The post reflects the unexpected marketing insights gained by the author during a train journey. Read on to learn more.
My Journey as a Writer
We’re in 2024. So, it’s been more than a decade of writing. I’ve started my writing journey as a mere poem or story writer, if you could say it. That happened somewhere in 2008-10, which means around 8th or 9th grade. For me, writing was the only option to take my feelings out of my system. What kinda feelings, you ask?
Well, in my childhood, I was a lonesome kid with hardly any friends. Somewhere, I faced difficulty making friends because I was a nerd and not a cool kid, maybe. I had a lot of anger and frustration around my life, family, and inability to make friends, and I placed all that energy on getting good grades. I believed that maybe those grades bring me some people closer, you know, in that typical scenario where all the mothers push their kids to befriend rankers.
But, unfortunately, good grades make you good in the eyes of other parents who want to take your notes to teach their kids. Still, the grades and rankings take you away from your classmates or just near to those who wish to compete. This whole system creates a differentiation, a boundary, a dissection, where someone is better than you and you are higher than someone. I felt that thing; I felt that void, and language became one such medium to bring all that pain, anger, and frustration out on paper.
I was blessed. Blessed that at least I had pen-paper by my side. Frankly, I didn’t know exactly where and when I started writing. I found one poem on “Friendship” on my letterhead from 5th grade, which dates back to 2005. So, I never knew how many things I wrote in that timeframe till 2011. I used to scribble and write stuff at the back of my notebooks, in the center pages of all my copies, and tear them down as I reached the center of the notebook. I wrote diaries for putting some other stories of aggression but that’s mostly the end of the day things. When words come from your heart and mind to the paper, there is hardly any fixed time for that, so the center of notebooks or last pages are always convenient. That’s been my way of dealing with my feelings and that’s how writing happened to me.
You Don’t Choose Writing, Writing Choose You
I never thought I would be a marketing writer or Content Writer. NEVER! Not even a single time such an idea crossed my mind. However, in childhood, I wanted to become a writer someday. My motivation was connected to my revolutionary thoughts and questions. Over time, I’ve learned that people read and accept what influential people say and write. I believe writers are powerful because they write what we read in newspapers, books, magazines, and everything else. But, while growing up, I listened several times to the stories of old songwriters, scriptwriters, and literature writers about the struggles of their lives. The tales I heard described writers who always struggled to gain recognition in society, like Munshi Premchand, Dinkar, and Mahadevi Verma. Becoming a writer took a backseat as the idea of making money through this art was vague.
But, as I grew up, these thoughts faded. Like every child, I had different ambitions at different stages of life. I wanted to be a pilot till 3rd grade; then, I wanted to be a writer around 6th grade; then I planned to be a doctor around 9th grade; then, I wanted to be an engineer to create robots in 10th grade. I think that’s how my last choice translated to choose maths – science. However, at this stage, I thought of choosing PCMB (I know now how confusing this choice sounds).
Due credits to my last selection of subjects, I wanted to be an engineer. Maybe, because I was interested in circuits, opening machines, and repairing them as a kid. Lately, I learned from one of the electricians who came to our place that such guys learn these things as engineers. That’s when I discovered that maybe my calling was to be an engineer.
I studied harder and harder to get into the engineering college of my choice, but ultimately, fate landed me in a private engineering college. That’s where I took my engineering course and learned the engineering of my life. In this journey, I learned about e-commerce, started my e-commerce venture, and did content writing internships.
Mental satisfaction and money were the drivers that inclined me more towards writing. The learning-while-earning scenario motivated me to explore, read, and write more. I was blessed, and still am, for writing happened to me.
My Professional Writing Career
I started my professional writing journey as an intern content writer back in my 3rd year of engineering. It was a crazy ride to land my first internship at Internshala, but I’m glad I chose that path. And, as you know, taking the first step is always the hardest but always worth taking. There was no turning back after that. I did a series of internships, which was fun with a lot of corporate-like stress.
It helped me land my first job as a junior writer at an IT company via LinkedIn (You may connect with me here). In the meantime, I wore several hats while serving the industry for 8+ years as a Content Marketer. I worked in several domains, namely, IT service providers, VoIP service providers, SaaS-based IT companies, SaaS – e-commerce platforms, SaaS loyalty and customer engagement, healthcare and beauty segments, to name a few. It was only in 2023 that I decided to pay more attention to my e-commerce venture ‘Craftcart’ and start freelancing alongside.
I still love and admire the power of writing and take Freelance writing projects to quench my thrust of drafting the best marketing assets for businesses. If you have any marketing content requirements where I can add value, share deets with me.
My First Airbnb Experience: Privileged to be the Guest cum Host
When I go back to the memories of my last on-site job as a Content Marketer, I can’t forget the wonderful experiences I gained during that tenure. One such unforgettable experience was that of my first Airbnb stay. Before this time, I’d heard of Airbnb from a few of my friends, checked their content marketing strategies, and listened to a TED talk by Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb while working on a project. Frankly, I considered it a luxury from the listings I’ve viewed on the primary landing page of the site. Also, it was a bit weird for me to feel what it’s like to live in someone’s else home.
