I was always told that I am not good enough, I believed it and did what I was told. But then, my life took a turn for the better. Hi, this is Maitri. I am a Social Media Strategist and host of Little Fixes Podcast. While growing up in Kanpur, I kept hearing that girls have limited options in life. My father worked in a government bank and my parents encouraged me to pursue the same job. At 23, I ended up there. I hated every minute of it but couldn’t leave till I got married. Unlike my parents, my husband told me to quit if I wanted. So, I left the job and started exploring random things on the internet. There, I came across blogs. I had always loved writing so, in January 2014, I started working for one of the top beauty blogs as social media manager and content writer. After 2 years, I moved to a branding agency and learnt even more.
In July 2016, I got pregnant and had a daughter. I tried working from home after delivery but it didn’t work out so I had to quit. My life turned around after this, and I’m thankful to motherhood for that. While staying at home, I decided to start my Instagram page as a mom-blogger and that's how Maitri’s Confetti was born in 2018. I found some really inspiring women on Instagram, learnt from them, discovered self-love and made great connections. While working as a micro-blogger, I also kept learning about social media through various courses. I got a remote job as a social media marketer for a beauty brand in 2019. My employer was a fabulous woman who always encouraged me to expand my knowledge. It was during this time that I decided to start my podcast. I listened to some great podcasts but most of them came from people based in the other side of the world. I couldn’t find anything created for a woman like me, so relatability was an issue. I got the idea in October 2019 and launched the podcast in December that year.
My Podcast, Little Fixes, is an interview based podcast where I invite guest experts to share practical tips related to various aspects of a woman's life. It has helped many women in coming out of overwhelm and frustration with making small changes that led to big outcomes gradually.
Promoting my podcast wasn’t easy though. I had a few thousand followers on my Instagram page so started with promoting it there and created a separate page too for the podcast. Most women in my network didn’t even know about podcasts so the first challenge was to make them aware of the medium. The response was really encouraging. While my podcast was thriving, I decided to work on my social media services too. I quit the remote job and started working as a freelancer. It wasn’t easy to get clients, especially for a person who didn’t have a big network. But when you really want something, doors open and they opened for me too. In 2021, I registered as a proprietor and my social media work is going great too. My USP is that I work with women owned businesses only. I have now become very conscious of who I work with because I don’t want to waste my energy on things I don’t enjoy. Like most women, I have to manage multiple things: my social media, my podcast, my family, my friends and also take out some me-time. With time, I’ve realised that balance is a myth and the best you can do is to harmonise your life. I now try not to get caught up in guilt, shame and fear. I won’t say that I’ve overcome these feelings but it’s an ongoing process and I’m improving every day.
From a girl who didn’t believe in herself one bit to a woman who is finding her way in the world by working on herself, I’ve come a long way. I was told that that business is tough but found out that I can do tough things and succeed. Now, I firmly believe that we shouldn’t dwell on what others tell us and rather work towards what we want to accomplish. It’s our life and we have the right to thrive the way we desire. Small steps lead to big changes. Here’s to every woman trying her best every day.
