Produced By - Living Between Two Worlds: Building a Life Away From Home | 151: Inaara Touryani

Episode Date: May 11, 2026

Inaara Touryani is an Email Marketing and CRM specialist who moved from Pakistan to the UK to pursue her MSc in Advanced Marketing and build her career. From loneliness and financial pressure to navigating a highly competitive job market as an international candidate, her journey was far from easy. Through persistence, self-learning, and trial and error, she found her niche in email marketing and began building a personal brand on LinkedIn by sharing her journey and what she was learning along the way. In this episode, we dive into Inaara’s journey of starting from scratch in a new country, finding her direction in marketing, and building her presence on LinkedIn. She shares how she discovered her niche, improved her job search approach, and how creating content led to meaningful connections. You’ll also hear her approach to personal branding, why authenticity matters, and how showing up consistently while figuring things out helped her grow in confidence and clarity.Connect with Inaara:https://www.linkedin.com/in/inaaratouryani123/https://www.instagram.com/inaara_touryani/https://thegrowthcorner.substack.com/Timestamps: 00:00 - Why people prefer raw content over polished wins 01:11 - Introduction and welcome 01:40 - Who is Inaara and how she found her niche 02:58 - Moving from Pakistan to the UK 03:56 - The reality of moving abroad and feeling lost 05:35 - Culture shock and adjusting to a new life 06:22 - Why moving abroad needs real planning 08:12 - Why she chose the UK and Liverpool 10:58 - Why she chose marketing as a career 12:22 - What studying marketing in the UK was really like 14:32 - The importance of networking during studies 16:33 - Why finding a job is harder than expected 19:50 - How she discovered email marketing 22:47 - Why she enjoys email marketing and keeps learning 24:19 - Growing in a niche and adapting to change 27:01 - Why learning beyond your job matters 31:12 - How she started posting on LinkedIn 33:00 - Her first post and unexpected response 35:00 - Building confidence through sharing online 41:02 - Why raw content works better on LinkedIn 43:31 - Why engagement and community matter 45:17 - Where to find and follow Inaara 47:23 - Final message on not underestimating yourself Connect with Tomas:X: https://x.com/TomasLoucky⁠⁠⁠Stan: https://stan.store/TommenLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomasloucky/⁠⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisistommen/⁠⁠Unproduced:Newsletter: https://unproduced.substack.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@unproducednotesSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033Ddo8ibDlLYoaP7FFLIWMore:Links: https://linktr.ee/produced_by⁠⁠⁠Newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://producednewsletter.substack.com/⁠The Podcast Club: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/25420030/Tools & gear that support the show:Metricool: https://f.mtr.cool/HRJBZKRiverside: https://riverside.sjv.io/vDnDodFavikon: https://www.favikon.com?fpr=tommenRa Optics: https://ra-optics.myshopify.com/discount/TOMMEN?rfsn=8803777.591d19JamX: https://jamx.ai/podcasters-offer?ref_id=e02d48af-ef66-4e76-b804-c2e8d282a8bfSome links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you find them useful, using these links helps keep the podcast running. Thank you!  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There are no secrets of best practices, but a few things that I've learned after almost a year of posting on LinkedIn is that people do not want polished or highlight wins. I mean, yes, do post about your achievements about the job you got or the wins in your life, but also talk about the journey or the struggles that led you there. So people always appreciate and they always look forward to the raw journey or the raw content that you're posting. So for example, when I posted about me having a job, people did appreciate it, people did congratulate me. But when I started talking about the struggles and international student faces when they're looking for a job in any international setting, or for example, how difficult it is for international students to just stand out amongst the crowd. or just the struggles of being an international student, like the financial struggles, the emotional struggles.

Before we dive into today's episode, please hit that subscribe button. Your support helps us grow and inspire more people on their journeys. Thank you. Hello, Inara. Thank you for join us today and welcome to the show. Thank you so much for having me. It's really lovely to finally speak with you. I've been following you on LinkedIn and seeing your podcast with everyone.

So yeah, it's finally good to be invited as a guest here. Thank you. I appreciate it and likewise we're excited for it. And Inara, to start with, in case there is someone who doesn't know you, can you please introduce yourself? Yeah. So I'm Inara. It's a very rare name because I get that a lot. I came to the UK in 2023 to do my master's in advanced marketing.

and after my graduation, I started working at a UK-based law firm, but in the marketing department and my niche is email marketing and CRM. So when I was applying for marketing jobs, I wasn't really sure which niche I wanted to choose. But once I went into email marketing and CRM, that kind of grew on me. I started to learn more about the niche. And then obviously I started sharing whatever I learned in my job on LinkedIn. I started sharing my life as an international student, as an international candidate, and just started giving my opinion on different marketing campaigns. So that's how I started posting on LinkedIn.

