A Business Built For Balance

Simmer Singh didn’t start her business with a grand vision. She started it because she had a newborn—and knew the corporate world wouldn’t wait for her to catch up.

She’d spent over two decades in the talent management world, building a career across India and the U.S. At one point, she was managing global teams. By all accounts, she was thriving. But when her second daughter was born, she saw things differently.

“I just felt like I wanted to do my own thing,” Simmer says. “Be my own boss. Have control over my hours. Be able to throw everything out if she needs me—and just be with her.”

That decision—simple on the surface—was backed by years of quiet preparation. Simmer had already started coaching certifications, already developed a wide range of skills within talent development, and already felt the itch to build something of her own.

What she didn’t expect was how fast it would click.

In her first year, business came easily. She made a few calls. Got a few referrals. Landed one big client. That alone was enough to sustain her practice in year one, especially with a baby at home. It felt like a dream.

But then came year two.

Things slowed. The referrals dried up. And Simmer realized she hadn’t built a growth engine—just a launch pad. She had to start doing the uncomfortable work of outreach, rejection, networking, and follow-ups.

“Everyone has their own journey,” she says. “We sort of know what we’re supposed to do, but it’s our own limiting beliefs that hold us back.”

Simmer’s work now focuses on leadership coaching, cultural intelligence, and people development—areas she’s uniquely qualified for, given her experience living and working across two very different cultures. She was born and raised in India, then moved to the U.S. mid-career. That shift—from collective humility to individual assertion—shaped everything about how she leads.

“In India, it’s all about harmony,” she says. “Don’t rock the boat. Keep your head down. Do good work, and your boss will take care of you.”

That approach didn’t translate in the U.S.—a place where promotions require self-advocacy, and quiet confidence can be misread as insecurity. Simmer had to learn to raise her hand. Speak up. Ask for what she wanted. And that wasn’t easy.

“A lot of immigrants struggle with that,” she says. “But I learned how to adapt. I learned how to make it work for me.”

Now she brings that lived experience into her coaching. Her clients are often navigating similar cultural challenges—whether they’re global teams spread across time zones, or leaders trying to understand their colleagues across borders. Simmer helps them find clarity in that complexity.

“It’s a global world,” she says. “We’re working with people from everywhere. But we walk into these conversations with no preparation—no context. That has to change.”

Her next move? Scaling. She’s building a team in both India and the U.S., so she can expand her impact without losing her balance. She doesn’t want to trade freedom for growth. She’s building a company that respects both.

And she’s doing it the same way she started—by listening, adapting, and finding clarity in the mess.

“I think coaching gave me the courage,” she says. “You tell people to chase their dreams enough times… eventually you have to take your own advice.”

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