A Chronic Entrepreneur: Sayali Apte

Sayali Apte probably wouldn't have become an entrepreneur if it wasn't for her chronic illness. When she was 23, newly married, and working as a business consultant with a bright future ahead of her, she was involved in an accident which ended up leaving her blind in both eyes. But Sayali was determined to find a way to see again and turn her seemingly dire situation on it's head. Now, she is the proud and passionate founder of Mind Body Hope - where she has a mission to empower 10,000 women with the skills and strategies they need to confidently reclaim control of their physical, mental and spiritual health through hypnotherapy and health coaching. Read on to learn more about Sayali Apte's inspiring story.

What’s your Chronic? 

 Vision impairment, long term steroid side effects: steroid skin burn, chronic eczema and steroid-induced T2D ( metabolic syndrome )

What makes you an Entrepreneur?

The ability to see opportunity in and improvement of an unforeseen circumstance is what makes me an Entrepreneur.

While some people see “broken” or “imperfect”, I see “beauty” and “potential”

How did the path of entrepreneurship come to you?

I am the proud and passionate founder of Mind Body Hope. My mission is to empower 10,000 women with the skills and strategies they need to confidently reclaim control of their physical, mental and spiritual health. 

Born out of my sudden and tumultuous struggle with blindness, I experienced first-hand the life-altering effects of debilitating illness. I lost my identity during a long, hard and messy recovery. During my personal transformation, I grappled with isolation, depression, miscarriages, body image issues and food addiction.

In rebuilding my life, I certified and now practice as a health coach and hypnotherapist,  to help women just like me who struggle with emotional eating and poor body image. I am passionate about helping women recognise and remove damaging subconscious thought patterns so they can effortlessly replace unhealthy habits with ones that promote holistic health.

What’s your frame of mind like at the moment? How have you survived the pandemic?

The pandemic has been oddly comforting and calming for us as a family. Living away from the city, still commuting back and forth to our corporate jobs has been our routine for over 20 years. My son used to be the first to be dropped off at daycare and last to be picked up since he was 11 months old. I cannot even count the endless instances of mum guilt!

During the pandemic we have been able to have snuggles in the morning, breakfast as a family and dinner at the dining table. It’s the small things.

This time has also tested my resilience (as it has for all of us) . I have had a lot of time to re-evaluate the people, things, habits, thoughts and environment that I live in. I have let go of trying to reduce myself in any capacity just to ‘fit in’ with people’s perception of me. I have ended some relationships and new ones have blossomed and grown. I feel more at peace with myself and my energies, time and efforts are now invested solely in things that spark joy! 

From a business perspective, the pandemic has propelled the world into truly waking up to the powers of hypnotherapy and prioritising mental health! I have been fortunate enough to be busy helping women reclaim control of their health. More importantly, I love being able to do good work in the world. I get to help my clients free themselves from emotional eating, sugar addiction and negative body image once and for all. I heal myself everytime I help a client. So honoured!  

What came first, the “chronic” or the “entrepreneur”?

Definitely the ‘chronic’. In fact, I probably wouldn’t be an entrepreneur if it wasn't for the chronic.

Every dark cloud truly does have a silver lining.

What’s your diagnosis story? How old were you?

I was 23, newly married, working as a business consultant with a bright future ahead of me. I had an active social life, fostered puppies, loved to dance and enjoyed exploring new places.

In a moment, my life changed forever. An accident at a rowing event triggered off a massive chain reaction of events. It all happened so fast. Both my corneas had ruptured and I was totally blind in both eyes. I had developed Keratoconus hydrops with major scarring. The surgeon's were convinced I was going to be blind for life. 

I never accepted that prognosis. All of a sudden I went from a vivacious, somewhat shy person to a fighter that would not settle. I was determined to find a way to see again. I never once saw myself as blind and I knew then that I would be ok. Things would get better, because I will make them better.

What have you learnt about yourself through this journey? How have you changed, if at all in your relationships, decisions, what you value/your life philosophy?

My key takeaways are as follows:

1. Be kind (to yourself and others)

2. As humans we are infinitely more resilient than we know we are

3. If you want to transform your body, transform your mind.

4. All the isolation, late nights, hard work, sweat and tears you put in when nobody is watching, is what will truly define your success.

5. Online and Offline people still judge a book by it’s cover - I am using my voice, my platform in a compassionate, authentic way to encourage people to look beyond what meets the eye.

My experiences have changed my relationships dramatically. I am a lot more accepting and open to opposing opinions than I was before.

 I no longer feel compelled to be ‘right’ in conversations. I now have conversations to learn, see and hear the person before me. This has been life changing for me and enriching on so many levels.. including less bickering about household chores with my husband :)

Did you go through any sort of 12-stages of grief with the diagnosis or take it in its stride? In other words, how did the grief process manifest itself – did you immediately reassess your life or was it more gradual?

I most certainly went through a vast range of emotions during my diagnosis and recovery. It would take years of rehabilitation, steroid treatment and several corneal transplant operations for me to be able to see again. It was a long, messy and ugly recovery period. I suffered from weight gain, hair loss, severe skin conditions, insomnia, diabetes and other conditions that emerged from being on steroids for several years. 

I was always the “positive” one amongst all my friends and family. Initially I did everything in my power to keep up appearances. My family was overseas, so I pretended to be happy and well so as to not have them worry about me.

Faking being ok got exhausting really quickly and I went from happy to snappy. I almost tried to push people away. I was angry about why this had happened to me, I was angry about how abruptly my life had come to a screeching halt and then wallowed in self pity about all the wonderful things that could have been. 

