Ad Land’s Young Guns: Nidhi Mathur, Vitamin Stree

Nidhi Mathur leads business development and strategy at Vitamin Stree, a digital content platform that’s reshaping the narrative around gender and identity for young women and LGBTQ community in India. She works behind-the-scenes on brand collaborations and helps expand Vitamin Stree’s presence through partnerships. In her spare time, she reads almost any book she can get her hands on, creates very specific 90s and 2000s Spotify playlists and lives in decision fatigue about where she should travel next.

In conversation with Adgully, Nidhi Mathur speaks about her journey with Vitamin Stree, icons she looks up to, her success mantra, and more.

What particular skill sets do you think you bring to the table?

At Vitamin Stree, I work towards the monetary growth of the platform. To create and grow revenue streams, a key aspect of my job is building partnerships with brands that align with our editorial values and channel strategy.

How did you join your current organisation?

I saw an opening on Vitamin Stree’s Instagram, and applied for it. Went through an extensive interview process, where I was encouraged to speak with other people working at Kulfi Collective to get a sense of the culture, and whether I’d be a good fit. I also spoke to a couple of ex-employees, and everyone had nothing but good things to say!

Icons in this field you look up to and how they have influenced you and your work?

I’m constantly floored by any team that’s figuring out how to game algorithmic platforms, because of the sheer volume of content production and strategy that goes into it. Basically, the Vitamin Stree team is iconic!

What are the five most productive things that you do in your everyday routine?

I’m most productive when I’ve slept well, so I try to make sure I do that. I usually start my day by reading and studying things I’ve bookmarked through the week (even if it’s only 15-20 minutes). If I have a lot of non-meeting tasks on my plate, I turn my Slack and email notifications off for an hour or two, so that I don’t get distracted (if something is super urgent, someone will end up calling me). Logging off work at a good time is easier said than done, but when I do that, I find that I’m more productive through the week and less likely to burn out.

Do you think a career in this field is a viable one in the long term?

I had similar doubts before I joined Vitamin Stree, because I was apprehensive about switching industries. I think any field can get challenging and go through changes. As long as people have an open mind about constantly learning and adapting, then no field is off the table.

What does it take to succeed in a career?

Everyone has different drivers that enable them to be successful, so it’s hard to give a one-size-fits-all answer to this. For me, finding work that excites me and teams that are collaborative keeps me motivated and drives me to work better.

What would be your advice to youngsters planning to enter this industry?

Finding mentors is really helpful when you’re new in an industry, and it doesn’t always have to be one person. Proactively talking to people in their respective industries, and figuring out the different growth opportunities for themselves is a great place to start.

Is there any organisation that you would like to work with in the future?

No organisation in particular, I’m more inclined to look at what a role entails and the people I’d be working with directly to see if it’s a good fit. I do, however, have a long list of dream brands that I’d like for Vitamin Stree to partner with!