Produced By - Where Creativity Meets Data: Finding Your Place in Marketing | 164: Sakshi Sureka

Starting point is 00:00:00 A lot of people come to me and say that, for example, if they are from data background or our engineers, they'll say that, oh, it's actually very easy for you to say to build a personal brand because you're already working in marketing. So you constantly are communicating with a lot of people and probably writing copies and stuff for brands and constantly in touch with them. So it's easy for you to talk about your journey because you have stuff to talk about. And probably they say that, oh, marketing is an interesting and exciting kind of feel where something or the other is going on. But I work in like a boring desk job where I'm working with numbers every day. So they tell me that, but how do we get out there and talk about our journey or start building a personal brand? And I always give them this advice that be it marketing or a very fun job or a boring job, you'll always have a story because you are working for it.

Starting point is 00:00:49 And it could be in any way and every way possible that you could start talking about how a day at work went, what kind of challenges you had to face or how you overcame it. 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, Sakshi. Thank you for joining us today and welcome to the show. Thank you so much for having me here, Tom. I was so excited about this and since the time you asked me about this, I already felt like

Starting point is 00:01:23 a famous star because now I'm going to be on the podcast. So... We are too kind, Sakshi. I appreciate it. I hope big expectation that it will be met, but I'm looking forward to it as well. No, no, big or smaller expectations. I'm so grateful that you ask me to be your, because I'm sure it's going to be a great time we're having a conversation and it's going to be fun. Thank you. I appreciate it. And Saakshi, for those who don't know you, can you please introduce yourself? Correct. So I'm Saakshi, Sareka, and I'm 26. I'm actually based in India right now. I'm born and brought up

Starting point is 00:01:59 in India as well from Kolkata, India. And I've always been a person who really goes with the flow. Like, I'll just give you a very quick summary of my entire life. Like, this is the time I was in high school. I chose a science major just because my mom thought that in India, it's a stereotype that whoever takes up science subjects, they're considered to be smarter. So I went with it. even though I had this very clear in my mind, I don't want to be a doctor, I don't want to be an engineer.

Starting point is 00:02:33 So what's the point of it? Later I thought, but yeah, just to be the smarter person in room, I took up science. I also flunk chemistry once, which was, I think, my lowest moment, and which made me realize that it's definitely not for me. Moving forward high school, I got interested in economics and mathematics and took up an economics honors degree, which again was very heavy on numbers and all of the stats and the maths. And again, I thought that, oh, this is too much numbers for me. I probably cannot do this. I'm like too creative for just numbers and data.

Starting point is 00:03:11 So I thought, why not put my hands on marketing? And I think that was the time when I decided, oh, I'll move to the UK, pursue a master's degree in marketing and analytics, which I thought. thought would be the perfect sweet spot for my creative mind and for my data skills. So that was it. I think that was a moment which was a very big shift and very life changing for me because I was a 22 year old who has never lived out of her home. Like I've always been at home, not even in any other city in India for that matter.

Starting point is 00:03:47 So I was a 22 year old who was moving to a completely new country, completely new people, knowing nobody at all with just three suitcases for that matter. And I had like no expectations what I could expect. How will I feel? Will I enjoy it? Not enjoy it, nothing. So I think that moment was when when I thought that this is pretty life-tinting for me and this is probably my most courageous moment in my life at that point.

Starting point is 00:04:16 But I'll tell you once I move to UK, I think UK is a country which just made me fall in love with itself. And I came here to do my master's where I studied MSC consumer analytics and marketing strategy. And it was from University of Leeds. I think that one year was amazing time of my life because you are a student, you are partying, you are juggling a party. It's like in the movies, isn't it? Exactly. It's bad.

Starting point is 00:04:49 But you are also curious and you're also excited to explore a new country. you also want to travel, but you are on a limited budget because you literally don't have money. So, so I thought this is not cutting out for me. I need to take up a part-time job, right? So as soon as I moved to UK in September or October 2022, I took up a job at McDonald's in December. And oh, oh boy, that was that was like so like doing night shifts from. from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the morning or sometimes morning shifts from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the afternoon. I think it was all all here. I was jogging my dissertation, my uni, my part-time job. And then when six months passed by, and then again looking for a job, looking for a full-time job.

Starting point is 00:05:46 So it was all very crazy. Just before we move forward, I was about to ask you that when you moved to the UK to study, why actually did you pick UK? Why maybe not some other country? Because obviously, it's across the whole world and, you know, UK far away, obviously coming from India. So why this country in particular? So, I mean, to be honest, when I started my research and everything, I had very specific vision in my mind in terms of what kind of course I want to do. So A, that was a very big factor. The second factor was eliminating where I didn't want to go, which was US. I don't like US that much.

Starting point is 00:06:26 And I won't find any kind of stability there in terms of my daily life and career as an expat or as an international student. So US was a very big no-no for me. Then I had few options considering Germany and Netherlands for that matter in Europe. But I feel because of the language issues, I was facing a lot of difficulties out there. it was not easy being an Indian and learning a third kind of language, you had to be certainly proficient in that. So that was becoming a hurdle for me. And luckily, when I started applying in UK, I started finding a lot of colleges or uni which offered the kind of courses which I want. So then I started shortlisting from there. Plus, I've always heard that UK,

Starting point is 00:07:17 per se has always had a decent balance in terms of work life. It is not as fast and not as crowded as US for that matter, but it is not slow as well. So that's what attracted me. And definitely it's a good quality of life. I'm glad to hear that. And then what were your feelings? Like, were you excited, scared, something in between?

