topvoice Archives

Inspiring Women Every Wednesday: Nona Walia

dwcc_admin / November 13, 2024

India’s Notable Personalities by BusinessTalkz Magazine in 2024 She is an active member of the National Council, WICCI Arts National Leadership Council (2024). As part of the Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nona leads initiatives empowering women in Arts and Literature, helping to shape a global ecosystem that fosters creativity and collaboration across stakeholders and government initiatives. WICCI is a prominent national body championing women’s growth in the arts. In 2024, she was recognized as one of India’s Notable Personalities by BusinessTalkz Magazine and awarded the Top Voice Badge for content development on LinkedIn. A former Executive Editor of Conscious Carma, India’s first global e-magazine focused on Sustainability and Responsibility, Nona editorially highlighted issues surrounding Wellness, Sustainability, and Mental Health. Her current research area includes Wellness at Workplaces — exploring how fostering healthy, supportive environments is key to future workplace success. Nona is also a motivational expert, helping people live their best lives. A certified Wellness Warrior and blogger, she shares insights on health, well-being, and personal growth through her blog and YouTube channel. She has completed a Science of Well-Being course from Yale University and continues to inspire others through her wellness-focused content. Published Works & Contributions In addition to her books, Nona has written for Thrive Global, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Her Circle, contributing articles on mental well-being, personal development, and societal challenges. Her insights have also been featured in prominent publications like Midday Mumbai, where she was recognized as an inspiration for mental health. Nona’s journey in journalism spans over 24 years as a Senior Assistant Editor at The Times of India, where she worked across multiple platforms including Times Life, Delhi Times, Economic Times, and Femina. She was also the editor for Rouge, a section focused on women’s empowerment. Her work has included breaking news, features, headline writing, and media relations, and she has coordinated the Times supplements across major cities. With a deep expertise in both print and digital media, Nona Walia continues to use her platform to advocate for mental wellness, sustainability, and women’s empowerment in arts and literature. Let’s Get Inspired In Conversation with Nona Walia – Preeti Juneja Q. Looking back on your journalism days, what topics did you enjoy covering the most? How does that compare to the content you curate now for social media? We live in times of rapid and dynamic change. Content is fast changing. Creating content for newspapers was a different experience. It was the golden period of lifestyle; the economy had opened up, and we were exposed to a different and new world. It was interesting meeting people and interviewing them — the newsmakers, changemakers, the pathbreakers. It was exciting being in the middle of the adventure of a newsroom. The pace and energy were always pulsating with action. Cut to now, writing on social media is a different experience. The reaction is immediate. The response is intense. You interact with people immediately. The wheels of content are always turning and churning. What works one day won’t work the next day. The algorithm is more dynamic. But a lot of stuff that gets boasted isn’t really good content. The authenticity of posts can be manipulated, which challenges authentic content creation. Q. How does someone even begin With so many new trends emerging in the wellness space? Tell us about your journey of cleansing the mind and owning your energy to bring the magic from within you. Everyone has their own unique personal wellness story. We live in extremely challenging times, and nothing is given. The wellness space is extremely new yet getting cluttered. Everyone needs to create their own wellness plan. Wellness is the core of my work, be it wellness at work, mental health, own your energy or creating their magic within — all my current writings are born from the will to bring change in people’s wellness curve. I believe that collectively, we can make a difference to make the world better. Quality of life will be directly dependent on the wellness quotient. Workplaces are also crucial spaces to make wellness more inclusive. Q. The hashtag “Women Empowering Women” is widely popular, but have you encountered real-life examples, either in your personal or professional life, that you’d like to share to inspire and encourage this movement? Right now, it’s a new movement—workplaces in the 90s or 2000s or even up until Covid did not resonate with this idea. If women were empowering women, there were some women bringing women down. I think this new wave comes with the philosophy that — all women can rise together. I think it’s powerful. I’ve experienced powerful women who helped me rise, and I’ve also experienced women who made me sink. You just have to find the right tribe. I hope this movement finds more power; more women can relax and not feel triggered or threatened. Q. Do you think influencer marketing is here to stay? What are your thoughts on its future? I’m highly sceptical of influencer marketing. I’d instead give all my vote to — more authentic marketing. We all take influencer marketing with a pinch of salt these days. The curve might soon change. I hear that influencer marketing is a rage now. Rapid-Fire: 1. What was the turning point in your life? When I lost my father. 2. Tips you would like to give budding writers? Write for yourself. 3. One area of interest you feel deeply connected to and continuously explore? Sustainability and wellness; Arts 4. As a solid media and communications professional, did a corporate communications or public relations role ever cross your mind? I do have a degree in Advertising & Public Relations. But I never really got a chance to be on the other side of things. 5. What quality can one develop over time that will help in life? Invest in Yourself. One-Liners: 1. A dying art that you would like to promote: Handicrafts — anything that is created with hands is

