Puneet Sachdev worked for years in the hotel industry and with General Electric as a management consultant. He now uses that knowledge in his work as a consultant, creative philanthropist, and coach.
He is also the author of Deepa Wishes Daddy Happy Birthday, a book based on the time he’s spent with his daughter. He uses 100% of the proceeds from the book to support the education of underprivileged children. The book also began his work as a creative philanthropist.

In this episode, learn how Puneet turned his idea into reality, why you need to put yourself out there, and the importance of being present.

Here are three things you can learn from Puneet:

We Are All on a Journey

Many of us believe we aren’t destined for greatness, but we never take the first step. The first thing we must all do, if we want to find success, is accept the fact that we are all on a journey.

Puneet believes we all have a choice to make. We can choose to continue on the path we’ve been on, or we can choose the unbeaten path. “When you have that call to adventure. You have the choice of taking it or not.”

And once we’ve answered that call to adventure, things will begin to come together in unexpected ways. “I just feel like you step out of that path and put yourself out there, and … the clearer you get and the more you put yourself out there, serendipity is what shows you the way.”

But we can’t do it on our own. Luckily, life has a way of providing the help we need. “I feel that what happens is when you start off on your journey, when you start off saying ‘This is really important to me and I’m going to set sail on this path,’… I think somehow the teachers show up and that support network emerges at different points.”

Our Greatest Projects Start With a Strong Desire

One of the great things about creative projects is, they start off as just an idea in our heads. They are nothing more than a thought that sprouted and evolved into a something beautiful.

That’s exactly what happened to Puneet. He never considered himself a creative person. He believed only artists had the ability to be creative, but what he discovered was, everyone has the capacity to be creative. We just need the right people around us to make our ideas come to life.

So, while he is not a gifted writer or illustrator, he was still able to bring his idea to life. “I know I’m not a great, gifted, writer. I’m not taking any courses on creative writing. Nothing. It was just a desire and a passion behind it. I did that, and I used the people who have got those gifts.”

All it takes is combing that desire with action and the ability to bring the right people together. Just don’t expect it to be a quick process. “Desire, taking the action, using the people that will help me put it together. It’s a very long process, It’s much longer than I would have liked it to be.”

The Importance of a Mindfulness Practice

Puneet is a huge advocate of having a mindfulness practice. There are so many things around us that distract us from our goals. Sometimes we need to disconnect from everything and focus on ourselves. “The world that we live in is just in so much of a frenzy all the time and with technology it is very easy to get disconnected. It’s very easy to get just swayed away by whatever the most prevalent wind is… so I think practice (mindfulness) is what really helps in grounding you.”

One problem is, many people want to practice mindfulness, but they have the wrong ideas about what it is. They believe their minds have to be empty of thoughts, but that simply isn’t the case. “That’s really not the goal of it. The goal is for you to be present with yourself in this moment and time. So please get away from the notion that you should empty your mind of thoughts.”

Instead, we must aim for stillness. We must be in touch with ourselves. “[In] day to day life, the goal is stillness, being with yourself, [and] getting in touch with what your body is saying”

Shownotes

• about Puneet
  • was missing daughter during her birthday, and wondering what he could do for her that was unique
  • made up stories based on her daughter
  • wrote stories on the way from San Francisco to Chicago
  • did illustration program at university in Chicago
  • wrote and illustrated the first version of the book
  • wanted to inspire other kids with the stories too
  • commit 100% of profits to support underprivileged kids
  • asked friends on Facebook to support the cause
    • friend mentioned couple who ran a school near New Delhi
    • they organized a school to help children

13:14 “What I really want to do is make creative philanthropy into a larger, wider, scale movement by inviting artists to contribute towards social impact using their art.”

• Puneet’s upbringing and background
  • dad was from Indian navy
  • had a good education and went to decent schools
  • there’s a lack of education for many children
  • knew he wanted to work with kids, and the book became the trigger to be able to do that

15:31 “These children, they have a great hunger, and they have a fire in their belly. They’re hungry. All they want is to be given the opportunity. So I’m glad that I can make a small difference over there and help these kids in some way.”

