Pravasi Woman - Heli Kools | Director & Singer | Zingify - WeAreTheCity India | Events, Network, Advice for Women in India

I am an entrepreneur, singer-songwriter, marketer, foodie, traveller and a fashion evangelist. Engineering was my basic education but I always had an inclination towards the arts.

Where are you living currently and why did you choose that location?

I was born and raised in Bhopal, India. I lived in Los Angeles for five years. Currently I am hopping between work and home. Basically I am in and out of three locations; Los Angeles, Mumbai and Bhopal.

Why did you move away from India?

I got accepted at the Musician’s Institute in Los Angeles for Vocals. That’s where my never-ending journey of music and work started.

What do you miss most about living abroad?

There is quite a lot! The food, obviously – whole foods. The jam sessions I used to have with my friends. The pride in discovering new talent, attending concerts, the beaches, etc. I also miss a few things including fashionable accessories and types of clothing. The American shopping experience, I would recommend to everyone. If you have ever shopped in the US, trust me, it’s hard to shop elsewhere.

My take on the missing part is, there is a lot to miss but it will happen with change of location even if it’s LA to Chicago or to Hong Kong. The entire experience is what you own.

What do you like most about your current location?

My country, home, family and friends.

Did you face any particular challenges moving away from India?

No. It was pretty easy and quick.

Who in particular helped you during your transition?

My family supported me. I moved for the love of music. Overall it was a great learning experience.

Do you live in an Indian community?

No I didn’t stayed in an Indian community. I didn’t have many Indian friends primarily because my field of study was vocational. Though all of those with whom I shared a connection from India were really helpful and supportive.

Maybe it was just my experience; Indians living abroad are usually cold and non-welcoming. This was the primary reason I didn’t have many Indian friends, but a few were welcoming. I still share good friendship with them. So I would not like to be judgemental. I guess it’s more about luck – who you meet along the way! In India, people are open and friendly irrespective of whether you know them or not. They are available to give a hand (the same experience you’ll get by being with American Nationals in their own country or those from any other country).

Do you think you’ll go back to India one day?

I’m in a transition phase right now. I have moved back and forth and I feel there’s nothing better than living in your own country and living near family and friends, if you can have a better lifestyle there. I love the LA experience. Los Angeles is a vibrant, warm, beautiful city with a multinational culture and they value humanity. Though people are busy in their day-to-day life they are always there for their loved ones. Nobody is too big or too small and how wonderful the world would be if we all realise this.

If India were my heart then LA would be my soul. I have learnt and taken so much from the city that I feel LA is like my second home. I would certainly miss the beaches, the people, the music, the food, the accessories, the fashion and above all, the experience and life but I can always travel back for the experience and still carry the LA spirit in me! I think a country should be a place that no one wants to leave and it becomes part of your life.

Was setting up your business in the US tough?

The business set up was easy. It took me only 15 minutes to register the company. The tough part was I had never had a job there before and I wasn’t a local resident. It was a new country and it was not my field. I was a singer and I lived alone. But I found a great team and I have very helping advisors and most importantly, I went to MBA school to learn and understand the business and laws. I was blessed with good people around me so I won’t call it really tough.

Did you leave music completely?

I did leave it for a while and turned down a lot of opportunities. Maybe the time wasn’t right for me then. Now I have started writing and compiling a few old songs and a few new ones. The production is ongoing. I will have some good songs for everyone later in 2015. Here is a link to my new single on itunes. You can also play it on my website or FB Page.

What are you up to now ?

For my love of fashion, I am working on a new E-magazine site and an Ecommerce store that will deal in good quality and nice design apparel, accessories and home décor stuff.

In the US I did my shopping online without sweating about how the product would turn out. Usually systems are pretty transparent. What you see in a photograph is how the the product actually is. Also there my zip code was always served, unlike India. I never got an order cancellation email five days after the purchase. Whereas in the domestic market, when it comes to online shopping it’s mostly about getting a better deal than variety.

We came up with this idea because of a few personal experiences and due to a couple of expat friends who lived abroad earlier and felt shopping wasn’t great here. This project is taking up most of our day because we are new to this industry and quite ambitious about the quality. With new experiences at every step, we working towards providing good quality, a faster network and bringing global trends. Also, the idea is to change the way we shop online. We have a great team, so hopefully we will get to the goal. Fingers crossed!

BUZZMETER is a stand-alone unit with awesome independent teams. I think India and the US are both doing well. I look after it whenever it’s required.