Shalini Samuel left her corporate job and started beauty blogging before it was accepted as a career. Read on to know how she kept going and what advice she has for young bloggers.
Humare interest aur sapne identify karna thoda mushkil ho sakta hai, aur kai baar, kaafi intimidating. But it’s the best thing you can do to build a life doing something you actually love.
Shalini describes herself as a creatively inclined, passionate girl. In 2015, she started a YouTube channel called ‘KnotMePretty’ to share her hairstyling tutorials, beauty hacks and fashion tips with girls just like her. Unko yahi sab karna pasand tha, par unka actual kaam, bilkul alag tha.“A friend suggested that I start a YouTube channel. I didn’t take it seriously until I actually started following YouTubers and watching their videos – mere paas bohot se aise hair and beauty ideas the which I wanted to share with girls like me.” Today, she has built a strong network of close to a million subscribers on YouTube, helping them look and feel their best.
Sabse bada challenge unke liye apne profession ko saath leke khud ki ek jagah banana tha. “When I started blogging about five years ago, it wasn’t taken seriously – it was considered a hobby. I often struggled to explain my career choice to my parents,” explains Shalini.”I had to dig into my own savings to pay for equipment and video editing, while not getting much in return. It was hard to explain all this to my parents.” She struggled with constantly having to justify her job, and fighting the negativity that came along with it. But being a true entrepreneur, she fought through the tears and lows and persevered. “Mujhe pata tha ki mera dil yahin lagta hai, aur main isey achieve karke rahungi. “Society ke pressures, tears and almost being broke – I did not give up because a voice inside me kept urging me to chase happiness, which lay in creating digital content.” And chasing that goal— working towards creating videos that help women across the world— wahi unke liye sabse bada satisfaction hai.
Start kitna bhi tough ho, ek positive mindset aur ek strong support system ke saath everything started to get better. Her family understood her, and turned out to be her biggest cheerleaders. “They supported me mentally through all my ups and downs. Unhone mujhe trust karna shuru kiya aur kabhi mujhe apne decisions badlane ke liye pressurise nahi kiya. Five years on, Shalini has turned her passion into a money-making career, turning her into a self-sufficient, independent woman. “Aaj ek ladki ke liye uski financial independence is extremely important. Women should be able to take care of their own needs by working hard for themselves.”
If she could travel back in time, Shalini apni younger self ko kehti “tum jaisi bhi ho, perfect ho, bas khud pe bharosa hona chahiye.” That she doesn’t need to blend in, but focus on standing out. And there’s a lesson in there for all of us too. Using her individuality to carve her own niche, Shalini has built a large online community, sharing her expertise of hair, beauty and fashion, to help young girls be the best version of themselves.
If you’re passionate about something, it shows in your work and you’re more motivated to do it #SunsilkGirlGiri
