We had the good fortune of connecting with Ketan Nashit and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ketan, what role has risk played in your life or career?

If not for risks, there would be no legends in the world. So, I firmly believe that risks push us better and faster in life. Sometimes the process towards them is harsh but fruits are always sweetest. 

There would be no Ketan in the marketing field if I wouldn’t have taken a risk and quit my so-called comfortable job in just 11 months. Yes, there was a huge risk because that’s my first job but did it turn bad? No! 

A little sneak peeks in my background: I hail from a small village near Jamnagar. I graduated in Electronics & Communication Engineering, a field that’s not even near what I’m doing today marketing. 

Post my bachelor’s, I commenced my career as a project engineer for Telecom Giant – Jio. Yes, the job was paying well, yes it was comfortable. But a hindrance was constantly bugging me there, that is Growth. Neither personally nor professionally, there was growth. So, following my instinct I left in 11 months. 

Amid everything, marketing is something that entices me to a new level. I can’t actually put a finger on the feeling but there was a big-time curiosity for it. Additionally, my discomfort in the comfort zone was surging higher every day. So, in search of the thrill & something worth the risk I left everything I knew, enrolled myself in a foreign university with a big NO on my head. Because I had no further plans, I didn’t have experience, connection, or set path. But I took the risk & initiated the new chapter. 

That risk didn’t just affect me professionally but financially too. I took a huge loan for my master’s with no clear path to pay it back. But there was newfound confidence while venturing the streets of an unknown country. It was a pure bet but luckily I found a part-time job in the first week itself. 

I completed my master’s & returned to my home country. Applying for a foreign degree has its own benefits that I have experienced while applying to the jobs. Because companies were ready to pay me INR 9k/month which is around 120 USD/month. 

So, along with the stressful job, content creation was also something I commenced side by side. Suddenly, one of my reels went viral and that’s when my marketing journey turned out to be a game-changer because I got my first international client. Fortunately, with all the hard work, I boosted my clientele from 2 to 11 in just 6 months. 

So, I’m proud of the 1st risk I had taken because that was the biggest turning point of my life & there is no looking back now.

Life is all about taking that 1 step. You would lose the biggest treasure by fearing the risk. On the same note, I’m planning to start multiple businesses in the future. They may or may not work. But the thing that’s guaranteed is my growth & learning. So, yes, I’ll do it.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others?

What sets me apart from the others, I would say my determination to be the best in the game no matter what I do. I believe learning is constant and if you won’t upskill yourself constantly, you are easily replaceable. Because the competition is cutthroat. 

So instead of gossiping or mindlessly scrolling social media, I learn new things. You won’t see any celebrities or actors’ posts on my feed but it would be full of stuff about investment, motivation, technology, etc. 

Because when you have a clear vision of what you want to achieve in life, you rarely spend your time vaguely. I know what I want from life and I believe that’s what sets me apart from others. 

What are you most proud of or excited about? 

I am proud of where I am today and I am excited about the next two years. Why? After coming back to India from Manchester, I joined one IT company as a Business Development Executive. 

That time, I had no goals, I didn’t know what I wanted from life, I was wasting my time scrolling social media, neither was I learning nor growing. 

Fast forward to where I am today, I learn and grow every day, I create and consume content, I network with smart minds, I have 10x my earnings, I am close to achieving 10k followers, and many more small achievements. 

From what I was two years ago to who I am today, I am proud of my progress and for sure, won’t look back till I get everything I have aspired to. 

How did you get to where you are today professionally? Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? 

No, it wasn’t easy at all. As I’ve mentioned, right after returning to India, I joined an IT company & started as a Business Development Executive. The job was about micromanagement. 

Every day, you sit straight for 8:30 hours in front of a screen. The organization has software installed in the systems that are used to track every single activity. To make matters happier, the computer would be off if your screen remained off for 3 minutes. Thus, to compensate for the lost minutes, you have to sit post working hours. 

And, the best part is that software is used to take screenshots every 3 minutes. Also, the CEO’s wife would go through all the Screenshots & enquire about each one. Questions like ‘what were

you doing this time’, ‘why did you open this site’, ‘what’s the thing you were hiding’, ‘why were you not working this time?’ were common. 

My reporting was direct to the CEO and his wife. Every day they would schedule the meeting in the evening when it’s time to leave. Cherry to the woes was that the reporting meeting would last for 2 hours, of course after the working hours & they wouldn’t even consider it as overtime. If you are 2 minutes late for the meeting, it would be considered as a half-day. 

My job was to bring leads from social media and I was doing that. However, the CEO’s wife wasn’t following up and prospects were getting lost. In the end, we were to blame for not getting new business. 

Finally, after bearing it to the limit I said to the CEO’s wife that their ways were wrong and if they continued them, growth would be nowhere near them. The same day, I was told to leave the job & with a breath of relief I left. 