Starting point is 00:07:45 I think being the first person, in my family itself moving to abroad for their studies or stuff because it was a big thing. Like, to be very honest, I come from a very higher middle class family. And it's not very common that people go for their master's degree abroad. It is expensive. So I think, A, I was scared that what if I fail, like, my parents have taken 25,000 pounds loan, an education loan to send me to the UK for my studies. So it was a big pressure on me as well that what if I'm not able to get the ROI, you know?

Starting point is 00:08:27 Being an international student, you always think in the way that if you're moving abroad, if you're leaving the comfort of your hometown, there must be certain kind of ROI which you should get if you're investing so much money, right? And it's not just the experience, but also in terms of monetary. Monetarily, you should get something out of it. So I think first, A, that was a bit of mixed feeling of being scared and a bit of pressured that way, that whether I would be able to do something out there if I'm not wasting my pay its money, stuff like that.

Starting point is 00:09:02 And second, I was definitely very, very excited because I love traveling that way. Like, I love seeing new places. And till then, I didn't get an appellate. opportunity due that because it was just after COVID, I guess. 2022 was just post-COVID. Yeah, yeah. After a very, very long time, we are getting a chance to, like, move itself. So that was one thing.

Starting point is 00:09:26 So definitely very excited. Like, I was so excited that the very first day I landed in the UK, I have not even got my student accommodation and everything. And I went out to explore. Let alone the utilities and the stuff. stuff which I would need to like settle my house. I just went to explore. Yeah, I'm happy to hear it.

Starting point is 00:09:48 And do you remember like what were your classmates like? If, for example, there were other people from India as well or if it was more European or I don't know, the global as well? What was it like? So in University of Leeds, particularly, I think apart from India, there were a lot of Southeast Asians, like everyone from Singapore, China, Japan. And it's very funny that in my master's degree, there were only three people who were from UK itself. They were British.

Starting point is 00:10:17 It's like the minority there, yeah. Yeah. It's very funny that me being in England, there are only three English people in my batch. And it was 150 people batch, you can imagine. Oh, wow. Yeah. But it's cool that you still have. It's similar to LinkedIn because you've got connection like literally all around the world.

Starting point is 00:10:38 You never know from where. It's like that country, that country, which makes it pretty cool. Yeah, exactly. And I mean, that's what I'm talking about, right? Like, once I moved to UK, I was exposed to, like, so much more. Like, I was not just constrained to people who are like me, but like literally anywhere, everyone from different kind of places. So that's what I was saying earlier, that when I used to work at McDonald's, I think

Starting point is 00:11:08 that was a very big, very big changing experience for me because I used to communicate with people from all over the world every day on an everyday basis. So that was a very big learning lesson for me, that how do you actually communicate with people? A quick note before we continue. One of the things I've realized from hosting this podcast is that I spent a lot of time thinking about the conversations long after they end. That's one of the reasons I started unproduced, a solo podcast where I share ideas, lessons, observations, and questions I'm still figuring out myself.

Starting point is 00:11:49 If you'd like to check it out, you'll find a link in the description. Now, back to the episode. So, Sakshi and before, you also mentioned that once you finished your studies, you worked obviously with McDonald's, but what does it like for you thinking about, your career because I remember like when you're finishing it's not as easy as people think because like once you finish it doesn't work that way that you know industry is waiting for you to work for them so where is someone who was planning or did you neglect it or what does it like for you actually

Starting point is 00:12:23 so I think this is one topic I have very extensively talked about on my LinkedIn as well like a first of all it was not easy at all as it looks from outside that I'm working 20 hours a week just to pay my rent then i'm working for my dissertation or my grades for that matter and seven months post university i'm also intention of looking for a full-time job and it is and to be honest it gets very difficult as a fresher when you don't have a lot of past experience to justify in the industry how can you justify your mcdonald's experience that how should that get your job right which doesn't make sense. So I think that was my biggest concern at this point that how would I navigate looking for a full-time job along with McDonald's and along with my studies for the matter.

Starting point is 00:13:19 But I think through navigating that, I realized that even though McDonald's is not a direct relation to my career or what kind of marketing job I was looking for, it still really helped me groom a lot in terms of communication. So as marketing and advertising is a field which requires you to communicate constantly with people, it was very big factor in my personality development, I would say. So as confidently, probably as I'm talking to you right now, if you've asked me two years back or three years back, I wouldn't have. Like, I was very shy talking to people in general. but McDonald's was one reason which took me out of my shell because I had no option there, right?

Starting point is 00:14:08 So when you're pushed into the deep side of the pool, you have no option but to swim, even if you don't know how to swim, right? So I think that was one of the factors that I learned so much how to actually communicate with people, how to actually understand what they're feeling. Probably they're angry, probably they're not satisfied with you. But how to actually handle those kind of situations. So I would never, never discredit my that kind of experience because that shaped me as a person, which probably my university modules or taking up a job didn't shape me in that way.

