FEMEST x HELI VED
Heli, could you share the inspiration behind your transition from YouTuber to global digital media personality and entrepreneur?
Inspiration can only take you so far unless it comes from within, where you know there is something you want to do and a voice you want to get out of.
It isn’t possible to go through the long haul and put in all the effort that takes, So when I started making YouTube videos, I realized that the confidence and this joy that you have are not as easily found not as I thought, at least which is why I was like you know what I’m going to make sure that everyone who I can reach can also feel this version of themselves because it’s mighty.
I have always wanted to be an entrepreneur, so when the time was right, when I had enough savings and put together all the resources on my own, I decided to start a brand with some value. There is a gap in the market, and I can make it my own.
How do you maintain authenticity and relevance in your content creation across various topics, such as fashion, beauty, and lifestyle?
Authenticity can only stick if we try to remember why we started it in the first place. I try to stick to the price point and the kind of brand I would push back in the day as well because 8 to 9 years doing social media is a very long time, especially when it starts from College to once you start working; the purchasing power is very different in both of these time frames and just because a creator or digital media personality makes a specific figure does not mean that the whole audience reaches there like the timeline can be very different.
Many people can earn much more or less than you, so it is essential to stick to the content that built you and the community.
Do not look down upon any affordable brands just because you know you may not use them anymore, but you would use them initially.
What strategies have you employed to cultivate a community of half a million like-minded individuals and entrepreneurs?
Try to be as authentic as possible. The word may be overused sometimes, but it is highly underrated to ensure that you’re putting effort into expanding your vocabulary knowledge and being in the real world.
If you’re going to be in the social media world, entrepreneurs will likely be the last people you connect with.
Still, there won’t be anything tangible that you sense anymore that you experience more like it’s essential to create more than you consume and be very much in touch with what’s happening around you so that people who are also living life can be in touch with this otherwise just making content on your listening to your voice while you film.
At the same time, editing it can just make you feel like you have a cold complex.
Can you discuss the challenges and rewards of addressing taboo topics such as periods and personal hygiene on a public platform?
The rewards are a lot more than the challenges. Of Course, my mother has been a solid support from the beginning to talk about these things from day one, and so did my father; none of them shy away from topics like sexual health as well so I just wanted to make sure that this was the case with a lot of people because my friends back in school a lot of them did not know what periods were. Again, a lot of misconceptions about personal hygiene and sexual health can happen.
So, enabling other young girls and giving them what I had as a child is extremely rewarding. The challenge is that certain people who have a perverted mentality do look at it as some wrong thing.
You know, like you are inviting them, and It’s okay for them to leave nasty comments, but with the click of a button, I can block such people, and that’s what the rewards are much more.
What strategies have you employed to cultivate and engage with your community of over 500,000 subscribers?
Stick to the OG topics, but keep experimenting. For example, if it’s a Q&A about taboo topics, I might make it fun by trying some new trendy makeup so that people are not just interested in this topic, or maybe they also have a talk early on.
They can at least take away something else like the new makeup launches and what I think about it and if it’s worth a buy or not, so constantly mix 2/3 different things so that there’s something for everyone in a video and do not lose touch of what’s happening out trending right now.
I love trying new products, and Shark Tank is a new show that has gained a lot of popularity, so I mixed the two and tried weird Shark Tank products. They worked very well, and people enjoyed watching them.
Can you share some memorable experiences or lessons learned from collaborating with global brands like Loreal, Maybelline, and Amazon?
Working with Brands you have grown up using is a dream come true, and global brands give you so much freedom to work with your concept. They seamlessly integrate into our authentic content, and nothing is better. Some lessons that I have experienced are very scarce. A few lessons that I have learned are that brands need to understand the importance of such freedom.
You know, I have worked with them, to be honest, and I appreciate that they give the time to test the product. So many times, for unlaunched products, we have been sent them and taken our review while they were still in the formation stage.
So, it’s just too good to see that these kinds of brands care about what’s going out to the consumer and how a genuine customer will market it.
What future projects or initiatives are you personally and professionally excited about?
I’m excited about the self-pro journey I’m going on right now, where I have learned to be comfortable with my body. I started taking therapy a year and a half ago. I’m not taking it right now, but the small things that I did for myself, and I have learnt to let go of my inhibition and the limitations and the rules that I would have set for myself generally just letting go of all of this, and to live more freely and you know live Like a strong independent and happy person.
I’m very excited about that personally; also, for a lot of travel happening this year, and professionally, I am pleased about our internal expansion in the company.
I’ve always wanted to have my own company and not be dependent on another one that handles, say, multiple other clients because then it becomes tough for them to be focused on you and if there is an up and down replacement is something that I wouldn’t appreciate because I have my heart and soul into this.
As a woman in the digital media and entrepreneurial space, what are the most pressing challenges and opportunities for other women entering these fields?
Just a notion that the moment certain technicalities come into the picture like, say, skill, knowledge of editing, of production or negotiations, sometimes just because it’s a woman and if it is a man on the other side, they try to suppress thinking that you know what you can do it or sometimes seeing it as if you are just being yourself and being sweet seen as a flirt. Those are very minor challenges, but nothing can stop you if you’re level-headed and know what you’re out here to achieve.
Opportunities are endless now; everything is based on skills and revenue, and if you bring in the numbers and the sales, no one will stop you from having a different kind of body.
How do you prioritize self-care and well-being amidst the demands of managing your digital media presence and entrepreneurial ventures?
I learnt this very early because when I was studying for the entrance exams for multiple professional courses in the first one, I overdid it and the whole studying bit. I suffered a severe injury, and I was put on bed rest for six months. So the next time I was preparing for the entrance exams for the MBA, I was just carefree.
I had a good balance of self-care and studies at the time, which were the best causes of my life. From Bangalore onwards, I got calls for GD-PI from all the IIMs, so I had that kind of success at that time.
That was my lesson: if I’m going to have a good balance, it will give me great results. With the digital media presence, I put down the camera whenever it’s hampering my actual life, and as long as it’s creating memories, I love that. Still, the moment it’s, you know, being an intrusion, and personal time is personal time.
There are a lot of moments that I have a clear distinction of this is not going online, and this is going online and entrepreneurial ventures again; compartmentalizing the mind is the key because overworking and hustling is the trend right now in the workspace, but that only gets you so far because the burnout that comes in after that the mental fatigue it can last for years on end if the hassle has been way too long. So, the same thing applies: there are dedicated days and times for my YouTube channel and my own company, and we only stick to them as much as possible.
Finally, what legacy do you hope to leave through your work and the community you’ve built?
I hope that whenever a little young girl who is probably feeling alone or confused about certain things comes on to my channel, even if I’m like 80, she can watch the video from when I was 16 or 18 and feel like I’m not alone and probably get some answers to her questions.
I want to create this triple effect for every age group, for a girl who is about to get married, for a girl who wants to be an entrepreneur, and at every stage of life, I want to be there for every young woman and everyone.
