Women Who Empower – Nishitha Mallur

• 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 a business analyst but my passion is what I create in the digital space. I love to make content on skincare and fashion, but most importantly skincare because it is quite important to me as a person. So if someone asks me to describe myself in a few words, I would say sugar, spice and skincare advice.”
• If you have to sum up your traits in three words, what would they be?
• “Mine would be positive, grateful, bubbly”

• 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?
• “So starting from my school days, I was interested in dressing up and talking to the camera. So, when I got to know about YouTube and gained some knowledge about it, I thought it’s a good opportunity so why not try it.  But as you know how it can be in a typical Indian family so it was difficult to convince them initially. I uploaded my first YouTube video on 23rd May 2017. I took a break for nearly one year due to some personal issues so in 2019 I did not upload a single video.  I would say my journey was never easy as I had many roadblocks and there were people who never used to value my work, but I think my perseverance and determination to work hard kept me going.”
• 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?
• “I would be lying if I say, I was confident to face the camera. I was a little bit conscious back then and in India, this profession is still not normalized. So, sometimes when I go outside to vlog or shoot something, I get nervous because so many people would be staring at me. But I started to become less conscious by practice and continuously making videos. So at the end of the day, it all comes from practice.” Well, practice makes the person perfect!
• 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?
• “In the beginning, it was really difficult to gain the attention from the audience, but one mantra that I followed blindly is to be consistent no matter what. I was consistent in uploading videos on Monday and Friday every week. There were times when I was not feeling to face the camera but still I used to make some recipe videos in which I don’t have to show my face and I continued to do this for nearly one and a half years. Another important mantra I followed was gaining the trust of my audience and interacting with them. So, I used to try to reply to nearly 90% of the comments on my videos. I believe it helps in improving the relationship between you and your audience. Through the frequent interaction, I observed the taste of my audience and what type of content they are expecting from me, and I think these mantras worked perfectly for me.”
• As a content creator, when was it that you started making some money or started getting some brand deals?
• “I personally feel that if you are entering into digital space just for money, then don’t do it because it won’t work for a long time. Every content creator has a different time dimension of when they start getting money. I know some people who started just for 6 months and earned really well but for me, it took about one year, till then I used to constantly put videos and make investments.”
• 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; it doesn’t matter how big or small your dreams are, just go for it. Never give up because you have only one life. So try to achieve everything you want.”
• 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 am personally not comfortable being called an influencer. My job is to create content and not to influence someone. But I think this issue is only in India where still content creation is not normalized and this word has a negative notion attached to 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 my whole fashion vibe depends on earrings. So, for me, it would be earrings.”

• 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 wear a lehenga and accessorize it with a choker and earrings and a bracelet on one hand and a watch on the other.”

• 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?
• Dainty 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?
• Lipstick on my teeth
• What would you choose? Month-long vacation on an island or road trip across India?
• Road trip across India

Nishitha’s inspiring words resonate perfectly with us, an attitude to never give up and self-discipline can be a game-changer when inculcated in your work. We have always been a fan of her fresh content and her accomplishments. Do share your favourite thing about her work, ours have to be her hacks and hauls 😉

We thank Nishitha for sharing her valuable time and insightful thoughts by connecting with us on a personal level. This whole conversation left us with a strong sense of motivation to “keep going after your dreams”. Hope you have felt the same way 🙂

In our last article, we shared Divya Boppana’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 🙂