At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring to our community some of the finest stories from India and around the World. As part of this endeavour, we invited yet another passionate entrepreneur – Aarushi Jain for an exclusive interview with us. She is the Founder and CEO at Sprinkled Insights. Let’s learn more about her inspiring journey, her background and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Aarushi:
We are aware of your contributions to the ecosystem; talk us through your background and your journey, please;
I belong to Chandrapur, a city in the state of Maharashtra. I was born here, I have done my schooling here and even today.
I am living here with pride. Chandrapur has been a lesser-known city in comparison to metros, but it neither did shrink my horizon nor hinder my path ever.”
From dropping mathematics in class 11 to going for distance learning in college, I’ve always followed the theory of ‘never following the crowd’. Today, I am a 19-year-old freelance writer, pursuing Journalism and Mass Communications from Amity University Online, Noida with a Certificate in Corporate Communications from Narsee Monjee Mumbai.
This is what I’ve been doing and I’ve decided to do.
I have traced my path towards becoming an author and have started walking on the same foot on the ground, eyes on the goal and head, straight up! Also, in this world of digitization, I don’t believe that the radius of the place you are living in can limit your dreams.”
I’ve been pushing my limits and my over supportive and affectionate family has been pushing me towards my dreams since day one.
What made you passionate about ‘Writing’?
I’ve been writing poetries since I was in class 2. Literature has always been my forte and writing has always been an integral part of my life. From writing short poetries with rhyming jingles to writing articles for school magazines in class 10, I always knew that writing is something I can do, but I never knew if this is something I want to take up for life.
It was in 2018 when a friend of mine suggested me to go for Instagram blogging and I started up with @penned__ideas. Since then, my only aim has been to spread optimism through my words, to make my readers realise that there exists another side of the coin and if you flip & see, you’ll always find hope and a reason to smile.”
I kept sharing small write-ups on subjects like comparison, hope, judgements etc; and it was in January 2019, when I got my first article published in The Hitavada Newspaper, I realised, writing is what I want to do for the rest of my life.
Could you please share with us a little bit about your book, please?
As you know my motive behind writing is to spread optimism and hope through my words, my first Non-Fiction book is a collection of 30 experiences that we all come across at least once in our lives.
Some of these experiences are good, some not. But what’s common is, it happens with everyone. It leaves every individual with a sense of contentment, a sense of hope and a sense of gratitude in the end. I’ve been working on the book since February 2020 and right now it’s in the post-editing process. The best part about the book is that it is not age-restricted.
The chapters in the book are a collection of moments which are experienced by a toddler, an adolescent, and even an adult. I am really excited to take all my readers towards the journey of my book and I am sure, the day they finish reading the book, there will be a new dawn. A new dawn of new hopes and different perspectives towards life.
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
I believe, speed-breakers and challenges are meant to lower your speed and save your fuel and therefore one must embrace them with grace. There have been certain times when I’ve been surrounded by an invisible ring of doubts regarding my choice of career, but what kept me going was my love for writing.”
Maybe this happened because the writing was my passion before I decided to turn it into my profession and therefore the zeal of transforming thoughts into words kept pushing me. Also, many might not know that there isn’t a degree for writers in India, but what I knew was, dreams need a sky to flourish, not a degree to felicitate.
I decided to go for a Bachelors in Journalism & Mass Communications via distance learning and devote my three years to writing. I’ve been questioned about my choices, but I never answered any of them because I believe, your results are the best answers and one by one, as moments and days pass and I am moving ahead in my journey when I look back, I have only and only gratitude to express.
Freelancing is still not a well-known profession in India and you’ve already begun your journey as a successful Freelance writer. What would you like to say about this?
Even today, Freelance Writing is looked upon as an unstable source of earning and most of the people believe that every Freelancer must be having a ‘back-up’ job or an alternative profession. What I believe is, every profession’s stability depends on the way you work for it.”
