At 29, Pritisha Borthakur, a former journalist and now a mother of twin infants, runs a successful digital media and content marketing start-up – Ink Monkey Media – that covers brands and establishments from across India, Hong Kong, Australia and Dubai, and has recently ventured into the restaurant business with the launch of her café project – Local Global, in Delhi.
In a tête-à-tête with her, we got an insight into her busy life, her inspirations, struggles and much more. Read on.
Tell us something about yourself and life before starting Ink Monkey Media. When did the entrepreneurial bug bit you?
It is so hard to speak about self! (Laughs.) I used to be a full-time journalist and have worked for reputed brands such as The Times of India, Pioneer, Times Internet, Gulf News and more, before starting Ink Monkey Media.
After becoming a Mom to twin boys in 2017, I was looking for a place which allowed flexible working. Being a career-oriented person, sitting at home wasn’t my cup of tea. I joined an organisation as the Editorial Lead for India and Bahrain but left it because of extreme pressure and late night work hours. It was then I realised I need to do something on my own so that I could devote time to my babies too.
So, it was on one of my consulting assignments I discovered my passion towards the creation of engaging content and the need for delivering specialist brand strategies in India. My affinity for providing quality content, branding and social media services steered me to provide a one-stop platform, and thus Ink Monkey Media came into being. Brands from across India, Hong Kong, Australia and Dubai are currently associated with us.
Why Ink Monkey Media? What is the thought process behind the name?
There’s no such thought process behind it. I am a huge fan of monkeys! And since we are into writing and brand building through digital media, I decided to compile all my favourite things into one and call it Ink Monkey Media.
When did you start writing? Genres you write on?
I fell in love with writing at the age of 6, when my mother introduced me to jotting down daily notes. I wrote the first poem at the age of 8 and the pen never stopped since then.
I write on food, music, art and travel primarily. However, my first love is writing poems. I cover romance, nature, and erotica.
Why did you choose entrepreneurship over a job? Is there a sense of insecurity that bothers you?
I chose entrepreneurship over a job because instead of working to make other people’s dreams come true, I get to work insanely hard to ensure mine do.
When I’m thinking ideas and solutions, irrespective of who I work for, I feel empowered to make an impact. It is the key that unlocks your world to a career outside the box and most importantly defined by you.
To be honest, I don’t really think much. I have learnt this from my mentor-cum-friend, Gaurav. He would always tell me that I shouldn’t be bothered by anything. Even if the start-up fails, I can always go back to a job. Since I desired to do something on own, I had to start one. That’s what entrepreneurs do. They start. They start something. Sometimes it is a massive success. Sometimes it is a big failure. Either way, we got our passion turned into a reality. And that is what it should matter.
What gets you out of bed in the morning i.e. what’s your source of motivation?
Well, I sleep only 3 – 4 hours a day. I am a workaholic and I know there’s nothing to be proud of. The kids are my inspiration. I want them to feel proud of their Mom. I want them to have a good life. I want them to pursue their dreams sans financial crisis. I work for them – their happiness, their future. At the same time, I work for myself – to remain independent and to fulfil my passion and life’s goals.
How did you form the team? It must have been quite a task to find the right candidate.
This was and still is the toughest part. Most candidates I had interviewed weren’t honest about their work experience. There would be thousands of things mentioned in the resume but when it came to performing the tasks on the ground – well, I was left disappointed!
I took seven months to form the perfect team. We’re now a fun-loving family of 10 that works hard and laughs harder. When we don’t have a busy schedule, we are usually listening to music and chit-chatting over chai (tea) and yum treats. I love them for the honest and hardworking people that they are.
Why should people choose your services?
Ink Monkey Media always serves up something discrete with a subtle mix of a generous splash of creative minds and a perfect intermingling of technology-focused tailored content generating solutions as a tracker. What started as a one-woman show has seamlessly flourished into a full-service elevated content and digital media business. Today, Ink Monkey Media brags a one-of-its-kind, close-knit team with specialists in all facets of web development; artistic, technical, and strategic. We have a clear vision, for those in need of quality content, be it business writing, blogs, web page content writing, travelogues, or articles, the value of content remains uncompromised. Ink Monkey is one of the few agencies to distillate on only content development and social media services. Whether it’s building up content for a commercial video, or a photography blog, our dexterous approach with an interdependent network of a trusted team lets us deliver some incredible content at an array of budgets.
What’s your competitive advantage and why can’t it be copied?
Digital media and content marketing is not a new concept. But what makes us stand out from the rest is our think tank.
At Ink Monkey Media, we measure our success with our client’s success. For us, it’s beyond creating something that just looks great; it needs to fetch you returns! We are innovatively driven and professionally oriented with a strong business background and dedicated outlook. We understand the importance and need of having a virtual presence of a brand, so once we start working with our clients we ensure to bring about a change in their business.
What challenges/obstacles did you face in your journey so far?
Financial obstacles – untimely payments by clients! Other than that it wasn’t much of a problem to handle work. I work for 20 – 21 hours even today to ensure we are not missing out on anything that matters to the clients.
How did the restaurant business happen? Tell us more about it.
Well, I am a big time foodie. I eat out a lot. I always wanted to run my own restaurant and offer people an experience worth cherishing for a long time.
Local Global is a haven for foodies, music lovers, bookworms and sports fanatics. From Indian to Japanese to Chinese to Korean to Continental to the Mediterranean, we have got them all covered. To make the afternoons warm and cosy, there’s tea and coffee prepared with the finest leaves plucked from the gardens of Assam and Darjeeling. One can pair it with snacks or delish desserts and pick a book from the shelf. Late evenings are all about live jamming by budding and popular artists. Fans of sports can enjoy live streaming of matches on our big screens.
How do you handle the pressure and manage stress?
I am a dessert addict. More the stress, more the dessert consumption. Whenever I feel low, I take a walk in the park, gaze at the stars, and write poetry. If time permits, I travel to the hills – there can be nothing more soothing and beautiful than nature.
What do you love to do when not working?
I love spending time with kids – I play, read, and do fun activities with them. And when they are fast asleep, I am either reading a book or writing something. On weekends, I go for movies or catch up with old friends.
What advice would you give to someone starting out, particularly to aspiring women entrepreneurs?
Entrepreneurship is a lonely journey; one needs to be prepared for that from the initial phase. And I have always believed that nothing comes easy, thus patience and hard work is the key to success.
Connect with Pritisha Borthakur at:
LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/in/pritisha-borthakur-90094022
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pritisha.borthakur
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pritishaborthakur/
Website link: http://www.inkmonkeymedia.com/
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