‘Start small, scale big.’ A conversation with the Co-Founders of CEO Rally
Written by Nivita Sriram
I recently had the opportunity to chat with CEO Rally founders Harshita and Sanj, two extremely passionate, hard working and driven women based in Bangalore, India. Right when I got on the call, the passion for their business was tangible. Both Harshita and Sanj are extremely warm and have the drive to help others while building an empire. To see young, Indian women take control of a problem and work toward a solution for a community via social media is incredibly inspiring. After feeling the negative sides of the corporate world, and the deep desire to switch into more creative pathways, Harshita and Sanj began brainstorming how they could make that switch together. CEO Rally is a community helping small business owners, creators and freelancers grow their businesses in whatever capacity they may need. As the world has changed significantly over the last one and a half years, Harshita and Sanj took matters into their own hands and created a solution to a problem they both encountered repeatedly — support, transparency and a community that encourages each other with their creative, non-traditional, professional endeavors. Enjoy their bits of wisdom.
1. Tell me about yourselves
Harshita: Hi! I’m a brand and website designer, as well as a studio owner. I came to owning a business and starting my own studio in the middle of 2020. I finished my graduation with Communication Design in India at a college named NIFT, as well as in New York. After graduating, I began freelancing with several agencies, and eventually began working a typical 9-5 job. When I was doing this, I realized that there was something that I really missed in terms of having creative control over projects, and having more of a voice. When I moved back to India during the pandemic, that’s when I started freelancing again and really thought about starting my own business.
Sanj: Hello! I’m Sanj, and I’m an illustrator. My story is a little different than Harshita’s. Mine started during my third year of college while studying architecture. To be honest, I quickly realized that architecture wasn’t for me. But, I wanted to finish school on a strong note. When the pandemic hit in 2020 and everyone was home, I found myself with a lot of time on my hands, so I turned to the internet as a creative outlet. I had just downloaded a new app on my iPad and told myself to try something new, and to create and share my illustrations on social media.
2. How did the two of you meet?
We’ve actually been close friends since grade school. When Harshita moved back home to Bangalore, we reconnected and began talking about work, our struggles in our creative fields, and how we envisioned the social media space to be, and the things we noticed that are lacking.
3. When and how did the idea for the CEO Rally come about?
Harshita: It came about last year when we both were home when the pandemic hit — we turned to each other for support in our professional and creative endeavors. I (Harshita) saw Sanj flourish through her illustration page on Instagram, and it inspired me to begin sharing my work with web and brand design as well. I had no idea you could leverage Instagram to be a platform where you could have a business. It doesn’t matter how much experience you have, how long you’ve been in the field, and no one’s asking you questions about your expertise. Your work simply shows your skill. We both saw the struggle others went through as well when working or attempting to work up a corporate ladder that feels almost impossible to climb. We wanted to create a space for us, but also for others who felt stuck and were in a transitionary period in their lives. And that’s what formed CEO Rally — we help others build their freelance businesses from the ground up.
4. What pushed the two of you to build this organization?
Harshita: Our desire for not only creative control, but control over our lives. With the technological advancements and the last year being all remote, we began to see the endless possibilities of sharing work and our professional journeys online. Both of us were unable to find spaces, tips or support when we were making huge decisions in our careers to switch from corporate to entrepreneurial endeavors. We leaned on each other and saw that we had something special brewing. We began pitching ourselves (brand design and illustration) to different brands and companies and started working with various clients. When we both saw success in our endeavours, we knew we would be able to build something that’s bigger than us.
5. What do you think is missing from the graphic design, branding or social media space?
Sanj: The first thing that comes to mind for me is transparency. In the freelancer world, I feel that there’s a limiting mindset. People sometimes think that if someone else gets an opportunity, it means that there’s less opportunities for “me.” Between me and Harshita, we’ve been so transparent with each other in terms of growth, failures and things we’ve learned along the way. Which is what led to the idea of us building CEO Rally. Imagine if more and more people were transparent online, it could bring so much more for all of us.
