We recently connected with Sonali Oberoi and have shared our conversation below.
Sonali, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
You know the old cliche, about how courage isn’t the absence of fear, but feeling the fear and doing it anyway? Turns out, it’s true.
2 weeks shy of my 24th birthday, I thought it was a great idea to move to London from Kolkata, India. To live here permanently too, no trial run or anything. Had I been to London before? No, unless you count dashing across Heathrow Airport to catch a connecting flight as a 16-year-old going on my first international holiday (thanks Mum and Dad).
You see, I’d landed a job as a social worker here in London, fresh out of university. I’d dreamt of living in London for many years (I exclusively blame the films Notting Hill & Bridget Jones’ Diary for this), so I was on cloud nine when it came true. I was in for a rude shock though – I’d started getting cold feet on the flight here – but there was no turning back.
The first few years were desperately hard, and lonely (oh, and freezing cold too). I learned English as a first language in school, and it’s the primary language I’ve always spoken at home (I speak 4 languages) so I had that going for me. But my social qualification from India understandably didn’t prepare me for practising in the UK. So I was learning on the job (and far too proud to admit I didn’t know what I was doing and needed help). Things got better though, and in a few years, I was excelling at work. I stayed a social worker for 12 years, and take great pride in knowing I made a difference in the lives of hundreds of children.
In 2022 I transitioned from social work to copywriting, that too as a freelancer. Running a business isn’t for the faint-hearted, as I’m still discovering my third year in. But I did it once: building a career from the ground up, so I knew I could do it again. Quitting has never been an option – way. And I still live in London, by the way.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’m an email copywriter and conversion strategist. I’ve written for clients in the coaching and consulting space, therapists, e-commerce, and SaaS, to name a few.
I’ve always been good with words, it comes so easily to me. I was 12 years old when my English teacher (Mrs Shampa Mukherji, she’s the greatest) noticed this and said I have a gift. My writing skills were held in high regard in social work too, I’ve had senior managers and even judges in the Royal Courts of Justice in London commend the reports I’d write. I completely took it for granted though – I mean, anyone can string a sentence or two together right? Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I could make a living doing this. I always figured there were 2 options: a drunk and starving writer trying to make it big, or creating the magic that is Harry Potter which was already done and there’s no way I could top that!
The pandemic had me questioning all of my life’s choices (I was stuck in my flat by myself for months so I had plenty of time to think). A well-timed Facebook ad for a copywriting course in the summer of 2020 is what set things in motion. My first reaction was “This is a scam!” but the ad kept showing up…and well, the rest is history! I bought the course and made my way through it slowly while still working full-time, and felt ready to go all in by early 2022. I also saved a ton of money as a cushion before I quit my job – I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to start their own business.
I’ve written all sorts of copy and content – websites, emails, ads, blogs, articles, and print copy. This helped me hone my skills and work out what I enjoy the most, which by default I also became the best at: email marketing. Emails are the perfect blend of creativity and story-telling, combined with tried and tested strategies and frameworks that get my clients an incredible return on investment (one client made an x 8.5 ROI in 3 weeks)! The 12 years I spent in social work have given me a deep understanding of human psychology and behaviour. This insight makes me an excellent copywriter, creating emails that instantly connect with the reader resulting in stronger customer relationships and more sales.
I work with businesses I’m genuinely excited about and are making a difference – for instance, women’s health is a subject very close to my heart and I’m thrilled to be working with incredible business owners in this area. I always approach it as combining our strengths to make more of an impact as we reach more people together.
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?
Persist and persevere! I’ve lost count of the number of times I wanted to quit and go back home to India in the first few years of doing social work. (I had a vested interest in staying though – I wanted to travel around Europe ha). Looking back, I’m so glad I didn’t give up just because things were difficult – it’s led me to an incredibly fulfilling career and life here in London, and opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise. Mind you, if something truly isn’t a good fit, there is no shame in deciding it isn’t for you and walking away. But if you know you’re doing what’s meant for you, remember that it takes time to build something substantial – and it’s okay to stumble and make mistakes along the way. As a recovering perfectionist, I have to remind myself of this every day!
This brings me to the next point, which is to ask for help. When I first moved to London, work and life could have been so much easier if I’d just said “ I’m new to this system and country and I’m not sure where to even start. Can you help me?” Most people are willing to go the extra mile and support you, you just have to ask. It’s the same with building a sustainable business, after trying to wing it on my own for a year and something I started working with an incredible business coach and we’ve made massive strides together. I can’t wait to see what the rest of 2024 has in store for my business.
And finally, set authentic goals. It took me a while to figure this one out. In the world of marketing, for instance, you’re bombarded with stories of “Here’s how I reached $10k months in 8 weeks!” I mean, that’s nice for them, but for most people, this is unrealistic. This doesn’t mean having a 6-figure business is unattainable, but once you get caught up chasing an arbitrary number it takes the joy out of building your business and doing work you love.
I was caught in this trap for a while and chasing a figure I’d conjured up, and nothing I achieved that fell even a little short of that was good enough. Luckily I have my coach, and she’s helped me shift my perspective. It’s the freedom of running my business that means the most to me: time and location independence, and working with businesses and clients I love. So once you shift your perspective and recognise what you truly value and set goals around that, everything else falls into place, including $$.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Nothing excites me more than women supporting women!
So if you’re a woman-led business helping other women, whether it’s health, finance, career, dating, or building a community – come find me!
I’m active on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonali-oberoi/
And my new website will be launching soon, watch this space: www.sonalioberoi.com
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sonalioberoi.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonali-oberoi/
Image Credits
Candid Studios
