did face some setbacks & challenges but I think all of them paved pathway to a better outcome. My goal or mission on this journey is to help other individuals to understand their strength’s & they should seek out ways to take out their creativity and unleash their full potential. It’s quite possible that they won’t see the results quickly but I am very sure in the longer run they should know that this is what they are seeking and this is giving them the true happiness while serving their purpose.

I started as a complete amateur in social media almost 3 years ago. I had no idea how to use different tools and features on apps and how to leverage various channels to create larger impact and gather more audience. But I think first step for any journey is to start. Once I started I connected with micro influencers and few top personalities in this field who guided me and helped me to create more useful content.

I also watched various Youtube channels which revolves around this process of content creating, influencer marketing, affiliate marketing & upgrading your social media presence. Since then I started growing organically, I was reached out by various brands to promote their products and services. So far I have collaborated with more than 50+ brands in different domains like fashion, food, technology to promote their products and services. I am more inclined to support SME’s & women owned businesses (WOB’s) for not only their economic impact but for the values they embody. Women tend to priortize social responsibility, community involvement and diversity in their business, which can lead to a more equitable and sustainable future for all of us. Empowering women in business is not merely a matter of equity but also economic common sense. Women represent half of the global population and thus bring diverse perspectives, innovation & leadership styles that can drive economic growth & foster global competitiveness.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

I am a firm believer of Self love and totally feel that if you love yourself than only you can spread the love. Basically I follow these strategies to cope up with anxiety –

Self-care – Try to manage your worries, look after your physical health, and get enough sleep. You can also try keeping a diary, practicing complementary and alternative therapies, or listening to mental wellbeing audio guides.

Meditation & Yoga – Try breathing exercises, meditation, visualization, or yoga. Slow, deep breaths can help you feel more at ease by slowing the release of stress hormones. You can also try the 3-3-3 rule, which involves naming three things you can see, hearing three sounds, and moving three parts of your body.

Talking to others – Talk to someone you trust about what’s making you anxious, or try contacting a health professional, counselor, or support group. You can also consider peer support, where people use their experiences to help each other.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

@Mydreamtv, @Bayareavisits, @cheshtaphotography, @bengalartistry @mavickphoto @amritshutterbug

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