My life changed after I made this decision

My life completely changed at 22, on a hospital bed.

This is not an overnight success story. It is a story of confusion, struggle, frustration, and self-doubt. But it’s also a story of finding a way when nothing makes sense.

I graduated as a civil engineer from CUSAT, Kerala. By my fourth year, I knew I didn’t want to continue in this field. I had no idea what else to do.

But that was not the main problem.

Everyone around me was figuring out their lives. Some were getting jobs, some were going for higher studies, and basically, they were all moving forward. But I was stuck. Completely lost. I had no plan, no direction, just stress, stress, and more stress. I hated social media at that time, and seeing people posting their happy lives while I was stuck made me feel worse (remember this point).

Because I didn’t know what else to do, I did what many engineering graduates in India do: I decided to pursue an MBA. Without knowing what I was signing up for. Classic move.

I studied for two months, cracked NMIMS, got into their Mumbai campus, booked my flight tickets, packed my bags for the interview, and then life decided to punch me in the face.

Three days before my interview, I fell seriously ill. And just like that, I landed in a hospital bed instead of an MBA campus.

I was shattered. Like, completely. I remember lying in that hospital bed at night, crying under the sheets. I didn’t cry in front of my mom because I knew it would hurt her. But inside, I was breaking. My body was weak. My mind was exhausted. My dreams were gone.

At that moment, everything became clear. I had spent so much time worrying about my future, trying to do what everyone else was doing. But in that moment, none of that mattered. What mattered was my health. What mattered was doing something I actually enjoyed. I didn’t want to just follow the crowd anymore. I wanted to do something that made me happy. And that’s when I decided I would find my own way, no matter what.

But even after that realization things didn’t change overnight. I still felt lost. For weeks, I didn’t step out of my house. I barely ate. I didn’t talk to anyone. I was slipping into something I later realized was depression.

During that time, I started reading a lot. Not for fun, just to escape reality. In the process, I ended up researching different career paths, trying to figure out what's next for me. I started learning about marketing, and I felt I could do it.

I watched YouTube videos and read blogs and the more I learned, the more I felt like… maybe this is it.

No mentor. No guidance. Just me and my laptop.

I decided to learn social media marketing and started with Instagram marketing. It was actually really hard for me to even open Instagram. Every time I did, it brought back all those memories from when I was struggling. (Understood why I asked you to remember this point?)

It wasn’t easy, but I knew that if I didn’t do it now, I might never do it.

So, I created an Instagram page to experiment with organic marketing. Instead of just learning, I was actually doing everything at the same time. That made a huge difference, and honestly, that’s what has helped me the most in my career even now.

My next step was to reach out to potential clients, and I converted two within a few days. I worked with them for two months, and that’s when I realized something.

Learning is not enough. Networking is everything.

And that’s when I landed on LinkedIn.

At first, I was just using LinkedIn to find clients. But then I had a lightbulb moment. Why am I not building my personal brand?

So, I started posting. Sharing what I knew. Showing up consistently.

And THAT changed everything.

Instead of chasing clients, they started coming to me. The opportunities started landing in my inbox. Just because I was putting myself out there.

From LinkedIn, I moved to Instagram. Then YouTube. And with each step, my career took off.

I really felt this when I went to a LinkedIn event for the Malayali community in Kerala. So many people recognized me just because of the personal brand I had built. People were coming up to me, taking selfies, and at that moment, I realized, damn, this is real! It wasn’t just about posting content. It was about the real impact, the real connections. And honestly, I felt so proud.

Today, I am working with clients from 3 continents.

I have a team.

I mentor students.

I have financial stability.

I take global consultations.

I take sessions for institutions.

I create content on social media.

I help people build their brands and grow their careers.

I have freedom. Freedom over my time, my work, my life.

But I am being super honest with you again and again. All these didn’t happen overnight.

It took a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of trial and error, and yes, a lot of failures.

I remember there were moments when I poured my heart into a post or a video, and it didn’t get the response I was hoping for.

Those were tough.

I seriously considered giving up a couple of times.

But if I had given up back then, I wouldn’t be here, writing this newsletter for you right now.

I wouldn’t have the chance to share my story.

Why am I telling you my story?

Because personal branding changed my life.

I went from feeling completely lost, stuck, and confused to building a personal brand that gave me opportunities I never even imagined.

If I can do it, trust me, you can too.

Personal branding is the next big thing.

My mission is to spread this message to as many people as possible.

Just like the name of this newsletter, Learn with Ash, if you’re ready to learn from me, hit that subscribe button and join the community.

Some of you might already be following me on my Instagram Profile, my LinkedIn Profile, and my YouTube channel. If not, check them out; you’ll love it. Especially if you dream of landing amazing opportunities in 2025.

If you’ve read this far, congratulations! You already have the desire to grow and work towards your goals. Now you just need to take action. Also, thank you for reading the first episode of my very first newsletter.

Oh, and if you found any part of this newsletter relatable or inspirational, screenshot it and tag me in your Instagram stories. I’d love to see it!

Have a great week.

Till next time, love,

Aswathy Ushus 💞