The Newsletter Nerd Show's Akshaya Chandramouli on writing, personal branding & more...

Welcome back to The Chennai Emailer — a local journalism project that brings out original human-interest features & news compilation from Chennai. It’s run by me —Mohammed Rayaan😊

This newsletter is my passion project to highlight the best local journalism in Chennai after participating in the Entrepreneurial Journalism Creators Program at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism (City University of New York).

I am always on the look out for the best newsletters. That’s how I stumbled upon Akshaya Chandramouli on LinkedIn.

A proud newsletter fan, Akshaya runs the podcast ‘The Newsletter Nerd Show’ — where she talks to independent newsletter creators and discovers their stories. She’s also a Brand and Content Marketer for StoryLane.

1) Tell us about yourself. What inspired you to get into writing?

My family is based out of Chennai. Growing up, my parents always encouraged my creative pursuits and let me explore whatever caught my fancy.

Even as a kid, I was a keen reader, thanks to my mom who’d let me tag along with her every time she visited our neighborhood library! She introduced my brother and me to the world of Winnie the Pooh and Tintin, long before television screens did.

I wrote my first poem (it was about ice cream!) when I was about 6. I’ve been writing since then. I’d hugely credit this art for helping me find my voice and identity.

2) It will be great if you can trace the career path you have gone through over the years.

My first part-time gig was as a columnist for a wedding magazine based out of Chennai. The wedding industry first caught my eye when I was in high school. I was the cultural secretary in 11th grade, and loved designing and organising events. So when the opportunity to write for a wedding magazine came my way in 2015, there was nothing to hold me back.

Since then, I’ve worked as a wedding designer, freelance content writer, and SaaS marketer. I currently work as a brand and content marketer at Storylane, an interactive demo creation platform. It’s been a wild ride from where it began and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else!

3) I'm curious to know how your daily life looks like...

I’m usually up by 6.30 am and love to sit down with my cup of hot milk to start the day. The next 3 hours involve me making and eating breakfast with my partner, penning down a to-do list, and gearing up for the day.

By 10 am, I’m at my desk, going all in on my activities at Storylane. It’s a mix of strategising for our socials, creating content, reviewing the work that comes in from my team, and analyzing our overall performance. I wrap up work by around 7 pm and wind down the day with dinner and a book.

4) I would love to hear how you started your podcast — The Newsletter Nerd Show

I launched The Newsletter Nerd Show in 2020 to celebrate my love for newsletters, unearth stories of various independent newsletter creators across the globe, and understand what matters to them! It all started with a simple idea — wouldn’t it be crazy if I could actually talk to the people behind the newsletters I loved reading?

Before the show went live, I made a list of dream guests — people whose work I thoroughly enjoyed and would love to talk to. And I think that’s made me very intentional about who I get on the show and the kind of conversations that happen there.

5) Do you have any advice for budding writers and digital marketers about the educational qualifications or skills they will need?

While a formal degree in marketing would be valuable, I don’t have a specialised marketing degree myself. Writing led me to the world of SaaS and eventually to digital marketing.

There are tons of free courses online that they can also take up to get a taste of the industry.

6) Can you suggest any online writing/marketing communities or websites that will be useful for an aspiring content creator?

Apart from that, consume any kinds of books/content you enjoy! In the words of Stephen King, “If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”

7) What skill or support system do you wish you had when you were growing in your career?

I’ve been extremely fortunate to have had an incredible support system in the form of my family and friends. This fortune followed and I was able to find mentors in the industry who I know I can still reach out to any time!

8) What are the common mistakes people can avoid if they pursue a career like yours?

9) In the age of the internet/social media, do you think that personal branding is necessary to promote and get noticed by companies/clients? If yes, how can one do that effectively?

Yes, yes, and yes! Personal branding at its core is about making yourself and your work visible to a larger audience. Because in today’s competitive world, unless you make yourself seen, how would anyone know what you’re good at and worse, that you exist? It’s because of this visibility that I landed multiple roles and got the chance to interact with people I know for sure I otherwise wouldn’t have.

When you share these opinions, you’ll find people who agree with you and people who don’t. Both these groups are necessary for your growth. Continue to be consistent with what you’re doing and I’m sure you’ll get noticed shortly after.

10) If you had the power to change one thing in the writing industry, what would it be?

11) What are your favourite books, films, OTT shows and music?

I come from a family of big-time Potterheads so I’m naturally drawn to the Potter universe. I also thoroughly enjoy reading anything Fredrik Backman writes! The man’s a wizard. The Office is my pick-me-up TV show and George Ezra’s music always heals my heart.

12) What do you wish to achieve in your career?

I love working at the intersection of brand and content. That’s where my heart is and that’s where I’d like to continue growing :)

13) If there is any other information, you'd like to share please don't hesitate

This has been really fun and I hope your readers can find value in this. I’m pretty active on LinkedIn and am happy to chat about writing/ marketing/ newsletters or Harry Potter!

And that’s all for today! To share this post as a web page, click below:

Wish to read more? Then do sign up!

Did you like reading this edition? Should I do better? Please don’t hesitate to offer me your feedback. I am open to ideas and suggestions. Feel free to reach me at [email protected] or you can simply reply to this email or comment below. See you soon! Do forward this newsletter to your friends 😊❤️