Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Having been in the field of education for over a decade you realized that students across India do not have authentic information on various subjects and decided to help them with their career decisions. This must have been a challenging journey for you. How far have you been able to serve the purpose?
Ms. Chetna Vasishth:
Every change brings tremendous learnings, we started off not knowing how to shoot or edit videos, we had one camera, no mics and no lights, no idea about how to popularise the created content. We recorded in the outdoors and were stuck with crow sounds and traffic noises with absolutely no clue on how to deal with that. My husband has always helped me with the shoots and initially something would always go wrong on every shoot, either the sound was not syncing with the video, or the exposure levels were wrong, bad lighting or just too much ambient noise. There was this standing joke between us about ‘what is it going to be this time?”
We have come a long way in these 2.5 years. We invested in equipment, attended workshops and learnt every day on the job. I edited the first 100 videos on my own, to ensure I knew my craft well. We started with Windows movie maker and people laughed at us. Now when people tell us that our videos look professional, it is very satisfying. We have also begun to learn about what the audience wants, which videos typically succeed etc.
To answer the second part of your question on how far we have been able to serve the purpose, I would say that so far, with 140 videos we have only made a very small ripple in the pool, there is a very long way to go. The information gap is huge and we hope to make a bridge over that wide lacuna over the next 5 odd years.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Your YouTube channel, the largest online career chat show in the country, with over 30,000 regular subscribers and more than 1.6 million views so far, sees you converse with professionals on career paths, entrepreneur success stories, and college students for the benefit of viewing students. Provide us an insight into a day of your life as the founder of ‘ChetChat’.
Ms. Chetna Vasishth:
Every day of the week has a designated plan. We ensure that we upload a video every Friday so every week there is about one shoot, some research to locate the most appropriate person to interview, figuring out the best means of contacting them, preliminary discussions about content etc. Next the task of video editing which my colleague Rohit now helps me with. Every week we sit together on one day to discuss the edit of the week and then he works independently.
Thursdays are usually the busiest with last minute work on uploading the video, putting in descriptions, keywords, making trailer videos and preparing for the Friday release. Friday mornings are spent with social media posts and promotions which we continue throughout the week as well. So, we also design promotional posts and other social media content to engage our viewers every day.
The most satisfying part of the day is replying to individual messages and comments from the viewers. I make it a point to reply to every message across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, email and Twitter. Now I even know some subscribers with their names, faces and regular comments. I value this relationship that has been built up over time. I feel so blessed that they write in from all corners of the world – including far away South America, and that they are always appreciative of my work, very motivating and encouraging.
In addition to these time bound activities, I also go to colleges and schools for talks, panel discussions etc. I watch a lot of TED Talks for inspiration and ideas and plan for next steps.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Being a Chat Show Host, Trainer, Director, Movie Maker, and Blogger, how are you able to keep yourself fit to cope with your day-to-day routine?
Ms. Chetna Vasishth:
I am an Air Force Officer’s daughter and discipline has been a legacy trait for me. My mantra for life and fitness is that there are no miracles, it is the little things we do each day that add up in the end.
I was a basketball player during my growing up days and I have always loved sport and exercise. These days, I have a fitness instructor, who makes sure I lift weights, crunch my abs and sweat the functional workout three days a week and pushes me till I am wincing in pain. Walking with Simby (my pup) is the most pleasurable exercise every evening.
Emotional fitness is another area of priority. I try to laugh a lot and try not to take things personally or judge people. I get my energy from getting excited over small things and laughing over silly jokes. I also learn Hindustani music which fills my soul with happy vibrations. If we are happy, the entire energy level of the room changes.