For example, today I am freelancing for a renowned bakery and a popular hamper studio in Nagpur, but I can’t stop here. I’ll have to and in fact, I still am looking out for brands and companies to collaborate.
This happens in every profession. You must never be ready to settle, instead, keep looking out for better opportunities to grab and better chances to explore. If today I get too comfortable working for just 2 brands, I’ll lose my potential and if tomorrow they find a better freelancer, what will I do? The same happens in other professions too. Your employer might find a better manager, your patient will find a better doctor and so on. Therefore, no matter which profession you are in, never stop learning & exploring your field. The more you explore, the more you’ll grow and ‘stability’ will be maintained.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
Growing up, I went through a transitional phase while choosing a career path for myself. From an enthusiastic future pilot to a focused future business executive and to finally becoming a writer, one common element that kept me hustling & never made me lose hope was the love of my family.
They have always been supportive & enthusiastic in all my activities and it is their never-ending support that has played an integral part in all my endeavours. Right from my decision of dropping major subjects to picking up writing as a full-time career choice, they have never doubted my dreams.
My feet might have wobbled & shivered at times, but they never stopped cheering for me. Also, a supportive family doesn’t mean saying yes to everything and clapping for everything I do. They have always been my first critics and have always made sure even if I am on cloud 9, my foot remains on the ground.”
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
I’ve realised not always you need a plan B. Sometimes, you must just sit back, fasten your seat belt and cherish the journey your life is taking you to. Just make sure you keep peeping out of the window because you never know which opportunity might cross your path. Also, not always opportunities will come and knock on your door.
There’s a line I always quote – “stop believing in the notion of stars waiting for them to shoot. Be one.” You must be ready to get out of your comforting shell and be ready to force opportunities to come to you. Success is meant to be achieved and opportunities are meant to be earned, in fact, grabbed. This is what I strongly believe, faithfully follow & will continue to practice always.
You are always positive and motivated, what keeps you going?
Well, as a writer who writes about spreading optimism, I’ll have to be injected with positivity always. Because I can’t write something that I can’t feel, therefore I make sure I keep myself surrounded with reasons to smile.
However, there are times when the ring of hope turns into wrinkles of stress, and in these times, I give myself a short break. I keep my pen aside for a few days and spend that time with my original self.
It gives me a sense of rejuvenation and helps me get back to writing with a double boost of optimism and love for words. I believe such mini-breaks are necessary for everyone. Because once in a while, every individual comes across a phase when things either don’t go their way or their smile has forgotten its way. Small breaks help you ease your burden and let you enjoy your profession for life.
In your opinion, what are the keys to success?
In my opinion, not all doors need a key. Some can be opened with a knock and with a brick too! Being opportunist, morally sane and professionally dedicated are some bricks and keys that take you closer to your dream. Consistency is another important element that keeps you marching and makes sure you don’t get driven away from your aim.
Accepting errors, embracing failures and appreciating contemporaries are some traits that every individual must possess not just for professional fortunes, but for achieving the greatest fortune of all – a balanced life.
When you know the trick of balancing your heart, mind and soul, your life is sorted and you’ll be able to achieve everything you’ve been aspiring for.
What advice would you give students and young professionals who want to have a successful career?
Today, every individual is focused, dedicated and devoted towards his/her career. But what they aren’t doing is enjoying their journey. In pursuit of reaching the future, we often ruin our present, which in turn never let us find solace even in the life of our dreams. Instead, we must learn to cherish our work, enjoy our profession.
Therefore, to everyone reading this, I just want to say that, start loving your work, start loving your life and success will love you back. Also, no matter what path you choose, you can’t make your professional identity unless you are socially present. You must make sure that your presence is felt wherever you go. Gone are the days when people were known because of their professions.
This is 2021 and today, the name is the first designation before profession. And yes, never leave your values. Remember: “fortunes that cost you your values are next to failures.” Start appreciating small milestones, cherish the journey you are into and you’ll soon reach your destination.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