Starting point is 00:14:44 So that was a very big factor for me. But along with that, looking for a full-time job and finding a relevant career was big, big stress for me. And there came a point where it was almost one year I've completed my graduation and I was still not. able to find a job because the market was so bad and so competitive. And being an international student was probably an added disadvantage for me that way. Because companies were always stressed that they have to pay extra amount to give me sponsorship or stuff like that. And with the existing stress, which I had, that I need to obtain a visa to stay in the UK

Starting point is 00:15:25 and work in the UK, which I had no certainty about. like I could be kicked out in a year or I have no idea what will happen. So that was like a hanging sword on my head that I need to get a job anyhow. But so that was happening and I was working at McDonald's and now it started taking a toll on me because I was not able to secure a job which was relevant to my field. And it was already a year I was working at McDonald's. And as you know, it's not easy. It's hectic shifts.

Starting point is 00:15:59 It was taking a toll on my physical health, my mental health. Like, it is very funny, but during working at McDonald's, I gained 12 kgs of weight. And because I was constantly eating those meal heels there. McFlurry every day. I was making them and I was eating it. But I never realized that having a bad physical health was affecting me mentally as well. Yeah, that's a good point. So I think one year down.

Starting point is 00:16:32 Sorry to interrupt by what you said before, like working in McDonald's because people can say, okay, it's McDonald's. It's easy job and this and that. But although I haven't worked in McDonald's, but during my studies, I worked in a pub, which is similar like doing customer service. And you deal with all kinds of people, whether it's people the way they behave or different tension. So they're like communication barriers. And you never know what it's like. you never know who you are going to serve. So I can relate to what you said, that although it was just, you know, like a pop work, but still it was something that gives you such skills and experience of communicating,

Starting point is 00:17:09 dealing with people, customer service and everything that I also found it very helpful in my career and just learning how to communicate and deal with people. Yeah. So glad that you relate to that because a lot of times I feel people undermine saying that customer service roles or when you're working at probably a cafe or at a bar or a pub, something like that. That's easy, and maybe it's like easy money for you, that people could say that you're getting tipped and stuff like that, and you'll probably be 20 to 25 hours a week.

Starting point is 00:17:39 But you know that how much hard work goes behind that because you're not sitting for a minute, right? You're probably doing shifts 10-hour long where you're standing all day long. You're not sleeping at night. Yeah. And it's also very different if on top of it, you are also a student who needs to go to uni, needs to do dissertation and all stuff around.

Starting point is 00:18:02 So it's not just work. It's also actually being a student. So it's much more difficult. So I'm glad that you talk about it because it's not as easy as people think, honestly. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, and I always like to talk actively about it because I really have respect for people who can juggle this much.

Starting point is 00:18:19 Because being in those shoes, I would never say that it's easy to do that. Right. So. I agree. So whenever young people text me or who are shifting newly to the United Kingdom or stuff like that or anywhere in the globe for that matter, I would always advise them that you do take up those challenges, but also prioritize, like keep a check on yourself and see where your mental and physical health is going along with that. Because definitely paying for your rent and money is important, but it's not greater than yourself for that matter.

Starting point is 00:18:56 Because to be honest, there came a point in my journey when I was like so done with working a part-time job and looking for a full-time job that I was like that I leave everything and move back to India. Like, I cannot do this anymore. Probably that time I thought that it's one of my lowest moments. But now when I see see back, I would definitely say that that was a good decision, which I took. And would you say then, Sakshid, that again, I know that you said that the market. it was competitive. I guess it's still competitive. It's never easy.

Starting point is 00:19:30 And also obviously a lot of things happening, but would you then maybe like advise people to start thinking about future career earlier, still why you are studying or start looking for it earlier? Or based on your experience, what would you maybe do differently if anything? So I think one thing I always say that I would do differently is that as soon as I've enrolled in any kind of academic degree or university, I would start thinking about my career. prospects then and there. And I'm not saying just applying for jobs for that matter because it would be difficult for you to justify that, oh, you have just joined uni. Why are you looking for jobs

Starting point is 00:20:07 from now? But working on stuff which you could show as a proof. Right. And this could be done in various ways, which I regret I didn't start it earlier. One top thing, which would be the personal brand. So I started my personal brand very late after joining university, which I think, which I advise to everyone that do it as soon as you join university and as soon as you start thinking about your career. Because it is just so important that you are talking about your journey, you are building in public for that matter, and you are constantly sharing whatever you're going through, be it your highs, lows, even your small class project, a guru project for that matter. It is so important, you show that proof, you build something for yourself which you can actually take forward. I think that's one major thing which I would advise people to start earlier. But apart from that, there are always things like working on your portfolio, working on side smaller projects, be it freelance or be it just helping your family

Starting point is 00:21:16 for that matter, probably your side family business or extended relatives. I think everything which you do, every work you do could be shown as proof if done with the right intention. I agree. Be proactive and with what you said with building personal brand, of course, that is something that I can very much relate. I think

Starting point is 00:21:36 it's more relevant than ever and as we know, even if, not only competition, but AI emerging as well, it's like no better time to start building your brand than no. I swear. I mean, I think I started in 20, 23, for that matter, it has been

Starting point is 00:21:52 almost three years now i've been working on my lincoln and as ai is emerging along with that i still remember like the first time ever i used AI for my marketing project in university so and it was such a fascinating concept for me like oh i can give a prompt and my stuff is done wow yeah and how it progressed since then right and who knows how it's going to progress oh my god it is limitless to be honest. You cannot imagine how and where it's going to read. But on that, I think you just need to be proactive to learn AI as well. Like if you're not moving forward with AI and just depending on that, you're probably using your own conscience and then the competition. So that is definitely there. And never forget that it's never late to start learning it. If there's like someone who

Starting point is 00:22:47 realize that they are behind or haven't started. You can start any type. Better start late than not to start at all right. And for that matter, even when you look back, you'll always think that I should have started earlier. Just like my answer. I'm saying that even if I would have started earlier, I would have said, no, I should have started in high school itself, probably.

