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HT Brunch Game Show: Who made the smartest switch?
The YouTuber who moved cities, the ad professional who is turning to farm life, the producer turned home baker, or you?
Larissa D’Sa, 28
Then and now: “I started as a YouTuber with a DIY crafts-centric channel in 2012. Two years later, I became a lifestyle content creator and last year, on December 1, I moved to Goa from Mumbai,” says Larissa.
The reason: When Larissa stayed in Goa for four months during the pandemic, she realised that is the place where she wants to be. Knowing the language was a plus!
Learning all the way: “The more skills you have, the better it is. In the lockdown, it was easier for me than my peers to create content,” she says.
What’s worked: “I love the slow life and being creative at my own pace. Mumbai doesn’t allow that,” she explains.
What’s not: “I look at things as ‘it wasn’t meant to be’. So, I don’t have anything major which did not work in my favour,” says Larissa.
Ashwini Seshappa, 30
Then and now: “I’ve been working in the ad industry for eight years. My husband and I decided to shift to Coorg from Bengaluru to live the farm life during the pandemic,” says Ashwini.
The reason: Eight months into the pandemic, it was getting hard to show up and perform every day for Ashwini. “I had to prioritise my mental health,” she adds.
Learning all the way: “With WFH eating in to more hours becoming the norm, I learnt that boundaries are more important than ever as is practising kindness with myself,” she shares.
What’s worked: “My mental health has improved. I’m sleeping better and my anxiety is manageable,” she shares.
What’s not: “The first week was the hardest. I felt guilty for sleeping in and had a niggling feeling there was an email I had to reply to!”
Ekta Gill, 42
Then and now: “I was a filmmaker and TV producer and now I’ve turned home baker with aspirations!” Ekta says.
The reason: “I started my production company in 2010 when there was a shift towards food and travel content. Cooking is like therapy,” she says. Ekta took time off in 2019, and in 2020, when stuck at home, she was baking more than ever. That’s when she decided her future was in making food.
Learning all the way: “The greatest learning is loving what you do and understanding every aspect of your work. Only quality matters,” says Ekta.
What’s worked: “How much the Bordough cookies were loved and appreciated by customers. Word got around quickly,” says Ekta.
What’s not: “Running a business from home is not sustainable. There is little off time, which is necessary to function properly,” she adds.
And the winner is...Ekta Gill
“Introspect and figure what you love”
As the saying goes, love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life. “A good take away from Ekta is to introspect enough along the way to figure out what you love doing and build your skills and career around that. Most of our careers are shaped by the next best job that comes along without stopping to ask ourselves – Does this make me happy?” says expert Shiv Agarwal.
“Ekta’s story reminds us it’s okay to switch careers. Re-inventing yourself halfway through is not a viable option. Today, cooking, baking, designing are at par in terms of earning capacity, personal fulfilment and societal appreciation. This is the time to realise most of those entrepreneurial dreams.”
From HT Brunch, April 11, 2021
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