ShopTok: Lessons from Small Business Owners, Entrepreneurs, Freelancers and Creators

ST23 | Have Faith and You Will Succeed | Anita Soni, Cognition

Don't miss our latest conversation with Anita Soni, founder of Cognition, on ShopTok! Discover how she helps children overcome cognitive challenges and excel in life. Learn the power of persistence, the importance of focusing on goals, and the role of parents in nurturing independence. Tune in now!  In This Episode (00:01) Intro. (03:23) Customer Acquisition. (05:15) Issues children face. (06:28) Outlier Kids. (07:40) How to make kids outlier. (09:20) How to increase focus. (10:22) Parents over-control their kids. (12:32) Challenges. (13:43) Success (14;25) Word of mouth. (15;20) Edtech in today's world. (16:55) Monetary benefits vs growth. (18:33) Adults and cognitive skills. Our Guests Anita Soni [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anita-soni-150868b3/] is the founder of Cognition, which makes it easier for students to engage in knowledge-based learning that is more concerned with improving their cognitive abilities for a better and more promising future. She is enthusiastic about developing the skills of the Children’s Workforce, especially those working in Children’s Centres, and early childhood/years provision in the maintained, voluntary and independent sectors. This includes teachers, managers, teaching assistants, Family Support Workers, early years practitioners and childminders. She has used a range of approaches to enable this including training, group supervision and consultation. Anita’s particular interests are early childhood, Children’s Centres, the Key Person approach, personal, social and emotional development and supervision, video interactive guidance (VIG) and video enhanced reflective practice (VERP). Your Host In a career spanning 20+ years, Amit Ray [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitray/] has been a corporate leader, entrepreneur and angel investor who has achieved a level of financial independence. In this show he discusses the practical aspects of personal finance based on his own learnings and insights from the experts and fellow financial enthusiasts he’s met along the way. This podcast is powered by CrazyTok: We help dreamers become do-ers.  Find us on CrazyTok [https://www.crazytokmedia.com/], LinkedIn [https://crztk.co/linkedin], Instagram [https://crztk.co/instagram] or Twitter [https://crztk.co/twitter]

ST22 | Empowering Women Professionals with Flexible Work Solutions

In this episode we explore the story of Flexibees, a platform that is revolutionizing the way businesses hire qualified professionals and helping women professionals return to work on their own terms. We'll discuss the challenges and opportunities Shreya and co-foudners faced, the importance of communication and filtering for flexible work, and their vision for the future. Whether you're a business owner, a professional seeking flexible work solutions, or just interested in the future of work, this video is for you. Don't miss out on the insights and advice from the founders on how to build a successful startup. Discussion Points * (00:30) Introduction * (01:35) What is Flexibees? * (02:17) Why Flexibees? * (04:09) Flexibees gives flexibility to women * (07:15) How to convert customers * (08:36) Hurdles in the path of Flexibees * (11:37) What did Flexibees do differently? * (13:35) How to set up clients and customers? * (16:47) What differentiated them from competitors? * (19:00) How does vetting help? * (20:10) Difficult decisions on way * (21:32) How the journey aligned to the vision * (25:33) How to scale up hindrances * (28:23) Advice for entrepreneurs Our Guests Our Guest, Shrey Prakash [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shreya-prakash-6562b24/], is a cofounder and CEO of Flexibees. Flexibees is an organisation with a vision to normalise flexibility in work, via options such as flexi-time, part-time, remote-working, that brings new hiring models to businesses and a new way of living to people. Links * Follow the show on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/shoptok-lessons-from-small-business-owners-entrepreneurs/id1606850095] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2QiowSZpQ0rzAyN3yNgSEw?si=gZSwORQRQDGrPuzEp8ehhw] * Show notes and full transcript for the episode [https://crztk.co/st22-htr] Your Host In a career spanning 20+ years, Amit Ray [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitray/] has been a corporate leader, entrepreneur and angel investor who has achieved a level of financial independence. In this show he discusses the practical aspects of personal finance based on his own learnings and insights from the experts and fellow financial enthusiasts he’s met along the way. — This podcast is powered by CrazyTok: We help experts become influencers.  Find us on our Website [https://www.crazytokmedia.com/], LinkedIn [https://crztk.co/linkedin], Instagram [https://crztk.co/instagram] or Twitter [https://crztk.co/twitter]

