Dictionary meaning of motivation : reason for acting/behaving a certain way. Reading 24-25 year olds saying they're demotivated / feeling old. It's not about being motivated, it's about showing up, consistently, day after day and putting in the work. Motivation will strike you at 3am but you'll be in bed and by the time you wake it, it's gone. It'll strike you when you're watching a film in a theater but it'll be gone by the time you walk out. It's a great feeling to be motivated but it doesn't DO anything. One of my reasons for doing what I do is money. It's nice to see money coming in to my bank account. It means I can save for that couples vacation and create memories and spend quality time with Bharat. It means I can save for that trip with the family - who knows how long my parents are going to be around. I get to spend quality time with them. The money is a means though. My goal is to spend quality time with people I love, with myself. Having money to spare means that I get to do those things. That's my reason. I have 50,000 things to do and very little time. Doesn't mean you burn yourself out of course. That's the flip side. We can continue to run ourselves into the ground with work even if we are demotivated to do the work.

An introduction to the concept of "Seven Streams of Revenue" or income, for self-employed solo-entrepreneurs. Sharing examples of what my own multiple Streams of Revenue are and some suggestions of additionals ones that anyone can pursue.

Post Confluence 2019 thoughts. I was moderating a panel where we discussed the menace of fake followers & how that affects the industry. I touch on that for a bit. I also talk about why and how one should never work for free.

Think before you speak! Yes, it's possible. It shows that you respect the other person's time and space.

If you haven’t noticed, I’ve begun adding products to my online shop. I’m hand-painting wooden brooches as mini art pieces that you can wear. I talk a bit about what’s going on behind the scenes and how I am coping. There’s a LOT to unpack here. It isn’t a structured conversation. But I really had to get it out to get started. I’m going to share everything subsequently – if you have questions, please ask and I will talk about that in the next episode of the podcast. See the Brooches : naina.co/shop

Plague of Pedestals. Podcast episode no. 89 Examples of pedestals : Soldiers are martyrs. ( They choose to die for their beliefs : no. They want to come back home to their families like all the rest of us. Stop forcing them to prove their patriotism by dying. ) Women are mothers. ( No. Women have a biologically evolved flesh contraption that can be conducive to producing babies. Doesn’t mean that women are not allowed to be assholes. ) Men are strong. ( Men are human beings. They get hurt. They cry. Doesn’t make them less of a “man”. Men are allowed to be weak if they want. No one is strong ALL the time. If they try to be, they are going to suffer from severe mental health issues. ) Women are supposed to be nice and understanding. No. Fuck that. I’m not nice. I’m not understanding. I am not going to be a martyr for anyone’s bullshit. I refuse to allow anyone to put women on a pedestal. Goddesses. Mothers. Daughters. As if I’ve signed a contract with all of humankind to always take everyone’s bullshit and be ok with it.

That Magazine Wants To Publish My Photographs : What Should I Be Asking / Expecting? Is it a feature about you? Then the contract can say, "usage / licensing only for this feature" Is the feature about something / someone else? Where they want to use photos shot by you? Is it an editorial piece or an advertising piece? Aka advertorial. Then image licensing / usage fees are applicable. These depend on how many images, how many pages, size of image on page, etc. If image is to be used on the cover, then you get paid more. It doesn't mean it's a privilege & you get paid less. When you are not the photographer : who owns the photo? Get their permission. If you don't know who owns it, ask.

What to do when someone asks you to take their photograph. (For free).

