Written by Ishita Aggarwal
My venture is BEHIND-THE-SCENES Magazine (B-T-S), an E-Zine that aims to shed light on the gender-based micro- and macro-aggressions prevalent in society by anonymously sharing individuals’ experiences and personal stories with Gender Prejudice and Discrimination. At the start of the Hook-It-Up Program, B-T-S was primarily a concept and not much more. Over the past several months, I have worked to make it a reality. Specifically, I have put together a small Editorial Review Board of human rights supporters and literary experts and have worked closely with them to draft a Gender-Inclusive Mission Statement and develop an effective Content Strategy (i.e. how to source useful, useable and thought-provoking content). Furthermore, I have set up a simple website and opened an email account to accept submissions. Finally, I have contacted and presented B-T-S to 12 NPOs, who have agreed to help promote the E-Zine to a diverse audience. To date, B-T-S has received submissions of prose, poetry, art and photography from the Americas, Asia and Europe, detailing a wide range of topics, including but not limited to Female Infanticide, Sexual Subjugation, Custody Rights, and LGBT Human Rights. Ultimately, I hope to connect Contributors with NPOs in their area that they may find helpful.
I have learned several lessons since starting B-T-S. Firstly, it is important to have a clear goal in mind when launching an E-Zine (or any project in general). Otherwise, it is difficult to quickly articulate your organization’s Vision and what you ultimately hope to accomplish in your Mission. Working alongside Hook-It-Up and Jason Marin (my Mentor), I appropriately set B-T-S’ goal and scope early on and hence have been able to avoid altering it at a later time. Furthermore, I have learned that it is crucial to carefully budget and track your finances. Early on in the Hook-It-Up Program, I worked with Jason to create a system that would allow me to track all of my expenses and compare them to the projected budget. As a result, I have been able to visually see where my money is going, which has allowed me to cut costs wherever I can to ensure the best possible results for the lowest possible price. Finally, through this process, I have learned about the importance of networks. I have found that by connecting with people and organizations, it is many times possible to accomplish goals much faster and for much cheaper than by purchasing services. By harnessing my Hook-It-Up network, I have been able to find a Web and Logo Designer who are willing to offer their services for a lower cost than I would otherwise have to pay.
Despite the lessons learned and the strides made, this journey has not been without its challenges. Firstly, I have found that I underestimated the time it would take me to accomplish different tasks. I failed to account for the fact that I work a full-time job and would be completing B-T-S tasks on evenings and weekends. Moreover, I did not realize that it could take advisors, organizations, and my designers a while to get back to me. As a result, B-T-S is not where I had originally envisioned it at this point in time (i.e. I had hoped to have launched by now). Secondly, I did not foresee all of the setbacks that were possible with even a relatively simple project such as B-T-S. The biggest setback I experienced was with web design. Seeing as I am not a Web Designer myself, I originally had asked a friend of mine to work with me to produce the website. Unfortunately, she was not as interested as she had first seemed to be and created a half-hearted product that was difficult to update or use. This obstacle set me back time-wise as I looked for a new Designer. Finally, I did not anticipate how challenging it would be for me to promote/get the word out about B-T-S. It has been quite time-consuming to find appropriate channels that will reach my target audience and contact NPOs who may be interested in partnering with me. In the future, as B-T-S grows, I may consider taking on a Volunteer to help me with promotion.
I would like to offer several pieces of advice to future entrepreneurs, innovators and self-starters based on my own experiences. Firstly, for any project, it is best to clearly define your goals at the beginning and start small/locally (rather than taking on too much). Secondly, one of the most important things to propel your project is to build your network. Networking has almost become a dirty word but I have learned that there is a reason that most professionals recommend it. Building a network is mutually beneficial for all and leads to a stronger industry with more people working together rather than against one another. Finally, I would also advice new innovators to stay connected with the impact of their work (which is something I personally failed to do initially). Is it important to constantly check in with your advisors, partner organizations, teammates and co-workers to see how your project is progressing and determine how you can improve on your work.
Ishita was a participant in the Socent7's Hook it Up program. To learn more about her initiative see her profile story here.
