"Since it's so easy to connect with a content creator who has started a small business — considering we start with a social media first approach — people don't give us the benefit of the doubt. That’s how I feel. We are still learning. They should allow us that leverage to figure it out," said 26-year-old fashion and lifestyle influencer-turned entrepreneur Himadri Patel.
In this age of social media, the creator economy has proven its worth. As competition increases, social media influencers are not content with just being brands — they are venturing into entrepreneurship. But the path is difficult, and someone like Patel is quickly getting used to that fact. She is an influencer who launched her fashion and clothing brand Dri By Himadri in October 2022.
From Infosys to influencing
Like any high-achieving Indian kid, Patel completed her 12th standard with science and set her sights on being an engineer. Her college journey began with computer science, a field she wanted to explore primarily because of her parents.
After securing a campus placement in Infosys and Capgemini, she realised that a traditional 9-to-5 job was not her true calling. Her passion for content creation led her to YouTube as an influencer, but convincing her parents to back her was no easy task.
"I told my parents that I want to do YouTube but they hesitated. My elder sister supported me and asked my parents to give me three months to prove myself. Now they watch my videos show them to everyone and say 'kamal kar diya beta tumne' (you have made us proud)."
Interestingly, her first paid partnership was for Rs 500. Patel now earns enough to run her business, support herself and her family of three and help the voiceless. “I think it's enough,” she added.
Inspired by grandma's saree
The inception of Dri By Himadri was rooted in her deep connection to her grandmother, who inspired her love for traditional Indian wear and hand-stitched garments. The brand's vision was clear — to provide high-quality, timeless ethnic wear that people could cherish for generations.
"I am known for my ethnic style and DIY clothes and I learned it from my grandmother. When I was a kid I used to see her wrap her saree and ride her bicycle. She had such beautiful handcrafted sarees. That's when I thought this is what I want to work with when I grow up. So I am doing that right now at Dri — each piece is handpicked and crafted with love. The idea is to have something that people can pass down the generations," said Patel.
Struggles of being a new entrepreneur
The transition from content creator to entrepreneur was a roller coaster ride for Patel. While creating content came naturally to her, diving into the business world was entirely uncharted territory. Being the only female in her family to start a business from scratch, she faced numerous challenges, including navigating legal paperwork and finances, and understanding the intricacies of running a brand. However, with her sister's support and tireless efforts, Dri By Himadri slowly started taking shape.
"My sister and I used to sit for hours … we would sleep at five in the morning after doing our research on concept paperwork, legalities and the rest of it. We used to work on figuring out the negatives — like what if we did not have the right papers. What if somebody came and asked for our papers… and we did not have them… we were clueless? We wanted to be well prepared mentally. Hence, it took us almost two years to build this brand, from the back-end to the website to doing the paperwork and getting lawyers and doing the trademark MSM, GST … all completely new. It's still a learning phase for me. And it’s very different from being a content creator. It's a completely new journey for me," said Patel.
A common challenge that budding entrepreneurs face is financing. So far, Patel's brand is fully self-funded and in the initial phases, she struggled to recover the invested capital.
"Nobody was helping me with the finances. I am using my savings and earnings from my YouTube and my other content businesses. In the initial phases I did not receive a lot of orders. Plenty was already invested in the brand and we couldn't recover that amount, for starters. Gradually, after a month, we started getting orders, and we could at least pay out salaries. We're still facing this problem. But we are getting there, I think," said Patel.
