Latest / Have you met you? / Ep. 26: Stop Blending In: Niching, Brand Strategy & AI with Mallika Malhotra

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Ep. 26: Stop Blending In: Niching, Brand Strategy & AI with Mallika Malhotra · Have you met you?

• Sasha Pearl: Malika, thank you so much for being on the podcast today. I would love for you to introduce yourself and what you do in the world. What people saying when you leave the room? ⁓ am in conversations with Malika Mahorta, the brand CEO, and today we're diving deep into niching as a personal brand, identity pivot, personal with AI, and what it actually takes to stop blending in. I'm your host, Sasha Pearl, The Energy Architect. ⁓ I'm brand strategist and human design guide who works with soul led, purpose driven women in health and wellness. Mallika Malhotra: Thank you so much for having me. So, my name is Malika Malahotra. I am the brand CEO. I'm a brand strategist. I'm a brand mentor. I've been an entrepreneur for over two decades. And I work with female entrepreneurs. I call them invisible experts because they are really good at what they do. They probably have an offer and audience. But they're still overlooked, they're still overwhelmed, and they're probably still underpaid. And a lot of it has to do with brand strategy, their positioning, a failure to niche, their messaging isn't really strong. And so what I help them with is really to figure out how they can optimize their expertise and really package it in a way so that they become the obvious choice in the marketplace, that people recognize their expertise. Sasha Pearl: Who struggle with self-doubt, invisibility, and brands don't feel them. I build brands from the inside out, starting with human designs. My clients can finally show up fully, authentically and magnetically in the world. ⁓ Let's into it. Mallika Malhotra: And they're willing to open up their wallets and just say, yes, you know, I wanna hire you, I wanna book you, I wanna, you know, have you in my world. And so that's the work that I do with my clients. Sasha Pearl: I love that. I was literally just having a conversation with one of my friends yesterday. She's she's ⁓ she's a channel channeler, guidance, you know, channels the wound. She's like, How do I explain what I do in the world? And it's just like this it's like we already know what we do, but then it's so hard to put into words what we do and the transformations we offer. So how would you what advice would you give to someone who's like trying to get clarity on who they are? 'Cause I always find it Mallika Malhotra: Yes. Sasha Pearl: hardest to see yourself in creating brand messaging and brand strategy. Mallika Malhotra: 100%. I think that value articulation is the hardest thing. Most people end up saying either too little or they say too much or they ramble or they're too generic. And so it it causes a lot of confusion. And as you know, confused mind never buys. So, you know, when I'm working with my clients, we get really clear on number one, and this is for me as a strategist, what is the problem that you're solving? what is the problem that you're solving? the tangible problem, the problem that your customer, your client has. Not all the feelings, not the vague transformations like sometimes we say, you know, the tangible problem, the problem that your customer, your client has. Not all the feelings, not the vague transformations like sometimes we say, you know, Be your best authentic self or feel confidence. Like those are wonderful things, but they're too vague, Be your best authentic self or feel confidence. Like those are wonderful things, but they're too vague, especially in 2026. We need to get very specific on the problem you're solving. We need to get very specific in the person that you're talking to. So it's not this broad base generic audience. It is, these are specific people, maybe a specific demographic, psychographic, specific season in their life. Maybe they have a specific problem, they use a specific type. Technology, you know, it doesn't have to just be like women over 40 who are in menopause. It can be something bigger than that. It could be the problem that they're having, but just trying to get more of those details and specifics so that they can see themselves when you are introducing yourself or you are doing a sales pitch. So I think for me, specialization, specificity is so important. And also, again, that tangible promise that you're giving them. How are you going to change their world? In real language, language that matters, instead of maybe more fluffy language that may have worked 10 years ago but doesn't work now. I think there's too much noise out there. And so we can't lean into just how are you different or how are you better. It's should be language that's like, How can I get you from problem to solution? How is my brand relevant to you so that you can choose me right now to get you to where you want to go? So there's a little, in my perspective, a little shift in how you can start articulating your value to the world. Sasha Pearl: Yeah, I love that. It feels you like it almost like you're bringing it into this like very tangible way. And I feel like a lot of the people that I work with specifically are really into the spirituality and like a lot of the transformation is in the unseen. So I and I think that's what's so hard. It's like, what is a transformation that I offer in these sessions? Because it's so unique to the person on the other side. Mallika Malhotra: Yes. Yes. And so it's hard, right? So if you have some of these bigger transformations, and I'm not saying you can't use that in your language, but I also think you need to balance that with real words that your clients are saying. So it might take a little bit of research, those customer conversations to hear, you know, after working with me, what has changed in your life? Yes, maybe you feel that you have more confidence or you feel like the best version of yourself, but tell me more. What does that mean? You know, how does that change, you know, the way you deal with your family or the way you look at yourself in the mirror? That gritty stuff that people are gonna tell you, that specific detailed ⁓ information can make the difference of why someone hires you over somebody else. Sasha Pearl: Yeah, there's like this like element of like textural like textural moments for people. So you're just how can you get more into like what keep what's top of mind for the people who are gonna be purchasing from you? Right. Mallika Malhotra: Yes. Yes. I think the intangible is important, but the tangible is just as important, right? Like it could be, you know, I'm gonna help you ⁓ advance in your career within six months and adding $10,000 per month to your bank. So that that is what I'm talking about, right? So yes, I want to advance, but then you're like dropping this bomb of exactly what I'm going to do, my promise. And that's what's gonna be like, where do I sign up? Sasha Pearl: Mm. Mm-hmm. Okay. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mallika Malhotra: Right? If it just falls short of I'm gonna help you find your soulmate. Okay, sure. I want I'm gonna help you find your soulmate so that in six months you are going to, you know, be booking a vacation with this person so that you can learn to love each other faster. I don't know. So you know, but like something that's a little bit more action-oriented. I think when you have both, it really gets people excited and they can kind of see the transformation more quickly. Sasha Pearl: Mm-hmm. I love that. I it feels like you have a lot like a lot of case studies that you have worked with and understand. So you did say that you've been doing this for over two two decades, over two decades. Mallika Malhotra: Mm. Yes, I've been an entrepreneur for very long. A serial entrepreneur. I've had a lot of different businesses under my belt. But yes, it's been a long journey. Sasha Pearl: I love that. So I really love talking about just like the identity that you have to hold through each iteration and each pivot of your career. So let's start from the beginning. Where did you where did you start? Where did you start, Monica? ⁓ Mallika Malhotra: Yeah. So I started through motherhood, to be quite honest. So my oldest son is turning 24 this year. And so when he was born, I sort of I thought I was gonna be that working mom that, you know, would would be able to drop their kid off at daycare and then go to corporate world. And that was my dream. I had the ambition to do that. ⁓ I worked in advertising at the time, but For me personally, my story, like when I had him and I actually I was living in New York City and I went to daycare, the one that we could afford, it was in a basement with no windows, and I could smell like urine and you know, hear the crying babies. And I was just for me, because I know everyone has a different situation, but for me, I was like, my whole life is gonna change right now. I'm gonna have to opt out. I was on this trajectory of the corner office, the high heels, like that like sex in the city sort of New York vibe. And I wasn't gonna do it. I had to make a change. And my husband was a ⁓ surgery resident at the time. So he was working a hundred hour week. So I just knew that I had to kind of put my career on the back burner, to be quite honest, and so and focus on the family and made that decision, but always still had that itch, right? Of like, I need to do something else. And so at the time I was trying to figure out what I could do, and being an entrepreneur was something that gave you freedom and flexibility, and you could kind of figure out how you could do that while you were still at home with your kids. And so I had launched a handbag business in New York using vintage. Indian sari fabrics that I had collected from all of my family. I had a huge box of them. And I used to sell at these flea markets and small boutiques, and it was great. ⁓ I didn't make the bags because that wasn't my skill set. I was more in the design and the marketing, and so I had ⁓ labored that out. But With my husband's career, we moved quite a bit because he had all these fellowships and residencies. So with every move, I had to re again redefine who I was. So I moved from New York to Denver, Colorado. Those yes, and those bags did not sell in Denver, Colorado. So Sasha Pearl: I also wanna say like this was when entrepreneurship wasn't like the boss babe cool thing to do at the time. No. I was like, what are you doing? You're running your own business, right? Like I can only imag Yeah. Can't wait to see you fail. Mallika Malhotra: No, no. Right. Good luck with that. ⁓ Yeah. And there wasn't any online communities or social media where people were inspiring you and you had that camaraderie. It was very lonely, right? You were kind of in your own silo. and there was no one really to talk to. There weren't even many networking events or anything like that. And so, you know, you moved to Denver, Colorado. That business fit doesn't do well, so redefined it. I actually started doing children's t-shirts using the same fabrics. I had a second son, moved again, and then at that third move, and now I was in California, I was tired of finding the labor, right? Because I wasn't the one sewing. I had to like outsource. And that's hard when you're not from the area and you have to figure out all those things. So once we were in California, I picked up a camera. And the light in California is so beautiful. And I started to learn the craft of photography. I wanted to tell the story of my two boys at the time, so that all of my family in New York and New Jersey would know them. And so I guess I was taking photos in a very storytelling, raw way. And the next thing I knew, I was a kindergartner photographer. Next thing I know, someone was like, Can you take my holiday photo? And I had this small business that was mine, that I was the actual creative this time behind the lens. And that just opened up a whole new world. I feel like That creativity was a lifeline for me because I was, you know, as mother of two young kids with no family, I was sort of getting sucked into this like black hole. And losing myself, right? Because you're no longer in the corporate world and you're trying these businesses, and each are kind of more like hobbies, quite honestly. But photography gave me this outlet. And now people were hiring me, and it became like this little business, right? And it was great. And I was very good with kids, probably better with kids than I was with the camera, to be honest. But it all seemed to work out. And then we moved again. I mean, so I moved from California and then I moved to Florida. In Florida, rebuilt the