Starting point is 00:23:08 So. Yeah, I feel the same. Yeah. And you said it's actually when you started building your brand. What was actually the reason or like? first idea to actually start with building your brand. So just like I said, that I was in a very difficult and competitive kind of market. And when I understood that, oh, just applying for jobs and waiting for a yes or no won't work,

Starting point is 00:23:32 I need to do things differently because this market is so competitive that I cannot simply rely on job applications, right? So then I came across LinkedIn. I was obviously using LinkedIn as a platform as a job board for sure. But then I started noticing that, oh, there are a lot of people talking about how they are into this process itself. Because I had peers around me who was also in similar kind of situations looking for job, probably not getting it, or maybe how they used to get a job. So I found that very interesting that, oh, I am also in the same field. I am going through so much and so many different feelings all the time. so why not share about my process there?

Starting point is 00:24:19 And to be very honest, it really started out as my medium to rant about my job. Like, I always say this, that I was very passively aggressive about, oh, I'm not getting a job, I'm rejected from this interview,

Starting point is 00:24:32 stuff like that. And when I started doing that, surprisingly, I started getting a lot of support and not just emotional, but in terms of that people sending me started sending me opportunities when they thought it's relevant for me.

Starting point is 00:24:48 That's nice, yeah. So I thought, oh, that's very interesting. Like, I thought I'm just chanting about my job and process and getting my feelings out there in terms of writing. But this is so much more than that. Like, if I'm talking about my journey, I'm sharing about my process, A, there are so many people who are getting value out of it in terms that, oh, if she did that, probably I could try doing that as well.

Starting point is 00:25:15 And second, when I'm openly talking about my wins or losses for that matter, there are so many people who are ready to help you out there in whatever way possible. Be it could be a referral or it could be, oh, I saw this job, you could be your relevant fit for it. Why not apply for it? So then I started realizing that LinkedIn is so much more than just like a posting platform and a networking platform for that matter. and it has become game-changing now. So I think that was my major reason which motivated me to start here.

Starting point is 00:25:50 Yeah, I'm happy to hear that. And recently you actually hit a beautiful milestone with the followers. I'm not mistaken. It is, yeah. I think 15K recently. So it was, it was, it was, it was, it's, it's crazy to see how I probably started with 1,000, 2,000 followers, which were like my, just my friends, basically. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Starting point is 00:26:13 You follow me for networking. But now it's a big, big community, I'd say. And it took a lot of showing the vulnerability, your wins, your losses, every part of your journey to probably reach somewhere where I am now. I still don't consider 15K. Like, it might be a smaller number for a lot of big influencers. but I feel it's it's not just followers for me but it's literally a community

Starting point is 00:26:46 because even if I'm ranting or even if I'm crying or even if I'm sharing about my wins I know I have people who will always be there for me to support me to give their moral support to point me towards opportunities and there will always be people who I can give value to and it's always two-way right so so it has been an amazing journey

Starting point is 00:27:10 that way where I feel that it was a big, big, right decision that I started ranting out on LinkedIn. Because it's so much more about it. I agree. And I was about to say that, even though maybe for some people, 15K might not look that big order like obviously greater so if I don't know 100K or even more. But then it's really about what are those people that follow you?

Starting point is 00:27:32 Because it can be 100K people that are not really engaged that are not supportive compared to, I don't know, 10K. which is people that follow you because who you are, that enjoy your content, that are actually engaged. So again, it comes down to quality over quantity, doesn't it? 100% all the time. So recently, one of my friends complimented me, not now when I think when I had probably 7 or 8K followers. She complimented me, you get a lot of engagement for the number of followers you have. And I was like, probably that's the biggest win for me.

Starting point is 00:28:06 because to be honest, the number of likes or the number of impressions really doesn't matter in the long run. How much it matters is that, oh, people are actually reading your post, they're reading your journey, and they're leaving our thoughtful comments out there. When I'm probably posting about one of my failures or when I'm sad, they're actually taking time and effort to DM me and check in on me. I think those are the real wins and those are the real gains which you get out of. of your personal brand because you've not just gotten a lot of opportunities, but you have gotten a lot of people you know will always understand

Starting point is 00:28:45 the kind of situation you will be in. Because very honest, a lot of times, my own friends, don't understand where I'm at when I used to job hunt or probably used to work at McDonald's. But there were people across the countries from probably someone from Europe or Africa who knows the same position I'm in. So they can relate that, right? That's cool.

