30% before 30!
Starting my own blog has always been a huge debate in my head and became something I put off because I didn’t think I could actually do it. But here I am, a few months before my 30th birthday taking a Digital Marketing class and, guess what? That 30% of my final grade? Well, it’s based on a blog. So, if the Universe isn’t saying “Girl, get it together and start!,” my professor is.
Let’s begin. Parima is my name but friends have always called me Pari. Fun fact: Pari means fairy in Hindi while ma means mother. It’s pretty ironic when I have to help my friends with their fashion choices; I’m basically a fairy godmother. But, we can discuss my name and abilities another time.
I’m a child of Indo-Guyanese immigrants who came to the US from South America in the late 70s. Growing up as a first-generation child in America has always been difficult. I didn’t fit in with the Guyanese crowd because I wasn’t born in Guyana. I was never Indian enough because I wasn’t from India and my relations to India dated too far back. I was also never “fully” American because of my cultural household. Honestly, it was tough trying to find the perfect medium between my identity at school and at home. However, this never stopped me from wanting to try new things, meet new people, and just be.
As I got older, I went to college for Fashion Studies, a major where there weren’t many students who looked like me. In those years of undergrad, I learned and understood what my goal in my career was going to be; inclusion and diversity, no matter what field I ended up in. Sadly after graduating, I started working for companies that didn’t take pride in the diversity of their employees and their marketing strategies remained outdated. I knew I wanted to do something more, something meaningful that can help people be heard unlike these big companies.
After 5 continuous years of working, I was laid off. I took the sudden opportunity and spontaneously booked a volunteer trip to Nepal, alone. It was on this trip I saw life from another perspective that contributed to who I am today. Women were motivated to learn English while the words easily flowed through my mouth. Teenage girls were not allowed to have “off-days” while I had the ability to take care of my mental health. Children wanted to change the world with the little they had while I had more than enough to survive and the knowledge to make things happen. So what was I going to do?
Be that voice, Pari.
I always wanted to attend graduate school at New York University but never decided on a program. First, I thought it would be a great idea to get an MBA with a concentration in Finance. Seeing that idea typed out right now, THANK GOODNESS I didn’t do it.
In my eyes, marketing can be used for so much more than just to sell. It is for everyone, not just those who work for large corporations. It can be used to change the views of people around the world, be the voice for those who don’t have one, and build better bridges towards a more inclusive world. You know, one where we don’t see products to make skin lighter. Or even one where people of color are more open to talking about their mental health instead of brushing it off.
I want this blog to help others, even if it’s just one person, be inspired and understand that their view means something. I look forward to starting those hard conversations that need to be faced here on Medium but also talk about the fun of digital marketing and connecting with others around the world.
It only takes one person to start the conversation sometimes, so join me!
Love&Light Always — Pari
