“It is never too late to start again.”
Dreaming Beyond Circumstances
Fatema’s early life was rooted in simplicity. She studied in a Gujarati-medium school and grew up in an environment where practical limitations often shaped expectations.
As the only girl in her family to reach college, pursuing higher education was itself a meaningful achievement. There were limitations, responsibilities and moments when she questioned whether she could really move beyond what was considered normal for a girl from her background.
Yet, she carried a strong belief that education could change the direction of her life.
She completed her graduation with more than just a degree. She gained the confidence to dream beyond her circumstances.
Looking back, Fatema considers one of her greatest achievements to be the courage to dream when her surroundings encouraged her to stay within limits.
That belief became one of the foundations of everything that followed.
The Early Desire for Financial Independence
The desire to become financially independent was present in Fatema from a young age.
Even during her school days, she wanted to earn and stand on her own feet. She started small, taking up stitching work, mehndi artistry and tuition classes for children.
After graduation, she worked in different roles as an administrator and computer operator. These experiences helped her understand workplace responsibilities and gave her exposure to different professional environments.
After marriage, Fatema completed a beauty parlour course and began offering beauty services from home. She even created a basic setup to pursue the work.
However, as family, children and household responsibilities increased, she could not continue the venture consistently.
The dream of doing something independently did not disappear. It simply had to wait.
Family, Responsibilities and the Search for Her Own Path
For many years, family remained Fatema’s first priority. As a mother and a secondary income contributor to her family, there were phases when her professional ambitions had to take a back seat.
But somewhere within her, one desire continued to grow-the desire to teach, train and help people become better versions of themselves.
Over time, Fatema began to recognise that her natural strength was not simply in doing something for herself. It was in helping others discover their own potential.
At the age of 50, she decided to begin again.
She founded Sun Coaching & Consulting, creating a platform where her passion for teaching, training, communication and personal development could finally come together.
It was not simply the beginning of a business. It was the beginning of a new chapter in her identity.
Sun Coaching & Consulting: Turning Learning into Transformation
Today, Sun Coaching & Consulting works primarily with MSMEs, showroom-based businesses and IT companies to build stronger, more responsible and growth-oriented teams.
The organisation focuses on employee development and behavioural transformation rather than one-time training.
Its areas of work include:
• Employee behaviour and mindset transformation
• Soft skills and personality development
• Communication and presentation skills
• Leadership and personal leadership development
• Team development
• Goal setting and performance mindset
• Workshops and customised training programmes
Fatema’s approach combines training, coaching, NLP, storytelling, reflection and practical activities.
Her belief is that training should not end when a workshop ends. Knowledge should gradually become behaviour, and behaviour should ultimately create measurable improvement in the workplace and in people’s lives.
The Power of NLP and Storytelling
One of Fatema’s key competitive strengths is the combination of NLP and storytelling with practical training.
As an NLP Practitioner, she focuses not only on what people need to learn, but also on how they think, communicate and respond.
Her storytelling ability adds another dimension to her training. Instead of relying only on theoretical concepts, she uses real-life examples, stories, reflection and practical exercises to make learning relatable and memorable.
Her philosophy can be described as:
Knowledge + NLP + Storytelling + Practical Application
The objective is to help people understand not only what they should do, but also why it matters and how they can apply it in their daily lives and workplaces.
Learning Through Leadership and Community
Fatema’s entrepreneurial growth has also been deeply connected with business and leadership communities.
She was associated with BNI (Business Network International) for 8.5 years, during which she also had the opportunity to serve the BNI region as a trainer.
She also served as Past President of JCI Surat Chapter, gaining valuable experience in leadership, community development and working with young entrepreneurs and professionals.
Today, she is a member of the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SGCCI), Surat.
These experiences reinforced one of her strongest beliefs: networking, learning, leadership and collaboration can transform both individuals and businesses.
The Challenges That Made Her Stronger
One of the most difficult parts of Fatema’s journey was not having someone with whom she could openly share her struggles, ask questions or seek guidance about life, career, relationships and her dreams.
Her interfaith marriage also brought its own challenges, including differences in backgrounds and expectations. At many points, she chose to adjust, manage responsibilities and continue moving forward.
But those experiences eventually taught her an important lesson:
“I cannot always wait for someone to come and guide me. I have to become my own guide.”
She began investing in herself through learning, self-development, NLP, mind-power practices, coaching and training.
Today, that experience has become one of her greatest strengths as a coach. She understands what it feels like to have a dream but not have the right guidance or support-and wants to become the kind of person she once needed.
The Boldest Decision: Choosing Her Own Path
One of the boldest decisions of Fatema’s life was choosing her life partner herself and then finding the courage to convince her parents to accept her decision.
Coming from a traditional family, it required courage, patience and confidence to stand by her choice.
The experience taught her an important lesson about ownership. When you take ownership of your decisions, you must also have the courage to accept the responsibilities that come with them.
For Fatema, it was an early experience of standing up for herself, trusting her judgement and choosing her own path.
Changing Mindsets, Changing Lives
Today, one of the obstacles Fatema is most passionate about addressing is mindset.
She believes rigid thinking patterns can prevent people from accepting positive change, particularly among parents who genuinely want the best for their children but may struggle to understand changing times, new career choices, communication styles and the emotional needs of younger generations.
Fatema also believes that religious beliefs and traditions can hold great value, but they should be understood rather than followed mechanically.