Starting point is 00:29:07 And I agree with the literature from all around the word. And I was about to say that what we discussed, like with the quality of a quantity, with the followers or the community, it really makes a difference. I'm sure that you can relate, like, for example, with the comments under your post, like if you have, let's say, 10 comments that, you know,

Starting point is 00:29:24 are AI and just summarize the post, don't say anything can agree, compared to just, I don't know, one, two comments when it's actually a real person that shares maybe opinion, experience or answer something that you asked in the post. It really makes a difference, even if it's like just a few that are kind of real, that it's some kind of value compared to, then they just summarize the post and you're like, okay, what should I answer to this?

Starting point is 00:29:49 It doesn't say anything, you know? Yeah, exactly. And just like you mentioned, there's where quality comes in, right? And that kind of quality where you are constantly cheering people on or actually taking time out to write like a paragraph of your thought and which is not from a bot for definitely not from an AI board i think that's when you realize that oh wow i must have written something down there or i must have shared my thought for the right reasons that people are actually relating to it so i would definitely prefer those two thoughtful comments over those five comments which are written

Starting point is 00:30:26 out of like nowhere like i try to practice that myself as well when i'm commenting on other people's post or beat my friends or beat a new person I've come across on LinkedIn. I try to put my actual thought out there rather than trying to just for the sake of it because there are a lot of times when I don't get time to engage, but I prefer not to engage rather than putting just anything out there. That's a good point. And it's actually, as you said before that, some people comment or reach out to, for example, that you've got a good engagement or something.

Starting point is 00:31:02 I'm sure that people ask you also like, you know, about some tips or advice or ideas on the growth. So what will be your maybe recommendations, how to grow on the platform? I assume that like probably community might be one of those points, but anything else or anything that you'll recommend. So I think to I think that is a very subjective answer in terms of what works for anyone. So I could say on my behalf only like what works for me and what helped me grow. and that was one of the biggest factors there was that I used to share posts or my thoughts which were very relatable in terms of storytelling. So I think one key factor which I realized which used to work on LinkedIn was that when you are putting your thoughts or any kind of value in a way that it resonates with people in terms of a story, it used to work like 90% of the time. used to work with people. I think this was one of the compliments I get from a person that she said

Starting point is 00:32:05 that you write in a way that sounds like I'm talking to a friend. And I feel that didn't happen very instantly, but it took a lot of practice in terms of my writing skills and in terms of writing my thought out there, that it started coming across in a way that people found it very relatable for that matter. And I think that also explains the engagement. because there I have seen posts out there which strictly says that, oh, here are my five tips which you need to follow and this will make things work for you. But to be honest, I would never say that. Like, that's a very personal opinion.

Starting point is 00:32:47 There are people who are getting engagement and reads from there, but it never used to work for me. I needed to put that one anchor that how does that add value in my life and how that could add value in your life. So if I've not experienced that or if I've not gone through that kind of thing, it is very difficult for me to explain that to my audience that, oh, you need to follow this. Because I noticed that that gap was bridged through storytelling, which I feel is a very important factor now, also working on LinkedIn.

Starting point is 00:33:23 As you've noticed, that LinkedIn is pushing a lot of organic content for that matter, be it your short videos or text posts. LinkedIn is actively pushing content which is like, oh, come to a day in my life or here's how I'm actually working at my work and not just giving you tips for that matter. So I think that was my one of the biggest tips which I used to give people that start showing up on LinkedIn, but as yourself, don't try to be the LinkedIn guru from the first day.

Starting point is 00:33:57 I feel like that never used to work for me. Like, I feel like there are more gurus than enough. We don't need more. I mean, I'll probably learn a lot from your personal experience. Even if it's a win or even if it's a failure, show me the behind the scenes.

Starting point is 00:34:17 Like, I just don't want to know that you got promoted or, oh, you got like five new people to do your podcast. But how did you want us to do that? I would love Tom to tell me that you had such a warm approach. For example, when you approached me, it was such a warm approach that instantly made me say yes to doing this. Thank you. I appreciate it.

Starting point is 00:34:40 So probably that's the hook, right? Here. That's the catcher. That it was your warmth and the way you approach instead of a cold email that made me say yes to your podcast for that matter. I agree. I was just about to say that I'm sure that you or anyone else can relate to it as well that you get a lot of, I don't know, pitches or DMs and people trying to offer you something on LinkedIn, which, yes, it's probably part of someone's strategy, this and that. But sometimes

Starting point is 00:35:06 it gets quite annoying with people don't show any effort, like in how to approach you, like literally first DM they try to offer you something. So when there's actually someone who does some kind of effort, whether it's the way they approach you, build some kind of relationship before, or just for some reason to stand out, it really makes a difference. Because You get bombarded with whether it's pitches or, let's say, some kind of content on your feed that feels like AI or anyone could write it. You just appreciate when there is someone who approaches you as a human or in some kind of creative way. 100%. And I think it doesn't necessarily need to be a DM or you need to constantly be in touch with that person for that matter.

