"I have learned to make powerful requests."

Neha Sangwan - October 2002 Grad

I recently spoke with Dr. Neha Sangwan, a Wings grad who is also the CEO and founder of Intuitive Intelligence, a corporate health and communication consulting firm. She trained as a mechanical engineer and an Internal Medicine physician prior to starting her own business. Neha often travels around the world and spreads the word about Wings programs to people she meets, sometimes even on airplane flights!

It’s hard to believe that this self-assured professional woman and caregiver once doubted her own choices in life. But this is actually the case. A few years ago, Neha was in the Australian rainforest and had a life transforming epiphany - she admitted to herself for the first time that she didn’t know if she wanted to be a traditional physician, writing prescriptions in an office or hospital setting. With her Indian upbringing, she wondered if perhaps she had taken this path primarily to please her parents and grandparents. She decided in that moment to come home and find her heart. When a friend recommended the Personal Effectiveness Seminar (PES) she knew it was exactly what she needed.

After attending PES, Neha became clear that while she knew how to communicate scientific information about heart disease and other illnesses, she did not have equal command over the art of medicine, which included emotions and having difficult conversations. After returning to work, she successfully advocated for Kris King to come and provide communication training to a group of 50 physicians at the hospital where she was working. During the training Neha realized that this was part of her calling, to bridge the communication amongst physicians as well as to their staff and patients. PES had woken her up to the whisperings of her own heart.

Over the next few years Neha experienced CrossOver, LifeWorks and a year-long internship program at Wings. In her own words, “What makes Wings unique is it’s skilled facilitators and it’s blend of personal attention, small group work, experiential learning and practical tools. These workshops have allowed me to learn an incredible amount in a small amount of time. Whether it was related to business or working on my personal relationships, I was able to combine learning from others’ experiences and my own to create powerful changes in my life.”

Since completing her internship, Neha went on to create a comprehensive wellness program for doctors and nurses, and started her consulting firm targeted at using health and communication strategies to provide performance solutions for companies. She has figured out how to help teams meet their productivity goals by strengthening the health and communication of their people. Intuitive Intelligence Inc., the company Neha founded along with partners Drs. James Gordon and Mark Hyman, has at its core the belief that true wellness includes addressing our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being.

In the fall of 2008, Dr. Sangwan was invited to speak as a distinguished U.S. panelist at a Saudi Arabian medical conference on the link between heart disease and depression. She felt honored to be the only female speaker and was surprised at how easily she connected to her medical colleagues, men and women alike. She describes the trip as “life-altering.” It was her credentials as a physician that allowed her entrance into the country, but it was the art of medicine that connected them to each other’s hearts. This is when she realized her mission was far greater than locally connecting physicians and staff to each other. Neha’s current vision has her applying her passion for people, her medical experience and her respect for other cultures to serve as “a catalyst to unite nations toward world peace.” She has come full circle, recognizing her role as a physician made the experience possible.

What about that extraordinary advocacy that Wings programs have taught her? Neha says, “I have learned to build time in around travel or even when I am riding in an elevator. I make sure I have plenty of time around commitments. Many people are so busy they don’t look up or connect to others. I think this has become one of my gifts, to be present and curious. I listen to the people around me, ask what is important to them and I share my own journey. It’s refreshing to have an honest and meaningful conversation with a stranger.”

What has she learned that is making the biggest difference in her life? “I have learned to make powerful requests. I have become clearer about what I want and bolder in asking for it. I’m okay hearing people say no. I push my own boundaries and take risks, even when it’s uncomfortable. You’ll be amazed at what people say YES to when you’re willing to ask!”

Currently, Dr. Neha Sangwan continues to strategize on innovative ways to improve employee health and communication that make companies more competitive. In addition she is continuing the momentum with her new friends in the Middle East by creating ongoing learning opportunities to teach the medical students and staff in Saudi Arabia about the “art of medicine.” She is also writing a book to inspire individuals to take ownership of their health.

Visit her website at: www.intuitiveintelligenceinc.com