Vasavi Kumar is part transformational life coach, part self-discovery junkie and 100% herself. Focusing on freedom first, she serves her purpose through her best-selling book, “Succeeding in Spite of Everything,” hosting her radio show, “Deep Talk” and keeping things juicy as the “Keeping it Real Guru” on Kansas City Live TV.

Self-proclaimed rebel-with-a-cause, Vasavi uses her own understanding of human nature to give her whole self to inspiring Confident Action. Her purpose is valuable and her trust – divinely ordained. Vasavi showed up as her authentic self to tell us about how her own road to freedom paved the way to serve others. Enjoy her exclusive Business Heroine interview…

BH: Tell us your story. How did you get to be so passionate about freedom?

Vasavi: It started as I grew up in a conservative and traditional Indian immigrant household. I love my parents so very much, and they wanted the best for us growing up. They came to the U.S. in the 70’s and wanted a life of freedom. But I think this country kind of shocked and scared them – so they wanted to protect us. There were a lot of shoulds and no’s and can’t do’s. And while I’m at a place now to understand where they were coming from, as a kid, I could never understand the ‘why.’

So from a very young age I was always seeking my own voice, living my own life and really trying to understand why we are the way we are as human beings. I guess you could say I was born a rebel.

I am a rebel with a cause, and my cause back then was to find my own voice. These days it’s to help other people find their own voice and find freedom in authentically expressing who and how they are without fear of judgment. It’s about having that deep knowing that as long as you can accept yourself first then everything else will fall into place.

{photo by Jenny Wheat}

BH: The way you describe freedom is unique. It’s not necessarily the ‘jet-setting around the world’ type freedom. It seems to be about the freedom to be authentically you. How do you define freedom?

Vasavi: Freedom to me is doing whatever the heck you want to do. Whatever feels good to you – do that. If that’s jet-setting – go for it. But it boils down to doing whatever you want to do and answering to yourself. As long as what you’re choosing to do is in line with your values and what you’re creating for yourself then that’s freedom for you.

BH: What are we missing out on in our lives if we aren’t tapping into our own unique freedom?

Vasavi: As an entrepreneur, I’m able to recognize that we have a hunger and a craving to serve. That’s all great intentions, but if you’re not living a life of freedom then how are you going to be able to share what you have to share?

If you’re confined in your own mind within the constructs of what you think you ‘ought to be’ or ‘should be’ – how can you fully be of service? When you’re able to break free from the shell of stuff that’s holding you back – that’s when you can totally be of service.

Part of why I love what I do is that I get paid to be Vasavi. It’s a disservice if I’m not showing up as me. If I’m feeling trapped in my own life then I’m ripping you off of the opportunity to be served by somebody who’s claiming to be “fully expressed.” That’s why it’s so important to look at the areas of your life where you do not feel completely self-expressed.

{photo by Jenny Wheat}

BH: The term you use, that we love, is ‘Confident Action.’ Say more about this!

Vasavi: The definition has changed for me throughout life. Just recently, it has developed into: “I’ve taken the necessary action, and I’m going to be confident and chill and know that it’s all going to work out.”

My father always taught me that there’s your agenda, and there’s God’s agenda. (And when I say God – that can be whatever resonates for you.) The only thing that you can control is the action you put in and the heart that you bring, but ultimately, there’s a universal order that controls a lot of what we think is our own agenda.

Take the action you need to take and do what you’ve got to do. Then sit back and have the confidence that whatever is meant to happen is meant to happen. It’s about having that deep knowing that whatever is meant to happen is going to happen. After you’ve put in the hours, the rest is divinely ordained.

It really is about actively choosing confidence. You can take all the action in the world, and you can fret and fume and let it upset you OR you can choose to sit in confidence and surrender to the outcome. And that’s a scary place to sit in!

And this is not to say that you have no influence in what’s meant to happen. It means showing up and doing your part then being at peace with the results.

{photo by Jenny Wheat}

BH: You have a very deep sense of purpose. How did you discover it?

Vasavi: It would probably go back to the age of three or four, when my family would take me to India each year. We would feed the poor, and I remember one time there was a homeless man reaching in the dumpster eating a banana peel. Not a banana, a banana peel.

I remember my mother saying, “Look at him. You are no better than him. And he is no less than you.” Right away in my life, she leveled that playing field. At that very young age I realized that we were the same.

I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I knew I didn’t want people to suffer. I recognized that my own level of happiness was directly tied to the kindness that I showed to others. Once I discovered how I was supposed to serve my purpose – that was it for me.

I’ve never NOT woken up with the hunger and eagerness. There’s something far bigger than me that drives me, and I listen to that. But you need a structure to purpose — a way you’re going to bring it out into the world. It wasn’t until I went into my coaching program that I was able to take actions aligned with my purpose.

BH: What can participants expect in your program, The Art of Confident Action?

Vasavi: What I’ve learned is this: I can truly be of service and give my purpose when my life is handled. No matter what comes up, I tell myself, “I got this!”

That’s what this program is about for you. It’s about you taking confident action in your life first, because you can serve from a more powerful place when you have all areas of your life handled.

Here’s the thing. I know that we as human beings have a desire to serve. I know that we’re happier when we give back. Our capacity to serve is limitless. We are brilliant beyond belief, and you have gone through enough in your life to be confident that you KNOW the answer. You have what you need.

So with just a little extra support, I help people help themselves. We are all Heroines in our own life. Be the Heroine of your own story so that you can be the Heroine of someone else’s. That’s why you’re here. Period.

{photo by Jenny Wheat}

BH: What’s one thing that we can do today to get on the path toward Confident Action?

Vasavi: It doesn’t have to be complicated. What’s the simplest thing you’d like to accomplish today? That thing you say ‘but’ after, then put off until later. Whether it’s publishing a blog or reaching out to a bigger client – whatever that one thing is that you really want to do – do it. It will probably take you less than 10 minutes! It’s the simplest step you can take right now to just move forward.

Take Confident Action with Vasavi

Now you can work with Vasavi! If you have that one goal hanging out there and, for one reason or another, you keep finding yourself stopped short when it comes to making it happen (even though you are totally ready for it), this is perfect for you…

Join the Art of Confident Action program now. It’s designed to support you in hurdling over your fears and making the move from inspiration to action (actually making it happen). You’ll craft a strategic plan to hit your goals and whatever comes after them, and you’ll design a way of life you absolutely love in the process.

Register now at: https://BusinessHeroineMagazine.com/FreedomForward

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August 2013 Issue, Cover Heroines