business again. But I had the confidence in that move that I thought no one knows who I am, so I can become who I want to be here. It was like this canvas, right? Open canvas of like. I was a very nervous photographer because I felt like a hobbyist. But when I went to Florida, I was like, nobody knows that. I can now become who I want myself to be. And that was a wonderful chapter because I was able to charge higher prices. I did a lot of things with boutiques and magazines. And then we moved again, if you can believe it. Moved again to New Jersey. And this was probably in about 2015. And Sasha Pearl: Wow. Mallika Malhotra: The New Jersey New York market is saturated. There's so many people, and they were all doing what I was doing. And I sort of was feeling a little bit like suffocating, like, how am I going to survive and build this business? And there was this thing called like headshots, but is it brand photography? This new genre at the time. And because I had worked in advertising, I thought. I can do that because I know the questions to ask. I'm strategic. And people will pay for their business, but they're not going to pay so much, especially in a saturated market, for family photos, right? It's just they're always going to look for the lowest price, usually. ⁓ and so I Totally changed my business where I said goodbye to all of my family clients and they were like crying, who's gonna take my photos? And I was like, I am niching my business to become a brand photographer, and that's all I'm gonna do. And became like the go-to brand photographer for many, many years in New York, New Jersey. ⁓ now I don't do that anymore, so there's again another pivot, another evolution, and another move. ⁓ moved to Maine and Sasha Pearl: Yeah. Mallika Malhotra: When I moved to Maine, it was through a pandemic. So no one was doing photography, right? Everyone's wearing masks. And so I actually, again, was a better strategist than a photographer. So the way I did brand photography was I asked all those strategic business questions: mission, vision, values, personality, ideal client. Because it wasn't a vanity photo shoot. These were strategic intentional images to grow the business. And then I found that people came to me just as much for the strategy as they did for the photography. And I was like, wow, this is something that now I can scale. Because one client at a time, localized and during a pandemic, is not gonna grow my business. ⁓ So pivoted again, went all in on brand strategy, became the brand, rebranded to the brand CEO. And so I've been doing this probably since 2020 for the last six years. ⁓ And then moved again last year to Texas. So there you have it, Sasha. You asked. That is the whole journey. Sasha Pearl: So I know you don't know much about human design, but you are a four-six generator with sacral authority. So what's interesting to me about this is that generators are here to do the things that light them up and that they feel deeply satisfied by and your sacral response, right? That's how you make decisions. So I am curious when you are pivoting. I know it's like out of I have to, I just moved, and this is just what I know, but in the moments of like your true gut responses to things in and you choosing to pivot, how what were those responses? Like how did you know that that these are the directions that you wanted? Was it just this external validation or is this like I'm fucking love and I'm so lit up by what I do? What was your journey with understanding that? Mallika Malhotra: Probably a balance of both because I think I am pretty practical, l meaning I look at the market, right? So, you know, when I decided to go all in in brand photography and let go of children and family, I Was being practical because it was too competitive. And I hated that people kept wanting a discount. And then I was probably strategic seeing that there was this opening in the market where not many brand photographers were doing this and there was an opportunity that I could own. But I also would say that internally I felt like that is where I should be going because I am optimizing. My skills in the best possible way. I had a lot of imposter syndrome, especially as a photographer, because it was I was self-taught. ⁓ I used to kind of shoot on auto versus manual, where people were like, look at the light. And I just I was much better with people and the relationship and the storytelling. And so I really trusted a lot of my gut in all these pivots that I made because I felt like. I have a good sense of self. I understand what I'm passionate about, what my skills are, what I'm good at naturally. And so that is kind of like that instinct and gut feeling has sort of pinpointed me in the right direction. And then on top of that is the practicality of like sink or swim. Or here's the opportunity, go for it and just create a plan and get there. Sasha Pearl: Mm-hmm. I love that. Well, and I love that you said that you really actually enjoyed the community and the relationship building of of the photography business because as a fourth line, your profile, which is your personality, it's all about living or dying on your network, right? So you're just nationally warm and inviting and like people just inherently like love you. And then you have the sixth line, which is like three phases of life. And so from zero to thirty, you're literally experimenting with all these different businesses, essentially, and then thirty to four Mallika Malhotra: Yes. Sasha Pearl: You learn and integrate the things that you love. And so the four six is really about this embodiment. So people really want to come to you because you've embodied the lived experiences of of so much, right? And this is what makes you so con like when you speak, you talk with this like deep knowing and conviction. Like it's not like, ⁓ it's only coming from my head. It's like literally coming from your body when you speak about brand strategy, which I'm obsessed with. How do you resonate with your first thirty years of life though? Mallika Malhotra: Yes. Yeah, I think it's spot on what you said. Like it's a lot of you said ⁓ exploration, right? That was what is there and and discovery and c and curiosity. I think ⁓ I went through a lot of changes in terms like I guess I've always been in the lane of marketing and advertising and branding, but just the way in and