And yeah, that's how I'm now known as like the email marketing and CRM person. I also talk about marketing, personal branding. And before we dive into your area of expertise for LinkedIn, You said that you moved to the UK to study. So can you tell us where do you actually come from and maybe if it was like your dream or goal to move to the UK for studies? Yeah. So I am originally from Pakistan and it was always a dream to move abroad. I mean, UK was never in my mind because it always felt like a far-fetched dream.

But I just wanted to move abroad for my studies to work just for a better quality of life. life and it always just felt like a dream it still does when i sometimes think about it although it's been like more than two years now but it still yeah i mean it still seems like a dream at times and i mean like when i recently visited last year when i visited back it just felt like you know i had never left and when i came here i felt like okay i was always here so you know it's just like a mixed feeling and yeah it was always a dream and when it was happening i wasn't really sure what to expect because i did not have i like still don't have any family here in the ukia so i did not have any support i didn't know what to expect you know like i had no idea about the weather or i had no

idea about you know any hardships that i had to face over here so when i came here i had zero expectations but again I mean when I came here I was so depressed for the first few months because I felt lonely the weather was so bad because I didn't understand we have it's always hot you know so over here when I came I just like a total opposite it's totally opposite and I was always surrounded by family so I mean it was literally a 360 degree change for me when I moved here and for the first few months I was like was this my dream like what am i doing and where have i come because i always wanted to come here to study but i had never thought about you know the financial aspect of it and obviously i had to work while i was studying like so on a student visa you're only allowed to work for 20 hours and you can mostly do like you know odd jobs and i just i was like i had a full-time job in pakistan and over here i am trying to find a part-time job. I was getting rejections for part-time jobs.

And I was like, was this my dream? Like, what have I done to myself? Was it even the right decision or not? So that is how it started. But I'm just glad I didn't give up and go back. So, yeah. No, I'm happy to hear that and always curious to hear other stories because I moved here as well for studies and stayed in the UK.

So although for me, it was a different experience. moving from different country but still Europe. So I can imagine for you it's much different across the whole world and kind of culture shock or shock around everything. Exactly. Not mentioning the weather. I completely agree with that. It's not a fun one.

But of course, it's a bold move and great decision in your life. But at the same time, truth is that's what you said. It's not as polished and as easy as it might sound because obviously it's a shock. you need to make money to live here. It's expensive in big cities in the UK. So that's the reality at the same time. Yeah. No.

Because, you know, like a lot of people, I see a lot of people. So, I mean, the quality of life in Pakistan is honestly not that great right now. I mean, if you need growth, if you need stability in your career, you have to make such bold moves. And the only thing that I see right now is that people just say that we want to move abroad. but they don't really have a practical plan. I mean, and I think that was the same case with me. I always wanted to move abroad, but I never really thought about how I'm going to survive when I go there.

Like, once I go there, obviously, I need to have financial stability as a student. Even if I've paid my fee, I have so many expenses, right? How I'm going to cover that? And I didn't really, you know, take any advice in that regard. So I moved to Liverpool. and Liverpool is not a very big city. So obviously my options were very limited over there.

And I hadn't done any research about the city, about how I'm going to find a part-time job. I mean, I could also apply to, you know, university jobs, but I had no idea those jobs existed. So I think people should really do their research before moving and should look at these, you know, practical things rather than just looking at the glamour that people post on social media about moving abroad.

I agree. And the reality is that studies itself take a lot of time. It's stressful as well. And on top of it, you need to survive. So find a job. And I assume that you also want to have some kind of life on the side. So it's better to prepare and not to underestimate everything. And out of curiosity, what was then the reason for moving specifically to the UK?

And then, as you mentioned, also specific. to Liverpool? So, I mean, I had different options, honestly. So I had like, you know, UK, I had also applied to a few places in Europe, like in Germany and Italy. I had also thought about the US and Canada, but the master's degree over there was, I think, for two years. And obviously, it was like I had to invest double money. So that is why I chose the UK, because the master's for was for one year so I applied like in Europe and in the UK but obviously like since I really wanted to do a marketing degree in Europe there was a language barrier I mean wherever I was applying there was a prerec for me to know you know either German or the specific language

so that is why I couldn't really I mean I did try but the application didn't go through which is why I then chose the UK so I had a lot of different options in the UK as well. Like I had applied to many different cities and universities based on the scholarship and because obviously I couldn't afford the entire fee. So scholarship for me was the main reason. And other than that, I had also chosen like different low tiered universities in case I don't get scholarship.

