Read to discover exactly who is Sabeeta Bidasie Singh and how her passion and love for people fuels her purpose.
Who is Sabeeta Bidasie Singh?
Janelle that is a loaded question. I immediately think about that Helen Reddy song “I am woman, hear me roar.” I was born in Trinidad, have lived on four continents and visited over 50 countries so far. I am the daughter of 4th generation Indian immigrants that came to Trinidad as indentured servants and used education to gain upward social mobility consider myself a champion of change. Despite having lived away from Trinidad for so long, my Trinidad accent is quite obvious. I believe it is the one thing that has kept me grounded throughout my journey. I often describe myself as a global citizen, and this identity is partly what gives me a sense of purpose.
I have a BA in International Business 2 MBAs and I am also a Chartered Marketer. My Doctorate specifically focuses on Agility and Transformation during times of Disruption. I have held a number of senior management positions in Trinidad, Adelaide, Brisbane, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Houston, Texas. I formed Cardinal Services, LLC., in 2019 to focus on Diversity and Women’s Empowerment. My mission is to create as many opportunities for women to break through the barriers in their transformation journey.
I am also a Professor at a Houston University and I believe that working with young minds is the best place to start the process of change. People who know me describe me as kind and passionate about my purpose. If I had to use adjectives to describe myself, I would say that I am resilient, versatile, culturally sensitive, never afraid of new things, comfortable in my own skin and confident.
That certainly is a loaded answer; but tell us a little more about you.
The concept of relevance is the one thing that keeps me going – so having a career that addressed my sense of purpose created meaning. I have seen fear of the unknown cripple the careers of many women who started out with an equal determination to succeed. They started second guessing themselves, their confidence became eroded and caution led to inhibition making them step off the career ladder even though they had an equal chance of success. These are the women I help because I can relate to their journey and help them look within to find the ability to power on.
I am mid-way through my book “2020 – When The Oil Dried Up” and it speaks directly to families who have been impacted by the global downturn in the energy sector, where countless jobs have been lost and lives have been displaced. In this book I address the career sacrifices spouses made during their mobile lives one transfer after another, but my main message speaks of the importance of staying relevant during this journey and finding a sense of purpose.
What is the art to being a powerful teacher?
I have lectured across Universities in the Caribbean, Australia, Asia and in the United States. Apart from being a lecturer, I am also a certified workplace trainer, mentor and coach. There is so much power in being able to transform minds and bring opportunities for growth to others. Teach them to think and their minds will never be empty. Teaching is a very selfless job. The truest form of kindness is when you are willing to give of yourself to someone who really needs you without expecting anything in return. The art of being a powerful teacher is all about your passion to make learning lifelong and your ability to give freely of your time and energy to others so that they may grow. To really succeed in this field you must be kind, compassionate, inspirational, positive, empathetic and be a good builder as you construct learning. It is important to remember that not every student comes to the classroom with the same foundation and you should scaffold your teaching to reach all students.
What are your greatest accomplishments?
I can speak of numbers of them and every single time they included a transformation. I was one of the youngest female leaders to transform the delivery model of a MNC Steam Ship company, another significant win was in the migration of face to face learning for vocational and higher education courses to online learning over a decade ago. I can shout out the work I did with promoting STEM among women in rural Asia, or equating an academic value to workplace experience for working adults who want to continue their professional development through the launch of the Accreditation for Prior Experiential Learning Program in Australia and Malaysia. Though I can assign an economic value to those, I believe in the power of giving back and the work I have done with cancer patients on trial programs building their autobiographies and recording their fight to survive cannot be measured. How can I quantify the numerous amounts of Burmese Refugee children I worked with in Malaysia teaching them to read and write or celebrate their first “Christmas?” Certainly, motherhood certainly is worthy of mention as I see my world in the eyes of my two sons.
What sense of purpose have you drawn from your culture or your community?
There is a Japanese concept called “Ikigai” that describes a formula for happiness. My sense of purpose is not solely shaped by being a Trinidadian woman of East Indian heritage but rather a combination of every country I have lived in where the culture has penetrated my soul as I walk with intent toward happiness..
Define your truth about success
There are five truths I live by:
- If you are going to fail – then fail forward
- The world owes you nothing
- There is no opportunity if you don’t create it
- You have to define what success means to you
- Taking responsibility will forever live even long after your life has gone
How has the Pandemic impacted your career?
It has brought me closer to my truths.
What advice would you give someone who is thinking of a career in education?
If you decide on a career in education, make sure you have all your skin in the game!
Where can we find you?
SABEETA BIDASIE-SINGH
BA, CIM, MBA, TAA, DBA (candidate), Certified Data Analyst
CEO – Cardinal Services LLC
Richmond, Texas 77407
Email: sabeeta1009@gmail.com / sabeeta1009@cardinalservices.training
Phone 832 860 9656
All images by Blue Whisper Photography
She’s a wonderful professor 💜
Ms. Bidasie-Singh’s growth and development demonstrates the harnessing of International experiences into a growth strategy and also optimizes resilience of the spirit and strength the Caribbean woman.
Reading your story was very inspiring and I was very impressed with all that you’ve accomplished. I am very pleased to have you as my professor.
Wow! Such an inspiring article! Love your passion and your heart of compassion! Truly Empowering! Great article!
Congratulations 🎊 from Ian and myself. Awesome. God bless you and your family ….
Your “Trini” friends
Ian & Nina McKenzie 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Great interview about a great story!
What a great story and an inspiration to many other women around the world.
Sabeeta you possess a deadly combination girl, beautiful and bright. Hope it’s not offensive to say you don’t look anything like the typical professor but I would certainly attend all your lessons. Your journey as you call it is beautiful and rare, very few people can be enriched with experiences like that.
I am sending out an introductory email and would like to invite you to come on board with our company and help us build a diversity strategy. I look forward to talking to you more.
Sabeeta is an oustanding figure in her community, such an inspiration.