• what he learned in school
  • a lot of sports
  • studied hotels and worked in corporate world with General Electric
  • then went to UK to study management
  • transitioned to management consulting in US
  • doesn’t consider himself creative
    • thinks artists are creative
• his creative project started as a strong desire
  • thinks if we think too much about something, we don’t take the first few steps
  • took book to publisher who said he should take it to an illustrator
  • he realized it wasn’t about just him anymore, so he took it to a professional illustrator

18:15 “I know I’m not a great, gifted, writer. I’m not taking any courses on creative writing. Nothing. It was just a desire and a passion behind it. I did that, and I used the people who have got those gifts.”

19:22 “Desire, taking the action, using the people that will help me put it together. It’s a very long process, It’s much longer than I would have liked it to be, and that involves my own procrastination a good deal too.”

• initial phase of the book
  • wrote during his flights on his laptop
  • created illustrations while taking classes
• style for the drawings
  • was proud of his first book
  • got it done at Shutterfly and put love into it
  • showed the book to people, and people asked if the drawings were created by his daughter
  • is still developing his drawing skills so he can use his own drawings for his books
  • daughter made video for his birthday while he was away
    • one of his stories is based on this event
    • QR code in the book showing the actual video she sent
  • book is based in Swaziland for the Bushfire Fesitval
    • social impact events take place at the festival
    • story is based on true events
• developing the story for the book
  • Deepa character is almost a part of the family
  • for his current book, he is trying to base the plot on events at Swaziland with help from people in Swaziland
  • writes what he feels is interesting
• moments that stood out from first
  • video birthday story
  • sets book in real places
  • wishing dad goodbye at the airport
• watching the birthday video
  • had just moved to US
  • people were at his party
  • was watching in kitchen
  • he felt very emotional and had tears while watching it
• getting other people involved
  • setting an example as a creative philanthropist through engaging with schools
  • doing a TED X Talk
  • inviting artists who support cause and providing platform for them to sell to contribute to the cause
  • experimenting with schools and holistic education
  • bringing mindfulness, connecting with nature, introducing modern communication, doing rights of passage ceremonies
  • exploring softer emotions: love, gratitude, etc.
  • writing to teach kids about gratitude/love, re-educating adults as well
• importance of mindfulness
  • the first thing he does when working with people one on one is making sure they have a stillness practice (mindfulness)
  • Jon Kabat-Zinn bringing mindfulness to popular culture
  • studied Buddhism in his twenties
  • connecting with nature can be a separate or the same practice
  • being with yourself and being outside
  • connecting with something as a much larger inspiration
  • he spent a lot of time practicing and developing his practice

35:35 “The world that we live in is just in so much of a frenzy all the time and with technology it is very easy to get disconnected. It’s very easy to get just swayed away by whatever the most prevalent wind is… so I think practice (mindfulness) is what really helps in grounding you.”

• situation where mindfulness helped him in a challenging situation
  • finished consulting work in 2008
  • was developing a golf business because he liked it
  • wanted to create a big business out of it
  • gave himself three months to develop it
  • building business took a lot of licenses and expenses
  • didn’t work out, and he wasn’t getting work
  • exercised and did mindfulness practice to get himself out of the situation
  • giving himself hope helped him cope with the situation

40:58 “I feel that’s one thing which really helped me, that I could give myself hope. I feel that at some deep gut level I do kind of bet on myself.”

• difference between people who believe in themselves vs. those who don’t
  • getting up one more time
  • take things one day at a time
  • environment as an important factor
  • Rory Mcilroy – fearless and tremendous self belief
  • Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey
  • threshold guardians – people who care about you
    • they try to protect you
  • practice keeping your heart open to see what emerges
  • take things ones step at a time and you will know what you need to focus on

42:52 “I feel that what happens is when you start off on your journey, when you start off saying ‘This is really important to me and I’m going to set sail on this path,’ and if you commit to it, I think somehow the teachers show up and that support network emerges at different points.”

43:53 “When you have that call to adventure. You have the choice of taking it or not.”

44:32 “I just feel like you step out of that path and put yourself out there, and … the clearer you get and the more you put yourself out there, serendipity is what shows you the way.”

• knowing whether you should continue on your path
  • Puneet is in this place at the moment
  • you need to stop if you’re trying too hard and not getting very far
  • mindfulness helps you keep in touch with this
  • change makers are often at a crossroads
  • using coaches or other people to help you reflect
  • sometimes you just have to focus on your own well being and nourishing your spirit
  • very few people are built with a perfect environment and mindset

48:03 “At times you just have to be and not take too much action and focus on your own well being and your own goodness and nourishing your own spirit, and then see what emerges.”