But for me, it was just important how the city is. I mean, not in terms of the size, but in time. I mean, because I come from a very big. city in Pakistan. And I don't like to be isolated. I really want, you know, people to be around me. So Liverpool is really happening. And I mean, it's just known for its nightlife. And I just, I just talked to people who had gone to the same university. Like I found people on LinkedIn, I talked to them. And that is how I chose Liverpool because I had the option to choose between Exeter and Liverpool and yeah I just thought that Liverpool is a better option for me I mean after

looking at the scholarship criteria the financial criteria I then chose Liverpool I didn't apply to London because I thought it would be too expensive for me as a student to bear I mean the daily life of London but I kind of regret it now because I really want to live in London yeah I mean you can always. I'm not sure if you live in London now, but always can move there anytime. I'm manifesting that. And I'm not sure if you mentioned it before, but did you choose to study marketing because it was like one of the options, one of the available ones, or was it actually something that you wanted to study for your future career?

Yeah. I mean, so for my undergrad, I did a very generic degree. like I did my bachelor in business administration and I've majored in marketing. But I really wanted to have a degree itself in marketing. I mean, I had worked for a year after I did my undergrad. There was not specifically in marketing. That was like more in, you know, performance and strategy. So one hurdle that I was facing was that, you know, I mean, people said that you don't have a marketing degree.

And I really wanted that because obviously, if, I, so my future plan was to work in the UK and in order to work, I really wanted a marketing degree. And I, I just liked marketing when I was studying during my undergrad as well, which is why I did my major in marketing. So I thought, why not just do a master's degree in marketing itself? So I was applying to basic marketing degrees. But I got rejected on the basis that you've already studied these courses. So then I had to apply for advanced marketing.

Okay. Yeah, MSC marketing was a bit basic, basically for people who had never studied marketing in their lives, who are, you know, just changing their careers. So which is why I then started applying for, you know, like a bit advanced courses. Would you then say that advance was harder or maybe thanks to your knowledge. It wasn't harder. I mean, I think my undergrad was way harder than my master's because, I mean, it was harder in a sense that as a master student, people just assume that you would know stuff, especially when you're doing an advanced course. So they're not really teaching you.

You just basically revise concepts. And each course was literally just five weeks, which was nothing. And a lot of times I thought that I'm not really learning anything. I'm just trying to, you know, complete the course or just attend the class for the sake of it. But I think, I mean, my dissertation taught me a lot because, I always liked doing research and during my dissertation. So we had to do secondary research and it was like a very open-ended thing. Like I had to choose the topic myself, which it should be like just related to my interest.

And that is when I really enjoyed my master's degree because in my bachelor's degree, I didn't have the option to do dissertation. That is when I really enjoyed it. Plus, I think it was important for me in a sense that I got to know about the UK market because when I first moved here, obviously as a marketer, it is so important for you to know what market you're working in, right? And I knew about the market in Pakistan. I had worked over there. I knew all about marketing concepts, but I did not know about, you know, the people over here, the market over here, how it works over here. And obviously when I moved here,

when I learned those concepts and when I learned everything in those classes, I also used to observe, you know, like we had many assignments where we had to just observe people in supermarkets, on roads. And I think that exercise and just doing that made me more confident in my marketing opinion, especially when it comes to the UK. So I think in that regards, it was a very good step for me to choose a marketing course because my concepts were revised and I just got to know better about this market in specific. I like it and it makes sense to me. And I would just add that I think what's also a great kind of addition or advantage is

networking aspect because thanks to studying such a course, you get to know whether it's your classmates, tutors or people from outside. So it really helps you with connections and you never know it might be helpful in the future. Exactly. because I was, I mean, connections in terms of marketing as well as just meeting people from around the globe, because I was the only person in my class who belonged to Pakistan. There was no other person. So I had all new friends, I mean, from different nationalities.

And I just learned so much from them in general, like from their culture. And I just never felt lonely over there because everybody was in the same boat. everybody was just trying to make new friends. And then obviously in terms of marketing, I really regret not starting personal branding earlier because the connections that LinkedIn has given me, I think it would have been great in my student life. But regardless, I think, yeah, definitely it did increase my connections.