Well, as we are aware of the different styles of new-normal in the post-COVID era, hybrid WFO, and quarterly meetups are some of the distinct ideas corporates implemented. So, in the last year, my workplace was also following a similar culture. My first office visit was said to be for a week. And, since I was visiting for the first time after I joined, I was happy. It was a lavish journey for me, I booked my first flight and spent a week in the hotel. But, in the second journey, I got my reality check for it was a WFO for 15 days. That’s when I started searching for other options for staying.
Since my office was in HSR layout, I thought to explore stay options in the vicinity, else I could sense the rising budget. I’ve checked for the place and luckily got one room somewhat in the vicinity on Airbnb. After exploring a few options, I finally booked it. After that, I got busy in the usual humdrum of the office.
Guest Turned Out To Be A Friend
Since it was a quarterly meetup, I made up my mind to have 1 side train and 1 side flight given that it was 36 hours of journey from my hometown. So, this time I planned to go by train. Only when I boarded the train I remembered to ping my host for the address. Now, once again the worries of sharing the place with someone else started circling in my head. As I checked the contact of my host and saved it on my phone, opened my WhatsApp message, I realized I knew her in person. Strange that we worked together earlier in our internship days. I was happy and relaxed now that I was going to meet and stay with someone I sort of knew earlier.
AirBNB nahhhhhh… My New Home For a Few Days
I reached the place, and my friend cum host Anu & Ankit welcomed me. I settled in their cozy place and as I entered the room I fell in love with it. It was the compact room with all the essentials I imagined multiple times in my room since childhood. Bed with charging board near me, cool wooden wardrobe, attached let-bath with hot-shower, washing machine, few plants, a big functional window that brings natural sunlight and air, and a table you can ask for. Just after talking for an hour, I started feeling like I visited some long-lost friends and the vibes were exactly like that living in my home.
Transformation From Guest To Host
We spent around 3 hours talking when gradually in conversations I realized I spent more than a day journey on the train and should relax for some time. We retired to our chores and sat for another round of discussion at lunch. I had delicious kheer that Anu served and I was going Woowww about my Sunday. We were talking about each other’s weekend plans and that’s the time when my friends realized they had a friend going abroad in the midweek and they had to plan a surprise treat for her. Coincidentally, they had booking via Airbnb at their nearby property and they will be arriving in the evening for the same day. Finding all the ways they can try to manage they thought to run an experiment which was the original idea of Airbnb – host the guests and share the place. This implies even guests can host other guests because it’s like co-sharing the space/other properties. So, I being guest of the day was to host another guest. I was instantly happy and ready with all my zeal to have this new experience. We all went to the place, and they showed me everything, the basics to be answered while greeting hosts, and told me to ping them instantly if I needed any help. Around evening the new guests came. I welcomed them with my 24-inch smile, showed them a place, gave information about all the details, had a little chit-chat, and then retired to my place. They gotta know that I’m also a guest here and they were so happy to meet me. It was such an interesting incident where I became a guest from the host just in a matter of a few hours. And, that circumstance made me more curious about the platform and how this all exactly works!
I spent my week & weekend just like I live in my home. I got up a bit early to have some time to myself for bootup, read a book in the corridor with the breeze, get ready, and leave for the office and short talks whenever we had time. On the following weekend, we went shopping together at KLM sarees to shop, had a pizza party, and I tried to learn UNO (Yeah, tried coz I forgot again 😀). All in all, I couldn’t forget that stay, my hosts, and the time I spent with them.
Concluding my first Airbnb experience with the note that if you are visiting Bangalore and have your meetings/workspace near HSR Layout, do check the space of my host-guest-friend. They have beautiful properties in different locations in Bangalore, so the Bangalorites can check more details here.
Hosting @ My Place – Tribhuvan Homestay
Now, some good news for tourists and travelers to Ujjain or nearby pilgrimages. I’ve registered my place at Airbnb. While I was staying in Bangalore, I had lengthy discussions with Anu & Ankit about how this home hosting works, what to remember, and things to take into account. I took that learning with me and after planning it for a few months I joined the Airbnb community in Ujjain for travelers and tourists a week ago. If you are planning to come to Ujjain to explore Mahakal Lok, offer prayers in Mahakaleshwar temple, Harsiddhi Temple, take a dip in Holy River Kshipra, or enjoy workation while traveling, you are most welcome at our place. For your convenience, I have made distinct listings per guest holding capacity of the room. Take a quick look here:
So, if you are planning to take a trip to Ujjain or Omkareshwar, you will have a decent place to yourself at affordable rates. Book yours earlier to not miss out on the dates and I’ll be here to welcome you. 🙂