The Invisible Mentor

Posts Tagged ‘Nepal’

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

I am in the prime of my life, putting all my life experiences together to do the impossible.  Living in Kathmandu for 3.5 years and running my own business that provides an income generated in internationals sales into the hands of the people that labor to produce the products.

What’s unique about the service that you provide?

Traveling to and living in Nepal for 25 years, as well as working outside of my own culture has made be astute to cultural dynamics and my communications skills help me to facilitate new transactions.  I am accepted on both sides of the transactions.

What do you observe most people in your field doing badly that you think you do well?

I don’t assume I know.

What’s an accomplishment that you are proudest of?

That I have lived an interesting life way beyond my expectations

How do you integrate your personal and professional life?

I keep in touch with my friends 100% of the time.

What’s a major regret that you’ve had in life?

None

What are five life lessons that you have learned so far?

1. Feel the fear and do it anyway
2. I will understand sooner or later
3. Life is like water, impermanent
4. I need empty space in my life.
5. Being loved by someone keeps me young

When you have some down time, how do you spend it?

Writing reflective emails to friends

What process do you use to generate great ideas?

Mind mapping, talking over my ideas with others, ask myself what I do know, not what I don’t know.

What’s your favorite quotation and why?

They have varied: I find them I put them up on my computer.  My current one is “Security is an illusion.”

How do you define success?

Wanting to get out of bed every morning to embrace the day.

In your opinion what’s the formula for success?

Doing the best you can with every opportunity you are given.

Which one book had a profound impact on your life? What was it about this book that impacted you so deeply? Did you have an emotional or intellectual attachment to this book? Why?

What had a more profound impact on my life was being without books and learning to deal with the empty space where I could not occupy or distract my mind with a book.

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what are five books that you would like to have with you and why? Summarize the book in two sentences.

I would not take a book, but I would open my life to a monk’s life and being present to the gift of the absence of everything and be present to the senses.

Have you read any books that inspired you to start a business, service or invent “something”? If yes, which book?

I believe my brain seeks integrative thought – so a book would likely cause me to link to another idea.  Now I am reading Water for Elephants and love the vitality of the mind of the 93 old narrator. He writes about how his life in the assisted living home is designed to render him mindless.  It makes me think about how there are many structures in life that remove the grains of sands that could inspire us all.

What one music CD and movie would you like to have with you (on the deserted island) and why?

None: Don’t want the distraction.

If trusted friends could introduce you to five people that you’ve always wanted to meet, whom would you choose? And what would you say to them?

I have met many famous people; I would just be present to what is in the moment.

What excites you about life?

Coming up with new models that make business possible that incorporate and respect the obstacles.

How do you nurture your soul?

When I can, I will trek and I will walk for 12 hours a day, and completely exhaust my mind and body so that my soul can soar.

If you had a personal genie and she gave you one wish, what would you wish for? Or, if I gave you a magic wand, what would you use it for?

The elimination of human greed and that we each seek to make another’s life easier.

Complete the following, I am happy when…

At the end of my day, I can say I did the best with what I was given.

Which aspects of this interview can you apply to your situation? What do you have to add to the conversation? Let’s keep the conversation flowing, please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the right hand side) by email or RSS Feed. I created a Mini Learning Toolkit and you can grab your personal copy by clicking here.

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Today, the spotlight is on Deborah Koehler, CEO and Founder of SEHBO Pvt. Ltd. (Sustainable Environmental Himalayan Business Opportunities). Choosing to challenge herself against all odds, Deborah established her own business to support small to medium size companies in Nepal.  SEHBO provides assistance with marketing, finance, and production process improvements.  In addition, SEHBO makes its own herbal body care products and produces garments using natural fibers and herbal dyes.  SEHBO’s mission is to find international buyers for the quality products it promotes so that there is job creation for economic development in Nepal.

These interviews are meant to teach you as well as give you a glimpse of some very accomplished people. The second part of the interview is presented tomorrow. What are some of the ways that you can use the information.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

I am in the prime of my life, putting all my life experiences together to do the impossible.  Living in Kathmandu for 3.5 years and running my own business that provides an income generated in internationals sales into the hands of the people that labor to produce the products.