And I think, yeah, moving to the UK has just changed me as a person. I'm firstly happy to hear that it helps you in such way. And I can honestly just say that I can relate from my own experience as well. So that's why I'm always curious to hear about other stories. And before I ask you about the personal breadday or when you started with LinkedIn, what was like your thinking about once you graduate, once you finish your master's, about starting a job? Because it's quite an important topic as well that many people underestimate it and think that

once I finish my studies, it's going to be easy. But I think the reality is that it's not that easy. some time and it's very important. So what was your plan or your thinking that once you finish, where or how you're going to work, find your work, etc? It was nothing like, you know, people say that, you know, once you have a degree, it becomes easy. I realize that the job market doesn't really care about your degree. I mean, okay, it's an added bonus, but nobody would give you a job just because you have a master's in marketing. And secondly, I think the most important, part that I missed was that I didn't really learn any practical skills or tools during my

master's because that is something that I should have done myself. I mean, obviously, just knowing marketing concepts and just knowing marketing in theory doesn't help you with job interviews or, you know, and just upgrading your resume. I mean, the only addition that I had made in my resume was the University of Liverpool, MSC in advanced marketing. But that wasn't enough to lend me interviews and especially, you know, it's a struggle for an international candidate to just stand out and just prove that, you know, why you should hire me and especially because it require you to know about the market or about the specific tools that are used over here. So I think that was the biggest hurdle for me because when I was, so I had started applying while I was studying

and I was very clear that I want to do a job in marketing when I graduate. I did not know what niche of marketing. So I was applying to very generic roles. And like I said, I was already working in Pakistan. Like I had worked for a year and four months. So I was very confused what roles to apply for. Like, I was confused whether I should start from scratch or whether I should apply to mid-level roles.

At that time, I think I wasn't really applying to the correct roles. Like I was applying two roles that I am still not eligible for. I don't know why, but I had no idea, you know, because in Pakistan, obviously, every country has a different kind of like designations, positions. I wasn't really sure what level do I fall into. So I wasn't applying for the right rules and I was getting rejections. But I think because I started my job hunting earlier, like while I was still studying, I think it was still six to seven months left in my graduation.

I had started applying, I understood that I'm not doing it correctly. You know, I understood what changes should I make to my CV. Or, for example, if I was like just attempting assessments, I realized that this is not something I'm good at, this is how I should improve or these are the roles that, you know, I should be applying for. So after good three to four months, I started getting interviews. It was like very, very late and I was super stressed. and when I was applying for like generic marketing roles I did give some interviews but again

I I just felt very demotivated because A I am an introvert I am not a confident person at all like I hated talking in front of the screen I hated presenting I was just not I don't think I still am but I was really bad at giving interviews before so that is where that is when I think I started practicing with chat GBT. They're smart use case. Yeah. Someone advised it to me that just talked to chat GPT because obviously it has the audio version.

And I literally used to practice the entire mock interview with chat GPT because I just wanted someone who would not judge me. And yeah, I used to do that. And then I think while I was applying for a job, it was a marketing role, but they gave me an assignment where I had to build an email marketing campaign. It was, I think, for a medical brand or something. And I really enjoyed doing that because that niche of email marketing just really, you know, seemed interesting.

It seemed different. And that interview actually went well because I could talk about it and I was just, I was enjoying it so well. And while I didn't get that role in the end, I was kind of, you know, convinced that this is the niche I want to follow. And that is when I started applying for email marketing and CRM roles. I just, I started learning CRM tools. I just started taking courses. I looked at YouTube videos. That is how I started learning how it works.

And then I started applying for these roles. And obviously like in the end, I got a job before graduation. But I think I figured it out once I started it. Because before that, I was really confused what niche should I go into or, you know, what roles should I apply for. But I only figured it out once. I started and I was like two, three months into job search, but I was still confused. But I think once I started, I just figured out what's right for me, what's wrong for me.

And it's not something that you can advise people that this is the best practice that you should do. Because I think it differs from person to person because people have different skills. People have different certifications, different experiences. So I think the best thing that I did was to start early and to just figure it out myself that what is actually working for me. I can only agree. Firstly, I was about to say that while studying,

really for people, if they are like any younger ones, for people that are studying, don't underestimate it because it really takes time. And I can relate to your experience that I got a lot of rejections as well. But market is competitive. That's the reality. And then as you said, I think it's the best way or kind of smart approach. Just try it, test it.

And along the way, figure it out. Because if you wait, you're never going to find out. Or if you wait for someone to tell you how the other person is supposed to know what you're actually going to enjoy. So in the end, just give it a try. And of course, you may fail or it may not be the right path. But at least you can people do something else. So I was happy to hear that. and I was also about to ask you what actually sparked your passion or interest in this niche

that you focus on now. So now we know. So I'm happy to hear that and it's quite interesting. Yeah, because before that, I didn't really understand honestly what email marketing was or how does it really work. I mean, I had worked with campaigns before, but I did not know that it has a separate department or it's like a completely different niche. So while I was just giving that interview.

