• Coaching Skills for Managers
• Cultural Agility Coaching
• Manager’s Coaching Cafe
• Work and Live in the USA

• Building Confidence to Coach in English
• Coaching Across Cultures
• Core Competency Mastermind
• ICF Mentor Coaching
• Solution Focused Coaching Fundamentals (ACC- ICF Certified) 

• Deliver Impressive Status Updates*
• Leadership/Management Program
• Managing Client Expectations*
• Work Effectively with US Americans

Amplify English Fluency

• Building Trust and Good Relations With US Americans
• Business English Seminar
• E-mail and Business Writing
• Get Ready for the Demo/Presentation 

How can we hire a trainer knowledgeable in the ground realities of working in India to help our US based staff understand India from an American perspective?
Jennifer Kumar, the Managing Director of Authentic Journeys is an American citizen with experience working and living in India for over 10 years. She has experience in the current realities your offshore team faces. Her work includes training professionals from over 40 Indian companies (startups, SMEs and MNCs), in most major Indian cities. We can work together to help your US counterparts bridge the culture gap. Get to know Jennifer here.

Our US and India teams have faced problems that we can’t solve, do you offer mediation?
Yes. Authentic Journeys offers mediation within and between teams. We broach cross-cultural business problems and act as an impartial investigator collecting perspectives from both sides to help bridge culture gaps, increase understanding and improve productivity in offshore and onsite teams.

My team in India work with Americans but will not come to the US. Do we still need your training?
More than 80% of those who benefited from Authentic Journeys training programs work with Americans on offshore, dispersed teams. These professionals have not and may not ever go to the US. These professionals interact with Americans through email and over the phone in regular status update meetings and other virtual interactions, such as video conference calls and webinars. As long as an Indian professional or their team works with Americans, cross-cultural training benefits the business as well as overall professional development of the participants. Cross-cultural training helps distributed teams work more effectively across global borders, and within the borders of their own country, state or city. Cross-cultural training helps to bridge understanding in diverse or even homogeneous groups as no two people think alike!

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Who We Work With

Who does Authentic Journeys work with?

• Indians in India working Offshore with Onsite US Clients, Stakeholders, and Colleagues
• Indians and other foreign professionals working or studying in the US
• Expats on international assignment across the US
• International students starting their career in the USA
• Americans working and living in India
• Americans working with offshore Indian development teams
• Career professionals working in global, co-located or dispersed teams consisting of multi-cultural and international team members.
• International virtual teams

What skill or experience levels are participants of your training programs?
Participants range from Master’s Degree working professionals to seasoned professionals with up to 35 years’ experience. Professionals include new employees, middle managers or even CEOs of companies. Some of the most common job titles of participants include:

• Business Analyst
• Delivery Manager
• Global Program Manager
• Human Resources Staff
• Infrastructure Specialist Project Lead
• Sales / Pre-Sales
• Senior Software Developer
• Software Architect
• Sr. Assoc. Vice President System Analyst
• Team Lead
• Tech Lead
• Technology Specialist
• Test Manager

How can I take your training programs?
Individual – If you are an individual, we offer private, highly interactive and individualized sessions. These sessions range from 1 to 20 hours and are tailored on your specific requirement. These sessions take place virtually, over the phone or internet, or in person if travel can be arranged.

Company/Team – Team Leads, Managers and Human Resource Professionals can contact us to discuss training options. Once a suitable program is chosen or created based on a training needs assessment (TNA), participants are selected to attend sessions which take place at the Authentic Journeys’ office, at your company location or at an off-site location arranged by your company or team.

How many professionals have benefited from the programs through Authentic Journeys?
As of 2018, Authentic Journeys has worked with about 50 companies in the US and India ranging from small startups with less than 20 people to large 56 companies with thousands of employees and multiple locations to multinational corporations (MNCs) with thousands of employees worldwide. Authentic Journeys has helped almost 3,500 business and career professionals gain culture and business acumen through the range of programs offered.

Which are some of the companies you have worked with?
View the page on case studies to see an abbreviated client list and success stories.

Do you have long time clients?
Yes. Authentic Journeys has several private and corporate clients Jennifer has worked with since 2012. To view the longevity of our client relationships and programs, view the LinkedIn page under Experience.

Training Logistics and Planning
How can I save money to train my India based team on US culture sensitivity?
Your team will most likely be working with Indians, Americans or other nationalities in various geographies via virtual methods, to reduce cost. Let us prepare your team to work virtually through attending sessions with us online, in a virtual classroom. Jennifer or one of her team members will be live online with your team member or members via VOIP, conference call or videoconferencing. We have conducted many successful sessions online with individuals and small groups up to 6 or 7.

Where are you based? Can you do in person sessions?
Authentic Journeys is registered in Utah, USA and Kerala, India. Jennifer Kumar, the Managing Director currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah (2019). We have trainers and coaches located in various parts of the US and India who can come onsite to your location or meet you virtually based on your schedule and availability.

Do you offer open classes for the public?
At this time, these kinds of classes are not available. As they become available, they will be advertised on this site.

Do you teach IELTS or TOEFL?
Authentic Journeys does not offer tutoring or coaching services for English examinations. Authentic Journeys does not teach English or grammar. Authentic Journeys teaches business communication skills and participants must have at least an intermediate grasp of English with the ability to hold simple to complex conversations as well as formulate basic to complex written messages.