Starting point is 00:35:50 But even when you're showing up in public, even dropping a comment or just a sweet gesture in their comment section, also helps. Like, even though you messes me or DM me for the first time, I know you because not just from your post, because we have been constantly engaging on each other's posts. So that is also a way where we have already built a relationship, even though we didn't have a one-on-one conversation for very long on our DMs on chat for that matter. And that also helped me believe that you don't need to be constantly be talking to thousands of people to build relationship with them so that you can possibly collaborate or anything like that in future but also take small efforts in your everyday life to build that relationship and it definitely goes a long way. It's true and

Starting point is 00:36:41 after LinkedIn is a networking platform so yeah exactly take advantage of it right that's what it is yeah I mean today if you have noticed LinkedIn has introduced links then the comment impressions right so yes that is true i hope it motivates people to actually you know break some effort with those comments and don't do what we discussed before i'm every day i'm seeing posts where people are talking that one small very short comment where they're really talked about their thought openly in the comment section that comment itself is getting like 50k impressions without being posted on lindon so you can imagine how important authentic engagement has become like it is taking you so much far away like if even if you're

Starting point is 00:37:30 not posting so i think that's one advice i also give to people who come for me to tip like okay you are scared to start talking about your thought at the one first go so start out by actually building relationship with people by engaging and it could be it could be with anyone relevant in your industry be it your peers or probably even people you admire, for that matter, who you want to potentially collaborate in the future, it could be those people where you're just leaving thoughtful comments or engaging with their posts. They'll definitely have a recall about you much more than if you're sending a cold DM to them. I totally agree. I think it's a great idea from LinkedIn how to incentivize people to actually comment properly

Starting point is 00:38:20 and not like those comments we discussed before. And, you know, people sometimes might be afraid to actually hit post, you know, start posting because what are people going to think of me? I don't know, this and that. So if people are actually afraid, start with the comments because now you can see that comments, not only like people with experience such as you or someone else, they say comment it is very important, so do it. But now you can hear if you are afraid, just comment, build those relationships.

Starting point is 00:38:48 It's much easier. and actually linked to the rewards that with those impressions. Yeah, definitely. And I mean, on that, I would really like to say that a lot of people come to me and say that, for example, if they are from data background for that matter or our engineers, they'll say that, oh, it's actually very easy for you to say to build a personal brand because you're already working in marketing. So you constantly are communicating with a lot of people and probably writing copies and stuff

Starting point is 00:39:17 for brands and constantly in touch with them. So it's easy for you to talk about your journey because you have stuff to talk about and probably they say that, oh, marketing is an interesting and exciting kind of feel where something or the other is going on. But I work in like a boring desk job where I'm working with numbers every day.

Starting point is 00:39:36 So they tell me that, but how do we get out there and talk about our journey or start building a personal brand for that matter? So and I always give them, this advice that be it marketing or be it a very fun job or be it a boring job you'll always have a story because you are working for it right and it could be in any way and every way possible that you could start talking about how your day at work went like what kind of challenges you had to face or probably how you overcame it so it is never it is never an exception for you

Starting point is 00:40:13 that you cannot post on lincoln or you never have i don't have any anything to say. You always will have, but it is important that you need to put those kind of experiences, be it experiences or be stories which are happening in your life. So you need to start developing an eye to see your life as like a movie where you can find snippets everywhere talk about. You can probably add value to your community. That is very true and I agree. And if people still have doubts or don't believe us. Just look at LinkedIn and you'll see how many literally people from all kinds of industries there are.

Starting point is 00:40:53 There are people from industries that you may think that those are boring. But still there are people with huge followings and from all kinds of backgrounds. So there is always like stories, whether it's from your life. As you said, think about your day or anything. Sometimes you just need someone to help you to find it. But never underestimate, you know, that it's boring or you don't have anything to talk about because everyone has something to share. I completely agree.

Starting point is 00:41:20 And it always has to be there. And I feel you just need to be quite open-minded about it. And just get rid of the fear of judgment, I'll say. And people might say that it's easier said than done. But what could be the worst thing happen? You'll get zero likes and zero comments on your post. But that is not going to be anybody, right? So.

Starting point is 00:41:42 Yeah. Yeah, that's pretty much how all of us started, because at the start, you need to overcome this fear. And I think everyone goes through this in the beginning, because don't forget that even those that are way ahead of you, they started somewhere as well. And everyone, when they start, people are usually afraid, so don't worry about it. Yeah, I always thought I'm very shy of talking on a video for that matter, but look at me now. This is the first podcast I'm doing, and I'm actually good about it. So at least I started somewhere. Yeah, of course.

Starting point is 00:42:13 It's looking great. And it's actually I was just about to say to be aware of time. I want to ask you kind of lighter questions as we'll be approaching the end. So what are some of your hobbies or what you like to do in your free time? So first I'd like to talk about that at my work, I'm a very data-oriented person because I work in performance marketing. So I'm constantly working around numbers and data and all of that stuff. But as I've said previously from my school experience, I'm too creative for just now. numbers. So I need to get that motivation out of creativity. So I do like to love working on Canva,

Starting point is 00:42:50 be designing, be designing invitations. Yeah, for that matter, so that I can exercise my creativity somewhere. And so of course, my LinkedIn is not just a hobby anymore, but it's my baby now, my personal brown. I love to work on when I'm not actually doing my full-time job. So that is my top priority, but except that I love cooking and exploring new places where I can eat. I'm a big, big foodie. So I love to cook and I love to eat as well. What is your favorite cuisine?