I realize that this is something that I'm enjoying to learn. And it's not something that I've done before. So why not? I mean, there's just nothing to lose. I'll just learn something new. So which is why I started learning more about CRM and how it works. And yeah, when I started working, I was still very new to the niche. So I think I really enjoyed the learning process as well.

and just learning new tools because these were the tools I hadn't really, you know, used before like HubSpot or different CRM tools or just creating an email campaign. So that is when I really started, you know, enjoying just enjoying my work, which is why I thought that, okay, maybe this is the niche. Again, I don't know about the future. I might find something else interesting. But for now, I think, yeah. this is how I started working into this niche specifically.

And since it's been a while since you kind of started and you've been in this niche since then, is it still something that you genuinely enjoy? Because I do, because I think it just keeps changing, especially because of AI. And obviously, when I was new, I wasn't focusing a lot on automations. I was focusing on the basics. but now I think I'm focusing on more of like, you know, automations and just how to build workflows and stuff. So I think it's very, it keeps changing and obviously you keep evolving as well in the same niche. Like there is so much to learn.

Right now I'm trying to learn different tools like tools that are not currently used in my company. But obviously it's just important to keep upskilling yourself. So I'm just trying to learn new tools and just do some different certifications. just to stay up to the trend and just so, you know, I'm aware of what updates are currently are in the market and everything. So I think, I mean, I'm still enjoying this niche. And again, it depends on the industry. So currently I'm in the legal industry. It is very, I would say, restrictive because of, because that's how this industry is. Like, that's how the nature of the industry works. So I'm also.

trying to, you know, learn how CRM works in different industries, like, for example, in startups, because the company I work in is a huge company and everything was already built when I first joined the company. So I'm more interested in learning how do people like build it from scratch. Or for example, if I'm in an e-commerce industry or in a retail industry, how does CRM work over there? How does email, you know, triggered image work over there? So through LinkedIn, I obviously get to talk to a lot of people. So that is what I'm actively trying to learn right now because obviously I do have a job. But again, you just shouldn't limit your learning because you have something.

So I really think that that's helping me because I am trying to learn about different industries, different tools, talking to different people. So that is how you have to keep it interesting. I agree and keep improving kind of on the side because you never know. Of course, let's hope it doesn't happen, but like regarding the joke, you never know when it might be. And I think it is important for you to grow. Yeah, I agree. And also, I guess part of building your brand or even alter it your expertise on LinkedIn,

you don't have to only share what you know from work, but as you said, you can do some kind of work on top of it, share it with people, and build your brand as expert in your field. Exactly. In your field, in your industry. and in general, whatever you learn. So, I mean, I do share a lot about marketing in general as well. And obviously, although email marketing is my niche,

but I still like talking about the marketing campaigns in general that brands do. So again, it's also about, you know, the things that you're interested in, the things that necessarily aren't part of your job. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't, you know, make an effort to learn those things. Yeah. And as you said, that you work in the market or industry legal, it's understandable. Of course, it's a bit probably more restrictive because of what it is. So does it mean that they're like clear rules that you have to follow?

Or do you get to be kind of creative? If you know what I mean, for example, if you compare it to other industries, if people might think, oh, this might be a bit boring or you may not be as free as in others. So is it true or do you still have freedom or what is it like? So I wouldn't call it boring. but it does have a lot of, you know, restrictions, for example. I think this is the case in every industry that you have to follow brand guidelines. But in the legal industry, because we're also dealing, along with the marketing side,

we're also dealing with the clients who are part of like sensitive claims. So we can't really, you know, for example, in email campaigns, we can't really do A-B testing because we're sending an email or a campaign to a client. we wouldn't want that because of our test, that client doesn't receive it or anything happens because of what we're doing. So for clients in general, we try to keep it, you know, less experimental and we just try to stick to what we have been doing. So it's more of, you know, transactional. But obviously, there is still room for creativity. So with different automations or for example, So we do marketing emails as well, like marketing campaigns as well.

And then obviously we do different events and webinars as well. So that is how we, I mean, there is still room for creativity. But again, like I said, it's not like other industries because it is a bit restrictive. Like you have to be mindful that you're dealing with clients in general who are already part of acclaim. And they wouldn't really care about your creativity. And obviously there is a lot of, I wouldn't say it's boring, but again, then like emails, there are areas where you can be creative. For example, just, you know, learning, I mean, just learning different kinds of automations or how to build, like different triggered workflows or, yeah. And with emails as well, there is a room for creativity when we're doing like mailers for people who are not yet part of the claim, like potential clients.

