Today we’d like to introduce you to Aashi Bhatnagar.
Hi Aashi, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
After completing my MBA in Marketing and International Business, I started my career as a Social Media Manager at Fuzia, a global community for women. The first job exposure and working with employees hailing from different parts of the world helped me understand how things work at the corporate level and how to manage multiple work roles and teams together. Understanding cross cultures is also something that built me as a marketer and entrepreneur. While working at a full-time job, I also started freelancing parallelly and taking projects from LinkedIn. This was the biggest reason I could convert that into a full-time business. Just 5 days after the ideation of launching a start-up, I quit my 9-5 job. During the notice period, I worked on the launch, and finally on December 16, 2019, I stepped into the life-changing entrepreneurial journey.
Today, The Digital Abode is a bootstrapped and profitable business model that has worked with clients of different backgrounds across the globe, trained many people helping them start/restart their careers, collaborated/hired some of the best minds, and given meaning to creative marketing. The easy part was that this business model doesn’t require huge capital. Infact this was a 0-investment startup with 100% returns. Hence the risk on the financial part was low. We didn’t plan to reach the top in one day because I am a firm believer in “small steps”. You can’t reach acme in one day. So, we slowly scaled it up rather than rushing things and ultimately spoiling the game. This was the biggest lesson I practiced and suggest to other business owners as well.
The lessons I learned along the way are infinite. Each day, every new project, every new client is new learning and experience that teaches me things towards a bigger route. Today as I write this, I finish 3 years of running The Digital Abode, and I am extremely happy and proud to have done that.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest challenge was that nobody in my family is from a business background. I have never seen anyone run a successful business closely. I didn’t know how I’ll be getting towards it, but nevertheless, I did, and that was my best decision. I had no partner who can share the load, so I started as a sole proprietor along with a team of experts in subdomains of digital media. But as the owner, it was me carrying the majority of the responsibility, and the way I did it made me extremely proud of myself. I had no time to be nervous about it. The only feeling I remember was that I was extremely excited about it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I run a Digital Marketing agency, The Digital Abode. The core skills that I monetize at TDA are writing and organic marketing. Though my work role just defines the skills and how I utilize them for my living. But my character is what builds my core. When people say they like my “vibe” I feel that’s one of the most beautiful compliments. I always wonder how much positivity we need in the world and it’s only us who can contribute to it. So why not your energies be the legacy? Something that you’re ACTUALLY known for.
I have a personal hashtag that I use, especially on my LinkedIn, and that is #aashified. It was started with the same idea because I want to spread energy, impactful energy that leaves a mark on you and tells you about the real Aashi, not just a writer or marketer Aashi. Some of my online supporters have added meaning to this when they say, “You’ve aashified us.”
Something that I’ve learnt the hard way and now is an important life ethic for me that I’m known for is my focus towards attaining balance amidst the hustle. I believe that physical/mental health, financial wealth, hobbies, sound sleep, good food, downtime, family, friends, vacations, projects, and social work all should be a part of your life and not just your work alone. My brand story is much beyond just me, and I am much beyond just my brand. And that’s what sets me apart.
I’ve been featured among the top 100 influential persons by Entrepeneur Stories.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
In 2018 I predicted the digital media industry for the next 8-10 years as in the peak stage. Because of the pandemic, digital advancements and industry came to boom much early than expected. I am so happy to see the trend just going up each day, and why not? Digitalization is the present and the future. It is always going to graph upwards.
The next big thing would be the introduction and dependence on automation and Artificial Intelligence in the marketing industry. Though it’s already much introduced but the game would be worth watching.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thedigitalabode.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thedigitalabode