Inspiring Women Every Wednesday: Tarunjeet Rattan (Special Series)

Managing Partner, Nucleus PR Founder, PRPOI Let’s Get Inspired In Conversation with Tarunjeet Rattan – Preeti Juneja Q. What motivated you to pursue a career in PR? Tell us your story. Storytelling and the possibility of telling more stories that create an impact motivated me to join PR. Like most people from my generation, PR was a happy discovery for me once I joined mass communication. It was an aberration from the army of engineers and doctors produced by science streams from my graduating year. Once I entered the industry, I was fascinated by the impact PR can create. As a science geek fascinated by the nuances of communication, I was fortunate to have good mentors who taught me the ropes and I went through my baptism by fire in the industry. I have taken these learnings and imbibed them into my venture – Nucleus PR and other industry initiatives like PRPOI, and networks I am a part of like PRBI and PRCAI, where I endeavour to create a better community and industry for talent to work in. Q In your view, how is PR and Digital Marketing related? Both PR and digital Marketing shadow each other. Both deal with creating perceptions and impacting consumer behavior. However, they differ in terms of their overall purpose. While Digital Marketing aims to create visibility with the right target audiences and moments, PR endeavours to build brand trust and reputation. When both work together, they can create real brand impact. Q. What are the best practices for posting news on social media? While there are umpteen articles you will find on this subject on the internet, my experience has helped me collate these 3 ground rules that you can follow on amplifying news Understand the medium you post the news on and craft a relevant hook that works for that platform’s audience. For example, LinkedIn requires a different hook than Twitter/ X. Be respectful of the news outlets’ efforts. Each one has worked hard on their story and has served their readers. They will share the stories with readers according to their preferences. So, if this is behind a paywall, don’t take screenshots of the story and post them. You can take a screenshot of the headline as it is visible on the paywall page and post it. Please share a link with your followers and let them decide whether they want to pay for the story. Acknowledge the news outlet and journalist on the post with tags Q. Do you have a role model within your industry who has inspired you? How has that person influenced and inspired you? I have been fortunate to have strong women leaders who have chosen to give me their time to mentor me. As an industry, we deal with people and the perceptions that people make. While it is easier to deal with the latter, what exhausts you is the first one. Burnout is a common challenge in our industry, as the demands of managing interpersonal relationships can become overwhelming for many professionals. So, learning was essential to survive and thrive in the business. While I have had a lot of good people from brands I worked with, journalists who interacted with me and PR teams I worked with, friends and colleagues, family and friends who shared their expertise with me, motivated me and furthered my understanding of ‘people’ in the ‘people business’, two individuals have had a profound impact on me – Lorraine Mendes and Deepshikha Dharmaraj. Both these mentors have had a huge influence on understanding people and dealing with them. They continue to inspire me with their journey. Q. What advice would you offer to young individuals interested in joining this profession? There is so much I can say about this question! But instead, let me share 5 pertinent evergreen pieces of advice that will help them in the future. PR is a strategic communications field that requires a deep understanding and nuanced analysis of human behaviour and societal impact. Three skills that will always give you the edge – reading, writing, listening EQ is a worthwhile skill to develop Identify and work with a mentor periodically who will help you upskill to the next level A PR job does not demand a mass communication degree. It requires adaptability, learnability, and a great attitude. Everything else is teachable. For more, I will direct their attention to PRPOI – India’s largest PR community that is dedicated to upskilling professionals continuously. Share this article Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Email WhatsApp Do you have a question for Tarunjeet Rattan ? Write to us at preeti.juneja@dreamwebindia.com About Author Tarunjeet Rattan Tarunjeet has dedicated over two decades to the field of communication, encompassing PR, journalism, and events. Her journey began in premier agencies and corporate houses, but she soon ventured into entrepreneurship, founding the highly regarded boutique firm, Nucleus PR. Through her work, Tarunjeet has amplified the voice of the PR community and furthered this impact by establishing Public Relations Professionals of India (PRPOI), a dynamic 10,000-strong community focused on upskilling the industry. As a board member of the esteemed global PRBI network of founder-led boutique agencies, she has made significant contributions on an international scale. Her exceptional work in PR, industry contributions, and entrepreneurial achievements have earned her numerous awards over the past two decades. This year, for the fourth time, she was named the ‘Top Influencer in the country’ in PR by a leading publication. Recognized as a PR expert, her insights are frequently sought after by the media. With a degree in Mass Communication and Digital Marketing from prestigious Indian institutions, Tarunjeet is also an NLP practitioner. She uses her skills to delve into conversations, simplify communication, and build strong brand reputations. As a thought leader, she blends her expertise in communication marketing, branding, digital, industry insight, and research with her passion for storytelling to enhance brand reputations. Her extensive experience and data-driven insights have helped her cultivate a strong reputation among her impressive roster of clients 24th July 2024