We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nisha Inalsingh a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Nisha, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
My entire life from high school through university to my first few corporate jobs were always with predominantly white institutions. I never saw this as an issue as these were places I had to be so I could move to the next stage of my career. My parents raised me to believe in myself, work hard and learn from setbacks. Being the only Indian in a room, never seemed like a disadvantage to me; quite the contrary, it felt like an asset. People will remember me if I am smart, engaging, and a good listener; but as with any room, it also depends on who is in it. There have been many times when a few people have made me feel unwelcome for whatever reason and I quickly move on to someone else who hopefully is more enlightened. Being able to quickly assess a person and navigate a room is essential but that does take time and maturity. Also, it’s important to remember that the room does not represent my whole life – the room is merely a metaphor for the barriers we all face in life and must learn to deal with if we want to be successful in any venture.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I launched Nish Niche in November 2021 after many years in the fashion industry. I wanted to create a new niche that fused together my love of Asian and Scandinavian aesthetics: a combination of Asia’s rich, colorful history and gorgeous textiles with a Scandinavian approach to design – minimal, elegant and pure. We are dedicated to creating luxury, contemporary clothing and accessories that are made from the best quality materials and have meticulously crafted designs where every detail is carefully considered. The clothes are sophisticated, timeless, easy-to-wear and fun! Every collection is inspired by the world we live in and an understanding that fashion can be symbiotic with nature.
You can see all of our collections and our latest drop, Gravity, at nishniche.com.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Nish Niche literally fuses together all of my diverse work experiences. Jobs that seemed disparate at the time have really given me the experience needed to create my new company.
The three most important things for me have been –
1) Stay focused on your objective – no mission creep!
2) Take it one day at a time – don’t fret over any past mistakes and know where you’re going, but baby steps keep you sane as the process can be overwhelming at times.
3) Trust your instinct – there will be many opinions — some you agree with and some you don’t – stay the course – trust your vision!
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
Since our launch in 2021 I’ve been through 4 different digital marketing teams. I essentially had a crash course on this as I realized quickly that it’s not just about posting on different platforms, but all digital elements playing together as we fine tune our target audiences. There are many people who are articulate and seem knowledgeable, but dive beneath the surface and they don’t know what they are doing and are charging exorbitant prices. I had to learn everything about Klaviyo (email marketing), Meta, Google, etc, so I could then pick a team who not only knew what they were talking about, but also could adjust strategies as needed and deliver results.
Contact Info:
- Website: nishniche.com
- Instagram: nishniche_shop
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nishnicheshop/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@nishniche_shop
Image Credits
Gravity Collection Photographer – @sergiokurhajec
