Looking to fulfil your travel dreams with a full time job? Ask Simran Malhotra

Simran’s Instagram feed might look like the same thing everyone else’s doing- traveling experiences abroad, product endorsements, personal achievements and everything that her 70k+ followers would enjoy. But Simran does something that other influencers maybe cannot do- work full time parallely.

Being a content creator is no child’s play- behind the glamour and fun of experiencing exotic cultures and experiences are sleepless nights of planning, researching, learning and editing those picture perfect reels that get hundreds of likes and comments.

Most influencers have to deal with far greater challenges you can ever think of, even though they may not express them explicitly. Growing up in an environment where learning and hustling are encouraged prepares you for such an lifestyle, even as expectations to maintain the momentum keeps taking a toll-physically, mentally, emotionally.

“During my schooling, the frequent changes of environment made me a very adaptable person and someone who makes friends very easily. I’ve always been an extrovert and it made my schooling easier for me and my parents.

Also the fact that my parents enrolled me into all kinds of activities like every Indian parent does made me into this well-rounded individual who can easily pick up a new hobby and can be a quick learner,” Simran explains her lifestyle as a content creator, even as this remains only one of her pursuits.

Her remote job as a business analyst has helped here, even as she’s been working to enhance her profile as a beauty queen.

“I have always been into pageants. I have been crowned as Miss India and represented our country at Miss Asia in 2018.

I was the youngest of all 28 countries back then. The women came with a rich experience in their respective fields which motivated me to polish and hone my skills more.Having worked on those, gaining travel experiences, becoming the fittest version of myself, I felt that it is the right time to compete yet again.” she explains her decision to compete in the Miss Universe Maharashtra pageant, where she was amongst the finalists this year.

Simran has been posting stories on her Instagram for quite some time now:

“I have been sharing stories since I became Miss India in 2017 to tell everyone what a pageant is all about apart from just looking pretty on stage. I am a history fanatic and on my first trip to Jaipur, I read a lot of books before visiting the forts. When I posted about the details, the posting caught a lot of attention where people messaged me saying that they’ve never read so much about the history of Jaipur and how thoroughly they enjoyed it. That motivated me to do more of hyperlocal travelling since we have a rich culture in our country, but sadly it is not shown enough!” she explains.

Simran’s follower count has been increasing steadily, reaching to about 70k in June. It can be quite challenging to retain her existing followers and attract more, even as competition in the space heats up.

Yet, Simran is just one of the few influencers who’ve been able to create their own brand while juggling professional responsibilities.

“I have always been a multitasker, and now I only slow travel so that I am able to work from wherever I am travelling. It makes the process simpler and more enjoyable,” she explains.

“ I believe the term influencer is a very loosely used word. Yes, I am a business analyst, but I identify myself as a storyteller who is sharing her experience of what she is pursuing for people to get a transparent view of these events. My primary goal is not to influence people to do what I’m doing, but help inspire people to take up those experiences,” she adds.

As for the future, Simran has been working to move beyond storytelling, “My immediate goal is to complete my visharad in Kathak as I am a professional Kathak student. I want to teach classical dance. For me, Instagram has never been an idea to pursue full time since I found it very volatile. Undoubtedly, it is working excellent for so many creators, but I feel if I become dependent on it for bread and butter, I might stop enjoying the process and it may become an obligation”

“I love my job and I wish to continue working until I find an idea that is more alluring. I am an entrepreneur, and the business mindset never goes away. I know I’m meant for business, but which one would I pursue, is something I’m taking time to decide” she adds.

<p>The post Looking to fulfil your travel dreams with a full time job? Ask Simran Malhotra first appeared on Hello Entrepreneurs.</p>