Career – kahlan.in

My current position and role.

Currently, I am working as an online business manager, and my goal is to increase revenue by 100% by the end of the year.

To me, what work I do and where I spend my time is very important.

My goal is to learn and upskill myself while creating value for the company.

I focus on learning skills that help me create value, such as creating images and newsletters using AI in HTML format for Mailchimp.

This helps me move in a direction where I can benefit in the real world.

The Start

The first job I had was at my uncle’s office. It was a multimedia business, so I joined to learn and also help my uncle. There, I learned the basics of CorelDRAW, design, and project management. It was a good experience, and because I was young, I didn’t get yelled at, which allowed me to focus on learning.

I also took on some freelance jobs installing software on laptops. The amount I earned was small, but I was very happy because it was the first time I monetized my skills in installing software.

My mom used to run classes, and I started helping her by teaching small kids. Gradually, I began teaching English, History, and Geography to 9th and 10th standard students. I loved it because I could share knowledge and improve my speaking skills in front of an audience. I also learned to be more patient and to empathize with children.

Somewhere in between, I also worked at a startup. My role was to teach their software to class administrators and owners, help with sales, and identify areas for improvement. It was basically a management software for classes and schools.

However, the job didn’t work out for me. I had to travel a lot to different sites, and eventually, I decided to quit. Even though the experience wasn’t great, I learned a lot about how a company operates, how teams communicate with developers, and the importance of having a good manager and clear communication with the development team. I felt the company lacked both, but it was still a valuable learning experience for me.

Later, my mom became a lawyer, and I helped her with documentation, registrations, and filing forms. Since I was also studying, I didn’t take up a job, so this is how I supported my family.

Skills I learned from this stage

Project Management

While working at my uncle’s office, I learned the importance of project management. Without proper processes and management, it is very difficult to scale and keep track of projects and tasks.

Designing

I learned CorelDRAW, and because I wanted to become a good designer, I started exploring some of the best designs I could find online and learning from their use of fonts, colors, spacing, and more.

Importance of Proper Communication

The most important thing I learned was how to communicate clearly. Whether you speak in Hindi, English, or Marathi, it doesn’t matter as long as the other person understands you perfectly.

First Business

After completing my degree, I co-owned a company where I managed marketing and the online business. It was an e-commerce business that sold customized acrylic products like nameplates and signboards. The business grew exponentially, and we became top sellers for multiple products across India. I managed platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, and IndiaMART. I handled product photography, optimized listings with SEO, and also created a website that ranked first for multiple keywords across India. Later, I also took responsibility for production and material sourcing. I wanted to build the company into the best brand for customized acrylic products, but my vision didn’t align with my business partner’s. Because of this, I decided to leave, as I felt I couldn’t grow to my full potential there.

Key skills I learned from my first business

SEO

I believe one of the most important and underrated things is having a proper product listing with the right keywords. Focusing on attracting organic traffic can be time-consuming, but it is the best approach for long-term growth.

Branding

Creating a strong identity using the same fonts, consistent photography and videography, a unified design language, and a clear story is the key to building a generational brand. People connect with stories, and as a brand, I learned how to convey that story effectively.

Web Development

Because we had a limited budget, I had to build the entire website on my own. I knew the basics of building an e-commerce store, but whenever I got stuck, I Googled and used YouTube to figure things out.

Relationship & Management

Building strong relationships with vendors and delivery partners was one of the most important parts of the business. We had to manage cash flow, get supplies on time, and dispatch products efficiently to keep everything running smoothly. Since there were only two of us running the company, proper management was essential for scaling.

E-Commerce Marketplaces

I learned how to create product listings, outrank competitors, run ads, and add offers. Managing a marketplace is easy, but to grow, I had to keep a close eye on competitors.

We focused on building authenticity, sharing our story, engaging with customers, and showcasing new products through social media. This helped us reach and connect with our audience effectively.

The big opportunity

I applied for a data processing position at a UK-based company through Naukri.com. I found the role interesting because I could improve data at a core level, which could eventually help the company grow. I got shortlisted and researched the company further. I identified areas where I could contribute to its growth. The interview was conducted by the owner himself, and it went well. I did fumble a little, but I clearly explained the value I could bring and shared ideas for improvement. I think the most important part of the interview was that our energy matched instantly. I also watched his YouTube channel and was impressed I could sense a mentor mindset rather than a boss mentality. He even created a new job role for me after seeing my potential and asked if I could double the business by the end of the year. After researching and thinking it through, I said yes because I believe it is achievable. Currently, I work as an online business manager and marketer. This opportunity is very important to me, and it aligns well with my goals. I have learned a lot from my mentor and applied his advice. Initially, I struggled with management and was a bit disorganized, but he suggested writing down all tasks, which helped me become more structured and clear. I improved product listings, enhanced images, worked on the website, added blogs, and automated newsletter and social media content creation using AI tools like Claude. I also ran ads, and by focusing on these key areas with consistency and quality, I am starting to see results. I have also helped in the hiring process by conducting interviews to build a strong team. I make it a point to upskill myself daily, especially because AI is evolving rapidly. By effectively implementing AI in the business, we have a better chance of staying ahead of competitors.

Skills I learned so far

I created assets, researched my target audience, selected the target locations, and added keywords, headlines, and descriptions. In the first month, we got good sales and a positive response from the ads, which felt great because if they hadn’t performed well, we could have lost money.

After some research, I learned that Mailchimp supports HTML, and now I create entire newsletters using Claude AI. It has drastically sped up the process. I give Claude context about me and my company, write down my ideas, and then explain the output I want, and it handles the rest.

Image Generation

Generating high-quality lifestyle images of our products was very important because the first thing customers notice is the product image. I had to clearly convey how the product would look in a customer’s home and its use case. I experimented with several prompts on Google Gemini and then created a master prompt that could consistently generate high-quality images using Nano Banana Pro.