Launching a new store location. My social media team sat down with me and spent 3 hours coming up with a “gift box” and invite to send to about 30-35 well established influencers in different segments. Fashion, food, lifestyle and then people who have been part of my journey from day 1. Each box would cost about Rs 3000 to put together and design and deliver. Upon my initial insistence I wanted it to have a very personal touch.  A bottle of my sangria . My moms cookies which are popular with my customers. 2 homemade hair masks because I’m a big believer in coming up with things from our kitchen instead of chemicals. So I listened and came home. And then last night I thought. I will spend about a lakh to maybe get 10seconds of a mention on Instagram by these wonderful ladies. Some will use the stuff, some maybe not. Maybe a handful will actually come in to experience my service. I decided to scrap it all. 10 disabled people can get a wheelchair to become mobile and live their lives in

If the entire story behind my brand is based on authenticity , does it not affect my credibility to “pay” someone to say good stuff about me? What are Influencers paid for? What is Influence? I’m paying an influencer to influence ? WHAT is that influence? Paid for time effort platform. Choose authentic influencer & brand's credibility multiplies Not paying for opinion Build relationship, ask for feedback Everyone has influence Create content around their experience Brand building & awareness Ideal influenced would be someone who has influence even if they are not on Instagram. What are they doing with their life otherwise? Would you know about them without instagram? Famous for being famous is not a long term brand strategy More on my website www.naina.co Instagram : www.instagram.com/Naina Twitter : www.twitter.com/naina Workshops : www.naina.co/workshop

Influencer Marketing in India: Why are you a blogger? Famous for being famous not sustainable unless backed by money. Never too late. Always some blogs shutting down Quality is still missing Ever growing market Each one of us is an Influencer in our own circles Provide some value / learning ( Workshops : naina.co/workshop Blog : naina.co/blog )

How does it help? What is the best way to do it? Video on YouTube.com/nainaredhu & blog naina.co/tnre

Some learnings from my first workshop (online brand building, influencer marketing, editorial calendar, social media etc) and a general sense of sharing is caring would be good in the blogging & photography industry in India.

Talking about what I’m envious of and how I’m trying to deal with it. It’s not easy. Everything is, “Oooh! Shiny!” and despite having been around in the industry for…

After spending years thinking about discussing blogging in Hindi, here we are! ब्लौग्गिन्ग के बारे मैं थोड़ा बहुत Download Audio-Only here : 79-TNRE iOS Subscribe on iTunes Others Subscribe via…

This is entirely in response to an email I received. The email is indicative of the state of the industry in India currently. Blogging specifically but also how creatives and…

Is it ok to work on the basis of barter? For brands and for influencers? Why do I complain when I receive requests for barter collaborations but then I also…

I talk about the latest Blogger Awards and Conference hosted by Cosmopolitan Magazine in India, a bit about the SoDelhi Blogging Confluence and finally a bit about the photographs of…

This was my first time at Colombo Fashion Week. I was invited to deliver a Knowledge Workshop on the subject of Blogging & Social Media in Fashion & Lifestyle, Due…

Who isn’t in pain from Instagram’s algorithm changes?! Get a blog! No really. It is a lot of work but so is Instagram. You’re already shooting for producing content for…

Rant about an email I received from a beauty pageant. #FuckYouPayMe Download Audio-Only here : 73TNRE iOS Subscribe on iTunes Others Subscribe via RSS YouTube Channel : YouTube.com/NainaRedhu All Episodes…

The notes I’d written down to prep for this episode of the podcast : What is happening now in the social media industry is the same that’s been happening in…

I talk a bit about the hotel owner who dissed the blogger etc. I also did a tweet thread, which led to this first podcast episode of 2018. There’s a…

Again, just to clarify, this is not a paid / sponsored post. I’m just a huge fan of Masterclass and of Annie Leibovitz. The class has been getting a lot…

Rant. It’s 2017. It’s going to be 2018. Nothing changes as long as the old guard stays. Gotta have some fun!✌️ Download Audio-Only here : 69 TNRE iOS Subscribe on…

Download Audio-Only here : TNRE-68 iOS Subscribe on iTunes Others Subscribe via RSS YouTube Channel : YouTube.com/NainaRedhu All Episodes on the blog : naina.co/tnre

“I must be the only idiot in the country who is returning money that has already been credited into my bank account. And this after you have wasted my time…