out of it, be corporate to becoming entrepreneur, ⁓ starting different businesses, that Sasha Pearl: Yes. Experimentation. Mallika Malhotra: Is taking a lot of risks, right? Like, you know, and kind of going against the grain of how I was raised. So I was raised in like medical households where my parents are immigrants and it was either doctor, lawyer, engineer. Right, those are the options for our Asian family. And I was like, no, thanks, don't want any of those. My brother's a doctor, my husband's a doctor, everyone in my family are doctors, right? ⁓ and you know, thank God we have doctors, but for me personally, it just it it didn't feel like the right fit. And so I have always felt like I had to blaze my own trail a little bit and kind of feel misunderstood quite a bit. ⁓ but I think all of those years now when you're saying this embodiment and this knowing I'm 53 right now and I just I don't care anymore, really. Like I have I have I feel like experience is my asset. And while there are times I feel like a dinosaur, and you and I were talking about, you know, this AI era and this AI club that we're in and how everything goes over my head. Sasha Pearl: Mm. Mallika Malhotra: I do rem I remind myself that my experience is my asset and my curiosity is in my advantage. So I am still curious about learning how everything is changing and how I can Sasha Pearl: Same. Mallika Malhotra: still stay relevant. I think that's the the biggest mistake a lot of people make in my age group is that they fail to try to figure out how can I still stay relevant when everything is changing. I can't be afraid of AI. I have to learn about AI and how to make it relevant to my business, how to run it better or how to create products that will be ⁓ well received in my community because everything is changing. Sasha Pearl: Feel it so deeply also owning a branding studio, which I've you know, have am now in the current pivoting of all the things always apparently. But it has shifted so much. Like I feel like people would just, yes, I'll pay you $8,000 to do my branding. Where now it's like, ⁓ I can just I can just do a logo in Canva and I can, you know, use Chat GPT for my messaging. And I'm like, that is just insane. And so I would love to hear a little bit more about. Mallika Malhotra: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Sasha Pearl: what you've been seeing in the market, like I think that you're actually in a really good intersection with messaging because Chat GPT all sounds the same and people don't actually know how to a lot of people do not know how to make it in their brand voice, right? And so we're like GPT, GPT, GPT, but you're all about optimizing the language so you can stand out amongst the crowd. But I would love to hear how ⁓ AI has affected how you show up in your business and in in Mallika Malhotra: Right. Sasha Pearl: What are the new problems you're solving for your ideal clients? Mallika Malhotra: Yeah, so I think what I see that people want is speed and customization. So gone are the days where someone's gonna watch a webinar that's two hours or take a course. The course are dying. I mean, and I hate to say it. People Are okay with good enough copy or good enough messaging, right? And so for people like us who are experts and we are trying to obviously do better than good enough, we want to do great work that gets people to grow their businesses faster, gets them the opportunities in their inbox and gets them more money in the bank, all those things. I think it's there's a human side that We have to bring to the table that shows them that the AI tools are just not, they're gonna get them so far, right? And we have to educate them to be careful of just using AI as like a Google search or just a problem solver. ⁓ because there's no guardrails and there's no frameworks that they're pulling them through. And so you're still gonna need the experts like us to get you the most optimized product that's going to be able to have the like the long-lasting sustainability because it's done the right way. I'm not against AI. I have AI tools that I create, but everything that I create is based on my intellectual property. And so I think people out there who use AI have to be careful not to just buy things and not use them responsibly. ⁓ if they're going to buy a bot, they need to make sure that that bot was created on somebody's methodology or their framework or some kind of intellectual property where there is a problem and then there's a solution that you're giving them. ⁓ We can't avoid the AI era, we're in it, but we have to sort of act responsibly. And as service providers, I think either we use AI to work faster and create systems so that everything is following the process that we have we're doing manually, right? Or ⁓ one-on-one. And maybe it's creating some new kinds of AI products that follow these frameworks that give Our audience or our clients specific solutions to problems that they wouldn't be able to do on their own, but done in a way with speed and customization. So those are the two things that I'm seeing, I keep hearing that people want. ⁓ And products like custom GPTs or AI bots, I mean, again, I have created them, I've sold them, but I see that now they're not selling as much because. There's too much room for question and answer when you're in that chat where it keeps going. So I may promise you: if you follow my framework, I'm gonna give you a brand statement, an elevator pitch, and a business bio. Great, you get that. But the problem that I see is that people are continuing to go in that chat to ask for more. Write me a content plan. That was not my intention or my promise for you. And so now it's kind of gone off rails, right? And it is taking away from the integrity. Of the product of how I've created it. And with AI, now it's pulling from outside of the framework and giving them information. And it sort of dilutes the power of what I actually created in the first place. And so that's some of the things that I think we have to think about of how we can create products using AI, but create them responsibly responsibly, and then also for the user to use them responsibly. Sasha Pearl: Yeah, I I have this program called Big Biz Energy and I I gift or I have a GPT for brand therapy and I was like, ⁓ fill out your brand therapy. I had a client. And she comes back and it's 99 