What does success look like at 30? For many, it means a stable career, financial independence, a home, marriage and a life that feels settled. For Apoorva Shrivastava, 30 looks very different. The Bhopal native is now living in Kasol, volunteering at a hostel, creating content and taking up brand collaborations after leaving a toxic Mumbai job and shutting down her own agency.
“I don’t have a five-year plan. This time, I’m trusting myself,” Apoorva told HT.com.
‘I left because I needed to save myself’
Apoorva spent nearly eight years in Mumbai working across PR, content, production, digital marketing and social media. Her work included content production, award shows, celebrity interviews and digital campaigns.
But her last workplace became increasingly difficult. She describes facing discrimination and little appreciation, with the work environment eventually taking a toll on her mental well-being.
After almost a year without a proper break, Apoorva took a few days off to attend her childhood friend’s wedding. While she was with her mother, a conversation about work during her leave became aggressive.
“I don’t want to do this anymore. I can’t work with these people,” she told her mother before breaking down.
She eventually left Mumbai in June 2025, without another job lined up.
{{/usCountry}}She eventually left Mumbai in June 2025, without another job lined up.
{{/usCountry}}“I left. Not because I had another plan. Because I needed to save myself,” she said.
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She started her own agency, but shut it down
Back in Bhopal, Apoorva started Kaafi Social Hai on June 15, a digital marketing and social media agency. She handled almost everything herself, from client meetings and content planning to shoots, writing, editing and strategy.
The business initially brought in more clients, but running an agency taught her a difficult lesson.
“Being good at the work and being good at running a business are two completely different things,” she said.
Apoorva said she often gave clients more than expected and allowed personal relationships to become intertwined with professional ones. Eventually, three clients failed to pay her for months of work. In another case, a client stopped responding to her payment messages despite being active on social media.
“I had been so focused on doing good work and being a good person to work with that I hadn’t learnt how to protect myself as a business owner,” she said.
By the end of June, she decided to shut Kaafi Social Hai.
From no job to volunteering in Kasol
The decision left Apoorva emotionally exhausted and uncertain about what came next. She had some savings and job opportunities in Delhi, but did not feel ready to return immediately to another corporate workplace.
“The reason I had left Mumbai was still too fresh,” she said.
Instead, she decided to step away from the pressure of finding another job or immediately building another business.
“I didn’t have another job. I didn’t have another business idea. I didn’t have a five-year plan. I just knew I needed to step away from everything and breathe.”
Someone close to her suggested volunteering. Apoorva began looking for opportunities through Instagram, where hostels and properties seek volunteers who can offer their skills in exchange for accommodation and food.
She applied to several places across Himachal Pradesh, Goa and elsewhere before a property in Kasol responded.
“I don’t think I chose Kasol. Kasol chose me,” she said.
She left for Kasol in June 2026.
At the property, Apoorva primarily handles social media, including content strategy, shoots, writing, reels, editing and the overall online presence. She also interacts with guests, helps them explore Kasol and pitches in wherever needed.
“Professionally, I’m here for the social media. Personally, I’m here to experience life,” she said.
‘I’m earning less, but my life costs less too’
Her accommodation and food are covered through volunteering, allowing her to be careful with her savings. Apoorva told HT.com that she also began creating content for herself, after which cafes, restaurants and brands started approaching her for collaborations.
Her income is significantly lower than what she earned in Mumbai.
“I was earning in lakhs there,” she said. “But strangely, I don’t feel like I’m poorer.”
Apoorva said her current lifestyle costs less and comes without the same pressure she experienced in Mumbai.
“I’m earning less, but my life costs less too. And more importantly, I’m enjoying the life I’m living.”
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She had imagined turning 30 with a good job, a car, perhaps a house, marriage and enough financial stability to take her parents on an international holiday.
Instead, she is living in the mountains, travelling solo, volunteering and creating content.
“I don’t have the house, the car, the marriage or the perfectly figured-out career I thought I’d have. But I have something my younger self didn’t know to ask for. I have a life that feels like mine.”
Apoorva does not know where she will be six months from now. She wants to continue creating, travelling, volunteering and meeting people, without forcing herself to follow the plan she once thought she needed.
“I spent almost 30 years trying to follow a plan. Now I want to see what happens when I simply follow my heart.”
“Is baar, main dil ki sunungi.”