Women Who Empower – Geeta Hegde | GoGlam90

• 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?
• “I am an engineer by degree but now I am a full-time content creator. I love to share my ideas on different styles of makeup, fashion, lifestyle. I have come a long way from being a girl who won’t even wear kajal due to her consciousness for dark circles, to now embracing and trying different eye make-up looks every day and being confident about it. When it comes to fashion, I like simple and practical clothes. I like to share my ideas on how you can spice up your daily wear outfits.”
• If you have to sum up your traits in three words, what would they be?
• “Cheerful, positive, experimental”

• 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?
• “Okay, so it must be hard to believe but I used to be very conscious about my dark circles and knew just the basics of makeup and even the brands that I was aware of were our regular commercial brands. It all began in 2013 when I went to the USA to visit my sister and there I saw a pool of products and brands of makeup for the very first time. So next year, when I went to visit her, I picked up some makeup and started to watch tutorials on YouTube and played around with it. Finally, in 2016, I decided to start my YouTube channel. I still remember how nervous but at the same time excited I was to face the camera. I had a regular job, so I used to post videos on weekends, edit them whenever I used to get the time and it has been an amazing journey till now. Honestly, for me, 2020 is the year that changed everything; I started to post regularly and also decided to take the plunge and become a full-time content creator in this exciting field. So, for me, 2020 turned out to be a blessing in disguise and helped a lot to grow.”
• 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?
• “Firstly, I want to say to all the people who are planning to enter into this field that they should not feel discouraged by looking at the big influencers about how they have so much makeup products, clothes and I don’t have any. Everyone starts from a very minimal point after all Amazon started from a garage. It’s okay if you don’t have high-end brands because nothing can outshine your talent. In my case, I was confident about my knowledge regarding the products I talked about in the videos. I knew it would take time to reach more people but I had confidence in myself and that kept me going. My faith in my abilities kept the hunger in me alive. At first, I was very nervous in front of the camera, but slowly I started to become more comfortable talking freely without any scripts. I never preferred to have a script and learn my lines but to put my raw self on the internet for my audience. And now after completing almost 5 years of my YouTube journey, I have become so comfortable that if I am alone with a camera with a nice backdrop, that would become my happy place.”
• You have been active on YouTube for nearly five years. 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 think it is not easy to create fashion and beauty content in India to grow. When I started my YouTube journey, I had seen videos on how to whiten your skin or weight-loss in one week. These kinds of videos used to garner millions of views reflecting the deep-rooted racism and bias towards dark skin colour in our country. However, now things are changing slowly. People are going for more genuine content. That’s why, I think, the subscribers I had from the start are the ones who actually liked my work and appreciated my efforts. In my videos, I don’t try to sugar coat any brand just for the sake of money; I always give my honest opinion about the product that I personally like, so that it will help my audience in some way. I believe they should be able to trust my opinion. People liked my work for a reason and I will not do anything that goes against my work ethics. At times, in my videos, people comment that “you are so underrated”, “you create such creative content” and I actually get it because if any creator wants to grow, then his or her videos must get views and that happens when people share your work. So, it is disappointing when your work does not get the attention you as a creator were hoping for and I know it is easier said than done but don’t let your disappointment disrupt your work or demotivate you. After all, it is something you love to do; so, keep on working and trust your capabilities and you will get there. Being a YouTuber does not mean easy money as you have to invest a lot in equipment, for the background and the products you show in your videos so that brands start noticing you and approach you for their product. Frankly speaking, for the first 2 years, I hardly had any views on my channel. However that didn’t stop me from making videos and over the years I learnt a lot from my mistakes, how to talk to brands and the process hasn’t stopped. I am still learning new things every day. From managing everything single-handedly to having my own small team is a huge achievement I will cherish dearly.”
• As a content creator, when was it that you started making some money or started getting some brand deals?
• “It was around 2019, nearly after 3 years I started my channel; I started getting income on a regular basis and a couple of brands approached me. However, there were a few brands that came with good offers but did not align with my ideas and ethics. I know it is extremely difficult to let go of tempting offers but if the brand does not match with one’s beliefs, then one should never work with them because your originality is what makes you different. If that originality is compromised for short-term goals, then it will not bear any fruits in the long run. It is very important for the creator and the brand to be on the same page.”
• On that note, what advice do you have in store for anyone who is starting out on this journey as a content creator?
• “Firstly, I would like to say that if you are starting a YouTube channel then don’t do it for money. Do it because you like the process of creating the content you love and enjoy your work because otherwise at some point you will give up. To grow your audience, you will have to invest a lot of time; there will be no weekends or relaxing days for you. You will have to keep working non-stop. Secondly, hold on to your trust in your audience, because after all people are the ones who judge your content, so be honest with them.” We could not agree more!
• 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?
• “My personal opinion is that I would love to be called as a content creator and not as an influencer because I am no one to influence anybody instead I create content for people. It has happened that sometimes, certain brands address me as an influencer and I correct them, but later on, I understood that this is the trend the world is following. Even though I call myself a content creator, I still have to put hashtags of influencers because you have to go according to the trends and that’s the reality of the world of content creation. I am still struggling in this field, and have lots to achieve so following the trends is one way to reach out to more people.”

• 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?
• “For me, a statement jhumka, because it can make any outfit work.”

• 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?
• “Okay, so my signature style would be a plain Anarkali kurta with a nice dupatta, and to pair it with a statement neckpiece can be either choker or a long one, kada (bangle) on any one hand and a statement 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?
• Saree
• Silver jewellery or gold?
• Silver 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

Geeta’s inspiring journey is a prime example of hard work and perseverance. It’s one thing to say “follow your passion, no matter what” and another to actually pursue it actively. She has come a really long way in 5 years as a content creator and we wish her all the success in life and work. It had been an honourable opportunity to connect (and work) with her. We love her content and fashion videos to bits. It is no surprise we are a fan of her jewellery styling content 😉

Do let us know your favourite things about Geeta’s content and what inspired you the most about her journey!

We are stoked to share these wonderful women’s journey with you. We recently shared the story of Shikha Rastogi (ThatSheenGirl) in the previous blog, if you haven’t read about her inspiring work yet go ahead and give it a read.