This is from a panel discussion I moderated recently at the 2017 SoDelhi Confluence with Juhi Godambe, Anjali Batra, Mehak Sagar Shahani and Pallavi Chaturvedi. After being the Keynote speaker…

Should I recommend my competition? Are they even my competition? Am I recommending them because I feel sorry for them? Or I am jealous of the quality of work they…

Born from a bunch of conversations I’ve recently had with fellow entrepreneurs. How do YOU deal with unprofessionalism? How do you deal with the stress of dealing with fellow human…

You have got to be kidding me with the kinds of terms influencers are expected to sign up for! Just read this email I received and hear me rant about…

Take it with a pinch of salt. Things change dramatically in today’s technology landscape. What is true today, might not be true tomorrow. What works for me, might not work…

How much is too much? Where do I draw the line? Etc. I enjoy editing photos but what does “editing” mean? Don’t you mean “re-touching”? Is there a difference? What…

A hashtag is a type of metadata tag used on social network and microblogging services which makes it easier for users to find messages with a specific theme or content.…

The WTFNaina series wasn’t as entertaining as I’d hoped it would be. It was more “confrontational” or negative as far as I can tell. And not for you folks reading…

Part One was broadcast / published last week. All podcast episodes are on naina.co/tnre In Part Two, I talk about my first ever client photography gig in 2006. When I…

Considering how much I talk, I’ve never talked about my journey. I thought about blogging it but I realized I’d probably end up writing a lot and I would ramble.…

I signed up on the Twitter network on 13th of July 2006. The team had launched it in March of 2006 and someone sent me an invite to sign up…

What are “fake” followers? Is there a way to figure out if someone else has fake followers? How can you tell if you have fake followers? Is there any advantage…

Sometimes, I think I should call this podcast, “I don’t know what I’m talking about” and not because I suffer from a crippling ego problem due to Impostor Syndrome but…

Talking a bit about Aadhaar ( wrote a piece on the blog if you’d like to educate yourself about the basics ) and GST ( how it is different from…

Things to consider when you - as a brand - start looking for Influencers. I get into details of the notecard that was introduced in the last podcast episode. Influencer's Presence + Influencers who are Specialists & Generalists + Influencer References ( Media Kit / Client List ) + Content Quality and Production + Content Licensing + Disclosure Handling + Preference for Direct or via Agency relationship with the Influencer. Enjoy! And thank you for listening / watching. What do you think about this series? Is there something I'm completely missing? Am I talking about stuff that's too basic? Am I making any sense? Would love to know!

Finally! 52 weeks of this podcast. A whole year! Unbelievable eh - at least to me! And the seventh edition in the Influencer Marketing for Brands series! ( I'm talking about - from a brand's point-of-view - who or what is an "influencer" and I also talk about where you can find these influencers. ) I get a little pedantic about things like "What is an Instagram bio?" because a lot of people are starting on this "influencer marketing" thing only in 2017 - they are new to social networks and we can all use a bit of a nudge to get started. Where will you find influencers? Ask around. Word of mouth is ideal to know who has done solid work. "Follower" counts can be and are super deceptive. Do you research, talk to other brands who have experience in working with influencers. Where did they get value from? Ask for recommendations.

Taking a break from the Influencer Marketing for Brands series and answering a question received from a blogger. Also talking a bit about the effect of being verified on Instagram ( basically, a slight uptick in blog traffic because can include links in stories - although have noticed that some non-verified accounts can also share links in stories now. )

Well hello! It is the 50th edition of my podcast! Almost a whole year of weekly episodes. Which is totally not what I had expected to do but I definitely…

Part Five of “Influencer Marketing for Brands” is about Engagement Strategy and Budgets. Engagement Strategy : what is your plan to deal with the responses that the influencer’s updates will…

