Bengaluru woman with IIT degree quits Walmart to become a fitness coach: 'Passion beats paycheck'

Fitness coach Priyanka Gupta worked with Walmart as a product manager for about two years till April 2021. (Image credit: LinkedIn)

After graduating from IIT Kanpur, Bengaluru's Priyanka Gupta worked with Byju's and Walmart before realising that although she was making big bucks, she wasn't entirely passionate about her job. Now, as a fitness coach, she has a fulfilling life.

Sharing her journey on LinkedIn and X, Gupta said that she left "a big MNC and my IIT pedigree attachment" to help professionals stay fit and live longer.

The 2005 IIT Kanpur graduate said that like many of her "fellow IIT buddies," she started chasing financial stability right after college. "I was responsible for supporting my family and this was the most apparent path. After five years, when I took my first break from work, I got bugged by entrepreneurship. Don’t know how. I wanted to start a home-cooked food delivery business," Gupta wrote. The business, however, was not successful and she had to shut shop and return to a corporate nine-to-five job.

"The comfort of corporate life was cool and all, but there was this itch, you know? The kind that makes you crave something more, something you can truly call your own," she said. In 2012, Gupta launched her first startup, IndiaBookStore.

"Scary as heck, but man, was it worth it!" she wrote. "Turns out, passion beats a paycheck any day. Sure, money's nice and all, but there is nothing like building something from scratch that you truly believe in."

Even though she had to wrap up the company after a while, Gupta said it taught her a few valuable lessons and was integral to her current success as a fitness coach.

"Passion fuels purpose. Sure, financial rewards matter, but true fulfillment comes from pursuing something that sets your soul on fire," she said, adding that entrepreneurship has its highs and lows and she has learned that it is important to learn from setbacks, celebrate wins, and enjoy the ride.

Gupta also pointed out that professionals should prioritise health. "It's not just about physical fitness. A healthy body and mind are essential for a fulfilling life," she said. "So yeah, maybe my journey isn't your typical IIT grad story, but it's mine. And I have just begun."