• creating mindfulness practice
  • also called stillness or meditation
  • Deepak Chopra and Oprah’s Meditation Challenge
  • start with guided meditation if necessary
  • an empty mind is possible, but not practical in day to day life
  • sit in one place for 10 minutes and see what comes up

“Here’s the one big thing that stops people from meditating, is that the goal of meditation is to get my head empty of thoughts… That’s really not the goal of it. The goal is for you to be present with yourself in this moment and time. So please get away from the notion that you should empty your mind of thoughts.”

“[In] day to day life, the goal is stillness, being with yourself, [and] getting in touch with what your body is saying”

• the rite of passage
  • didn’t experience it himself, but heard about it through a woman he was talking to from Botswana
  • Thea Khama of Inner Core Energetics
  • working with an organization for youths and young adults that do Rites of Passage
  • showing trust and love for children turning into adults
  • most of them take place in nature
  • different organizations will do different things
• working with large businesses and bringing that experience into philanthropy
  • project planning, putting things into a proper framework, raising money, etc.
  • organizing events, eye for detail, customer service, etc.
  • GE – working with Six Sigma
  • using data and mapping it out into a process

“I think the greatest gift of having worked in corporate organizations and having tried to run a business of my own, etc…is that I can work with an idea. I can work with a vision. I can break down to the steps that are required to actually bring it to life.”

• similarity and differences between businesses and philanthropies
  • they are all organizations and are run very similarly
  • ex: airlines – driving shareholder value
  • social enterprise – cause oriented, but also generating profits
  • doesn’t see much of a difference
  • hiring the right people, structuring operation, setting a vision, etc.
• coaching
  • did it as a part of his job doing operations
  • coaching as being important part of managing a team
  • after operations he did organization development
    • creating high performing teams, management/training programs, etc.
    • creating action working sets
  • Game Changer Coaching
  • natural extension of what he has already done

“I think what makes it really easy for me, I just generally have a desire to be able to work with people, and help them, and do something great in their life, or whatever they would call great. Not everybody has to do something huge, big or impressive. Whatever is great to them, whatever calls them. How do you help them do that.”

• advice for people who don’t consider themselves creative
  • having a desire to do something that only he could do and using storytelling
  • putting something together that is your own creation
  • the thing that stops us from doing something is not taking the first few steps
  • Thom Shillaw – used to work in sports nutrition, but has used language and body language to help people through challenging emotional situations
    • uses creativity to cure people in an unconventional method

“Millions of people want to write a book, but so few of them actually take action because they don’t perceive themselves to be an author… The way to get over that is simply, start with the first few steps or work with somebody. Work with somebody who resonates, whether it’s a coach or friend. Just go and see someone you trust, someone you feel comfortable and safe with and simply say ‘I have a desire. I want to make quilts. Will you hold me accountable? I’m going to try to do this. Would you mind if I check in with you or speak to somebody you know who’s done it.’ So I would say… find somebody you trust, who you feel… would support you in your journey, but take the first few steps. I think that’s the key. “

•  favorite quote
  • challenging situations
    • facing or running from challenges

“Where you stumble is where you find your treasure will be.” alternatively “Where you stumble and fall, there you will find gold.” ― Joseph Campbell

• morning routine
  • 30-45 minutes of meditation which takes years to get to
  • conscious movement and motion to break inertia/stress
  • 3x a week goes for a workout
• creative people
  • Attraction Shadow Dance
    • using dance for storytelling
    • Britain’s Got Talent Youtube video
• books, resources, podcasts, etc.
  • The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra
    • pure simplicity, one law for each day
  • The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by  Robin Sharma
  • The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
  • UYD Media – Use Your Difference to Make a Difference
• definition of creativity

“For me creativity is just your own unique expression of your own spirit of your heart and I feel that the important thing is that this is not meant to be competitive. It’s not meant to make you look good. It’s just your own pure expression. That’s really what it is.”

• being more creative

“If you have an urge or a desire, take action on it, or find some people or find some support which you can have to help you try expressing what it is you would like to try. Whether it’s writing or making some art on walls ot it is anything… It can be anything but I feel that the most important thing scheduling, number one… and then following through with it and use some people around you to hold you accountable for it if you can.”

• Valerie – Soul Motion Dance
• two free one on one coaching sessions for the first two people to contact him: Puneet on Facebook or email creativephilanthropist@gmail.com – mention coaching sessions

Creative Philanthropist and Coaching