Fashion to finance: This woman shunned the 9-to-5 trap and now represents India on a global sales forum

“I didn’t want a 9-to-5 job. My children were still quite young, and as a homemaker I had other obligations as well, so I couldn’t do a job that had fixed work hours. I also wanted to be entrepreneurial, not have a boss to report to, and work on my own terms.”

When Plabita Priyadarshi began working with Kotak Life as a life insurance advisor in 2004, she did so after being out of the job market for six years, as she had two young children to care for. Today, she is the proud owner of her own investment company, providing investment advice and management services.

Plabita was married at a very young age, while she was still pursuing her graduation and moved to Mumbai once that was done. After doing a course in design, she worked at a fashion house but had to quit when her husband was transferred to Delhi. That was the year her daughter was born and she devoted herself to being a mother and homemaker with no time to begin her career. She moved back to Mumbai and a year after her son was born. With two young children and plenty of household responsibilities, she had enough on her hands. She realised she didn’t have the time nor inclination to go back to a 9-to-5 job. Despite these pressures, she yearned to be financially independent and an active financial contributor to her household.

Through hard work and tenacity, Plabita started racking up accolades. She became a stalwart in her field, appreciated and respected by her clients and at Kotak Life. She met top investment agents from across the world and her experiences interacting with them inspired her. Soon she was being invited to international conferences as a representative of Kotak Life. At her most recent outing in Orlando in June, she spoke as part of a panel discussion too. She has qualified for the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) four times, Court of the Table (COT) seven times, Top of the Table (TOT) once and has been an acclaimed top performer of the company since 2006.

Plabita’s reluctance to being shackled by the usual work timings, her hard work through the years and global exposure gave her the confidence that she had it in her to start her own investment agency.

Ask this superwoman how she does it and she says she’s always wanted to excel at whatever she does. As a modern woman raising a family, she understands the pinch of inflation and the need for sound financial planning. This knowledge and her years of experience have helped her be the best financial planner for her clients. Along the way she has become an inspiration for her fellow professionals.

Browse through more such stories of how individuals have transformed their life by being Life Advisors with Kotak Life Insurance.