Misbah Quadri shares how she has turned into a PR entrepreneur in the midst of Covid-19

“Have you lost your mind?” “Don’t be impulsive” “This is not the right time to take risks”

These were some of the many remarks that came my way when I decided to quit my well-paying, cushy PR job in the midst of a pandemic.

I took the plunge, nonetheless…

Seems surreal.

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” These words have resonated with me for years now.  

Covid19 outbreak which came as a jolt to the entire world, was also an opportunity in disguise. While the unfortunate events can never be overlooked or trivialized, I believe learning to see the bright side of tragedies is the only way to survive such testing times.

I saw an opportunity to work on my dream of setting up my very own PR agency which had been shelved for years now. When Covid threatened to snatch away all our hard work, I, with the selfless guidance of a senior, began tapping into sectors that had received tremendous boost owing to Covid19. Insurance (both general and life), Pharma, Fintech, Edutech, amongst others began faring even better than the pre-Covid times.

I realized that the sudden outbreak of Covid had pushed even smaller brands (labs, startups, etc) into limelight and what they needed was a systematic, well thought of PR strategy for the times to come.

Working on these sectors, investing efforts in bringing in new clientele for my organization made me push my limits further and explore areas that I had always remained wary of. I decided to play it big and begin my very own PR venture because public relations is where my expertise lies. It is what I was born to do. 

Thus came into shape – Minerva Media (a full fledged PR firm). A small attempt at making it large in life. I have on board an all women team as of now – a pack of fierce, strong and ambitious girls working with me to make PR accessible to Indian brands across the spectrum.

Someone had once said and I still hold these words close to my heart, “Instead of freaking out about the ongoing constraints, embrace them. Let them guide you. Constraints drive innovation and force focus. Instead of trying to remove them, use them to your advantage.”

2020 was a year of big changes for me. I not only quit my job, turned an entrepreneur but also moved out of Mumbai – to Goa! I wanted to push my boundaries at all ends and begin again. A new place, no friends, no acquaintances, nothing – me and my laptop working out of a cute little café on the beach. It has been a cathartic experience. Afterall, tough times never last, but tough people do…

The next time you are travelling to Goa for a vacation, you will find me working on a pitch presentation near Arambol beach, while sipping a bottle of chilled Corona!

My life mantra– If not now, then when?

Misbah Quadri set up her own PR firm Minerva Media in November 2020 in Goa