Her message is simple: Question with respect. Understand before judging. Embrace positive change without losing your values.
For her, transformation begins when people become willing to change the way they think.
“Change the mindset, and you can change the life.”
Recognition for Leadership and Contribution
During her JCI Surat Chapter Presidential year in 2016, Fatema’s leadership and contribution were recognised with 2 National Awards and 4 Zone-level Awards.
Her 8.5-year association with BNI also brought several awards and recognitions for her contribution, leadership, networking and training initiatives.
For Fatema, these awards are not merely trophies or certificates. They represent the trust people placed in her and the responsibility that comes with leadership.
Every recognition has encouraged her to continue learning, contributing and creating meaningful impact.
Work-Life Balance: Choosing the Right Priority
Fatema does not believe that work-life balance means giving equal time to everything. She considers perfect work-life balance somewhat of a myth.
Different stages of life naturally demand different priorities.
As a mother, family was often her first priority. There were periods when her professional ambitions had to take a back seat because her children and family needed her.
Today, she tries to be more intentional with her time.
Her philosophy is: Give the right attention to the right priority at the right time.
For her, balance is not about doing everything perfectly. It is about making conscious choices without losing yourself in the process.
A Life Beyond Work
Outside her professional responsibilities, Fatema enjoys singing, visiting the library and spending time with friends.
She is an active member of Toastmasters, and Sundays are often dedicated to practising English speaking, public speaking and communication skills.
For Fatema, personal growth continues through learning, creativity, relationships and self-expression.
From Being Good at Many Things to Mastering One
For most of her life, Fatema explored many different skills and opportunities. Those experiences helped her discover herself.
But with maturity came another important realisation: Being good at many things is not the same as becoming exceptional at one thing.
Today, she wants to focus her energy on becoming an expert in speaking.
Her ambition is to become a powerful, confident and impactful speaker whose words educate, inspire and motivate people to take action.
Her goal is not simply to speak well. It is to speak in a way that stays with people.
Choosing Smart Work
Fatema describes herself more as a smart worker than a hard worker.
She prefers finding smarter, simpler and more efficient ways to create better results. Her philosophy is to invest time, skills and knowledge today in ways that can create greater freedom, comfort, income and impact over time.
For her, smart work means working with purpose-not simply working more.
A Lifelong Learner
Even today, Fatema is learning English communication, Urdu Shayari, Numerology, Indian Astrology and Vastu.
Her late parents remain her biggest motivation. Their values, sacrifices and belief in her continue to inspire her.
In her spiritual journey, Mr. Sanjay Bohra of Dutt Mandir, Gopipura, Surat, has been her spiritual mentor.
Fatema believes her biggest strength is that she has always stood by herself. Her never-give-up attitude has become one of the defining qualities of her journey.
A Vision Much Bigger Than Business
Fatema wants to become a TEDx speaker and dreams of one day winning the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking.
She also dreams of taking her work to a global platform such as Mindvalley.
Beyond personal recognition, she wants her journey to inspire women-especially those who believe they have missed their opportunity.
Another important part of her vision is parenting. She believes empowering parents can create positive change within families and for the next generation.
In the next 10 to 25 years, she envisions herself as an internationally acclaimed trainer, coach and speaker with a global community committed to continuous self-improvement.
She wants to build more than a business. She wants to build a community of people committed to becoming better every day.
Success Means Progress, Not Perfection
Fatema considers herself successful, but her definition of success is different from simply having money, status or achievements.
For her, a successful person is someone who has a vision, carries a dream and consciously works towards making that dream a reality.
She measures success through progress, not perfection.
Her success mantra is simple:
“Dream boldly. Take action consciously. Never give up.”
As long as she is moving towards her vision and becoming a better version of herself, she considers herself successful.
A Message to the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs
Fatema’s advice to young entrepreneurs is straightforward: do not wait for everything to be perfect before starting.
Start with what you have. Learn continuously. Be willing to make mistakes.
Build skills, relationships and credibility along with your business. Money matters, but trust, reputation and the ability to solve real problems create sustainable success.
Her message is: Stay curious. Stay humble. Never stop learning.
Entrepreneurship is not a race. It is a journey of becoming better every day.
“Dream big, start small, stay consistent-and keep moving forward.”
Never Too Late to Begin Again
If there is one message Fatema wants people to remember from her story, it is this:
“It is never too late to start again.”
Her journey has not been a straight line. She has been a daughter, wife, mother, entrepreneur, trainer and lifelong learner. She has experienced responsibilities, setbacks, missed opportunities and moments of self-doubt.
At 50, she is building a new chapter through Sun Coaching & Consulting, with a vision to create impact through speaking, training and coaching.
She wants her story to encourage women who feel they sacrificed their dreams for family or believe their opportunity has already passed.
Her message is powerful: Your journey may take longer than you expected, but it is not over.
From a Gujarati-medium classroom to leadership platforms, from family responsibilities to entrepreneurship, and from self-doubt to becoming a guide for others, her journey is a testament to resilience, learning and self-belief.
At 50, she is not starting late. She is starting with experience.
And her promise to herself-Khud Se Kiya Vaada-is to keep learning, keep growing, keep speaking and keep creating a life that inspires others to believe in themselves.
Because sometimes the most powerful beginning is the one you choose to make after you thought your beginning was already over.
