Ad Land’s Young Guns: Shivani Sharma is Manager, Ekank Technologies

Shivani Sharma is Manager - Content Creation Department at Ekank Technologies. At the early age of 22, she started writing for the platform ThisDay as a content writer. Sharma’s core area of interest is Indian history, Art, Religion, and Mythology.

In conversation with Adgully, Shivani Sharma speaks about her inspirations, advice to youngsters, future plans and more  

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

A relatively unbiased view of history, art, culture, and heritage combined with narrative-driven storytelling that helps the masses have fun while discovering different cultures and their stories. The same passion also translates into a management style that helps me understand the pain of our storyteller community – one that is marred by a lack of opportunities in this ever-growing creator economy.

How did you join your current organisation?

I joined as a creator initially, but the vision of the organisation resonated with what I have always wanted to do. I ended up joining the team full-time to empower more creators like me, who have a lot of stories to tell but get lost in the myriad of platforms that are available. It is fun when you find a start-up with a vision that is so similar to that of mine, so that is what struck me when I initially started out as a creator with ThisDay.

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

I do not believe in idolising people. I find inspiration everywhere, it can be anyone. A housewife who works more than 14 hours a day and never complains, a traffic police officer who manages the entire traffic regardless of the weather, or someone else who is honest and diligent towards their work.

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

My most useful job as a team leader is to find solutions to the problems that my team is facing. Managing a community comes with its own set of challenges on a day-on-day basis. Analysing these problems early on in the morning is something that I enjoy doing since it helps me tackle them with a clear mind.

Do you think a career in this field is a viable one in the long term? Yes, with The rise in the number of creators in this field, the role of a community and content manager becomes indispensable.

What does it take to succeed in a career?

For me it is hard work and dedication. Because this specific role requires you to be available in many places, sometimes it is difficult to manage but with the help of your dedication and hard work, you can excel in this field. While this is true and generic, a passion for the cause that you are working on is equally important. Waking up daily and coming to work while ensuring that there is no decline in productivity is driven mostly by passion and less by diligence.

What would be your advice to youngsters planning to enter this industry? If you are planning to get into this field or any other field then remember that it is important to always make progress in whatever you are doing, be ready to learn new things, and always listen to the critics including your followers, managers and users.

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

Relatively vague, since we live in uncertain times.

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

The thought of moving to any other organisation is relatively scary because finding the same set of values and a fun-loving environment is anxiety-inducing.