Starting point is 00:43:27 I'll say it's Indo-Chinese, if you've heard of it. So that's like a mix of, it was invented in India, of course. It's like an Indian version of Chinese food. So if you ever have Chinese food in China per se, I wouldn't like it, really. Probably if this gets out, Chinese people could get offended. But my tailbats have too much more of like spice

Starting point is 00:43:58 and all the masasas for that matter, for plain old Chinese food or even British food for that matter. No offense, but I feel it's that. I think no offense either, but I don't think, I hope I wouldn't have to cut this out, but no one can say that the British cuisine is the best or something. Like, no offense, but it's a British cuisine. I'm glad that you agreed with me on that. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:44:28 So I think that my hobby for, my love for cooking and hobby, started out in UK itself because I didn't get the kind of food I used to love. So I started making it. And then I started loving the process of cooking. It started becoming my very personal, my me time. It was like my unwind time when I'm completed work. I finished work. I'm alone and I've put music in my ears and I'm chopping and doing my cooking for an hour or so.

Starting point is 00:44:57 So that used to be my unwind kind of time. And there's where my love for cooking and then food even get more stronger for that matter. And if you were to pick your favorite dish, do you have one? So, as I said, my favorite cuisine is Indo-Chinese. I would love a good plate of haka noodles and chili panir or chili potato for that matter, along with it. I could probably have that every day or ramen for that. I'm a big Indo-Chinese fan. I could have that every day.

Starting point is 00:45:31 But yeah, it has to be made as per me, as per my spice tolerance and stuff like that. Yes, yes. That Indian kind of tardka, we say. So, like, passion, magic we play on that. But, yeah, could pick that every day. I think I've never tried, like, in the Chinese, obviously I had Indian, which I loved as long as it's not too spicy. And Chinese, but not like the mix, but I will remember it and hope to try.

Starting point is 00:45:58 Once I move back to UK, I'll definitely make sure you try. I'll make it. Yeah. Sakshi, do you read the books? And if so, have you got any recommendations? I mean, I'm very guilty of not forming a habit to read. I've been trying to do that since past year. But I think recently I finished, I was successful in finishing one book that was Atomic Habits,

Starting point is 00:46:25 which I absolutely loved and I'm obsessed with that book. I think it had helped me make a lot of content and make a lot of course also from that. and become a very disciplined person in life. So even with my personal right, for that matter, I think it really helped me give a perspective on consistency, for that matter. How can you be disciplined and consistent on whatever you're working with? I think that has to be, because I've not read a lot of books,

Starting point is 00:46:57 and that's one of the books which I've finished very recently. I'd say I love that book. I agree. I think that atomic habits from, James Clear is like one of the books that I think everyone should read in their life. Yeah, for sure. It is definitely life-changing perspective. And me being a person, I've started forming my habits in such small ways that the changes can.

Starting point is 00:47:23 I can feel the changes. Like it is just small perspective shifts, which you can see in your everyday life. I think I talk a lot about that on my LinkedIn as well because I believe that it's just your perspective which could completely change the situation for that matter. I agree and I'm happy to hear that. And I know that's actually you also enjoy listening to podcasts. So what would be some of your favorite ones? Apart from listening to you, obviously, I love listening to Mel Robbins and J.S.80.

Starting point is 00:47:55 I think it was one of their collab podcasts, which I've seen for the first time ever. And that made me really interested in how they're talking about. life in general, everything and anything and everything about perspectives, which I was just telling you that it really, it really surprises me and I find it really curious that how small perspective shifts in your life can change the way you look at it. So that definitely has to be one. And in terms of marketing, I think recently I've been listening to girls in marketing. So I think that was that was very cool as well in terms of marketing. expanding my marketing knowledge in terms of campaigns, what's working, what's not,

Starting point is 00:48:41 and how brands are doing so many amazing stuff recently. So, yeah, that has to be there as well. I remember Jay shared it because you've got him on your whizzy, if I'm not mistaken, on your website. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then can you please summarize where people can find you, follow you, and potentially promote any of your services or anything? Yeah, of course.

Starting point is 00:49:06 So I think anybody and everybody can follow me on LinkedIn for sure. And here I talk about my personal journey, my wins, my losses and everything's in between. And I also love to do cute collaboration posts with Kamya Marva. Yeah, I like that. I was actually about to ask. It's like beautiful carous and it's really well-made and I like the information. I encourage people to check it out as well. That is very nice of you.

Starting point is 00:49:36 I appreciate that. But yeah, I love to talk about the marketing, the brands and what's going on, the latest campaigns which are running and our thoughts and insights about it in a very aesthetic kind of manner through our carousels because I believe that when it's a setting and engaging, people would definitely be hooked. So that is obviously there. And more and more, I'm talking about. how young people who are probably international and moving to anywhere in the world

Starting point is 00:50:10 or are into job hunting or stepping into their career for that matter, because I've gone through that a lot from thick and thin. I've experienced this market and this industry. I'm always here to help and provide my services so that they can advance better in their own job and journey or career for that matter. they can reach out to me definitely through my cal.com link which is provided on lincoln so yeah always here to help add value to people's life and obviously learn all the time from them that's very kind of you i will as always add links to the show notes and as you mentioned came yeah i really like you too

Starting point is 00:50:55 as a as a team because you both are so positive enthusiastic i like your content and also about to ask you like did you know each other I don't know outside of LinkedIn or did you meet over LinkedIn or how did you actually get together it's a collaborate well that's a very fun story that Kamya is my first ever LinkedIn friend who I made oh really he's the first friend who I made on LinkedIn like she definitely started out before me so I was really inspired by her and just like we were talking about authentic engagement I think that was one DM where I sent her that oh I'm obsessed with your content and I love how you're talking about your journey for sure. I would like to stay in touch with you.