pages. And I and she puts in a Google Doc and she's like, here you go. And I'm like, what in the actual fuck just happened here? She's like, it's so good. I'm like, is it? You have ninety nine pages of what? Mallika Malhotra: My god. Sasha Pearl: I have no idea. Anyways, I just thought that was hilarious. I was like, what is happening? This is insane. Mallika Malhotra: Yeah, so it's like AI tools gone rogue, right? Like it just and then it could kind of ⁓ and I'm sure it didn't for you, but could reflect poorly on the person who made it because now it's gone beyond what you promised them, I'm sure. Ninety-nine pages. And so what has happened there? Are they more confused? Are they, you know, who knows? Sasha Pearl: Yeah. It's overwhelming. Mm-hmm. Yeah. 100% overwhelmed. She's like, I don't even know where to pull from. And I'm like, I don't even know where to pull from. This is just supposed to help guide you to ask questions and that's it. I'm gonna give you my notion dashboard now that you can't you can't go Rogan because this is insane. And I'm like I'm not reading through this. Yeah. Mallika Malhotra: Right. Right. Right, right. Right. You need like a full stop. There needs to be a full stop, but that but you can't have that. So ⁓ yeah, so I think that's one of the drawbacks of some of these AI bots is that they can kinda act on their own and beyond what your promise was. Sasha Pearl: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. So how do you think your lived experiences and your like twenty years of entrepreneurship has shaped this new framework for the brand CEO and the framework that you have that you are creating bots from and ⁓ AI products from now? Mallika Malhotra: Yeah, ca think I just have so much experience working with hundreds of clients that I I know what the problem is. I know the problem is that they are experts, but nobody sees them or recognizes them as one. And it's probably because they're acting like a Jane of all trades, trying to do all the things for all the people, and they are not able to articulate their value because they're doing all the things for all the people. So it's this, you know, issue of Safety net, let me try to be everything, you know. And as women, as mothers, we want to nurture and cure it all and save all the people. And instead, I really, in my multiple years of experience, I say, let's get more specific. Let's get in a lane. Let's feel more empowered by doing what you are really good at and cut the fat so that you're more focused and your message is sharper. And it doesn't sound like what everybody else is saying, right? Let's increase your impact and let you play bigger by actually being smaller. And you know what? And it's not smaller meaning you are dimming your light, it's about this fierce intensity of being. Sasha Pearl: Mm. Mallika Malhotra: in your zone of genius or practicing your expertise. And what happens when you do that is you become more memorable, you become more referable, you become more findable. People know you as what I call the only and obvious choice. And That energy that you're gonna sit in, the confidence, that expert energy, is quite contagious, right? People see you in a different way. People invite you to bigger stages, panels, podcasts, because now you are known for something, right? Instead of diluting your message, your expertise, your area. And so I just feel like, yes, we all start off in the beginning experimenting and trying different things as we Sasha Pearl: ⁓ yeah. Mallika Malhotra: Because we do not have the intel or the breadcrumbs that are gonna lead us to whatever that stronger positioning or sharper message is. But there comes a point where you have to have a strong mindset, you have to kind of see the reality of your competitive marketplace and look at yourself internally. What are my skills? What am I passion What's that strong point of view that I have? And use all of that to get you into a tighter, stronger, more powerful brand. Sasha Pearl: Yeah, I love that. ⁓ just from the perspective of what am I trying to say? Even niching niching down, if you are the Jane of all trades, you're still using all of those perspectives in the specific niche too, right? So, like, I don't know about you, but for me, when I do brand identity work, I'm actually also helping them solve their business problems and align like how they flow and system and process things through website design. Mallika Malhotra: Yes. Sasha Pearl: Right. So within it's like I have to have the business skills so then I can help inform what the website is gonna do and how what actions people need to take. And then also have the I brand identity to actually for me, it's all about like how do you I want to make sure that your website feels like an extension of you in a session with you, right? Or in conversation with you. And so it's like we're not if we can just decide on the thing, the niche that we want to just like keep talking about, we still get to use all the other gifts, right? The reason Mallika Malhotra: Right. Sasha Pearl: We have them is because our soul wanted us to have these like unique hobbies and talents and gifts. And if we say it's just this one thing right now, great. If I do content creation, it's going to be through a lens of human design, energetics. I'm gonna have a line business strategy and I have my branding background. Great. Like that makes me a super human content creation creator now, right? With all these other skill sets. But I lead with I create content for you. Right. Mallika Malhotra: Right. Yes. Right. Right. And and that's kind of one of the pushbacks I always get. You know, I'm a multi-hyphenate or I'm multi-passionate, I have all these things, and that's wonderful. You can have this robust toolbox in the back and you decide what to pull from it. But you still need to get people through the door. So in order for people to come through the door, they need to know something about you. Sasha Pearl: Mm-hmm. Mallika Malhotra: But it should be more finite. It should be like that one or two lanes that you're really good at. And then when they're in the door because you are known for this, then you roll the red carpet out and be like, and guess what? I could do this, this, this, and this for you, right? And I do the same thing in my business. You know, I I do marketing, I can help you with lead magnet, all that