It was when the surgeon told me there was a high chance of me being blind for life that I snapped out of the funk and truly took control of the situation. There was no stopping me in my relentless pursuit of a treatment plan that meant I would see again. I was just not going to accept a diagnosis of “blind for life”. 

I must add though, after my numerous surgeries, when I could see again I felt a massive flood of guilt because I knew I was incredibly lucky to have my vision back and not many people are as lucky as me. I felt like I didn’t deserve it. The joy of regaining my vision was short-lived.

What would you say to your ‘first-diagnosed’ self, or someone else who has just been diagnosed with a chronic illness?

To anyone that has just been diagnosed, I would say:

1. Create a routine - it may be as small as getting up and brushing your teeth, having a shower and making herbal tea. Any routine to anchor to might make a massive difference when you feel like everything else within you and around you is falling apart.

2. Listen to everyone but follow what you think is best for you. Follow your gut. There will be a lot of unsolicited advice, concern and suggestions from well-wishers. Follow your heart, you know your body best. None of them have walked in your shoes. Back yourself up and do what feels right to you.

3. Fight for a treatment plan that serves you and makes you feel looked after. You are NOT just a number or a statistic in the health system. If a diagnosis doesn't feel right, it probably isn’t. Get educated on your condition so you can challenge the status quo and facilitate the best outcomes for yourself.

4. Please be kind to yourself. Sometimes it’s hard to look at the person in the mirror and recognise that image as “you”. In these moments, please try to be kind to yourself and give yourself time, space and love to heal.

Are you on any treatments? What modalities are in your wellness team?

I am currently weaning off high strength dosage of oral and topical steroids. 

Hypnotherapy has been life-changing for me. I did my Diploma in Hypnotherapy because of the profound impact it had on my mental health. Working on the mindset has cascaded into positive physical and emotional side effects.

What is a ‘bad day’ for you? How do you look after yourself on a ‘bad day’ or a day that is particularly stressful?

A bad day for me is usually excruciating headaches, bloodshot eyes and itchy, inflamed skin flare-ups. 

Having worked on my mindset a lot over the last three years, I am able to recognise when I need to take a break and truly listen to my body. 

I rest if I need to but I still have some basic routine tasks that I try to complete to give me a sense of accomplishment and normality. I listen to music, move my body and eat even better on such days so that I am part of the solution for my body and not part of the problem.

Who are your back up dancers? (this questions means who are the people who support you)

My husband and my son are the wind beneath my wings. Infact I don’t know how they have the ability to say and do the perfect things to put a smile on my face. 

My husband and I have been married 15 years in February and I shudder to think how I would have coped without him right there by my side. 

My family ( mum, dad and sister) are my pillars of strength from afar. Geographically farther away but I always feel their solid support as if they were right here beside me.

Friends who have known me, stood by me and treated me normally all throughout. I never felt their pity and they never made me feel helpless. Such a blessing. 

My coaches and mentors, mostly strong accomplished women in my life and the communities they have built.

Best & worst bits of being A Chronic Entrepreneur?

Best part for me is that I am an entrepreneur because of my story. 

I love that I can work alongside my clients and not preach at them from a pedestal of perfection. What they see is what they get.

That relatability has helped build connection and trust with the people I serve. They feel safe to show up exactly as they are,  knowing they will never be judged. 

My struggles led me to Hypnotherapy and I could not be happier! 

I didn’t quite realise how vulnerable I would feel being the face of my brand on social media etc. Eczema, redness, watery eyes and low vision - doesn’t really scream “health coach” does it?  It’s taken me a long time to show up online with all my imperfections.

Are you a 5-year planner or are you winging it? 

In the past, I was someone that was happy “winging it”. The classic, She'll be right! 

Now as a parent, an entrepreneur and someone that has to work daily on living a healthy life, I am definitely a 5 year planner.

Mind you, I didn’t quite have a global pandemic in my plans! 

What are your dream weekend plans and have these changed over the past year?

Long drives with my son and hubby, sunshine, good music and hot coffee in hand. 

I love the occasional night out with friends where I dance till I drop! 

Music and dance truly light me up. 

As I am getting older, I feel so drawn to deep conversations.

So many people around us are so skilled in such different ways. We all have incredible stories and I cannot seem to get enough of hearing about the journey that people have been on. 

That’s how I stumbled upon The Chronic Entrepreneur in the first place! You do such a great job at highlighting people’s stories. Thank you!

Who are your ultimate dinner party guests, (dead or alive), and who would you seat on either side of you?

This might sound cliche but I would pick my family. A big family reunion would be epic right now. I haven’t seen my parents for 3+ years and cannot wait to share the same space with them again. 

I would love for my grandma and grandpa to be at the dinner table too. (They have both passed but were a massive influence on me in my younger years) 

My grandma had a fear of flying which is why she never came to visit me in Australia. I truly wish I could enjoy a night of good food, laughter and great conversations with my family.

Besides my family, I would love to have dinner with Taylor Swift and Rhianna. Two brilliant women who balance being relatable and  trailblazing at the same time. 

What are you looking forward to in the next 6 months-1 year?

I am really looking forward to launching my new Hypnotherapy offers. I cannot wait! 

Next year is poised to bring huge growth in my business and I am currently knee deep in preparation for next year. 

On a personal note, I would be delighted to have weaned off my steroid medications after nearly 14+ years.

Where can people support you online?

I would absolutely love it if you wanted to come say hello to me on Instagram. www.instagram.com/mindbodyhope.