Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sheel Yerneni. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Sheel, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
The only way really to develop confidence and self-esteem is to take what’s inside and lay it out all on the table. Exposing yourself, despite how you feel about your thoughts and mannerisms, is the only way to grow in the direction of confidence. And trusting that you’ll be able to figure out and navigate once you’ve done so builds self-efficacy which builds confidence like no other. No longer hiding anything about myself, I have both healed any parts that felt “shameful” or “stupid” and turned them into avenues to create unique art and just carry a more unique vulnerable more tend to appreciate.
For the first 20 years of my life, I always thought everyone was in on some secret that I wasn’t a part of. always looking to the people around me for pointers on how to speak, move, and think. I did not trust that originality that came from me could be right until it was exhibited in someone else. I think this is more common in girls but I hope that more young people struggling with that learn earlier than I did- if you do not think like those around you, it doesn’t mean you’re wrong or stupid. It means that means that it’s a chance to share something new and authentic, refreshing and real. And in doing so, no matter how uncomfortable, I found the beginnings of confidence and self-esteem.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Svarini is a fashion brand, but it was born out of this message I wanted to share about being all things as a woman, specifically a South Asian woman. Growing up there were so many adjectives I wanted to be- smart, talented, beautiful, sexy, etc. But as I grew older, it felt like I had to pick between these, and that being one made it hard to be the other. Specifically, the narrative that you cannot be sexy and respected as a brown girl struck a cord with me. I felt very restricted and shameful in my own body and what I chose to do with it for many years- this is not a safe place to be mentally, but also physically, because it felt like my body did not belong to me. Once I felt empowered to express myself and my sexuality freely as well as build a successful career, I truly felt safe in my own body and setting my own boundaries. This transformation was very harsh, certainly too harsh for the 17 year old younger version of myself trying to contextualize her value. I am most proud that Svarini is something I would have loved to see growing up, a brown girl narrative told by a brown girl, and shared with something I love doing- making art. Right now that art is clothing inspired by both western gen-z fashion and everything I love about centuries-old Indian craftsmanship that we see all over mainstream fashion brands and red carpets.
As for exciting things- for the second collection this year, we opted to debut the collection alongside a semi-autobiographical short film, “Moksha,” intertwining personal narrative with fashion. Written as a fantasy tale of my own coming-of-age, which is also the story of how Svarini came together, each scene of the film will revealed a new piece in the second collection and premiered at a successful red-carpet screening in New York City! The filn has also recently been recieving love and awards from film festivals. I hope to explore more filmmaking and immersive events with the 3td collection next year.
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?
1. Having some skin in the game- people are attracted to vulnerability and the risk you take to reveal that part of yourself. Throw yourself into your work- that is what will make it stand out and feel real in a saturated market- like fashion.
2. Self-belief and taking up space- the biggest obstacle for me across all of my career pursuits was the limiting beliefs in my head. I was so scared to ask questions or even think for so long in college. I rememeber the biggest unlock was when I gave up ob how I believed people were percieving me and my own thoughts around whether or not I could do something in exchange for just doing it- doing it bad, doing it under-prepared, doing it new- whichever feeling I attached to the thing I was doing, it was just important that I was doing and learning as scary as taking up space when you don’t feel adequate is. Don’t waste time, you only get one college experience, one shot at your 20s, 30s, 40s etc.- take up the space.
3. Impact and fulfillment first- the pressure of immediate financial stability clouds judgement around building an impactful, sustaining brand. If you are able to funnel finances from a different job/career into your art or fundraise for your business, you will be able to execute on a strong, unique, and long term brand vision which is more likely to have long term impact with an audience rather than the quick cycles of growth and crickets we see in social media.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
It matters less what you do but more how you do it. You can be anything- nicher the better, but make a choice and be the best at it.
It’s great advice my parents gave us although I haven’t been the best at making a choice. There is a common driving force across all my endeavors- the cultural shift that combats violence against women, specifically in South Asian cultures. Having a core mission guides me in these shiny fields like fashion/social media. It helps create from a place of- is this thing actually solving this problem or is it just more noise? By avoiding the noise, Svarini is able to be something that will truly last with it’s audience.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://svarini.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/svarini.shop
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@svarini
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