stuff, but I would never talk about that forward facing because it's too much. Sasha Pearl: Mm. Mallika Malhotra: For me, it's all about, you know, it's brand strategy and even niching, like, because it's something that's controversial. And I believe if it's polarizing, it's even better. Because if someone's like, I would never niche, then you're not my client. That's great. At least we know, right? You know, go to s and it's all good, right? Yes, yes. Because especially if you're a solopreneur, we do not have the time or the energy or the funds to serve everybody. Sasha Pearl: You for self eliminating. Mallika Malhotra: Right? And it's just better to be more focused and lean and targeted. So that really that message becomes what I call it's like a love letter to the specific person that you know you helped the best. They have the problem that you know the best, and you have the solution to get them there. So Sasha Pearl: Yeah. Because you have the proven results. I I always hear I don't know how you res resonate with this statement, but I always hear sell the people on what they think they need and then give them what they actually need. What is your perspective on that? Mallika Malhotra: Yeah. Yeah, I think I mean I get it. I haven't had many coaches too of like, you know, you want to you need to know your client, right? You need to know what keeps them up at night, what's their problem. And so you you can't force feed them a problem you think they have because you have to speak in their language and you have to, you know, they are not gonna be leaning in if you're talking about something that you know but they're not feeling. ⁓ but as soon as you can relate to them and have them see you as an expert with the evidence and the expertise, then once you bring them in and you build the trust and you get some wins, then obviously you're gonna be introducing all these other things that you know that they need. But you cannot overwhelm them, right? You can't overdo it because I think there's so much confusion and so much noise right now in 2026 that simpler. specific is better because it's all that we can process right and then you can build from there and hopefully your it will actually extend the relationship with your client you know so you solve that one thing and then you can build from there and maybe you solve another problem and next thing you know they're on retention and that's the best client to have Sasha Pearl: Mm-hmm. Yeah, absolutely. And yeah, to your point, when you do so many things, ⁓ people don't know how to refer you. Even if they had like such an amazing experience with you, they're like, Are you like for me? I've I've been doing a lot of pivoting, which has been confusing. I understand. But I'm like just trying to figure out I'm like figuring out what do I actually want to like double down my legacy on, right? But in doing that, people are like, ⁓ I think you do human design. ⁓ do you do branding? And ⁓ wait, you do websites? And I'm like, ⁓ no, this is a Mallika Malhotra: Mm-hmm. Right. Sasha Pearl: nightmare of a branding person's problem. Like this is not good. So now I'm like, okay, we gotta like layer it back. And like, what do you actually want to double down on this year? So that's I'm just in the process of like, I need to niche. Mallika Malhotra: Well, that's a that's good feedback though, right? Like you need to ask for that feedback so that you know what are people saying when I'm not in the room? What are they saying about my brand? How are they talking to others, right? You know, are they saying first human design? And that kind of puts you more in a coaching. And if they're not mentioning web design, that's a problem, right? Like, you know, and and you also have to think like, where's my moneymaker? What's gonna keep a sustainable business if it's in the web design? Then you want them to say web design first. Right? Like that should be the first thing that they say. So I think all of us go through phases of that where We always have to check in. I mean, it's branding is ongoing, right? The health of your brand is ongoing. It all depends on technology and the competition and the audience population, what are their needs. So it's never one and done. It is always a work in progress. And you have to keep checking in to see what's resonating, what's not resonating. Cause you know, maybe for you it could be, and I'm not saying this is you, but maybe one day you're like, I don't want to do web design anymore, right? Like you've been doing it for so long. It's like that was like me. I don't want to do photography anymore. And I had such an identity crisis, to be quite honest, because I had been a photographer for so long. I had no idea how to not say photographer in my elevator pitch. Sasha Pearl: My God. I still don't know what to call myself. I'm like, what am I? My I've been calling myself the energy architect, but that that's more of like a persona, an archetype for myself. That's not like what I I mean, it is what I do, but it's not no one's gonna be like, ⁓ I know what an energy architect is, right? They will know what a brand designer is or a branding expert or human design expert or ⁓ brand strategist, right? And so now I'm like, but what is it that like what is it? So I'm kind of like, how am I gonna define myself? Mallika Malhotra: Right. Right, right. Yes. Right. Sasha Pearl: Like I have a speaking engagement on Wednesday and I'm like, What am I gonna say? Mallika Malhotra: Yeah. I think it's important to say what your audience will understand. Because I love energy architect, but you could be an architect. Some people might think you're an actual architect or like in the energy sector, right? Like it's that Sasha Pearl: Yeah, and be as clever as possible. Mm-hmm. They only use their architects. ⁓ my god, I never even thought of that. Interesting. Mallika Malhotra: So I think it's better to be most literal. And then obviously there's other words or subheadlines you could use that kind of go to more of that creative vibe that you're trying to share. But I think people are so overwhelmed with so much noise that if they s they might not understand. And then that's like a disservice for you and what you do, because they've already in that intro have have been confused. Sasha Pearl: Mm. Yeah, immediately. You're like great, immediately confused. So I actually love