Women Who Empower – Divya Boppana

• We will start this with you, obviously, say if someone is watching or reading about you for the very first time how will you introduce yourself in the most fun yet honest way that they can’t help but be smitten by you?
• “Hi, I am currently creating content on Instagram and am a fashion enthusiast. I also love to support homegrown local brands to do my bit in creating awareness as opposed to the usual inclination towards international brands. However, I am trying to support and bring a change for the local brands. I am fun and fiercely passionate about fashion. I kinda mix both and love making content out of it.”
• If you have to sum up your traits in three words, what would they be?
• “Fun, fierce and a little sass!!”

• Let’s move on to some inspirational stuff without which no interview will be complete. But seriously, I personally have been following you for years and to see you where you are today gives me immense pride and motivation, like nothing is ever unachievable and impossible. It is a source of inspiration. So, why don’t you tell the world about your journey so far and how you started? When exactly did you start?
• “I always had an interest in fashion from my teenage days. I liked to dress up and all and in 2016, during my 11th grade, I published my first blog. Honestly, I had no intention of earning money as it was purely out of my love for fashion. After 3 years, I decided why not start my own page on Instagram. So, that’s how my journey started but there is a long way to go and achieve my goals.”Well, Divya, we are cheering for you and hope that you reach great heights.
• Weren’t you conscious of putting yourself out there in the world? How did you overcome this fear? And how old were you when you put your first video/post as a creator?
• “When I started out with my blog, the fashion industry was completely different to what it is now. Many things, especially the trends have changed; so, when I decided to step into this industry a lot of people did not exactly understand what I was doing. So, it may seem like an alien thing to them. Like every content creator, I had my share of difficulties because I was studying and creating content and getting negative comments from around the world. So, it was a bit difficult but I kept going because this is something I love to do and still I feel that a lot of differences are there when I compare myself with the creators who live in Delhi or Mumbai, because they have more access to resources and brands are also ready to collaborate with them. However, here in Hyderabad, brands restrict themselves a bit from collaborating. However, I feel things have tremendously changed especially during lockdown times. Brands are now approaching the content creators to promote their products and getting ready for photoshoots which creates more opportunities for creators like me.”Reminiscing about her first ever blog post/picture, Divya shared “My first blog was a picture from one of my photoshoots where I paired ripped jeans with a crop top.”
• The world of content and Youtube/Instagram, especially, has changed a lot in this time with new algorithms kicking in every day and a lot of people starting in the same niche. How difficult is it to sustain or grow an audience at this time? How did you grow your audience? Were there any strategies that you followed?
• “I have always tried to stick to my values and beliefs. So, I have always tried to make basic and authentic content that will be relatable to any person be it a woman or a man. So far, these two things have worked in my favour. At first, it was difficult to attract the audience, but I think the simplicity in my videos made the audience more curious about me and my content. Another important thing that I believe is one should have a creative mind to put into their videos or content.”
• As a content creator, when was it that you started making some money or started getting some brand deals?
• “Okay, so I used to do internships and manage my blogging career together. So, whatever I earned from my work I used to invest in some new equipment or clothes etc. That’s why I was never used to worry about earning money because I had another job. I held on to this job till January 2020. Soon, I left my steady job because I was in my college and it was causing a lot of issues with my studies. Therefore, I allowed content creating and academics to take the centre stage.”
• On that note, what advice do you have in store for anyone who is starting out on this journey as a content creator?
• “My advice would be, start only if you are passionate about what you are doing. Don’t start for monetary benefits because then you will end up nowhere. It will take time and you will have to put in a lot of hard work and investment. At times, you will be disappointed, but if you look on the brighter side, you will gain experience in what you are doing. So, just keep going and believe in yourself. Also, keep the authenticity of your content intact.”
• Talking about content creation, I have always noticed the word influencer notoriously being used for creators. Now a lot of creators despise this word defining their work and niche. What are your thoughts on this? Do you mind addressing yourself as an influencer?
• “I personally think about context when they call you as an influencer. For example, if someone follows my work and knows about me, calls me an influencer, I am okay with it because I know where it is coming from and if I am influencing someone in a good way. What’s wrong with that? However, if someone who knows nothing about me or my work calls me an influencer just to put me in a negative spot then it is not acceptable. So, it all depends upon the context and how you take it.”

• Now we will brazenly circle this back to Beatnik. Clearly, we have seen your love for jewellery and how gracefully you style them all but if you have to choose only one piece of jewellery for the rest of your life, what would that be and why?
• “I think I would choose golden hoops because it goes with every outfit, be it traditional or western.”

• So, I will now take another scenario for you. You have to get ready for a wedding function as a guest with just three jewellery pieces, what would you pick and how would you style them?
• “I would go for a crop top with a jacket, pair it up with a skirt and accessorize it with earrings, a neckpiece and a ring.”

• Okay, so let’s have a quick rapid-fire round to end this insightful and very interesting QnA with you. Are you ready? Pick one:
• Saree any day or dress?
• Dress
• Silver jewellery or gold?
• Gold jewellery
• Statement earrings or small dainty earrings?
• Statement earrings
• Bad hair day with full glam or good hair day with no makeup?
• Good hair day with no makeup
• Lipstick on my teeth or a stained dress in an event?
• Stained Dress
• What would you choose? Month-long vacation on an island or road trip across India?
• Road trip across India

So this was all about this young Hyderabadi girl who is proving to every person out there that place, time and age don’t matter when it comes to pursuing what one truly desires. Hats off to this trailblazer and we hope her story inspires young girls and boys to overcome their roadblocks and achieve what their hearts desire.

Do let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

In our last article, we shared Sarah Sarosh’s inspirational journey. Click here to read it. We will bring your favourite creator next, very soon. If you haven’t read about all the other remarkable women we have covered in this series, you can read about them here. This series has turned out to be an epic source of inspiration, grit and determination. We truly hope you have been enjoying reading about your favourite creator’s stories 🙂