1) From engineering to anchoring on TV and then on stage, co-founding Kalaneca, and also trying your hands on acting, how do you manage? Tell us about your journey.
The traveller and explorer in me is suddenly very happy reading this question. While all this sounds fancy, honestly it all comes down to curiosity and a whole lot of time management. I come from a beautiful town of Andhra Pradesh called Kakinada. It was during my engineering at NIT Warangal where it struck upon me to change my friendship from Transformers to Microphones. It was pretty seamless, thanks to the support of my friends, seniors, and my professors too. After working with HCL Technologies and producing my own show on TV, I chanced upon an opportunity to host a LIVE show. It was ironic because even Google didn’t apprise me of this career opportunity. After hosting my LIVE show I knew that this is what I wanted to do. I packed my bags and came to Mumbai, had some major stumbling blocks in terms of mindsets and people but I knew just one thing that I wanted to become an Anchor /Emcee. The shows started happening more regularly, I started travelling internationally launching the best brands across the world, and within the first 2 years, I won my first award of the Rashtriya Sanman Award as the Best Anchor of India. Having a background in theatre and being a trained Kuchipudi dancer allowed me to do a lot of plays and act too. I feel like an Artist, only the mediums change but the expression and desire to give your best shot always remains the same.
2) You are featured in Clymbe’s ‘Hey Careers’ book! Tell us something about that?
That was a beautiful milestone to achieve and contribute towards. The CLYMBE team created a pathbreaking book just at a time when unconventional careers such as mine were paving way for greater success & prosperity. It’s important for the present generation to be able to make choices based upon their interests and their skills and not upon the preconceived notions that having a degree in a particular subject will guarantee a job. This book is creating an opportunity for people to believe that myriad careers now hold the key to the future. I absolutely enjoyed reading the book as it covered different careers that I was completely unaware of. I was not only intrigued by the possibilities but it also brought back memories of the 16-year-old Kavea from Kakinada who focussed only on Engineering just because nobody could guide her on the many other possibilities that could help her not just achieve a job of her choice but also make an impact way earlier than she anticipated. Honestly, I would urge everyone to pick a copy of this book and deep dive into the numerous careers that are shaping the economy of the world while focussing on skills than mere degrees.
3) Tell us about Kalaneca. How was the idea born?
It started off as a passion project with absolute love for handcrafted sarees that I would wear for my shows. My twin sister, my mother, and I would always draw parallels of life with a saree and how it indeed is the Six yards of freedom and expression. Kala which means Art and Neca comes from the Arabic/ Urdu word Nikah which means marriage. The idea was born to appreciate the beauty and intricacy of everything handwoven. As a fauji kid, I take huge pride in our culture and heritage and we realised that the world of fast fashion is temporary. We started off by collaborating with few weavers of Uppada, a village that my mother helped in empowering some of the artisans initially. We now work closely with more than 68 weavers across 8 villages weaving on 165 looms. Our narrative is around the amalgamation of the Art, the Artist, and the Artisan. Our brand is a fluid, fashion-forward yet sustainable brand that believes that with handcrafted sarees you can definitely WEAR YOUR POWER.
4) What advice would you give to women who want to start a business?
Just Start! Park aside a stipulated amount, 20,000/- or 1 lakh rupees, and give yourself a deadline of 6 months to use up that amount so that whatever business and money decisions you make within the deadline you will know you gave it all.
Don’t be afraid to fail or lose that amount that you kept aside.
Watch and observe how others are doing business, what you like about their offerings from product to packaging, from social media communication to strategy. Please don’t mistake inspiration for copying an idea. 10 people can think of the same idea but execute it differently so don’t worry about others. Do it because you know you can make a difference to yourself and the community. Please do not chase titles, they look fancy in media articles but as a co-founder, I am also doing the job of an executive if I have to.
5) What does a person need to work on to become an anchor? What are the pros and cons that the profession brings forth?
Firstly be a good listener, your talking skills are already something you are blessed with but you will only be able to comprehend/respond to the audience’s mood, energy or questions if you listen.
Also focus on the skills and the spotlight will follow. Don’t chase the perks and the lifestyle as it’s definitely glamorous and very enjoyable but it’s a lot of hard work behind the stage. The pros would be meeting amazing personalities and leaders, travelling across the globe. The pay is good too. However, the industry and the work are so dynamic that one has to embrace changes every minute, be it in script or even in work culture. Then there is irregular sleep and food habits.
6) What is your future goal? Any upcoming projects? Acting gigs?
While on one hand, I am living the dream of fulfilling my passion every day, I am definitely adding newer goals. One is to complete my Book- MIC CHECK 123 that I started writing in April 2020. I am excited about this book because it has all the secret nuggets towards becoming a speaker/ Anchor along with navigating through the different challenges. I have been coaching and mentoring some of the key business leaders over the last 6 months so I hope to connect with more such leaders and add value to their business strategy and communication. With hands and mind full, acting gigs are something I am taking up only occasionally. The team at Kalaneca is weaving new moments and impacting the lives of the local weavers and we are hoping to make our presence felt in the international market besides the USA and UAE.
– WS
