Interview with Ankita Gupta | Unfurl Media
I hope this can inspire you to become a successful entrepreneur too! Why is it important to hear the story of a successful entrepreneur?
Having the vision to become an entrepreneur is great. Making it happen is another story!
In that frame, I had the pleasure to interview Ankita Gupta, founder of Unfurl Media. Unfurl Media is a one-stop 360° solution to all Digital Marketing Needs. Unfurl Media does everything that helps enterprises to accomplish their goals such as market share, higher profits, increased customers, business development, and most importantly customer loyalty and retention through brand development and digital marketing.
It’s all about the hustle. Gone are those days when men were far superior to women. Now it’s all about who gets the job done better. With great willpower and determination, along with her savings as the only initial investment, Ankita Gupta founded Unfurl Media in 2018.
1. What gets you out of bed in the morning i.e what’s your source of motivation?
My source of motivation will have to be my urge to always do more and never stop. I’m usually never satisfied easily. My inclination to keep doing better and to achieve something is what that gets me out of bed in the morning.
2. Why should people choose your product/services?
Unfurl Media resulted from the idea to help and equip businesses to thrive in the digital world. We provide services to various businesses regardless of their scale. Our team is filled with hard-working individuals who are constantly hustling towards meeting our clients’ needs. All the services we provide are custom made based on their necessity. So far, we have satisfied and earned the trust of over 35+ national and international brands. Quality, Authenticity, and Commitment are some of the values we stand by.
3. What’s your competitive advantage and why can’t it be copied?
We value our clients and treat them like family. Also, our working style is completely different and unique. We at Unfurl, add our personal touch to all the services we provide. Initially, we do a complete analysis of the brand and its competitors along with providing a strategic digital marketing plan with the help of our team. We personally understand the emotions of our clients and their businesses and also reflect it in our work, making our services distinct.
4. What risks are you facing?
Well, too many at the moment. Due to the COVID-19 situation, it has become challenging situations for our clients to manage and operate their respective businesses, resulting in the loss of payments. Instead of giving up, we stood up for our clients and are supporting them in these tough times. In addition to that, there are times when it gets difficult to manage and keep employees motivated due to the constant competition in the world out there. I would also like to add that a lot of people still undervalue start-ups, which also leads to delayed payments sometimes. The quality of our work is constantly improving and as a startup, we would appreciate all the support we could get.
5. Have you considered any alliance/partnership?
In the initial stages, we did consider a partnership with various firms. But due to several creative differences, nothing ever fell into place so far. Although we are still open to investments and partnerships.
6. What are your cash flow projections? When will you break even? How much will you need in investments?
Fortunately, we did break even in the first month after starting Unfurl. It was a huge achievement for the entire team. Since then, we have been successfully making decent profits through all our services. With a constantly growing graph in terms of finances and clients, Unfurl has been steadily moving forward.
7. What comes first for you money or emotions?
Unfurl Media was built on the foundation of emotional values. Similarly, we understand our clients’ emotions. That’d top our priority list, followed by monetary support.
8. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
I’m a very determined and dedicated individual. Also, I’m aware of my strengths and utilize them to the fullest in every task I do. In addition to that, I’m highly self-motivated. My weakness would have to be my emotional nature. Be it my family, company, clients, or employees, I can get emotional sometimes.
9. Tell me about an accomplishment you are most proud of.
An accomplishment that I’m most proud of is our first project. We were fortunate to associate with a global fitness brand with 3000+ branches across the world. We managed and provided services for the brand across India. I believe it was a head start that was much needed and from that point, there was no looking back. Furthermore, all the clients we serve are mostly through referrals, which indicates the quality and satisfaction of our clients.
10. How do you handle the pressure?
I believe that pressure comes into the picture only when you’re doing something you don’t like or enjoy. Well, that’s not true in my case. I love the work that I do. Although there are times when work can get hectic, one should enjoy what they do. Never to miss, I would have never been able to achieve the position I have today without the support of my Parents. I just can’t thank them enough for standing by me through my thick and thin and being a constant support and encouragement.
11. If you sold your company today, what would be the tone of the conversation? What would you want to gain? What would you want to avoid losing?
I have no intention to sell my company anytime. This is the baby that I’ve nurtured from the very beginning and would never give up on it at any point in time.
12. What advice would you give to someone starting out?
Firstly, I’d like to say that you’re on the right path. Although there are low and high points while you’re at it, make sure that you do not give up. Instead, push harder and don’t stop until you achieve what you want.
13. What’s the one question you were expecting most and I haven’t asked you? and please share the answer to that question as well.
More than a question, I’d like to call out a common misconception that still exists even today. Women entrepreneurship is not being given enough importance and is conceived to be short-termed. Barriers for women today are less visible but are very real. I believe that a woman can perform a particular task equally well and sometimes better than men. It’s high time everyone becomes aware of that.