this I what you were talking about though. Like it was really hard to shift identities from a photographer. Did you immediately shift into brand strategist as your role? Or how did you Mallika Malhotra: No, I actually again I say I'm very practical, right? So I did like fifty fifty and then it was sixty forty and then seventy-thirty, and then I was like, okay, no, I'm not doing any more brand photography. And I was like, ⁓ my God, I was like so nervous. And then I changed my website, took it all off. My previous business was called Mickey Photo, because my nickname is Mickey, and just like I mean, I just got rid of that website domain, Miki Photo.com, because I was like, I can't let go. I can't let go. And I'm like, I think I can let go. And the brand CEO is who I've been. It's like my new persona. So I let it go just this year. But that's like six years later, you know? Sasha Pearl: Mm. See Mallika Malhotra: Yeah. So it was an evolution. Like I started just I I intentionally would like take less clients. ⁓ but I also saw the potential of my business growing faster, like because as a strategist, I was launching masterminds and memberships. So the amount of money I could make volume strategy wise, right, versus one-on-one. Like as soon as I was able to get people in the door to see me as a strategist, I was like, I'm done. Why am I gonna waste my time, you know, photographing someone for the day and being in front of my computer to edit for another three days when I can make more money by hosting a call twice a month and have 25 people in there? So Sasha Pearl: Well that's incredible. Mallika Malhotra: You know, I just saw that shift and then I was just like, okay. And I just felt it too, that I was just a better strategist than I was a photographer. Yeah. Sasha Pearl: Then a photographer. Yeah. So what obviously you did it gradually, right? From the th you know, fifty fifty, sixty forty, you know, seventy thirty. What were some of the things that you had to overcome internally for you outside of the practicality? Right. Practically you're like, duh, I make way more money and it's volume oriented, et cetera. But like what was it internally? Like you just said you ha you've still had that same domain for six years and you just let it go. So what had did you have to do from an idea? Mallika Malhotra: Yeah. Yes. Sasha Pearl: identity level for you to really own. I'm a brand strategist. Mallika Malhotra: Yeah. I had to let go of like I spent so many years building and learning how to be a really good photographer. And I have that became a part of who I was, right? People would I would walk into like a co-working space and everyone would know me immediately. You know, Malika was Miki Photo, I was a photographer, and so Having to like rebuild that reputation from scratch. I mean, not really from scratch, because I was doing both, but like it's a new title, like you said. It was now a new title that I was stepping into as a brand strategist. And so again, there was a little bit of imposter syndrome and ⁓ and doubt of what I am walking away from. Should I do both? Should I, but I just knew I didn't have the energy or capacity to be like the split personality doing both. And I wanted to give myself the opportunity to go all in and become what I felt in my heart, I was gonna be like I am a much better strategist and I can really help a lot more people than I am as a brand photographer. The impact, which is one of my values, was much higher. in that ⁓ role. And I was probably doing a lot of brand strategy all during this time anyway. But there is that fear of like I have to relearn. Do I am I doing this right? All these other brand strategists have all this other experience and ⁓ are people gonna trust me or believe in me? Like all of that, you know, when you're shifting. But You know, I think all of the moves, you quite honestly, again, like moving to all these places, I was able to redefine myself and like start fresh and just kind of be like put the stake in the ground. I'm a br I I'm a strategist. That's who I always have been, right? Yeah. Sasha Pearl: Yeah. Well, and I hear from like man a manifestation perspective too, it's like if you physically move environments, it's easier to show up in a new identity because you're not surrounded by all the things you already quote unquote know, right? Mallika Malhotra: Yes. Right. Even though a lot of that's in your head, like I think I probably in retrospect I could have gone to all these other places and said it in the same way. And then like, ⁓ yeah, of course you are, you know. ⁓ but it was more of like that internal confidence issue and like feeling like, all right, nobody knows me here, so I can be the person who I want to be and kind of step into that next version of me much quicker now, right? Why not and why not? So yeah. Sasha Pearl: Mm-hmm. Yeah, why the fuck not? So were you so I feel like when we're starting to put on a new identity, it's actually like it takes a moment to build into the identity of a brand strategist from a photographer, right? And so I don't want to say it's like performative, but there is something that we have to activate within ourselves to hold a new frequency or a new mindset around what we're actually bringing to the world. So, what was your relationship to like? Like meeting new people and saying, Hey, I'm a brand strategist, was it like, do you did you feel like you were a hundred percent confident immediately? Or what were you like, I'm a I'm a brand strategist? ⁓ what do you do? What does that mean? Cause even as a brand strategist, ⁓ people who don't know brand don't know what that means, right? And so then it's like there it goes into your bio again. It's like, well, what is it? Right. Mallika Malhotra: Probably not. Yeah. Right, right. Right. I I don't think I was probably a hundred percent confident. I think that's why I I kind of did that fifty-fifty, seventy-thirty, so that I could still carry the comfort of saying, I'm a brand photographer and a brand strategist. So it was almost practicing saying brand strategist with the safety net of being a brand photographer. And then when I stopped, I think it came to a point where I was done. I was just mentally done with brand photography. It was COVID and all I I just knew it was kind of a a dead end. And so I just was ready to kind of take this leap and be like, all