What’s a typical day like for you?

Engaged with virtual clients, pacing myself, and enjoying the beauty in which I live.  Looking across the valley at Monasteries and watching parrots fly through the trees.

How do you motivate yourself and stay motivated?

I have natural energy that has always been with me.  Awareness of self of what gives and takes away my energy, choosing not to stay stuck.

If you had to start over from scratch, knowing what you know now, what would you do differently?

I would have believed in myself more.

What’s the most important business (or other) discovery you’ve made in the past year?

I am good at whatever I set my mind to do.

What’s one of the biggest advances in your industry over the past five years?

Of course the movement of natural and organic products.  Nepal is ideally suited to deliver wonderful products that are non-chemical, utilize wise water usage and zero carbon footprint – all the new buzzwords. My business works to support new business opportunities in these areas.

What are the three threats to your business, your success, and how are you handling them?

Local corruption, unskilled staff, and lack of testing facilities.

1. Local corruption: I face it without a Nepali present.  Usually corrupted officials are unwilling to ask for bribes directly to foreigners.
2. Unskilled staff: I teach in a college, train my own business staff, and offer suggestions where I can.
3. Testing facilities: I find existing documents and then talk to different labs and see if they can create a similar testing program or request that the testing be done in the clients home country.

Describe a major business (or other) challenge you had and how you resolved it.

Not knowing what to do.  Knowing is a big part of western culture, knowing the answer and being smart is something, as a women, that gave me promotability.  However after leaving my husband and moving to Nepal, I did not know what it was that I should be doing.  I was needing to refine my “self” on so many different levels.  I do believe that my biggest business challenge was how to form my very diverse life into a life that I loved living.

What lessons did you learn in the process?

1. Each day is interesting,
2. Being present to each situation, being it familiar or unfamiliar brings about change that brings up new learning.

Tell me about your big break and who gave you.

I have had many big breaks and there were many people that went out of their way to give me opportunities.  I have never pretended to be more than I am, only that I am. Those that were in the position to help, helped and I have never forgotten them, and when I am in their city I make sure to stop and thank them for the great gifts they gave me.

Describe one of your biggest failures. What lessons did you learn, and how did it contribute to a greater success?

Failure has not been part of my life.  In 1978 I got off the plane in Denver, Colorado with $40 in my pocket.  I lived on the streets and learned that I survived with nothing. I learned I was resourceful and that I did not need to stay in bad situations, or situations that I outgrew – it gave me faith that things worked out.  Failure for me was being rejected for something that I thought I should have, but what I learned was, I was not ready for it yet.  Everything has a time and place and if you really want something it will come when you are ready.

What has been your biggest disappointment in your life – and what are you doing to prevent its re-occurrence?

That intimacy eluded me for a long time.

What’s one of the toughest decisions you’ve had to make and how did it impact your life?

To leave my marriage. I was married to a wonderful man but in spite of all I had, I was drawn to test myself in new directions.

What are three events that helped to shape your life?

1. Being part of a cult
2. Going to MIT
3. Living in Japan

How did mentors influence your life?

They made all the difference in the world. They believed in me when I doubted myself.

What’s one core message you received from your mentors?

You know what you need to do within yourself, trust yourself and move toward where you are pulled.

As an Invisible Mentor, what advice would you like to give to readers?

Seek information from those that you trust and then ask your heart what you believe or want.

Which resources (books, movies, training etc.) did your mentors recommend to you?

Best was Diana Krall music, a suggestion by Ben Cannon who died of cancer in 2006.

What are the steps you took to succeed in your field?

Paying attention to where I spent my brain time.

What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field?

I don’t have a field – I am a generator of new opportunities and I think that this “field” is not possible until you have experience.  So my advice would be, do as many interesting things as you can in life and they will add up to something you never imagined possible.

Which aspects of this interview can you apply to your situation? What do you have to add to the conversation? Let’s keep the conversation flowing, please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Many readers read this blog from other sites, so why don’t you pop over to The Invisible Mentor and subscribe (top on the right hand side) by email or RSS Feed. I created a Mini Learning Toolkit and you can grab your personal copy by clicking here.