Challenges came but I knew if one door is closed, numerous others will open up. It’s always about perspective. 

For me, every problem starts with ‘Will work out something in the end.’ 

I was well aware of the opportunities floating in the market. If you have skills, industries are ready to onboard you. That’s what happened to me too. Within two weeks, I began a better position at a renowned company. 

Post my joining, I realized skills alone are not enough. You must need a robust personal brand too. That’s it, I started creating content. Initially, I wasn’t consistent but I overcame that challenge too. 

After 2 years, I just joined another fantastic F&B startup, Apicbase. I am in love with the culture & smart minds within. The way they deal with people is tremendous & I’m excited to grow with them. 

Aside from my day job, I have my own digital marketing agency running fluently. At the moment, I am handling 10 clients and am soon to hire more employees to expand my services. 

Consistent content creation brings me the exposure I need. Every month I get around 10-15 job offers, leads, collaboration opportunities and I am just starting. So yes, I’m happy with my growth. 

What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way? What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story? 

If I put it simply, these are the 3 main lessons that I have learned along the way:

  1. Problems aren’t problems but opportunities to learn and grow
  2. Work hard and keep improving yourself
  3. Be kind and help others

What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story? 

If a guy from a village can reach this stage, anyone can. I know a lot of people have said this but let me say it one more time. If you have dreams, take risks to achieve them. Risks open up your potential. 

I am excited to fulfill my dreams and give my loved ones the life they deserve. I know it won’t be easy but let’s face it, it would be worth some struggle & I’m ready to face it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

I spent a considerable amount of time in Manchester so let’s suppose my friend is visiting me while I am living in Manchester. Manchester is a city full of good vibes. Everything is kind of good no matter what it is- food, people, culture. 

I would definitely take my friend to the Peak District. A small hike to see and experience the beauty of lush green hills. It is something that I have done in the past and the experience is beyond words. 

The next visiting place will be, Lake District with mountains that refreshes our mind and lakes that provide soothing calmness. 

England’s beautiful countryside shouldn’t be forgotten here. 

Now comes the eating part, I would definitely visit two of my favourite restaurants. One is located in the heart of Manchester, curry mile. I would take my friend to eat a desi Indian meal while gulping jugs of Mango Lassi at Ziya Asian Grill. My second eating point would be a national award winner and completely vegan restaurant- Bhaji Pala. Completely out-of-the-box delicacies will provide my friend with a completely new & awesome dining experience. 

To drink and party, I am a big fan of Revolución de Cuba. Two nights are definitely reserved here to drink and dance. The rocking Spanish music will definitely push my friend to shake her/his legs on autopilot. 

These are the things that we will definitely do. However, we would also scour the unexplored territories so that we can add more experience or memories. Eating at a new cafe or restaurant, meeting new people, trying new languages, doing some adventure, these things come unplanned and need no itinerary. 

If you ask me about the most fun places or things, I have been to 6 countries till now and Prague has my heart. It is such a beautiful country that you won’t be tired of visiting this country time and again. Every time, Prague provides a different vibe that you can do nothing but enjoy

and experience. So in case you are looking for everything in one country, be it nightlife, be its beautiful countryside, be it culture, be it food, Prague has everything. No matter what, Prague should be on your bucket list. 

Another great place in Himachal Pradesh. I haven’t been there but have been watching a lot of beautiful stories and videos about Himachal Pradesh. If you love mountains, villages, nature, snow, Himachal Pradesh is the place you should explore.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

I wouldn’t say a little credit but I would give the entire credit to my father & mother. I saw my father struggling to pay for my school and transportation fees. But never in life, did he say anything that I wanted. He always gave me the freedom to learn and experiment with life. 

Mother being mother, mine one is no different. Her love, care and belief in good always pushed me towards appreciating everything that I have. Her guidance and support is the reason that I am always able to push myself and achieve great results. 

I will call myself a workaholic and that trait has been inherited from my parents. Their advice is, “if you need to achieve something, you would be required to put in enough effort. If you make excuses, you won’t be able to achieve what you are passionate about.” 

I can’t forget the love and support of my wife and my sister. They are just too adorable and supportive. 

I have learned a lot of good things outside the family as well. I have learned some business acumen from the founder under whom I was working in Manchester, Devang Gohil. 

At present, I am learning good things from an incredibly talented guy, Joris Brabants. I would call him my marketing mentor as he is damn good when it comes to marketing. 

If I talk about books, yes, ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’ was the first finance book that I read and it changed the way I looked at money. Since then, I keep myself fresh and updated with great books. 

There are a lot of people, books, failures that made me grow to this level and I am forever thankful to every one of them.

Website: https://www.nashit.info/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/man_on_marketing9/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ketan-nashit/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ketannashit

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ketan.patel.1884/

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