Hi, where to begin. Let's say I am hard to fit in a box, unless that box is labelled miscellaneous.
I quit my facebook job of 4 years in October 2021. It had burnt me out physically and mentally. My intention was to heal and recover, and get back in the job market in a few months. But if you, reading this, have gone through exhaustion like this, then you know that this kind of damage inflicted on the body and mind is not reversible in a matter of few months. My recovery lasted a year, during which I read and gardened, and looked up answers to the questions that I had always put off for "later" - Is tomato a fruit? How far back does the Egyptian civilization go (faaar, and Professor Bob Brier's course helped it all come alive) - and occasionally stressed about not having anything to stress about.
All along hoping that a desire to update my resume will surface. But the thought only stirred the contents of my stomach. I felt that maybe I am done with jobs for the foreseeable future. Enough Americans make money from small businesses and survive. Maybe that's my path forward.
So in January 2023, I started exploring business ideas. I decided to not look for big startup ideas that will need big $$$. I was going micro.
Sometime in 2023 I launched Made Where, a chrome extension that tells you where your Amazon products come from. As a history buff and a visual learner, I had created my own system of learning history with visual timelines. I launched that product on Gumroad. And my latest most exciting project is the Power Pumps Newsletter - a weekly newsletter about Lifestyle, Gadgets & Tech for the Woman in the Fast Lane.
If you are interested in going further back in my history, then read below. I used to be a producer, yes a films and ads producer. See the Advertising, Virtual Reality and Film tabs for more.
I was no ordinary producer. I started my journey backwards and sideways
In 2015 I got an MBA from Wharton only to decide that the life of investment banking and consulting wasn’t for me. Instead, with my student debt in tow, I signed up to produce my first feature film, Cassidy Red. We shot in the blazing heat of Tucson and I caught the film making bug. You will find some photos of those wonderful times on this website.
Back in San Francisco, I decided I wanted to be a part of VR. I joined River Studios, as their Head of Production. The VR life was full of hustle. We were a small studio trying to disrupt the established commercials and music video world. Those days were incredible.
Circa 2017 I started a beauty startup called Bombay Butter. It was a big hit on Amazon, trending as “Amazon’s Choice” for weeks. The same year I also joined Facebook as creative producer in their in-house creative team called Creative X where I spent 4 wild years.
I love to dance and I’m pretty good. My lifelong dream is to perform on the stage of IIFA - the Oscars of Bollywood but bigger, louder and even more glamourous. (factoid: I used to be on IIFA's production team)
Wanna chat? Reach out to me at malvika109@gmail.com
Xox