What is your process in helping us to improve our Business English? 
We can work on improving your fluency in spoken English and written Business English. We do this through a mix of generic sessions on meeting management and business and email writing and individualized Business English Coaching sessions. Individualized sessions focus on your unique communication needs, while building relations across cultures on virtual teams.

What our clients have said:
“The client can no longer complain that Dhruv doesn’t take the initiative to add value to his portfolio. Since attending coaching, Dhruv has spent extra time analyzing the financial data to forecast predictions that benefit the client. He also discusses his findings in an open forum with his US client. I am impressed to see Dhruv’s ability to implement brainstorming and critical thinking skills after attending the coaching sessions.”
Radha, Finance Sector, Bangalore

“I am now more confident in writing and editing emails. The sessions covered vocabulary, synonyms, importance of active voice, articles, punctuations, editing skills, and how to rewrite sentences and paragraphs. Implementing these skills has improved clarity and response times with our distribution partners, improving relationships. In addition to implementing the email strategies, I am also able to now mentor my employees on the same.”
Nishanth, Logistics Manager, Kochi

I am an American that has been hired to be a trainer in India. Can you help me?
Yes, I can help you in personalized, paid coaching sessions. Authentic Journeys helps professionals that have come to India to train in the corporate space get acquainted with Indian corporate mannerisms, working as a freelancer, how to negotiate and set proposals with Indian companies, expectations on time management, student or participant engagement strategies and other techniques for a successful short or long term assignment. See our program on Working with India: Cross-Culture Training.

Company Background
When did Authentic Journeys start?
Authentic Journeys started in Rochester, NY (USA) in 2009. It was consequently registered in Kakkanad, Kochi, Kerala, India in 2011 and in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA in 2018.

Who is the founder?
Jennifer Kumar is the founder and Managing Director.

Where is the office?
Authentic Journeys has a virtual office in an incubator called NRITBI in Infopark, Kerala, India. At present there is no office in the US as a majority of the work is done virtually. Jennifer and her team can come onsite to your company to work with your team as required.

Is it an officially registered company?
Yes, it is officially registered under the following:
Authentic Journeys Consultancy Private Limited, in Kochi, Kerala, India since 2011
Authentic Journeys Consultancy LLC, in Utah, USA since 2018

What does the name Authentic Journeys mean?
Authentic Journeys is a name that was chosen with a purpose in mind. While, yes, some can confuse it with a travel agency, Authentic Journeys is not a travel agency. We help with expat business training for professionals going to the US. The meaning of Authentic Journeys does lie in travel and self-discovery, however. When we work with other nationalities in diverse global business situations or settle abroad (the journey), we may feel that the new ways of thinking or behaving conflict with our beliefs, values or ways of behaving (being authentic). Hence, culture shock or culture change impacts our ability to balance who we are and who we may have to become when adapting to a new culture. This is our Authentic Journey. Authentic Journeys, as a company, believes we can find a balance between cultures without having to compromise our culture or values to adapt to that culture. This balance is different for different people, hence the Authentic Journey is unique for each person, even people in the same company, team, or family.

Ashwin asked: 
“How does the name “Authentic Journeys” relate to a cross-cultural training service?”
Jennifer’s answer:
“Ashwin, good question!

When we are in cross cultural environments (life journey), we may feel our identity is threatened as we feel compelled to take up new behaviors, languages or mindsets. But we have to be true to ourselves. We have to be authentic!

It’s not about “being Indian” or “American” or a nationality, a religion or a culture; but it’s about being true to ourselves.

We have to learn to balance the cultural mannerisms with who we are as a person. Some adjustments always have to be made regardless if we move abroad or stay at home our whole life, how do we cope with that? How do we remain “Authentic” and true to ourselves on our “Journeys” of life?”

What is the meaning of your logo? 
The rocks balancing atop each other is called a ‘cairn.’ Typically, these cairns are found on hiking trails to help hikers find their way on the trail.

Logo from 2020

 

 

Logo: 2011-2020

Actually, when I chose rock stacks (cairns) as the logo, I had no idea that cairns were used to help wanderers find their way. That’s quite a coincidence. I had initially chose this design as a logo because the stones appear to look like they balance flawlessly, while at the same time, it feels like a delicate balance. How can they possibly balance like this? Won’t they fall? We help you keep your life in balance when working across cultures (even if we never leave our country) and, some may argue, even more so, when one has to travel or live abroad in a foreign country for their work and career. Whether we are helping you to work on a virtual team, travel for your expat assignment or negotiate communication across global borders, we help you to balance your approach so that you never lose touch with yourself.

How can I get updates about Authentic Journeys?
Click on our social media: Facebook   |   LinkedIn

Can you train our Indian development team once they come to the US?
Yes. Contact us to answer your training needs today!

Our Email Writing course, The Ultimate Guide to Email Writing for Ease and Professionalism, is designed to teach effective Email Communication, covering aspects like structure, tone, grammar, and etiquette. It helps participants write clear and concise emails tailored to different audiences and purposes. The course includes practical exercises and feedback to improve writing skills and build confidence in professional communication through email.

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