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I am from Odisha but my family and I have been settled in Pune for more than 15 years now. I have done my BBA and currently working in a Media company. I am also a passionate Food blogger and an Odissi dancer and Choreographer.
2. When did you first decide that you wanted to create content and how did you start?
I started in 2017, I had started my second year in college and during my summer vacation, I got this idea to start my own food page. I was always passionate about cooking and eating and I thought “Why not showcase this on the digital media world?” That is when I started my Instagram page by the name Saloni’s Kitchen which I later changed to just my name after a few months.
3. Is vlogging and Instagram content creation a financially sustainable career?
Honestly, I have not really explored that path because I am not a full-time content creator. Blogging is something that I do for my passion. If you are working for a media channel where you are creating content for them and getting paid for.
It then is a different thing but creating content independently and earning solely from it is not something I have tried but yes, there are many big creators who are earning well just by content creation and vlogging on YouTube, Instagram, etc.
4. Who is your favorite creator and why?
My favorite food content creator on Instagram is Chef Sanjyot Keer of “Your Food Lab” and talking about television, I really enjoy the food shows hosted by Rocky and Mayur. I have watched every single episode of their shows with my family and us really enjoy it and someday, I really want to be a part of at least one episode of their show (Smiles)
5. How and where do you find inspiration to churn out content?
It was mainly my love for cooking. Initially, I just used to cook and post but later I realized that how you present the food also plays a very important role while creating content and that is when I changed my style of posts.
It has been loved by many. This further inspired me to great more engaging content for my audience. My parents and my younger brother have been extremely supportive of this journey.
6. What does your typical day look like?
I wake up at 8-8:30 finish all my work and start working from home. I cook and create content at home and in the evening, I make sure to go out for a walk or a jog to refresh my mind. My weekends are packed with food tasting and attending events in the city so that is when I don’t get time to cook.
If I get any time in between the day, I engage with my Instagram audience but I also make sure not to spend too much time on the platform.
7. Which is your favorite book and why?
The greatness Guide and the greatness guide-2 By Author Robin Sharma. I absolutely love those books. My father was very fond of reading and Robin Sharma was also his favorite. After my father passed away last year, I was going through a hard time and I wanted to do something that would help me with this phase in life.
While going through my bookshelf, I came across these books and I thought to give it a read. It was always on the shelf because my father read it but I never gave it a try. I started reading his book and I was hooked in the first 4 pages of the book.
It was like I was having a conversation with him. I was truly inspired and motivated after reading these 2 books. We have a collection of his books and I plan to finish all his books.
8. What piece of advice would you like to give to future and aspiring creators?
There is a 3 C approach that I follow- Content, Consistency, and Commitment and this is advice I would give to aspiring content creators- Be true to your content, create original content, and do not just repost from other accounts. Be consistent in posting and be committed to your work. Another important thing is to have patience, be true, and watch your work grow.
- Saloni Panda, Blogger
- Interviewed by Shilpy Sharan
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