How do you decide what social media channels are most relevant for sharing the content that the influencer has created for you? How do you measure the impact of your influencer marketing campaign? ( There's no silver bullet - you have to do a bit of trial and error and then figure out what works best! ) Part Four on the "Influencer Marketing for Brands" series address "relevant channels" and "measurement". I would like to re-iterate here that I am speaking from own experience of working with hundreds of brands over the years and observing what has worked and what hasn't. Considering how quickly things change in today's scenario, as a business owner, you would be wise to consider a variety of opinions, experiment and then own the process for your brand. The things I talk about might help you but I am not an expert in this arena - there are, possibly, many other people who are way more qualified to give you advice about this subject. I'm probably the only one who has a podcast / video se

In part three of the “Influencer Marketing for Brands”, I talk about the fifth item in “Things To Consider before working with an Influencer”, which is CONTENT. What content will…

Answering questions after Part One of Influencer Marketing for Brands aired. Questions related to whether packaging design / quality is important before reaching out to Influencers, how many influencers to…

After 44 episodes focusing on better work practices for Bloggers / Influencers, this 45th episode onwards, I will be focusing on how brands can work with Influencers / Bloggers. Things…

Addressing the subject of “sourcing”. The number of emails I receive weekly with this brand and that brand “inviting” me to “source” from their latest collection. The confusion amongst brands…

The 43rd episode of me podcast ( I’m channeling accent and dialog from the Happy Valley show on Netflix ) is where I talk about the latest book I’m reading.…

In the 42nd episode ( actually the 45th episode but I can’t follow numbering to save my life, so I come up with special episodes numbered “39a” ), I talk…

Please excuse all the video cuts toward the end and the out-of-sync audio. I don’t know what happens sometimes to the mobile phone that I use to record these. This…

A fellow-entrepreneur, solo independent contractor recently reached out to me to ask me business was faring considering how open I was about the challenges I faced. They wanted to know…

This special edition of #TheNainaRedhuExperience comes from the deserts of Rajasthan. I recorded this atop the roof of my room at Suryagarh, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. A bunch of questions and emails…

Talking about a photography gig, how it started, contracts, negotiations, pricing etc. Somewhat like a case study, without giving away confidential details of course. Will give you an insight into…

In this episode of the podcast, I talk about blogger platforms that claim to get business for bloggers and influencers. Some of the ones I’ve mentioned are FohrCard, BlogMint and…

Download Audio-Only here : #37-The-Naina-Redhu-Experience-Tourism-Street-Style-Blogging I’m happy to answer questions about photography, blogging, the industry and about my experiences. You can ask me by leaving a comment here or by…

I’d planned to upload this one as a “special” over the weekend but couldn’t get around to it. Recorded this one right after a lovely meeting with Nisha of Covetlo.com…

After more than a few incidents of questions about hosting and domain names and how I manage my blog and who designs it and questions about how I started etc.,…

Wanted to talk about how professional and non-professional photographers can put social media to good use. Ended up talking about a bunch of other stuff too. If you are a…

In the 33rd episode, I wanted to specifically address my hair cut / style. I get asked a lot of questions, even in 2017, and wanted to present my thoughts.…

Notes I made before starting to record this episode of the podcast : – more important to ask if you think being a fashion blogger makes you unfit to be…

In this episode, I’m talking about why I think a blog is more important than any other social media channel – for an “influencer”. You see, YOU own the blog,…

Well hello! And Happy New Year! 2017 is here and the first episode of The Naina Redhu Experience – in 2017 – is about naming and shaming and unprofessionalism. Someone…

Once in a while, I receive questions about life, in general. I am as qualified as the next person about answering these questions – so please take them as my…

After receiving more than a few questions on similar lines, I decided to record a podcast episode to address it. In short, the answer is, “No, it is not too…

Was inspired by a bit of gossip. Unprofessionalism and how it seems to have gotten worse with the younger crop of Influencers in the Indian market. I relate a couple…

In this episode, I talk about how money is important but shouldn’t be the basis of starting your blogging venture – or any venture for that matter. And if it…

