Case Study: Jaya Mallik (DEI Consultant)
From Corporate Doubts to Entrepreneurial Success: Jaya Mallik’s DEI Business Transformation with Judy Tsuei
Jaya Mallik, an experienced DEI leader, found herself at a crossroads. The performative nature of DEI initiatives in her corporate role left her feeling disillusioned. She wanted to start her own business where she could use her skills to make a truly positive impact — yet, she didn’t know where to start.
The Challenge
“As a DEI leader in corporations, you’re really hardwired to…self-censor… and so I had just learned to kind of like quiet my own voice. Judy really helped me to not just start having a little more courage to use my own voice again, but also to rediscover it.”
Jaya experienced a good amount of self-doubt as she considered leaving the corporate world. She knew she needed guidance on branding and business foundations to successfully transition into the arena of independent entrepreneurship.
The Solution
Jaya sought the coaching expertise of Judy Tsuei. Judy's experience as a successful woman of color entrepreneur resonated with Jaya: “I really admire her for her tenacity and her resilience through the different challenges she's experienced in life and how she continues to just continue to soar upward… she's amazing.”
Over 12 weeks, Judy worked with Jaya on three key areas:
Branding and Voice: Judy helped Jaya discover her authentic voice on LinkedIn. This led to dramatically increased engagement and visibility for Jaya's personal brand.
2. Business Foundations: Judy provided practical guidance on essential tools and strategies. She showed Jaya how to use HoneyBook for client management, Calendly for scheduling, and coached her on the benefits of revenue diversification. This equipped Jaya with the operational knowledge needed to run her business efficiently.
“She has also helped me and another wonderful woman of color named Nicole Smith gain greater visibility as thought leaders really establishing ourselves in a way that would help our business.”
3. Overcoming Self-Doubt: Judy normalized Jaya's feelings of insecurity and imposter syndrome, reminding her of her capabilities. She also invited Jaya into supportive communities like The Authentic Asian, fostering a sense of belonging and encouragement.
“It’s been a really affirmative space for me… to see [the] common struggles that many of us have.”
Overall Results
Thanks to help from Judy, Jaya successfully launched her coaching and consulting business, offering new programs like the Rising Leaders Program and Active Allies — and filling all available spots.
“The barrier to interaction or working together was so much lower with her than I think it would have been if I worked with somebody who was less like me…
As an Asian woman of color, [she understands] the high degree of responsibility and the high expectations we have of ourselves, but also our communities have of our careers to be accomplished to a certain degree…
It was kind of like a lot of empathy already baked into the relationship because it was like I understood her and she understood me already in this very deep way in terms of cultural expectations…
I don’t know if somebody else could have met me at that point in where I was at that time.”
She credits Judy's coaching for providing the foundation, confidence, and practical skills needed to make this leap. Judy and Jaya’s shared experience as women of color created a strong connection, enabling Judy to understand Jaya's unique challenges and aspirations deeply.
Key Takeaways
Authenticity is Key: Judy empowered Jaya to embrace her true voice, leading to greater resonance with her audience.
Practical Guidance Matters: Judy's hands-on advice on business tools and strategies — based on Judy’s own experience as a business owner — equipped Jaya with the operational know-how to succeed.
Community and Encouragement: Judy's mentorship extended beyond coaching, offering ongoing support and celebrating Jaya's successes.
“When she does something great or I do something great, we're able to support one another and I can be like “Go Judy!” or she can be like “Go Jaya!” So it's really nice to be able to have that support.”
Jaya's journey exemplifies the transformative power of coaching when it combines practical guidance and emotional support. Judy's mentorship played a pivotal role in empowering Jaya to overcome challenges, embrace her authentic self, and successfully launch her business.
