Nupur Singh is a former Goldman Sachs analyst turned social media strategist. She is the founder of En Creative Media, a boutique social media company that has worked with over 50 clients ranging from startups to large enterprises to help them build and grow their social media presence.

Nupur is also a lifestyle and travel influencer with over 60K followers on Instagram and over 25K monthly views on her lifestyle blog. She has worked with brands such as Armani, Club Monaco, Nyx, Delta, Dyson, etc. She specialises in helping brands create a powerful online presence through social media, content, influencer marketing, paid social, etc.

She is also the founder of Young Founders Connect, an exclusive group that empowers entrepreneurs and enthusiasts with digital marketing knowledge and connections through high-touch networking events and workshops. YFC as of 2020, is one of the largest social media marketing meetup in the Bay Area with over 10K subscribers. YFC has hosted over 40 events and workshops since it started in mid-2017.

Nupur has appeared on various panels including Tech Fashion Week, Beauty Expo, Blogit, and also been featured on Newsweek, Forbes, Thrive Global & HuffPost.

Q: What inspired you to found En Creative Media and what were the main challenges you faced?

Having spent multiple years in the digital marketing space, I realized that there was a huge requirement for a personalized approach to marketing and branding for small/medium enterprises which were underserved in the industry. En Creative Media was born out of this need to help companies who didn’t have a big marketing team to ace their digital strategy through a tailored experience.

One of our main challenges was to figure out how to scale both internally and externally. A business is only as successful as its ability to scale. To tackle this, we invested in various partnerships that helped us not only generate leads, but also utilize the right talent and skills for our clients. One of the initiatives that came out of this effort was founding Young Founders Connect, an exclusive group for marketing professionals and entrepreneurs. Today YFC is one of the largest marketing meetups in the Bay Area which hosts various workshops, panels and coaching sessions regularly.

Q: Did you start the venture alone?

Yes. I started this venture on my own. This was a huge step for me as previously I always had cushy jobs - from working in investment banking to heading a social media team for a startup. However, I knew it was time for me to take the leap and help brands with good ideas become great. It wasn't easy but definitely worth it. Like they say, if you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary.

Q: In your opinion, what are some key opportunities in the social media space going forward?

There is a huge scope for AI and chatbots to augment a lot of the work done manually right now in the space of social media. We are already seeing the use of AI by Instagram, Tiktok and other social channels. Another effort I see in progress is the idea of less gamification in the social media landscape. There is an increasing need for privacy and focus on wellness which a lot of social channels are trying to incorporate. For e.g tools providing options to limit your social media usage.  

Q: What's your business model, and how have you grown your revenue?

En Creative Media is a boutique company that helps brands scale their digital marketing. We primarily work with early/mid stage startups/brands along with C-suite executives, creators and professionals.  We’ve grown our revenue stream primarily through - brand services, personal consulting and workshops. In the last 3 years, we’ve managed to grow our business by 300% through a personalized approach that helps clients understand not only how to run a business but how to scale it.

Q: Do you think luck played a role in the success of your company?

Success is more about persistence than luck. However, I can’t discount the concept of “serendipity”. Being at the right place at the right time is a factor that you can’t control. I have been fortunate enough to be at the right place at the right time many times that has helped me make key connections which eventually contributed to the growth of my company.

Q: What are your goals for the future?

Professionally, we are working to streamline our process by incorporating modern technology and trends to the work we do. The nature of social media is extremely dynamic and therefore it is important to use tools like machine learning to understand data and trends to be able to tweak the targeting accordingly. I have also recently launched a coaching stream where I work with bloggers and entrepreneurs on a 1-1 basis to teach them how to monetize and effectively use time and tools to run a successful business. We are converting some of those teachings into an online course that will be launched shortly.

On the personal front, I am hoping to read more - at least 2 books a month. As a kid, I loved reading but somewhere in the hustle and bustle of work, I found it hard to carve out reading time. So that’s something I am hoping to get back to. 

Q: If you had to start over, what would you do differently?

I believe everything that you do in the past somewhere contributes to your present. However if there is one thing I could do differently, I would have learnt how to code. I am fascinated by the endless opportunities that technology has to offer. I wish I had the skill set to try different things in that field, right from creating an app to a platform.  It’s such an invaluable skill especially if you work in tech or marketing. It really enables you to understand a product right at the foundation. It also helps to save you money when you are first setting up your business as you can then DIY your own website, etc.

Q: Can you talk about one woman who has impacted your life?

It’s hard to pick just one inspiring figure. I have been lucky to meet various women at different conjectures who’ve inspired me through my career trajectory. Whether it was learning resilience from my  grandma who I grew up with, my mum who taught me to dream big, my mum-in-law who instilled in me that “women can have it all” or my mentors who helped equipped me with the right mindset to succeed as an entrepreneur. I have admired the strength and fortitude of each and every of those women and tried to implement the learnings in my career.

Q: What are your favorite books?

The power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and Switch by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. A must read for every individual. One of my favorite quotes from “ Switch” which primarily talks about how to bring changes is -

“Failing is often the best way to learn, and because of that, early failure is a kind of necessary investment.”

This is a quote I live by. I always view failure and obstacles as a learning opportunity because lack of success is not because of failure, it’s because of giving up and not trying again.

Q: What's your advice for female founders who are just starting out?

As a female founder who is starting out, you will have to wear different hats. Therefore understanding what’s worth your time is critical. One of the biggest mistakes I see young founders making is trying to do it all and not accounting for the time spent. Your time is money and it’s important to factor that in your business model. This will help you understand how much you can take up on your own and how much you need to designate or hire for. 

Another very important thing I would advise every young entrepreneur to do is to get a mentor. It’s invaluable to get an outside perspective from someone who can not only provide you industry insights, emotional support, but at the same time call a spade a spade and give you the reality check that you sometimes need.