Meet Divya Kothari on Interview with Interns
Season 1 – Episode 3
He is our intern from Batch 2 of the DigitalDeepak Internship Program. He was one of our top performers in the batch and is an avid reader..
Ladies and Gentlemen here’s Divya for you..
[cheers and claps]
Hello Divya..
Hello Deepak Sir..
How did it all begin? Tell us your story?
A young boy, with head down and shoulders drooped, is walking down the aisle towards his seat at the back of the classroom. His body is so frail he has barely managed to carry his bag to the class.
Moments ago, he was rebuked by the teacher for being late to the class and he can hear some of his class-mates chant “Tardy Boy, Tardy Boy”. But he notices his ‘crush’ sitting next to his seat today and his face has just lit up.
The very next moment he finds himself lying flat on the floor with his bag rolled over to the back of his neck. He turns around to see his arch-nemesis with a grin on his face. The boy is furious but he knows he cannot do anything. He is too weak to face his sizeably bigger opponent. Embarrassed and humiliated, he gathers himself up and moves to his seat as the teacher tries to silence the class.
The class has resumed but he is unable to focus. That is when he makes a resolution. To become stronger, to avenge the humiliation, to fight his enemy.
The boy is enraged.
But he stays quiet.
That boy was me and that was where it all began.
The incident happened in 2005 when I was in 10th standard. Little did I know at the time that it was only the first band of enemies I will have to fight. Over the years, the enemies came in all forms – physical and psychological. They were different in shapes but equally dreadful. From standard 12th to the college, I never had a dry spell. The threat was persistent.
In 2007, during my 1st year in college in Kolkata, I did a search on google – ‘how to get strong at home’ and that marked the beginning of a journey of a lifetime. I used the knowledge to get physically stronger which synchronously built me stronger mentally.
In 2010, I had to return to my hometown Patna. My father’s business was going through a crisis and he needed me to support him in his operations. By this time, I was completely engrossed in human anatomical and bio-mechanics studies. Getting stronger had become my passion.
As I began to understand the intricacies of operations in his business, I found a place in his office and turned it into my personal gym. The gym was machine-free with odd objects like stones, hammers, tyres etc. to train with. Odd object training concept was relatively new in the country, let alone my state. I realized I could use this opportunity to earn some money coaching people to lead stronger and better lives. In 2014, I took a loan from my father and my uncle and painstakingly set up a 360 sq. ft. fitness studio, The Kineo, in the posh locality of my city. It was a new life.
Over the next 6 years, I managed to personally coach over 170+ clients in their quest for holistic fitness. In 2016, my startup received an award for the Best Health Startup in the State by Bihar Entrepreneurs Association. The award was handed over by the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar. In the same year, I launched ‘The Atlas Stone Training Program’ which basically involved training with concrete atlas stones. It was the first in the country. It was completely unheard of. Following this, I was nominated in the list of ‘The Top 100 Unconventional Coaches in the World’ by MadFit Magazine.
In 2019, I felt the need for boosting my online presence to grow my business. By chance, I came across your post on Facebook on digital marketing course you had just launched. I went ahead with the All-Access Pass and signed up for it. But the hectic schedule prevented me from completing the course. I kept wanting to start the course but to no avail.
In February of this year, I finally decided to give a head start to my digital marketing learning experience and joined the newly announced Batch 2 of the DigitalDeepak Internship Program. Being a driven soul, I had made up my mind to give it all in and make the most out of this internship program. I managed to rank in the list of the top 25 performers in the program from amongst 780 participants.
Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I have made this year.
[applause]
What describes Divya? What do you have to offer to people?
‘Ostinato Rigore’ It means ‘Relentless Rigor’.
I am a relentless polymath and my quest for knowledge and the passion to learn came naturally to me through my mother’s coaching and the life of Leonardo Da Vinci. Professionally, I am a Certified Biomechanics Specialist, Certified Precision Nutrition Level 1 Practitioner and a Certified Direct-Response Copywriting Specialist. I offer fitness and nutrition consultancy services in the morning and copywriting services by the day.
How important is digital marketing for your business?
Contrary to the popular notion of Marketing being salesy and pushy, it is essentially Communication. Digital Marketing is merely communication through a digital medium. When we communicate in real life, it has a context and a story. It can be informational or persuasive but it has a flow to it. That is marketing, exactly! Businesses need to communicate their ideas in a refined way consistently so that the information of their offerings reach their end users. After all, what is the point of flowers and fruits in a tree if the birds, animals don’t notice them? The propagation of the genus stops. That is extinction. It is the same with businesses.
[claps]
Could you share your journey with us? Your life before and after the Digital Marketing Internship Program?
Before the internship, digital marketing had been on my to-do list for the next day for almost a year. I always envisioned myself learning it soon so as to use the knowledge and my skills to boost my business online. But the action was missing for there was no penalty on failing to act.
After the internship, I have realized the importance of placing limitations for unwavering focus and tunnel vision. Now, I am confident and psyched up on giving a boost to my online career. I have finalised a few copywriting and content writing projects already. This is new life.
Do you think organic promotion is almost dead in major social media platforms? whats your take on this?
That would mean death for the platforms. They cannot restrict it beyond a point for their USP is ‘social interaction’ and social interaction has to be organic and not promoted. With that being said, it is true that organic promotion has been heavily restricted to make way for the growth of advertising on the platforms. What could reach hundreds yesterday can only a few handful today. For businesses, however this shouldn’t matter much. As you say Sir, “If your message is strong, it should reach the audience. Organic or Promoted becomes irrelevant.”
[applause]
What is the most common reason for people failing/giving up?
Lack of Vision, Decision Fatigue, Shiny Object Syndrome and low Emotional Intelligence. Most people have terribly unrealistic expectations from life. “I learned that nothing good comes without work and a certain amount of pain.” – Henry Rollins in the Iron and the Soul.
[claps]
What were the roadblocks, that you had to watch for?
I have a poor vision when it comes to seeing roadblocks. At the very sight of a roadblock, my brain tells me ‘Dude, overcome this and you will end up reaching so much higher than you can without this.” If you want to get to something beyond your reach do you see an object on the path as a roadblock or a tool? 😉
How about something to help people to get started, What resources are available out there in the market?
Great things are always reserved for the ones who truly seek. Everything is out there. One simply has to look. Internet allows you access to resources abound. The excuse of lack of resources and tools is invalid. What one simply needs to do is stay wary of Decision Fatigue. It is the gateway to Indecisiveness.
With that we come to the next segment of our interview and that is “Candid talk” Are you ready?
Yes..
Great!
Which book impacted you the most?
It is very difficult for a polymath bibliophile to select a few books as the best, let alone one. But because I must, here, it would be – The Power of No by James Altucher and The Power of Less by Leo Babauta
What do you regret not doing?
Going digital earlier
What’s your most valued possession?
My bookshelves housing 343 books [smiles]. However, I am trying to detach myself from this materialistic love for the knowledge from these are what I truly seek, not their physical shape.
Finally, would you like to say something to our readers?
Be obsessed with your goals. Nothing great or spectacular in life has ever been achieved without it. However, choose your goals, wisely.
How was your experience doing this interview?
Absolutely Wonderful!!
Thank You! Wishing you the best in your future endeavours
Thank you very much and same to you, sir. May you continue dominating your game 😉
[cheers and claps]