Crystal
Everything we do in organizations is based on moments of influence.
Our moments of influence come from who we are. We all hold a point of view, a perspective, that was shaped by our journeys and keeps growing over time. That complex, multi-layered perspective can’t be replicated — and the possibility of using our perspectives to help someone else is our gift to the world.
To know why I care so much about the principles, skills, and strategies I teach, I think it is important you know where I came from, and how I became the person I am today.
My Journey
1992 - pre-K and pre-glasses
1998 - 5th grade in Austin, Texas. First time I learned the term “token minority” when then-governor Bush signed an education bill
2003 - Holi at Barsana Dham. Even growing up, I stuck with a diverse group of friends and introduced them to my culture, and me to theirs.
2005 - Growing up in Austin was amazing
2007 - Graduating from college, a B.S. in Chemical Engineering with honors. Hook em Horns!
2009 - Working at P&G. One of five engineers on the Swiffer brand, I had a fun time before I discovered my true passion in people & culture.
2010 - One of many trips to India, exploring the provinces. Most of my cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents live there.
2012 - meeting Jeremy. A person from the "other side" that saw the possibility of what's different with me.
2013 - My first ever talk at the local ATD chapter.
2013-2 - Another move. Living in Florida showed me a whole new side of America.
2013-3 - A trip to India for my maternal grandparents’ 60th wedding anniversary.
2013 - 4 - Only two talks later, I decided to apply to give a TEDx talk. Toughest talk of my life!
2014 - My P&G family. After 6 years with P&G, I left to become a full-time entrepreneur.
2014 - My dad, an author, and scientist, has moved over 25 times and now lives in San Diego. I’ve seen a lot of the country visiting him throughout my life.
2015 - My second TEDx talk!
2016 - The RV life. Minimal living, high mobility -- exactly what my experience-seeking self loves!
2017 - My first book, The Millennial Myth, comes out!
2017 - Norway. Adventures continue as I spend time in nature and traveling with my partner, Jeremy.
2018 - Pepperdine University. Graduating with my masters in Organization Development!
2018 - Living in Atlanta for a second time, surrounded by my beautiful, diverse group of friends and family
2019-1- Three cultures, one wedding. Hindu here.
2018 - Living in Atlanta for a second time, surrounded by my beautiful, diverse group of friends and family.
2019 - Three cultures, one wedding. Christian at this moment.
2019 - Three cultures, one wedding. Christian at this moment.
2019 - Three cultures, one wedding. And a bit of Jewish flavor.
2019 - Continuing to look forward to impacting people in this next stage of my life!
There isn't a day that goes by that I am not thinking about modernizing training and development. Your session really has created an impact.
Seeing a Better Path
Since I was young, I’ve reflected on encounters in my life, intentionally learned from them, and shared them with others. My parents are immigrants from India and raised me in Austin, Texas.
In a brisket-eating, yet down-to-earth community, I had no choice but to bridge my parent’s culture with the one that surrounded me. That was the beginning of my search for what’s good about different — what was good about my culture, what was good about me having two cultural identities, and what was good about the majority culture.
I’ve always had a strong belief that people are inherently valuable and can’t be easily compared to one another. I put myself in other people’s shoes and lean on the strengths we all have in tough times.
Because of the empathy and insight I cultivated, I consistently found myself as the go-to person for people who needed someone to understand their relationships and help them find solutions to move forward more effectively. Even in my teenage years, I found adults coming to me for advice. I tried not to let it go to my head, but I kept getting the feedback that I had unique insight and wisdom, that was helping people.
Embracing the Truth
As I got older, duality continued driving my mindset. Right brain/left brain, extrovert/introvert…I kept practicing bridging gaps not yet knowing it would define my path.
While I have always been an unconventional thinker, it took me a bit longer to embrace the notion of becoming an unconventional do-er. I graduated as a chemical engineer and started the life of a female in a male-dominated field at a Fortune 100 consumer products company.
After a few years in engineering, I realized all I wanted to do was work with people. To help solve even more complex problems than those on the manufacturing floor. To teach and train. To connect and help.
I took on a role in the training and development field and never looked back. As I worked more with diverse talent throughout the org, I saw fundamental gaps that needed to be addressed at a much larger scale. That’s when I knew I needed to think bigger.
While it took me years to realize it, I had been spending my whole life collecting firsthand lessons of simple mistakes business leaders make every day that can destroy teams and productivity.
Out into the World
We spend much of our lives at work, putting our unique strengths out there to produce in the world. And yet, work is often not equated with individual potential. Here was a gap I wanted to bridge.
I started to compile extensive research on trends impacting the future of work like Millennial work styles, modern learning habits, misconceptions of diversity and inclusion, and widespread shortcomings in digital technology implementations. That’s when I launched Kadakia Consulting (then known as Invati Consulting) and began working one-on-one with clients across industries.
Since then, I’ve been fortunate to have opportunities to speak at seminars around the world and continue consulting on people strategy for companies ranging from startups to Fortune 100 firms.
Driving Change.
I’m lucky to have experienced many different culture clashes which have put me in a unique position to help others understand the possibility in what’s different. Whether what’s different is in another person, a new innovation, or even in yourself, I am driven to articulate messages and shape systems that help bridge the gap and leverage strengths.
Whether I’m speaking to a room of three managers or 3,000 conference attendees, I always keep my history in mind. It’s my moments that were the spark behind the revolution I want to lead in the workplace.
No matter what business you’re in or how large or small you are, I can assure you that every one of your employees, colleagues, and customers has a unique story of their own. The sooner you build systems to empathize with the low points and empower the high points in those stories, the sooner you’ll see massive returns to your organization.
