Meet the Sheroes - Gayatri Appaya

Gayatri Appaya, our Shero in focus today is a highly driven content writer. She started her own firm last year and provides business content across industries. Today she speaks to us about how she started out and what helps her juggle her personal and professional life,

What field of work are you in?

I am a content writer and set up my own firm, Black Pepper Content Management, in July last year. Today we area small team of writers working to develop business focused content solutions for clients across various sectors such as Biotechnology, Information Technology, Defence, Healthcare and FMCG. These include content for websites, articles, brochures, case studies, blogs, social media messaging, annual reports, whitepapers and newsletters.

How did the inspiration to be part of this profession come about?

I think I more or less settled into this profession – honestly, I did not really set out to be a content writer. However, having said that, I must point out that writing has always been my forte.

I began my career in Public Relations in 2001 and moved into a corporate role at Biocon Limited in 2004,before becoming a content specialist.After completing my Masters in English, in my very first job, I was given the task of drafting tongue-in-cheek articles for a column in the Indian Express on behalf of the MD. I suppose I did justice to the task as more and more writing jobs started coming my way. Even in the corporate side, I was increasingly given the task of drafting and editing the written word. After Biocon, I joined another writer to manage content solutions for a few clients in the BPO, Healthcare and Auto sectors. Constant encouragement from my bosses, peers, clients and of course my family have moulded me into what I am today. Their belief in my potential gave me the confidence to start a company of my own, last year.

How do you ensure you maintain a good work and life balance?

I have the good fortune of being in a profession that allows me to work from home. All we writers need is a laptop, an internet connection and of course a strong work ethic with strict adherence to deadlines. Of course there are times when I am trying to juggle a host of domestic chores and sick children as well as client meetings and professional deadlines but then again, most working women do all of this!

Overall, I do consider myself extremely lucky to be able to run a business from home, and the best part is that many of my clients do not even know this about me! This is because to me and my writing team, all client interactions are handled professionally and deadlines are sacrosanct.

What does it take to be a successful professional in today's competitive world?

I think that success means different things to different people. To me, it is the ability to do what I love, do it with passion and do it to the best of my ability. In order to be successful professionally, I think delivering value needs to remain the primary focus.

As writers who work on corporate content, I believe that what we put together is a reflection of an organisation in the public space, which is becoming increasingly digital and hence an extremely effectiveasset. Companies are increasingly realisingthat uniformity and consistency of messaging is integral to stakeholders identifying with their brand.  Content is a critical part of all communication.

How has your past work experiences helped you reach where you are and what are the greatest lessons you have learnt?

As mentioned earlier, I began my career as a Public Relations executive and I feel that this client facing role has helped me understand the nuances of managing them. In addition, interactions with senior management in various organisations such as Britannia, MICO, Tanishq, Rasna and Weekender,amongst others and later at Biocon has given me insight to corporate strategy and marketing functions.

I am particularly grateful for the opportunities that have come my way and for the people who have mentored me over the years. My greatest lesson is thatquality work does stand out and will always have takers!