From Burnout and Debt to First Paying Clients — How Pukhraj Built Her Leadership Program From Scratch
Pukhraj helps women step into their next level of leadership — without burning themselves out in the process. She knows what that looks like firsthand.
She came to Smart Mentoring in debt, three months postpartum, and rebuilding from scratch. She had a vision for her own leadership program — but no offer, no clients, and a lot of self-doubt about whether anyone would pay for what she had to give.
She had followed Marianne's work for years. So when the timing felt right, she pulled her savings from the stock market in India and said yes — even while carrying debt from her last business.
The offer was built from the ground up through service design and honest conversations about what premium transformation actually means. Her first paying client — a vice president of a major US education fund — said yes within weeks.
Three months later, she's running her pilot with five clients, has hired her first team member, and has dates set for the next cohort.
"I recovered the money I invested within three months. If you commit the time, the energy, and the money to yourself — you will see results."