“Don’t Be Afraid Of Turning Up At Events Alone” With Nia Davies, Founder of Yugenial

My grandparents brought me up in Wales when I was very young. They were school masters and gave me the motto — ‘good, better, best, never let it rest, until the good is better and the better is the best.’ It was actually given to school children as a means of learning grammar.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Nia Davies, founder of Yugenial. Last year she set up her first company at 25 years old and has previously worked in Finance Technology, as well as writing for various publications such as TimeOut London and Doctify App.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! What is your “backstory”?

My backstory is that I left a career in medicine to pursue more entrepreneurial interests and am working on launching my startup later this year. I’ve also started doing some commercial and glamour modelling, alongside running a millennial lifestyle blog at niafaraway.com, which I built up whilst being a student at university.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you in the course of your career?

One of the most interesting moments of my career has been being able to travel for work — although getting used to driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road and being ripped off because you’re not used to converting the currency has its funny sides!

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?

When my startup launches, a portion of all proceedings will go to an international mental health charity. I also always make sure I give the spotlight to brands, movements and causes I really believe in.

If someone would want to emulate your career, what would you suggest are the most important things to do?

• Learn not to care about what other people think and do exactly what you want to do! A lot easier said than done.
• Not to be afraid of putting yourself out there, turning up at events alone if needs be.
• Be open to getting to know all kinds of different people, with various backgrounds and interests.

Is there a particular person that made a profound difference in your life to whom you are grateful? Can you share a story?

My grandparents brought me up in Wales when I was very young. They were school masters and gave me the motto — ‘good, better, best, never let it rest, until the good is better and the better is the best.’ It was actually given to school children as a means of learning grammar.

So what are the most exciting projects you are working on now?

My most exciting project is my wellness company which is centred around consumer education and sells own branded products. Other exciting projects are being in talks with a filming company for a TV show following bloggers on new campaigns.

What are your “Top Five Ideas About How Influencers Can Monetize Their Brand” . (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Commission: becoming an ambassador for a brand, earning commision via instagram shop or offering readers discount codes can all be highly lucrative. For example, the app ‘brandsnob’ gives you £250, every time a brand you referred spends over £500 on booking influencers. The app OnlyFans also offers you lifetime commision on any user you have referred.
2. Consulting: running the social media channels for another brand or offering advice on improving SEO and general marketing are a good way to earn flexible side income. I know many people that have set up their own social agencies. You can also charge to run events and leverage your contacts like a PR firm.
3. Subscription: Offering a subscription service to a course, product or set of articles — platforms like Medium have now facilitated this. Set up your own online or live courses which people can pay to download or access.
4. Branded products: Launching your own line of branded products or working in tandem with existing brands to sell your own range. You could even offer your own blog templates or code.
5. Affiliate marketing: earning passive income through links on your blog is one of the most popular options and capitalises on traffic

Some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this. :-)

I would love to have a private breakfast with the blogger Tim Urban because I would be intrigued to know what the man behind the keyboard is like, how his mind works and all the things he’s ever been afraid to be too open about online. His blog is a fascinating insight into the human psyche, incredibly funny, philosophical and relatable.

Amazon millionaire, author and business coach, Akemi Sue Fisher, has helped thousands of Amazon sellers scale and grow their businesses to six, seven and eight figures. She has quickly become one of the most trusted and sought after E-commerce consultants in the world. In only three years, her agency, Love & Launch, has helped her clients achieve over one billion dollars in sales through Amazon, Ebay and other e-commerce platforms. Her entrepreneurial spirit and direct approach continues to help elevate not only her success, but the success of her clients which range from startups to fortune 500 companies.