Like all hybrid businesses these days, most people have home offices. I stepped into Sanjeet Ray’s home office and first noticed its sunny disposition, which immediately matched his persona. A rebel of sorts, Sanjeet moved straight from his college education into entrepreneurship. He dreamed of being the next Steve Jobs. He was driven, but after 7 years of all work and no play, he saw the money, but it sent him down the rabbit hole. Even the 18 Cr (money made) that showed in his books did not make him happy. Even his family, who had sighed in disdain when he chucked up his job in NY and accepted his entrepreneurial spirit here, were now confused. But Sanjeet still shifted gears. He didn’t go into therapy, but had someone coach him towards being a business coach.
Why does he call himself a Business Mind Set Coach?
‘Having been an entrepreneur for more than one year and a coach for over 6, I’ve discovered a fundamental truth: ‘Narratives’ often hinder individuals from reaching their desired lives,’ he explained. These scripts, as we all know, are shaped by parental influence, upbringing, and conditioning, and give rise to rigid limiting beliefs. In the business realm, success is intricately tied to the thriving of individuals -It’s about people, not just systems and software. ‘I learned the importance of fun and fulfilment early in life, having achieved success but lacking happiness. Despite financial gains and recognition, I felt unmotivated and unproductive’, he continued.
He discovered his true values through Coaching, since his desire for a great lifestyle meant he derived it from creating impact. He feels that he now wakes up every morning with a purpose: to help individuals and organisations rediscover fun and fulfilment. To turn big, audacious goals into reality, he shares some ideas. To have fun, one has to lead a meaningful, fulfilling life and bring real value to it. And to do that, one has to question our belief systems, break patterns, identify and align with values, thus understanding why we do what we do. The next step would be to celebrate with love, take action, design pathways, and set realistic goals. He is humble when it comes to his input – ‘I don’t do this work so well because I am more skilled than others. I do it so well because this has been my personal journey, which enables me to show up with so much more love, authenticity & power. I believe that for the right person, I am the absolute right fit and can provide unconditional support.‘
So how does he do that?
The process he follows is called “Grow,” starting with the Goal (the clarity of purpose). When one explores the individual’s core, motivations, passions and unwavering sources of resilience, one can move to the next step. The R, the actual reality of the situation, because understanding one’s personal scripts and narratives is crucial; they shape self-identity. Shedding light on these empowers individuals to embrace authenticity. Magic happens at ‘O’. Power lies in ‘W’.
Creating options for people that align with their goals and realities, Sanjeet helps them break free from limiting scripts and explore effective pathways. Taking action in alignment with personalised designs, he acts as a supportive guide, simultaneously cheering and challenging individuals for foolproof progress. Today, as an ICF coach, he offers 31 types of therapists to his coaches.
What is the drill that he follows when he takes on a client?
Essentially, it starts with a free discovery call (20-45 mins, depending). A video, phone call, or in-person meeting (available for 6 months to a year in session for a coachee).
Explanation: It is not like a therapy session, as therapy is a reverse-oriented cycle, and business coaching is a forward-oriented cycle. The camera lens is always projected at the future. All action, accountability and results. One cannot be a business coach if one is not a life coach. Just like a GP gets to decide what kind of stream he wants to follow. ICF classifies them as both life and business. In which the person is analysed to understand whether they are right for each other. Goals and challenges are set down a year from then. No guarantees are given, as it is clearly the person’s journey, not his, and what if the coachee does not put in the needed work?
His clients think he is good at fostering genuine authenticity, encouraging absolute vulnerability, enabling stepping outside comfort zones, pointing out blind Spots, empowering shifts in perspective, and designing change. Some say that in just 3 months of coaching, he transformed into an overachiever, clear of self-doubt.
An owner of one of the biggest jewellery brands in India said-
‘After a single workshop with our company, 67 employees emailed HR, eager for the next session and potential one-on-one coaching with him.”
Senior VP at one of the biggest FMCG companies in the world
“Discovering coaching with Sanjeet transformed my life and my company’s future. Despite a successful business, I felt overworked and disconnected in 2019. Now, with an 8kg weight loss, daily runs, and a 6X turnover, coaching became my magic wand, revealing the possibility of shifting beliefs.”
What drives a man of this calibre?
He genuinely believes that everyone in this world deserves to succeed, and some will never get to see it because our conditioning holds us back. And by that he means that when people actually even realise their dreams, what they finally achieve is still in the dream bedroom of their mind and not in the lived bedroom of their reality. So that’s the power of our conditioning. So if one has never seen a 60-year-old woman become the next Priyanka Chopra, one will never become that. Self-sabotage is our conditioning. That’s where the business coach comes in. He helps people rewire their minds and reminds people of why they deserve what they have worked towards. There are two parts to it: one to help people first believe in themselves, and another to help them believe they deserve what they have worked towards.
So Sanjeet Ray is that guy who helps people from living under a rock to finding out who they are and what they want, and get on that path successfully. Maybe I should not share this with you: the stats for 2020-25 were that 21.8% of coachees had 3Xed, 22.5% had 5Xed, and the balance had 8-12Xed their businesses. That’s how much this man believes in what he does.
