Nihara is a force to be reckoned with. At age 25, she has already built a successful media agency and has published 3 Amazon best-selling books. The Indian expat, who’s been living in the UAE for five years, is also thriving as a lifestyle blogger. And when she’s not writing, Nihara is seen mostly traveling and documenting her journey on social media.

LIFE ABROAD

Nihara had quite a nomadic life. She shared, “I was born in Kerala but moved to Tamil Nadu in India for my schooling. I also spent two years in Abu Dhabi as an infant while my dad worked in the UAE. However, we returned to India in 1997. I then moved to Delhi in 2012 for my bachelor’s in Journalism and Mass Communication, then Abu Dhabi in 2015 for NYFA diploma, and later Dubai in 2015.”

She had visited the UAE numerous times growing up, but she was only able to move here and call it home in 2015. Although moving to the UAE wasn’t in her plans, as she was supposed to move to London, a sudden twist in fate leads her to the emirates instead. “My parents were already working here at the time, and I decided to pursue a diploma in filmmaking from New York Film Academy in Abu Dhabi. During my studies, I fell in love with this country and decided to pursue my dream. Everything happens for a reason, and that’s exactly how Dubai happened to me.”

 WORK-LIFE BALANCE

We women can be such workaholics, and Nihara is one of the many ladies who love her work. “It never felt like a burden,” she shared. She, however, allots time to pursue her other passions like travel blogging and writing books. For her, time management, consistency, and punctuality are key. “It might look hard in the beginning, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a piece of cake!” she added.

 STUMBLING BLOCKS TO SUCCESS

There will be stumbling blocks toward your journey to success. And for Nihara, it was the way people always underestimated her because she was a woman of color and was below the age of 25 trying to make it happen in a male-dominated field. She finds racism and sexism as the most significant barriers in her industry. Then again, these factors never left her spirit unscathed.

Nihara had a temporary job in 2016 for two months (her first and last job) before starting her own media agency in June 2016. The day she got terminated, she remembers catching the RTA bus to meet a friend and telling herself this, “how nice would it be if I get to tell this as a punch line when I get successful in the future.” Fast forward in 2018, she found herself standing on a stage and delivering her TEDx speech in Dubai, which she started with the line, “so I was fired from my first job.” From then on, her life had come full circle.

THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE

Building her company meant sacrificing time spent with loved ones. There had been numerous times when she missed important occasions and moments at the beginning of her career. Though it was crucial at the time, it pushed her to work even harder. All of her sacrifices were worth doing because now she can spend more time with her loved ones. “Every single choice I made was done calculatedly. It also made the person who I am today. I’ll always be grateful for everything,” she shared.

 WORDS OF WISDOM

Nihara wants the next generation of young women to succeed in the workplace or business, and she imparts some great advice for all the ladies who are dreamers and achievers like her. “Never let anyone make you doubt yourself and always trust your instincts because that shit is real.”

Love and light,
Mai