Harshita: To add to that, because we’re building businesses on social media, we have this natural comparison mentality. Comparison becomes ingrained when you’re constantly looking at everyone’s lives, their stories, whatever it is that they’re doing. Instagram is a highlight reel, we don’t know what’s really going on inside. I think this causes a barrier, and it’s why the abundance mindset is not so common. We’re always looking at what others are doing, how they’re succeeding and what they have that we don’t. Transparency will only help us in the long run, rather than getting caught up in “what will people think.” Because of the constant overlapping and comparison, it sometimes feels as if most brands nowadays look the same. But what’s important is to shine in that 20% of brands (like us) that are making an extra effort. They’re taking the time to research, and look and operate differently. It’s important to look for inspiration and new ideas, but not get too consumed or wrapped up in it to a point that it clouds your own creativity.
6. How did you get over the hump between struggling to be successful? Caring about friends’ opinions and being true to yourself? Caring about numbers vs. being genuine?
Harshita: Remember that every one business that starts online has a journey! No one has 10K followers the day they start. Start small, but scale quickly is my ideology. Start with small projects that you are comfortable with, and get good at what you do. Challenge yourself with each new client, and attempt a new skill for each client that you’re comfortable with. This way, you begin thinking of the value that you can add for each client. The more value you can add for potential clients, the more your business will grow. In terms of listening to friends’ opinions, learn to silence everyone’s thoughts. It’s hard, but as long as you and your clients are happy with your work, as long as you are proud of the content you create, that’s all that matters. Actions always speak louder than words. People may be skeptical in the beginning, but ignore it. Listen to mentors or people you look up to, and ignore everyone else.
Sanj: I agree with everything Harshita said, and honestly, I didn’t even tell anyone when I started. To be honest, distancing myself from others’ limiting beliefs helped me celebrate my smallest wins and keep pushing forward. I allowed myself to grow into the version of myself that I wanted to become without anyone else’s opinions clouding my work. I defined my own success for myself when I grew happier with my work, my clients and growing our business.
7. If you had to do something differently in your journey, what would it be?
Both: Honestly, nothing. I think our mistakes and challenges, as well as successes, led to where we are today. I really don’t think either of us would do anything differently. If anything, I think ignoring what others have to say, or not seeking that validation from others, or the approval that I’m doing a good job, or the numbers we see on social media. It doesn’t really matter, and at the end of the day we know that we have to step into who we really are, and that’s what makes our business special.
8. How has the pandemic changed your career goals/general aspirations if at all?
Harshita: It changed our aspirations and lives so much. Everything came to a standstill and I had to really question and think about what I wanted to do next, and the steps I was going to take to move forward. I’m someone that needs planning and certainty to feel secure. I was interning when the pandemic hit in New York, and there were hiring freezes which was unfortunate because I was so set on moving to New York and living a corporate life. I moved back to India, and it was scary. But when I really thought about it, I remember sitting in my cubicle in New York looking out at the skyline. I was working my dream job, in my dream city. But when I looked around, everyone was stuck to their laptops. We were all running a race that seemed to have no finish line. Honestly, I don’t think I was as fulfilled or as happy as I thought I would be. The pandemic forced me to shift my goals and made me think out of the box. And here we are today!
Sanj: Agreed with Harshita. The pandemic completely changed what I thought I wanted to do — architecture. It was frightening for everything to come to a standstill, to watch the world just pause. But, it gave me the time to really think about my career, what I wanted to do. It allowed me to dive deeper into illustrating and create a page that I may not have created before. Harshita and I reconnected once she moved back to Bangalore due to the pandemic, and that’s where the idea for CEO Rally really sprouted.
9. Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, or individuals taking a “non-traditional” route?
Harshita: Start small, scale big, don’t need to have the revolutionary idea to change the world today. All you need to do is to become 1% better than the day before in whatever way that may be. Keep working toward the person you want to be, and continue to learn.
Sanj: Remind people that actions speak louder than words. Don’t bother explaining to people what you’re doing, why you’re doing it or how you plan on succeeding. It’s a waste of time, don’t try to convince others that it’ll work. Show it through your work. Ignore everyone else’s opinions and judgements, and do what you truly think is right. Work hard, but have fun while you’re at it.
Header photo via CEO Rally