So those are like marketing emails. And that is when we're, I wouldn't say allowed to, but that is where we can show our creativity more because we do experiment and we do AB testing. We do like different kinds of, you know, cross-sell mailers. So yeah, not boring, but definitely are restrictive. And I would say that maybe sometimes if it's more restrictive, it's like more of a challenge to work with where you can.

So at the same time, it might feel a bit restrictive. but at the same time it challenges you a bit more. So I think it's maybe a bit disadvantage, but advantage at the same time, depending on how you look at. Yeah. Quick one, before we get back to it. If you like this kind of conversation,

I've started sharing short videos on a group where I break down what I've learned from more than 150 episodes. Content, podcasting, personal brand. No fluff? Just what actually works. just search Produced Buy on YouTube or don't and keep figuring out the hard way

and then we briefly mentioned LinkedIn before but what was like the kind of first step or first idea to start built your brand? So I honestly did not know you know like what personal branding is like any other person I just thought that LinkedIn is something that I use for my job search and it just seemed like a very intimidating platform. form. I used to hate you. It's like a scary one. Exactly. I used to hate LinkedIn. Like the only time I

used to open LinkedIn was when I either had to search for a job or when I had to, you know, post an achievement maybe. So I think the last time I opened LinkedIn before my personal branding was when I posted about my job and before that I was just doing my job search. And I never really opened LinkedIn. You know, I just posted about my graduation and just forgot about LinkedIn. So it always used to be that scary platform and I never really thought of it as you know part of social media or something that I would be scrolling on but I think it was when I had started working it had been a few months and obviously I was seeing that people are posting on LinkedIn and and didn't really understand that concept but I really liked how they were you know talking about so obviously I don't know if it was the

algorithm but people on my feed were talking about marketing in general you know my they were just giving their opinions talking about different campaigns and i was i just felt very fascinated because i got to learn so much just from their posts and i just started feeling that you know i've moved to this new country i have learned so much from my journey it might not be you know as great as someone else, but there were so many things that I wished I knew before I moved here. As an international student, as someone who, you know, struggle to find a job over here and for someone who works in marketing, I just thought that, you know, I wish I had just come across such posts earlier maybe, or someone had guided me in this way.

I thought like why not just start talking about my experiences as an international student. I wasn't confident about me talking about marketing back then because it was still very fresh. I just thought nobody really cares about my opinions, which is why I thought I'll just start, you know, talking about what I've learned as an international student. So I remember my first pose was literally, you know, what I learned as an international student. because obviously I had such a different writing style back then and I just talked about that in general and closed LinkedIn. And when I opened it the other day, I saw that, you know, so many people had liked it, commented on it

that this is so relatable. And those were like strangers. And they were talking about how they could relate to my journey and nobody really talks about the struggles. Nobody really told them that this is what they're signing up for. people started messaging me as well. And I was amazed. I was like, I did not know that it would be so impactful.

So I just started posting, it was like very low-key. So I started posting once a week. And I used to post about whatever I learned as an international student. And then, I mean, I wasn't really sure what I'm doing because people at work used to say, oh, we saw your LinkedIn post. And I used to get so awkward because I don't know. I just did not know how to react or did not know what to answer when they asked me, why are you posting on LinkedIn or why are you doing that?

Because I think now people do have awareness, but I was still new to it. And I did not know how to explain it to them that, oh, I'm just doing it for myself to feel confident because I did not have any goal in mind that I have to earn money or I have to, you know, just get more projects. I had no goal in my mind. I just thought that I'll feel confident if I talk about my journey. But then I think because it had been a few months in my job, I thought why not start to talk about marketing in general,

what I'm learning about marketing? So I started talking about, you know, how my perspective changed once I moved from Pakistan to UK in terms of marketing. So I started talking about the UK market. I started talking about, you know, how my perspective changed. as a marketer, what differences I felt when I moved from one country to another. I started talking about the different campaigns. I started, you know, just meeting people.