In the 25th episode of The Naina Redhu Experience, which is back after a LONG break – the last one I recorded and uploaded was in February 2016 *YIKES* –…

The full 45 minute conversation is now up on my YouTube channel. This is from the talk we gave at the Color Me Autumn festival at Serendipity Delhi this year.…

(UPDATED on 29th September 2017. With links to high resolution video and audio provided by the SoDelhi team.) Let me get it out of the way first : the audio…

*SORRY ABOUT THE AUDIO BEING OUT OF SYNC WITH THE VIDEO* Dear Naina, I approached a brand for my seasonal editorial – since I don’t have a huge reach yet…

I’m happy to answer questions about photography, blogging, the industry and about my experiences. You can ask me by leaving a comment here or by emailing me on blog@naina.co Download…

What is this 100% advance? Can anyone get it? What are some of the reactions I’ve heard when it comes to asking for 100% advance? What if you die? What…

Thank you Sonia, for asking these questions. The questions were : So, I have a bunch of questions about time management. I’m basically just curious about what it’s like to…

Answering the following questions that a blogger emailed me : 1. How does one reach a stage where one can approach brands for retainership associations? 2. How does one justify…

( Apologies for the couple of breaks in the video in the middle. ) This is a discussion/rebuttal/ramble in response to the article titled Virtual Realities by Namrata Zakaria. I…

I’ve answered the question many times over the years but I keep getting asked. Hopefully this will be a go-to link from now on whenever someone asks me again till…

Someone asked me how they could get into fashion week and photograph there. I’m sharing my experience here. Hopefully the video has some new info? Download Audio-Only here : #17-The-Naina-Redhu-Experience_How-to-get-into-fashion-week-to-do-some-photography…

I did this interview for Antje over at The Local Tribe. The questions I was asked : 01. You’re a brilliant lifestyle photographer. What’s the story behind your journey into…

Trying out a new format here. I love reading book and I also love listening to audio books and for a long time I’ve wondered what would be a best…

Where I talk about disclosing paid stories on your blog and social media and how to deal with brands sending gifts and freebies without a contractual obligation. Blogging is a…

“What if I tell them what I actually charge and then they say no? What if they just move on? I really want to work with this brand / person…

I love being able to answer interview questions by doing a video – if only it didn’t take so long to edit and export the file from within Adobe Premiere…

This week’s question that got me thinking is from an email I received that said : Recently somebody (an experienced person form the online space) told me that writing about…

*Additional episode this week. I HAD to say something. Recorded it yesterday but processing & upload speeds mean I was able to publish it only today.* I maintain that most…

The Jennifer Lawrence essay. The Ronda Rousey interview response. From the emails I’ve received so far : “I really liked your video about monetization. Since I’m kind of a newbie…

These were the questions – thank you so much for asking Siddharth! 1) 3-4 years ago, you were into Wedding Photography. Why did you choose weddings, and what was your…

( The second half of the video I forgot to turn off the ceiling fan – sorry about the background noise. ) I’ve been calling my previous videos “rants” but…

(That’s what my face looks like whenever I’m discussing “monetization”. A little bit of the American accent slipped it too! Maybe I’ll do the next one in a completely Naina-American…

( Short rant post fashion week. This video is early in the week – it’s shorter than my usual 8 minute posts, which come out at 9 am every Wednesday.…

Just to be clear, this is not an attack on the blogger at all. I’ve been in this blogger’s shoes so I am the last person who will attack another…

I’m on Periscope too! If you have any questions, I’m totally working on videos and will be more than thrilled to include answers to your questions in those videos. (…

( Correction : “I DO want to be remembered as me.” not “I DON’T want to be remembered as me.” ) The best way to become a better photographer is…

Here’s a little #ProTip that can go a long way in converting enquiries from prospects into actual assignments for you if you are a freelancer / independent professional like me.…