Starting point is 00:51:39 I think that was the icebreaker for us. And since then, we have been going through thick and thin together. I've seen her journey. She has seen mine and we've always been there to support each other. So yeah. And I think it's very funny that once we were discussing that sometime in the future, we're going to have a podcast together. So you're going to be the next best.

Starting point is 00:52:02 Yeah, thank you. I appreciate it. And I think it comes back to what we discussed before. It's really important to have the community of people and the people that you meet on the platform that support you make it more fun just to show. And I think it's just perfect example. So I'm happy to. And something that I was curious about, so I'm glad that I found out. Yeah, yeah. I'm so glad that people have started recognizing us as a duo.

Starting point is 00:52:25 A lot of people comment on a post as if this is like my favorite duo is back and stuff like that. And I said, so motivating. and encouraging for that money. And then, Sakshi, have you got like any planned goals or anything that you plan to achieve in upcoming months or maybe even years and you would be willing to share with the audience to be excited about? Yeah, of course. So I think on the New Year's itself, I posted that by the year end,

Starting point is 00:52:55 I would love to hit 25K followers. And it's not just a number, but followers in terms that I want to expand to, a community of 25,000 amazing humans. That's just a personal goal for me. I don't know if I'll achieve that or not. But I'm sure that whenever that happens, it's going to be an amazing celebration for that matter.

Starting point is 00:53:17 Secondly, I'm really looking forward to expand my brand partnerships and all my potential collaboration opportunities on LinkedIn. I think one of that is really happening that by doing this podcast for that matter, I'm getting out of my comfort zone and talking on camera about my journey. So I think that's a small win for me that I've started expanding my horizons that way. So I think these two are very key essential personal goals in terms of LinkedIn. But apart from that, one personal goal was to learn how to drive, which I started driving and I've obtained my license. So that I've done.

Starting point is 00:53:58 Yeah, yeah, well done. And of course, we'll be hoping to hit that milestone and of course also well done on the podcast. Enjoyed that. You're doing great. Thank you so much. It was a very lovely conversation. I thank you too. And it's about stepping out of the comfort zone, isn't it? And maybe something feels scary at first, but then once you do it, you actually enjoy it. And then you might do more because it got just easier over time. Yeah. For sure. Who knows once I started posting and reposting,

Starting point is 00:54:31 about the content you make out of this podcast. I start doing more podcasts for that matter. So I really hope that happens. And Sakshi, very last question, is there anything I should have asked you and did not or anything that should like to leave the audience with before we finish? I think we've probably touched everything for that matter.

Starting point is 00:54:54 But I think for my audience, I would really like to just give one advice if you ask me overall. if it's in terms of personal branding or career in general, I think it's more about that, just show up as yourself and don't try to portray yourself to be somebody who you are not. Because LinkedIn or be it your career,

Starting point is 00:55:19 it's all about authenticity now, which is working. So I suggest show up as yourself, don't compare your journey to others. There will always be a lot of people, who are doing so much better than you in probably the number of followers in the kind of job they're doing and kind of money they're earning for that matter

Starting point is 00:55:40 but there will always be those people but focus on yourself, focus on your journey and I think then everything will fall into place for that matter. I completely agree because if you compare yourself to someone then you start comparing to someone else and someone else and it's like never ending chase

Starting point is 00:55:57 never end journey and don't forget that you also never see the whole story. You don't know what's the background, what's the context and everything. You never know what I'm going through is probably not what I'm showing out there on my LinkedIn. And if I'm posting about a win, I've experienced so much more behind that, which not a lot of people can see. So it's better to focus on what you are doing and try to just get better than your past version. And I feel that is a very big perspective shift for me because now when I look back at myself from probably two years ago or three years ago for that matter, I always see and I always say myself that how far I've come compared to where I was earlier, be it in terms of confidence, in terms of skills or the kind of work I'm doing, I'm able to provide so much more value than what I was doing earlier. and that is a win which I choose to focus on

Starting point is 00:56:58 rather than what other people are doing or how they are winning. So yeah. I'm happy to hear that and I can relate to it. I hope that it inspires people. And I think Sachi, that's a perfect message to finish with. I want to say a big thank you, of course, for joining me. Not only for your time, but also it was great to meet you. I can safely say that the way that I see you on LinkedIn is someone positive,

Starting point is 00:57:23 enthusiastic and supportive. I felt the same during this conversation. I'm so glad. I think that's the best compliment. Thank you. And it's well deserved. And as you said, it's your first recording. I think it was awesome. I enjoyed it. So once again, thank you. I'll be supporting. I hope that you hit your goals. And of course, wish you all the best and happy to stay in touch. So thank you very much. Thank you so much. It was a lovely conversation. And I hope you on board a lot of more creators like me so that we get to see a lot more nice personal advice and insights from people's lives. We're doing a great job with actually getting people's story out there. So definitely

Starting point is 00:58:01 big kudos to you for that. Thanks for listening to Produce By with Tomin. Check the show notes for all the links and don't forget to subscribe, like and share your feedback. Speak soon.

Produced By - Where Creativity Meets Data: Finding Your Place in Marketing | 164: Sakshi Sureka

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.