And then, like, in a very subtle way, I started talking about my niche in general, which is, I think, yeah, after that, I was invited to, I think, a meetup for email marketing and CRM people. And I was very scared because I was still very early. in my job. I did not know if I meet someone from my industry or from my niche, what would I even say to them? But when I met them, I just felt so confident. I felt so good because everybody was so welcoming. And I also learned so much like I made so many connections during that event. Then I thought, why not start to talk more about this niche so that I can, you know, meet more people

so that I can just connect to more people who are part of my niche and learn from their journeys as well. So after that I started talking about whatever I'm learning in email marketing and CRM and the legal industry in general because again it's thought to be as a very intimidating industry, a very boring industry, which is why I thought, you know, I should talk about it because this was the exact perspective that I had before I joined the company. But it's not boring. it's not intimidating and I really wanted to convey that so I started talking about that as well and yeah that is how it started then obviously I think your niche keeps changing but the core niche is definitely you know talking about marketing email marketing and my life as an international

student I never stopped talking about that although it's been a while since I've been an international student but I think that is such an important part of my journey and that is something that actually shaped me into the person I am today. So, yeah, I think these are the three pillars of, like the three content pillars that I use in my personal branding journey now. It was really nice to listen to it because I'm always curious about how it kind of started. Then when you said what opportunities it may bring, what it is like when people from out there don't build their brands so they don't understand why you do it.

But I'm pretty sure that at some point in the future, there are, may be going to join as well and just the point when they realize or find out, oh, she's been on something. I wish I started earlier as well. And last, as you said, with posting about being international student, I've seen some of your posts. And even though for me it's been some time as well, I really like reading that because not only I can kind of compare or see my own experience, but at the same time, I know there are people

who are students now or who are going to be students. and it's going to help them because if I was one of them back then and I knew LinkedIn and someone was posting about it, like, oh, this is actually very helpful. So I like such a content and I think those are great pillars. So you're doing great work. Yeah, no, definitely. Because I mean, people reach out to me on DMs as well, just, you know, seeking for guidance. So I actually feel good because I think that, okay, maybe my posts are impactful because

like international students are reaching out to me. So, I mean, that's a good sign. Exactly. I agree. And in our, just to be aware of time, I want to ask kind of lighter and friendlier question by the end of the recording. So what is it that you like to do in your free time or what are some of your hobbies? So I think, I don't know if I have any hobbies or not. But in my free time, I generally just, I don't know, like to binge watch, Netflix.

I like to go out just for a walk. I love talking to my family on FaceTime. I mean, obviously, it's just difficult to be far away from family. So I talk to them every day. That is what I do when, you know, I'm back from work. And obviously, since I live alone, I spend a lot of time just managing the household chores. I mean, just cooking, cleaning, laundry, groceries. and I usually go out with friends during my free time.

And now that I started, I mean, obviously it's been a while, but obviously just creating content is also part of my free time now on LinkedIn specifically. I recently started substack. So I'm working on my newsletter. It's still very new to me. But again, LinkedIn was new as well. So it should be fine. It will take time.

But I'm trying to work on that. as well. So yeah, I mean during my free time, that is what I usually do. I mean, those many things that all of us needs to do like household things and survive and of course important to stay in touch with the family because again, I know what it's like as well. And one question that I actually forgot to ask you and I would regret not asking is if you've got any advice for people how to grow on LinkedIn. Because I'm sure that you get DMs like this people are looking for any kind of secrets and stuff like that. So what is like your advice or what would you tell such people?

Yeah. There are no secrets or best practices, but I think a few things that I've learned after almost a year of posting on LinkedIn is that people do not want polished or highlight wins. I mean, yes, do post about your achievements, do post about, you know, the job you got or the wins in your life, but also talk about the journey or the struggles that led you there. So people always appreciate and they always look forward to the raw journey or the raw content that you're posting. So for example, when I posted about me having

a job, people did appreciate it, people did congratulate me. But when I started talking about the struggles and international student faces when, you know, they're looking for it. job in any international setting or for example how difficult it is for international students to just stand out amongst the crowd or just the struggles of being an international student in the UK like the financial struggles I talked about the emotional struggles those are the posts that were more raw right so these are the kind of content that people follow you for because they know that you're telling the truth you're not just sharing your wins or the polish highlights just to gain followers but you're actually talking about your failures you're

talking about your struggles you're just being very authentic in sharing your journeys like where you're sharing your wins you're also sharing what struggles or what failures led you to those wins and it actually gives them hope it gives them you know they do learn from your journey but a lot of times for example when i'm going through a hard time i'm also looking for a little bit of hope you know Basically, people talking about the struggles make me feel better because when I'm struggling, I think, okay, maybe if, you know, they are winning in life after all these struggles, maybe my time will come to. So that is the kind of content that people relate the most to.

And then I think secondly, goes both ways. So when I first started posting on LinkedIn, I was just posting and not engaging. I wasn't, you know, I mean, I was gaining followers, but I wasn't really networking with people. I wasn't talking to them. I wasn't engaging on their posts. And I expected people to comment on my post, which is not the right thing. It was same with me when I started. Exactly.