ST21 | The Realities of Being a Part-Time Author

Can the passion and flair for creatives be a potential career option for you? Rishi Piparaiya, one of the top executives in the corporate world, is one such creative soul who dived into his passion for the written word. But he did it with planning and deep knowledge. This helped him steer clear of unpleasant surprises of the writing world and stick to the core- the fun of the writing process. If you are desirous of stepping into any creative field, this episode of ShopTok is a must-listen for you!   Guest Profile An Economics graduate from the University of Rochester and a Master's degree holder from the Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management, Rishi Pipariya has seen it all in his corporate career of more than 20 years- from heading Sales at Aviva to taking care of strategy as Vice President at Citigroup. It was his love for writing that made him quit his well-paying job to venture into the field of literary escapades. He is now a well-known author of some of the best-selling books like Aisle Be Damned and Job Be Damned. He is also well known for his adventure-based books for children.   Discussion Points: * Sharing your creatives with your friends * The practicality of pursuing your passion * Financial stability before entering creatives  * Publisher versus Self-publishing * Self-promotion and marketing your books * How to stay motivated in the long run   Links * Follow the show on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/shoptok-lessons-from-small-business-owners-entrepreneurs/id1606850095] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2QiowSZpQ0rzAyN3yNgSEw] * View the transcript [https://crztk.co/stok21-hpb]   About your host Amit has over 20 years of experience with startups and large corporations. He’s the founder and CEO of CrazyTok as well as a consultant, angel investor and content creator. Follow him on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitray/], where he shares his experiences in these areas.   — This podcast is powered by CrazyTok: We help experts become influencers.  Find us on our website [https://www.crazytokmedia.com/], LinkedIn [https://crztk.co/linkedin], Instagram [https://crztk.co/instagram] or Twitter [https://crztk.co/twitter]

ST20 | The transition from an offline to an online model of business

Solopreneurs often feel that they are limited by their business model with respect to their resources- being the sole employee with a fixed geographical presence. But with the advent of technology, transitioning from offline to online has made it seamless for these solopreneurs to make the most of their skills and resources. We have one such businesswoman with us who transitioned her teaching skills to the online model, making her offer her services to a wider audience. If you’re a solopreneur thinking of making the move from offline to online, then this ShopTok Episode is for you!   Siti Nurmaisyah is a certified Indonesian teacher, with more than 20 years of teaching experience. She uses innovative methods to teach her students, online and offline. Her clients include people belonging to various demographics like expatriates, workers, school students (teenagers and children), etc. Siti is a great example of a solopreneur who successfully transitioned from an offline to an online model of teaching. With her skills and support from her family, she was able to beat the difficult times of COVID, where she lost a lot of her students and has moved to teach students across the globe from the comfort of her home. Discussion points * Teaching- going offline to online * How Covid affected the business * Benefits of offline - like selling resources along with the classes * Difficulty of transitioning * Choosing the online platform that suits your skills * Getting your first few students * Online profile- videos, documentation * Challenges of having sessions online- internet, connection failures, platform bugs/issues, background noise * Scheduling your sessions * Service support- prompt response, being adjusting * Family support * Motivation from students to keep going Links * Follow the show on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/shoptok-lessons-from-small-business-owners-entrepreneurs/id1606850095] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2QiowSZpQ0rzAyN3yNgSEw?si=gZSwORQRQDGrPuzEp8ehhw] * View the transcript here here [https://crztk.co/st20-hpb] Amit has over 20 years of experience with startups and large corporations. He’s the founder and CEO of CrazyTok as well as a consultant, angel investor and content creator. Follow him on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitray/], where he shares his experiences in these areas.   This podcast is powered by CrazyTok: We help experts become influencers.  Find us on our website [https://www.crazytokmedia.com/], LinkedIn [https://crztk.co/linkedin], Instagram [https://crztk.co/instagram] or Twitter [https://crztk.co/twitter]

ST19 | Making the Transition from Corporate Leader to Consultant

Ever wondered what you’ll do once you achieve all that you want in your career? Is it then time to fade into the sunset and ease into a life of leisure? Or do you feel like you’re up for new challenges? Well, if you’re one of those for whom a single innings isn’t enough, you’ll love this episode.   Arvind Sankaran, an engineering graduate from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, and a master's degree holder from Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, had finished his 1st innings successfully, serving in the banking industry in various positions across the globe. With immense knowledge at his disposal, he did something extraordinary-when most people would look at retiring, he began his 2nd innings. With the zeal to offer value to businesses and in the process of rediscovering and living his passion, Arvind is now a successful advisor who provides strategic direction to businesses across different fields of operation and industries.  Discussion Points * Utilizing your experience to serve in a different role * How you’re perceived in the industry * Communicating your service offering  * Pricing your offering * Growing your service business * Picking your area of expertise * Sustainability in difficult times * Importance of a support system Links * Follow the show on Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/shoptok-lessons-from-small-business-owners-entrepreneurs/id1606850095] or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/2QiowSZpQ0rzAyN3yNgSEw?si=gZSwORQRQDGrPuzEp8ehhw] * View the transcript here [https://crztk.co/st19-hpb] Amit has over 20 years of experience with startups and large corporations. He’s the founder and CEO of CrazyTok as well as a consultant, angel investor and content creator. Follow him on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitray/], where he shares his experiences in these areas. — This podcast is powered by CrazyTok: We help experts become influencers.  Find us on our website [https://www.crazytokmedia.com/], LinkedIn [https://crztk.co/linkedin], Instagram [https://crztk.co/instagram] or Twitter [https://crztk.co/twitter]