Episode Information
Show NotesWhat do you do when you get laid off at the biggest project management conference in the world? You work the room, go home, and build your own company.Parmjit Kaur did not set out to be a project manager. She wanted to be a Bollywood actress, then a doctor, then a teacher, then a radio host. What she became was one of the more interesting career stories you will hear – born in Scotland, raised in England, claiming New Jersey, and now running her own consultancy in Las Vegas. Her path moved from retail sales at Macy’s to door-to-door fragrance sales to healthcare IT to program management, and eventually to building and leading the PMI Southern Nevada chapter as president before a layoff at the PMI Global Summit pushed her to go out on her own. This conversation covers the career, the setbacks, the framework she built from all of it, and the community she has grown along the way.WHAT PARMJIT DOES NOW:Parmjit runs her own project management consultancy, where she takes on project management contracts across different industries. She is also an active public speaker and the host of the Your Life Projectized podcast. At the time of this episode, she is managing a large website modernization project for a community-facing organization.KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS CONVERSATION:Sales teaches you something a job description never willThe law of averages is real. Parmjit credits door-to-door and healthcare IT sales with building the resilience and communication instincts she still uses in project management today.The kindergartner test for communicationWhen sharing information with a team or stakeholders, ask yourself: could a kindergartner walk away understanding what you just explained? It is not about being simple. It is about closing the gap between what you said and what they heard.Stop waiting for the annual reviewParmjit applied the Agile concept of sprint retrospectives to her own career – seeking feedback at regular intervals instead of waiting six months or a year to find out she had been doing something wrong.The CPR frameworkCommunication, Project Management, and Resiliency. Parmjit says these three things are all you need to revive any project, any business, or any season of life. The framework grew directly out of her real experiences: a house fire, a misdiagnosis, three car incidents in seven days, and a layoff she did not see coming.Community is built on authenticity, not utilityPeople can feel when you only want something from them. Parmjit’s approach to building a professional community is rooted in genuine interest, servant leadership values from her Sikh upbringing, and the kind of human connection that does not start with an agenda.TOPICS COVERED:• From retail sales to door-to-door fragrance sales and healthcare IT• The law of averages and learning to hear no without stopping• Growing up in a conservative Indian household and developing her voice• How a coast-to-coast healthcare speed dating program became her entry point into project management• What the PMP certification formalized that years of experience had not• Failing the PMP in 2018 while also training for a bodybuilding competition• Passing the PMP during COVID after a month of daily study sessions with people from around the world• Her first speaking experience at a HIMSS conference for 200+ physicians – and the accidental laugh• Five years on the PMI Southern Nevada chapter board, including serving as president• Why she applies Agile sprint retrospectives to her own career development• Building a professional community through authentic human connection• Getting a layoff call while standing inside the PMI Global Summit in Atlanta• Launching her own consultancy and speaking business three years ago• The CPR framework and how it was developed through real-life setbacksWHO THIS EPISODE IS FOR:• Project managers at any level looking for a more grounded perspective on the career path• Professionals in sales or c...