right, opportunity is to be a brand strategist. Everyone is looking for help to survive this. And they need help of like how to build their brands online now because that's the only world we are in is online. and it took a lot of practice. Like I think I probably over delivered a lot with a lot of my programs because I just needed the practice and I needed to just build the confidence and prove to myself I kind of knew what I was doing. So you know now I look back and I'm like, I don't why did I have so many calls? Like all I needed, and you know, and this is what I tell my clients, you don't need a call a week. All you need is one or two calls. They won't know the difference, right? But I was over delivering because I had to prove to myself and to them that I was, you know, they can trust me in this new rule. I I had the credibility, I had the capability. And I think after like probably a year and a half, well, everyone was stuck on I mean, it's probably the situation too. It just so happened that with the pandemic, people were looking for someone to help them and that was me, you know, and I filled that role and I got a lot of I got a lot of practice of like hot seating people and you know, hearing what their problems were and building a community and Building also frameworks because I would hear what everybody wanted and they wanted steps. And so now I would take all that information and be like, all right, well, it sounds like there should be like a four-step process from problem to solution. So I built sort of frameworks, and then I started to really boost my confidence and say, like, maybe I can put my hat in the ring to be a speaker as a brand strategist, and started speaking more. And then once I started speaking, and I then I had like certain signature talks, then it just just kind of really escalated. ⁓ Because once you have all now you're speaking and you're practicing and then you're actually doing the, you have the lived in experience, you have the client experience, and then you're a thought leader, then I think it just kind of you your whole brand and your business really blows up. Sasha Pearl: Yeah. I actually love that you you said that because in your an energetics too, like what grounds you in the world is being able to simplify very complex information. So I love that you're like, Am I creating frameworks? Yeah. Mallika Malhotra: I feel like that's exactly yeah, that's exactly what I do. Everything is simplifying because every especially with branding, I think people think it's very complicated, you know. They they know they need to do it, but they don't know how to do it well. So they just keep throwing spaghetti at the wall. They think they know their ideal client, but they haven't really gone into like the psyche of it. So it's kind of superficial, but they don't have a partner to like pull that out or What I feel like I do not only simplifies I can connect the dots really well. I could see things so that if I reflect it back to them, they're like, that's exactly what I should say. And I'm like, I know. Sasha Pearl: Mm. So I have so I have two more questions for you. One, so how can people like with all the knowledge and obviously all the experience that you have and like your specific niche and gifting, how can people work with you? Mallika Malhotra: Yeah, so I work with clients one-on-one. That's sort of what I've moved into. I no longer do group programs right now. I have a one-on-one mentorship, which I love. And a lot of it is done for you, done for you strategies, done for you marketing. Because once you have the strategy set, there's so much with AI that we can do for you. Lead magnets, email nurture sequences, offer ecosystem. Like I can help you build all of those things. ⁓ and then I'm actually building right now a new new AI tool, which we were talking about. ⁓ I'm building, it's more gonna be like an AI-powered report. It's gonna be called the Bullseye Brand Blueprint. So I think what what people need, and you probably see this in your business, like maybe somebody comes to you and you're like, you need more work on your brand foundation, but I'm a designer. I want to just, you know, keep my in my area of expertise, which is the design, what I'm trying to create is that For partners like you, web designers, copywriters, brand photographers, and then also for clients who just need the help, answer 10 questions, and then you get this report of what your brand is, your positioning, your messaging, your niche, like everything so that it you get that clarity. ⁓ and then that can really help you move forward in your business. So that's coming soon. And those are kind of the two ways that I work with my clients right now. Sasha Pearl: really trying to get through the AI clubs so we can do bring deliverables. Mallika Malhotra: Yes. So I can get this to you sooner. Sasha Pearl: Malik and I will be holding hands while we struggle through this. We got this though. So the last question is, and I ask all my podcast guests this is if someone were to really know you, what would they need to know about you? Mallika Malhotra: Ha ha ha. If someone were to really, what would they need to know about you? Well, I think my journey, which I have shared with you today, of all this kind of stopping and starting and rebuilding, is they would know that I have like this resilience energy. and I really I'm kind of like This resilience energy with some warmth to it, but also a lot of this tough love practicality kind of all in one. And I think that's Sasha Pearl: Love that. Mallika Malhotra: done me well in my journey of life and kind of how I grew up, where I am now, being an entrepreneur, taking risks, being a have a I'm a mother of three boys, being a parent, all of those things I think. and also I just lost my mom last year. So like going through grief, I think all of those things when I think about the resiliency and that tough love personality, but with also a lot of warmth and love. Would kind of be how people should know me. Sasha Pearl: Mm, I love that. And then how can people connect with you? Mallika Malhotra: Yes, find me on LinkedIn or Instagram. My handle's at the brand CEO. I'm quite often on social, so would love to get to know you there. Sasha Pearl: Awesome. Well thank you so much for being on the podcast, Malika. Mallika Malhotra: Thank you so much. This was wonderful. Thanks.