Surat’s Vanitaa Rawat has carved a niche for herself as a successful solopreneur since quitting a cushy corporate job.
An acclaimed content creator. A NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner. A Life Coach. These are just some hats that Surat resident and entrepreneur – or solopreneur as she likes to call herself – Vanitaa Rawat dons.
Vanitaa worked in the corporate world for 13 years in Mumbai, where she was associated with global banking giants such as Chase, Barclays, and Bank of America. She was doing exceedingly well as a professional, but she always wanted to be an entrepreneur. She quit the corporate world and embarked on her journey to become an independent entrepreneur.
It has been 9 years since the life-changing decision and pursuing her dream of being an entrepreneur, and Vanitaa hasn’t looked back.
“I was raised by a strong mother who taught me the value of being independent. She is the one who taught me to dream and to pursue them. I was also blessed to have loving and caring siblings who supported me, nurtured me, and helped me become the woman I am today. Moreover, growing up in a past-faced city like Mumbai and being part of the highly competitive corporate world has also played a big role in shaping me as a person and a woman,” says Vanitaa, who shifted to Surat in 2013.
Vanitaa is an inspiration for thousands of women who have dreams but cannot pursue them due to other priorities.
“I believe women are good at multitasking and can manage to play different roles. The key is believing in oneself, planning, and prioritising. If these can be sorted, striking a balance between work and family commitments is possible. Becoming an entrepreneur or any other thing that any woman dreams of and works for can be realised,” she says.
Vanitaa also cautions that success does not come easy, and being an entrepreneur is highly challenging. There are risks with being an entrepreneur as expectations are high and chances of failure even failure. She believes the freedom that comes with being an entrepreneur is amazing and a transformative experience.
She is, however, quick to add that family support has played a big role in her success.
“I am blessed with a great partner who understands my work pressure and shares the parenting load with me. My mother-in-law has been a great enabler in my professional success. Their support has allowed me to reach various milestones in my career,” says Vanitaa, who is also actively involved with The Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Sports Promotion Organization’s Women’s Wing, and a host of other organisations.
Incidentally, Vanitaa’s first success as a content creator came during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. She felt that people were struggling in dealing with the pandemic, the worst global healthcare crisis in more than a century, and it was affecting their morale, health, and general wellbeing. To spread positivity in the outside world, she started uploading motivational videos with the name “ViaVanitaaRawat” and the tagline “Have a Vishwasful Day”.
“The videos kept me busy and helped me remain sane. The love and appreciation from people on social media helped me create a second identity as a content creator. I feel blessed and happy when people across the country write to me saying that my videos inspire them,” she says.
Vanitaa also rubbishes the general perception that all content creators and successful influencers do is wear fancy outfits and go to high-profile events and parties.
“There is much more to being a content creator and influencer. There is a lot of hard work involved. You have to be on point every single time. As an influencer, you endorse or recommend a brand, but you also have to make sure that your followers are not being taken for a ride. The commercial aspect of being an influencer is another challenge. Brands will ask you a zillion things in deliverables, but they don’t want to pay for the work. Many friends and brands want the work for free, and that really can be a task,” she says.
Vanitaa’s mother has greatly influenced her, and she goes back to her teachings when in need of motivation. “My mother always said that you can be the ripest or juiciest mango in the world, but there will be people who hate a mango. What do you do? You continue being the awesome one that you are. I try and keep haters and naysayers away by not letting their negativity reach me. I adopt a positive attitude. I believe that the universe is rigged in my favour, and I work harder and fiercer every day. At the same time, she adds, I never fail to take time for myself and indulge in activities I enjoy the most,” she adds.