I mean, again, I don't think it was my fault because I was very new to the platform. I was an introvert and I didn't know what to really comment on people's posts. But when I started doing that, I actually saw the impact of gaining, you know, like genuine followers, just meeting genuine. people and I just, I don't know, but I started having that LinkedIn family because the same people comment on my post and I love that because I look forward to their comments or they look forward to my comments on their posts. So it just started to feel very authentic and not forced. So I think these are the two learnings that I've had that, you know, it goes both ways. If you expect people to

engage with your posts, you should do the same. thing. And secondly, you should be raw and authentic. I like both and I agree with both. The second one, it also helps you to build a community of your people, which is very important. And the first one, it's a great point as well because you see pretty much majority or most of the people sharing wins, successes, this and that. But not everyone is courageous enough or vulnerable to share actually what is the reality behind the scenes. And I always say that when someone does that who's not afraid, who's courageous and honest, it stands out to me because let's be honest and real, life is not just sunshine and rainbows and the reality is that it

happens to many of us. So I think those were definitely great pieces of advice. And Inara, can you please summarize where people can find you, follow you and promote any of your services potentially? Yeah. So I mean, my primary platform is definitely LinkedIn. I usually post about my learning as an email marketer. I also post about my opinions on different marketing campaigns, about my life as an international student in the UK, what I learned. And I try to help more and more people who are deciding to pursue the same path. I usually work with different brands on LinkedIn, like with brand collaborations. I haven't really started personal brand, like I haven't really started, you know, guiding people, but again, a lot of people reach out to me in my DMs just to

ask for guidance on personal branding or how do we start their journey on LinkedIn. So definitely people can reach out to me for that as well. A lot of people reach out to me in terms of marketing guidance as in how to choose the niche and how to choose that right direction in marketing. So that is something that I guide. I mean, that is something I help people with as well. well. Other than this, I have recently started Instagram and Substack. Those are not my primary platforms, but again, I'm just trying to grow over there. So I would love if people follow me, follow my journey over there as well. And yeah, I'll just see how it goes. Of course. And I will add any links to the show notes so people can check it out. And one more question, actually,

do you read any books? And if so, have you got any recommendations? I am not a reader, Unfortunately, so I don't think I would have any recommendations. Yeah, I mean, I prefer watching movies and shows. I recently completed Bridgeton, but I'm not the reader. So unfortunately, I don't think I would have any recommendations for people. No, no worry. I just don't need to check in case, but completely understandable. No worries.

Then, very last question. If there is anything I should have asked you and did not, any final message or a piece of advice you would like to share, with the audience before we finish? I think yeah, I think just like people should never underestimate their dreams

because I mean that's a really random thought but over the long weekend I was just you know going through my old photos and obviously I was just thinking about my life back in Pakistan which was different and I do miss it but I was just thinking about the kind

of person I was back then I mean if three years back, someone would have told me that I would be sitting here in a podcast talking to someone across the screen. I would have been so shocked because this was not the kind of person I was. I always wanted to be, I mean, I wanted to be confident enough to talk to new people and just, you know, post about my journey in general. But I never thought I would be that person. I obviously underestimated myself. I just wasn't confident enough, but it happened. And I never, I never really knew that it would happen through LinkedIn, a platform I did not even use.

So this was never the plan. This was never something that I had planned. But I had always thought about it, you know, that I want to be a confident person who can talk to different people, who can just talk about her journey with confidence, talk about her struggles with her. confidence, but it happened in one way or the other. So I think one piece of advice would definitely be to not underestimate your dreams. If you work hard enough, if you're in the right direction, your dreams do get fulfilled in one way or the other. Like maybe not in the way you want them to be, but if you look back in hindsight, they do get fulfilled. It's a really nice message. Again, something that in many ways I feel like I can relate to us well.

We're happy for what you achieved. I've got no doubt that this is just the beginning. There is going to be much more. So you're doing amazing work, not only what we discussed, but also the impact that you are making on LinkedIn and anything else around it. So I want to say a big thank you for joining me. You create amazing content, always enjoy it. And the stuff that you talk about again is I'm sure it's where impactful and it's going to help people. So keep up doing the great work. Once again, Thank you very much for joining me. Ginuli enjoyed it and I will keep following and support you.

Thank you so much for having me. I had a lovely time speaking with you. Thanks for listening to Prejudice By with Tomen. Check the show notes for all the links. And don't forget to subscribe, like and share your feedback. Speak soon.