"The Term Success Is a Big Term in Itself"

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1. Tell us about your background and journey.

I am Anusree Mondal, I belong to a lower middle class Bengali family from Kolkata, West Bengal. From my childhood days I have always been creative and art had always been my thing. But sadly, we actually couldn't afford it back then.

I never got a chance to officially practice painting or dancing. I used to draw stuffs on my own and also danced in the afternoon on my own and also without any music.

As I grew up, I got a reality check and I had to stop what I was doing. I was made to understand that people like me, they don't actually have the luxury of chasing their dreams or taking up their passion. I was convinced and hence, I shifted to studies. I had always been a good student.

I love challenges and winning in the last lap is just my thing. I always scored good in academics. Back in eleventh standard, I started reviewing food outlets in Zomato. I used to eat out a lot, with the pocket money I saved. So from there I was noticed by a group and was invited to review resturants on Zomato. I was a food reviewer on Zomato.

I was a food lover and when I was handed the opportunity to visit food outlets and review them,I was overjoyed! I used to get very few events. I was the youngest and essentially underestimated. I was too young to understand the politics being played on.

Yet, I was happy with the tiny bit of recognition that I was getting. With time, I kept falling sick and my heath was giving up on me. I had a sort of chikungunya and was bedridden for around three months. My world was coming to an end.

After my recovery, the doctor asked me to stop eating out else it would be very difficult for me in the next years. I took the advice and decided to step out. By the time all this was happening, I was in the final term of my eleventh standard at school.

2. What led you to start your page on Instagram and what is it about?

After my recovery, I had stopped attending any food meets and also the dirty politics came into my notice and I was really disturbed. I was sad about it. After a month or so, I got contacted by a big brand.

It was for Keya Seth, few bloggers were invited to visit her apparel Store and post about it on Instagaram. By this time I had already built up my blog which concentrated on food solely. I was a food blogger and not a reviewer any

longer. So that was my biggest break.

I always wanted to explore the fashion genre of the blogging industry as I was always a sucker for the glitz and glam. After that particular event, I got more two big breaks like Sephora and Armani Exchange to name some.Back then, I wasn't looking for money. For me it was just plain glam and glitz and me being a kid totally enjoyed the apparent glamour.

That was from where I began building my Instagaram and with that I had chosen a name Pocket Full Of Flavour's for my Instagaram page. The name meant, a page which would deal with all the aspects of life (flavours) from food to fashion and even beauty.

I started sharing my fashion experiences on my Instagram and blog as well. I was doing small campaigns with very little monetary benefits and I was still happy because I still had no idea about my worth and what is the amount I should quote for such deliverables.

And while all this, I again fell sick with severe liver impairment. It was a deathbed for me. And I am not even exaggerating it a bit. I had no hopes to fight this. But somehow I fought back and with all the love from God, I am back here. So while this,

I was in college already. I was running a lifestyle blog and had an Instagaram. Someday while in class, a weird realisation striked me, I thought the namem Pocket Full Of Flavours wasn't actually describing my work.

It took me less than five minutes to come up with a spicy name. So hi guys, I am YourFashionPill! Right now I write about fashion and lifestyle. I have

around 7000 followers on instagram and around 600 on Facebook page

3. How would you distinguish the term blogger from an influencer?

Back in 2018, I saw many bloggers springing here and there. I never understood where were they writing their experiences. They were basically writing small snippets on Instagaram or Facebook only.

And somehow, the internet came uo with this cool term Instagaram blogger's And I believed in that. And while all this, I used to consider myself to be a real blogger (smh).

After my little research, I actually came to know about the term's & Influencer's or to be more appropriate social media Influencer's and back then blogging/influencing wasn't this big on India, let alone be it Bengal. It wasn't even profession for real.

So for me, bloggers/blogging is when one has a proper website/blog as a platform to write or share their experiences on. There should be a place where they would be able to write in a detailed description.

Whereas, an INFLUENCER is someone who has page(s) on social media(s) and speaks about/on their genre. The Influencers share their words with the audiences on the social media/ social networking sites. That's the literal defination.

While in practical sense, Influencer is someone who practically urges their viewer to try out a particular product/item. Basically influencing the audience. And blogger is someone who shares their bit of experience and/or knowledge and it doesn't necessarily urge anyone to buy the product whatsoever.

4. Is it financially sustainable to be an influencer today?

Yes absolutely yes! Having said that, I would like to add my bits. If one needs to thrive wholely on social media influencing,needs to have a real great vission. One needs to plan quite strategically, staring from Instagram page to shooting the content.

Keeping it real, for ambitious people like us, it's a bit difficult to begin with. To create content one needs to have few basic stuffs like camera! I don't come from a well off family and I still don't have a professional camera to shoot with.

Even if you go on to hire a good photographer, you need to have some cash! Which I don't have and I haven't been helped much by any such professionals. So, either one has to wait untill they're ready with a capital to invest or start small and grow gradually. Well once you have a proper setup/idea/vision you can definitely thrive on influencing.

5. What do you think influences consumer behavior?

I personally feel, audience consume what they feel like. People

will buy what they truly want and feel like. All we influencers can do is, share our personal bits and try to convince them.

The moment someone sees another person using something and sharing it on the media with all good vibes, their consuming behaviour is greatly influenced. Good pictures and a video is just the cherry on the cake.

However, I don't promote something which I personally didn't like myself. While promoting something, one must try to be authentic even if it's sponsored.

6. What is your idea of success or your mantra in life?

The term success is a big term in itself. One might be awarded the best fashion blogger and still not considered them to be successful. While, someone who just cracked their dream collaboration might be on cloud nine and tell oneself that she is successful.

However, my idea of success or my mantra in life is Authencity. Be clear of your terms. Be clear in your head what you want to feed your audience (context:

blogging/influencing)

And while in general, always keep your head high, be confident and keep the world guessing and laughing at your downfall. While they laugh, you prepare and polish yourself. "Never accept anything less than what you deserve"

7. How can someone become a successful social media influencer?

Once again, I would say being a successful social media Influencer is quite a subjective term. If we go by the mainstream defination, it's actually not easy to be at the top.

There are thousands of aspiring individuals who are making it to the blogging industry. Many of them are actually good. While the others aren't. See, being honest it's all a race! Survival of the fittest (best), it becomes tough to keep yourself in the race. Keep producing exceptional contents.

Interviewed by - Vayun Sahni