Motherhood is a special superpower that has several responsibilities attached to it. A mother doesn’t wear a cape but always comes to the rescue. A mother doesn’t wear a mask and yet suppresses her emotions to keep everyone else strong. And a mother doesn’t ask for anything in return while giving more than she has. Such a supermom is Tanya Khubchandani Vatsa.
Tanya is not your regular mom-who-blogs. She’s a Master’s degree holder in public health from Columbia University and has a degree in economics, psychology, and English from UPenn. Following her education, she has been very active in the healthcare sector through Khubchandani Healthcare and HCG ICS Khubchandani Cancer Center.
She is best known for her blog, Mommy Diaries which is famous across all social media too. In addition to that, she is also a published writer with her first book on parenting – “All You Need to Know about Parenting” – published by Penguin Random House in 2019 and she has been active in writing for a wide range of publications and magazines.
Tanya dons many hats – being a mother, a social media consultant, a healthcare worker, a writer, a content creator, and an entrepreneur. Under Mommy Diaries, she launched an entrepreneurial venture called Bazaar Hour, which is a live stream discount marketplace for children’s products promoting new brands while also helping customers get amazing deals.
If we read her blog, which has 300,000 readers, we come to know that she wasn’t always the perfect mother. She had her own time of burning the microwave while trying to deal with a baby and had trouble mustering up the will to go to work leaving her kids with a caretaker.
She had the support of her mother while delivering and taking care of the first child. She’s only human. What sets her apart is her love for her family, the relentless efforts she’s put towards experiencing life in different forms, and sharing those experiences with people.
As the about section in her blog reads, there have been moments of joy, love, stress, and laughter in her life. But at the end of the day, what makes her happy is knowing that she’s surrounded by the family she loves and cherishes all the time.
ED’s interaction with Tanya, as you would imagine, was one of the most interesting ever as we got into the nitty-gritty of being a mother, a content creator a lot more.
Could you please tell us a little about your journey and the blog?
I started my journey in the content space shortly after my son was born in 2014. Like every mother, I did a lot of research and read a lot but felt helpless as I was relying on just google and my instinct more than anything else. Despite being a Master’s degree holder in public health and years of experience in healthcare, I had to depend on the internet and family for advice that was ultimately generic and didn’t cover the tiny details a mother should know.
I am sure things like diaper sizes and barrier cream are the kind of things new mothers look for, which is why I started writing them down and broke them into 50 points, and sent them to expecting friends. That is how Mommy Diaries was born – an email chain that turned into a blog and eventually into social media pages too.
What did your professional life look like before you started blogging and what was your inspiration to share your stories?
Before I had my son and even briefly after, I worked in the Montefiore Healthcare System in the Bronx. I would be out of the house before sunrise on most days and would drive long hours to whichever healthcare center was scheduled for me that morning.
I was in charge of change management and policy implementation for 4 outpatient centers with a total of over 3 lakh patients. My days usually were grueling but fulfilling. Healthcare has always felt rewarding and I constantly go back to it.
How do you manage to keep your content unique and relevant in this competitive environment of mommy blogging?
I’ve never seen blogging as a job. It has always been a passion for me, which started as a way to get information across to parents in need. We see the rosier picture and talk about the baby but ignore a lot of details.
My blog was born to bring awareness and offer support. It remains a source of information, which is how I am constantly able to come up with topics in a changing world and stay unique at the same time. Plus, with the kind of background I have had, my perspective and voice stay different too.
Also Read: In Pics: Annoying Things Mothers Do On Facebook
You seem to be a wizard when it comes to mastering each creative update on the gram, what’s your secret?
Instagram is a highlight reel and tends to be detached from reality. However, I like to focus on what’s real and tackle issues like vaccinations, body positivity, postpartum depression and lend support to causes as well. I also show a lot of BTS shots and bloopers to focus on the lighter side of the content. My audience always resonates with this more than they do with airbrushed content.
Are there any challenges you face as a content creator?
I think the internet affords so much anonymity that anyone can feel judged. As I put myself out there with more content, I find myself inundated with direct messages that are sexual, perverted, or even hateful in nature. Of course, there are 10 positive ones for one such negative message. I don’t mind being unfollowed, or when someone doesn’t agree with a statement I’ve made.
What bothers me is someone who is unfollowing me, and yet makes a lot of noise or says something rude or distasteful on the way out. The body shamers and perverts – I’ve learned to ignore them. However, there are times when I share these comments and start a discussion about it – the real side of social media.
Can you please tell us a bit about your recent collaborations with brands and upcoming works in the pipeline?
I recently did a campaign with Dyson for their vacuum cleaner and I am currently working on one for their AirWrap – a product that I bought a year ago which I’ve loved a lot. I am also consulting with Nykaa Fashion on their kids’ content. I get a thrill out of endorsing good brands that I love and own, and that I have tried and tested. I also love working with startups as a social media consultant or even as a content creator helping them find their footing.
Working in an internet space can be difficult. Social media apps like Instagram, Youtube, and Facebook go through a lot of algorithm changes. How do you stay abreast with that?
It is indeed extremely stressful every time the algorithm changes. But I also accept that it weeds out the creators who buy likes and followers. I do think there is an influencer bubble currently, with every second person wanting to be a blogger – mostly for the money and not the content. I believe this will end soon and we will hopefully be left with authentic voices. I also think that brands will be able to find these voices more seamlessly due to algorithm changes.
I constantly remind myself that this is an app that I can delete and this is something I remind myself of every day. I think this is something everyone should do since egos inflate with the number of followers. My Instagram followers can drop off the app, just as quickly as they come on, as can anyone else’s. So let’s hold value in who we are apart from how many people click the like button or follow us on social media.
How do you keep innovating in the content space? Could you please tell us more about your ventures like Bazaar Hour?
Innovation comes through purpose. The Bazaar Hour is a live stream interactive marketplace for discounted children’s unique and well-priced products. It is the first of its kind, and the only one. We worked with 47 brands in 2020, despite the lockdowns, and showcased some great brands.
My partner, Anagha Rajyadakshya of Playydate, has a brilliant innovative mind, and when she presented me with this idea, I jumped at the chance to execute it. It’s been an amazing journey.
You are active in the healthcare space as well. How do you manage to shuffle your commitments?
Currently, one of my key promoters is HCG ICS Khubchandani Cancer Center, which is now also a vaccine center for COVID-19. I always go back to healthcare whenever I can. I start each day with a task list and often work long and flexible hours. It is the only way to get through the day while still being a parent, a content creator, a healthcare worker, and a social media strategist!
Would you like to give a message to your audience?
Thank you, thank you, thank you. As a content creator, there’s no better way to know that you are achieving your goals than to hear it from the audience directly. But I am very much aware that there is a person behind each account and that it is not just a number.
So I’d like to say this – in a world of changing algorithms, trolls, rude comments, and finicky PR managers – the creators you see are all working hard to bring the content out to you – often, without being able to fully tell you what is going on in their lives, and very often without a break. Most of us show up 24×7, all days of the year, and our phones and inboxes do not sleep either. So when you like or appreciate something you see – please make sure the creator you follow knows it!
For more such amazing interviews, keep reading ED Times.
Sources: Personal Interview With Tanya Khubchandani Vatsa
Connect With The Blogger: @som_beingme
This post is tagged under: mom, supermom, blogging, mommy blogger, healthcare worker, upenn, Columbia university, tanya khubchandani, tanya khubchandani vatsa, playdate, mommy diaries, bazaar hour, childcare, nykaa fashion, public health administration, public health, postpartum depression, social media influencer, all you need to know about parenting, parenting, relationships
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