Zoya Brar, Founder and CEO, CORE Diagnostics shares what drives her, how she handles work and what are the changes she has incorporated into her life to make it better than it already is
By Prabhat Prakash
Times have changed and life has become more demanding with every passing day. Gone are the days where one would take time off from work and not worry about it. Today with advancements in technology, all our work is integrated into our personal lives and with the devices that make our work easier. Even during leisure time, we subconsciously take time out for work.
Zoya Brar, Founder and CEO, CORE Diagnostics is a firm believer of leisure time being a myth. Brar is a very proactive individual with a vision. She has a degree in Sociology and has even worked for Google. But corporate life wasn’t for her and in 2012 she founded CORE Diagnostics and hasn’t looked back since. Her business in the last seven years has almost grown 100 per cent on a monthly basis. Brar has achieved all of this at a very young age but she still isn’t done yet.
Brar exclaims, “Personally, my current journey feels more like a life transformation and less like a career. Almost like I am on a mission to help people feel safe, feel free. Most things I do these days are motivated by that.” Being an entrepreneur, Brar doesn’t want to establish her business and make millions but wants to help those that are in need. She wants to be a difference maker and is striving to achieve that. Brar is mostly busy with work but that doesn’t deter her in taking out time for doing things she really loves.
Work life balance
Brar is very practical in her approach towards her work life. She states, “Balance comes from knowing what gives you happiness and optimising for that and often it comes from surrounding yourself with people that love you for what you are passionate about.”
She believes that people are the same and not divided. It is the same individual that goes to work and the same person returns home. The difference is that individuals are performing different duties at home and at work, they aren’t two different identities. This makes it very important to be around people that are supportive, helpful and encouraging. Otherwise, it becomes a difficult task to achieve one’s goals and potentials. Making an impact is always challenging but it is achievable if one takes out time for oneself to introspect and rejuvenate.
Learning other art forms
Well this isn’t very difficult for Brar to speak about. She doesn’t mince her words here when asked about learning other forms of art. Brar says, “Given that I am a self-described poet and sociologist, this question is kind of moot.”
In her spare time she pens down poetry and is also working on her book which is a work of fiction. She is an avid reader and about her choice of books Brar states, “I have an eccentric choice. Anything from books that help me think about the tough questions (The Road Less Travelled by M Scott Peck), to those that help me just lose myself for a bit, to those that help me wonder and marvel at life (usually poetry).” She also coaches people to become a better version of themselves. And whenever time permits, she indulges in travelling. She loves visiting places that are by the ocean, the water in many ways liberates her.
Time off from technology
Technology today is integrated into our cores, we cannot do without technology. Our lives are incomplete without the involvement of technology in some form or the other. The same cannot be said for Zoya as she enjoys disconnecting from gadgets. She was active on various social media platforms but has now quit most of them. She has even gone to the extent of muting notifications on her phone. Brar states, “I have all my notifications off and have quit most social media platforms. The peace of no interruption is what I would wish for all my peers.” This makes life simple for her, no worries of a world that doesn’t exist, living in the moment and taking life as it comes.
Message to peers
It is very important to be mentally stable no matter what an individual is doing. Being mentally stable not only makes an individual more productive but also helps elevates the mood and works of co-workers. “Work-life balance is a myth. Balance of mind and being aware of what holds you back and what drives you is what one should strive for,” states Brar. Life is a work in progress and one should always strive to be the best that they can be at work or at home. Life is beautiful and one should cherish every moment of it.