In a joyful place

Being a successful influencer may feel like a lottery ticket; social media provides rapid notoriety that some people mistake for good fortune. However, a distinct image of what it means to be an influencer only becomes apparent after the camera lenses are closed, the ring lights are put back on the walls, and the PR packages are sent out again. It also requires a lot.

Thirty-year-old Masoom Minawala, a social media celebrity who pioneered groundbreaking content production more than 10 years ago, is now residing in Dubai. Her path from an inquisitive kid to a worldwide influencer and entrepreneur has been an inspiration to many. She is well-known for transforming the lives of tiny Indian firms with her endorsement. She now details her ascent to the top in her debut book, She’ll Never Make It (Juggernaut), which was just released.

“I’ve always felt that I’m not good enough, that my work isn’t good enough, and that others don’t value what I do. The question “what have you done to deserve writing a book?” has been the biggest voice in my thoughts lately. However, I felt compelled to write it since I have made unorthodox decisions in both my personal and professional life. She continues, “And I thought that everyone who’s about to make similar decisions would want to hear my tale.

Minawala assumed the role of an influencer far before Instagram was even a thing. She worked as a fashion firm intern throughout her undergraduate years, when she was assigned to do blogger research. It was via this that she came about fashion blogging. She devoted a whole night to researching global trends and started her own fashion blog, which at the time was almost unheard of in India.

She made excellent use of the camera and tripod her grandpa gave her for her blog. She was the photographer. Her blog gained so much popularity that she was instantly well-known. “It was instantaneous love.” It was an obsession, similar to having your first love interest in school and being obsessed with them for the whole night. I’ve learned so much from blogging,” she adds.

Milan Fashion Week 2024: Minawala in Cavalli
The challenges

Minawala was able to build a dependable customer base. They would purchase whatever she recommended her blog readers buy. When smaller fashion firms were about to fail during COVID-19, Minawala took use of her fame and used her 1.3 million Instagram followers to encourage them. One bright spot for these lesser endeavors was that they encountered “The Masoom Magic.” Their sales skyrocketed.

However, Minawala encountered difficulties when she launched her own e-commerce fashion company. Although she had a great brand partnership and a compelling pitch, at the time it was difficult for her to speak about money since she is a woman. “I believed that, as a woman, I had not been given the finest cards. Large investors would inquire as to whether any male family members would be in charge of my money. I felt as if I lacked what others imagined guys have. I believed that acquiring such types of talents required extra effort on my part. With such confidence, some of my male pals provide bad financial advise! I had to inform a few of them that while I appreciate your counsel, I would be handling my own money. In a culture that is so geared toward male dominance, I had to take aggressive measures to make sure my statement is heard,” the woman claims.

Going ahead also brought additional inquiries, such as whether she would continue to work after becoming a mother or merely until she got married. “I discuss a certain topic throughout the book, and this is one of my favorite passages. “Your strength is your gender.” Think about it. We need to be the first to undergo this mental transition, she believes.

Peaks and valleys

Success, according to Minawala, did not come easily, as she went from gaining a large international following to supporting Indian designers and walking the Paris Fashion Week (she became the first Indian influencer to do so in 2021). It was a lengthy trip overall. I think I made a lot of poor choices, but I also followed my gut, which is probably how I ended up where I needed to be,” she adds.

The social media celebrity claims that by documenting her travels for the book, she was able to take a broad look at her life. “I had to really go into memories that had been neatly erased in order to write this book. I had to ponder and draw lessons from all those experiences, even if it was unpleasant. Having said that, I may not be here right now if things hadn’t worked out a particular way. And I’m very content with where I am right now,” she adds.