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"Competition is for Horses, Not for Artists" D'sa sticks to her own branding and works by principles

By Deepa Vaidya

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

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Larissa D’sa

As a kid who loved clicking pictures of herself, giving her own commentary on videos, it was only natural for Larissa D'sa to become a content creator. Says the first-generation content creator, "I started using social media at 19, and that is 10 years ago. The first five years, I did it only out of passion. After three-four years, brands and services started looking at the whole content creation, marketing area, where they market their products and services. It was never a plan. It was very organically done."

D'sa has worked with the smallest of start-ups and the biggest brands, including tourism boards. Being an experienced content creator, she also enjoys considerable creative freedom. Says the Cosmo Influencer of the Year 2020-21 and the GoPro ambassador, "I put my foot down when it comes to content creation. I have certain principles about how I want stuff to be done. I made sure that I always stuck to my own branding and was never a sell-out."

Interestingly, she follows no process of content creation and started her YouTube channel inspired by a Korean girl demonstrating a hairstyle on YouTube. "This is what I was born to do. I just do what my heart feels is right. The way I feel, is what I post on that day and fortunately, it resonates with the audience."

Works for her because, "No one is you and that is your superpower. So, the only element is, being yourself." Being consistent and being out-of-the-box is her advice to aspiring influencers and YouTubers. This is also her mantra for dealing with feedback.

On the various SM she says, "I feel Instagram is very forum-based, it is trend-driven. YouTube is more about personal life and your followers here are more loyal than those on Instagram."

On her plans for 2022, disclosing only partly, says D'sa, "I am definitely planning an extension of me, which will be in the form of brands, starting new projects and exploring different things."

With so much on her plate, her belief system helps her stay motivated, "I always believe that, you are your only competition. You are not competing with others, but your past self. I believe competitions are for horses and not artists. I will never be a part of the rat race."

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