5# - From Asiana's Fashion Editor to Luxury Wedding Empire: Anisha Vasani's Secrets to Building a Show-Stopping Luxury Brand

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She has over 16 years of experience in the wedding industry, including a decade as the editor of the UK's biggest and most iconic Asian bridal publication, Asiana Wedding Magazine. Her exclusive creative wedding consultancy offers services such as luxury wedding planning and event planning, delivering creative direction, liaising with suppliers, and doing personalized styling.

Anisha also offers completely bespoke services based on the client's needs from luxury shopping experiences to on the day bridal styling. She has helped many couples both in the UK and internationally with some of her famous and most trusted clients, including. Bollywood musician, Karnika Kapoor, radio host DJ, Niamh Spencer and influencer, Feryal Mukdoom Khan.

Her unrivaled relationships with the industry's most elite contacts means she has access to makeup artists, photographers, fashion powerhouses, and only the event's finest suppliers. Removing the stress from everyone that's actually going to be creating that dream event. In addition to personal services, she offers PR on influencer marketing experiences to brands to consult and deliver fashion events, trunk shows, working with.

Enormous Celebrity and Influencer Database. So, Aneesha, thank you so much for being here. Oh, Sian. It's such a pleasure. Thank you for inviting me. Oh, thank you for coming. I know it's like in the middle of wedding season now. It is. And you are so busy. So, I'm, I'm just grateful that you're here. Oh, it's my pleasure.

And then obviously, Aneesha, you spoke at my event. earlier this year and I've always been really, really blown away by your journey. Thank you. Because I've followed you for so many years and just what you have done and you're such a powerhouse and I love your energy and I just thought we had to have you on the podcast.

So let's start with Your backstory. And how did you get into the industry? Well, thank you, first of all, for inviting me even onto your event, which was so empowering. and Sean, you know, obviously we come from very similar fields and backgrounds, so you completely relate to my career journey. And, you know, it was at your actual event that I was able to share more of my career story that not a lot of people know.

And that's when I realized I haven't actually shared my career story. Way even before I even joined Asiana, it all started when I was like 16, 17 years old, I always knew that I wanted to be either a presenter, or to be like a journalist, or I wanted to be in the media. And it was only then when I thought, right, I've got to pursue your dream.

And a lot of, you know, some of the generation now don't actually know how they want to pursue or what they want to do. What field of career journey they want to go on, but I knew I wanted to be in the media. I didn't know what at that point, whether I wanted to be a broadcast journalist, which is my dream or to just be a presenter or whether I actually just wanted to go down the fashion route.

So when I was like studying, even just in my GCSEs, I actually went and did a two week work experience at Cineblitz magazine for two weeks. And it was all, as you know, glamor, Bollywood stars, fashion. And that's when I realized that this is the industry that I really belong in. And this is what I wanted to pursue.

So I went into my levels, did really well on that and then decided to, take my, you know, bachelor's degree, in journalism. And it was through my degree that you actually get to then streamline. Whether you want to be a, you know, kind of like a news journalist, a broadcast journalist, a radio journalist, or you want to work, you know, in print.

So I made sure, because at that point I was really confused. I wanted to scope all of them out. So every, you know, holidays I would get, I would go and actually do work experience. Whereas all my friends would be out enjoying their summer holidays. I went and worked for the Daily Mail. I worked and worked for the Daily Mirror.

I went and worked for Closer Magazine, Heat Magazine. then I explored TV. So I was working for BBC Watchdog. I worked for The X Factor, literally just interning for them. And that's when I realized it was only when I went to the Daily Mirror and I was literally thrown in the deep end, in the fashion department, that they were all out, the fashion editor.

The features writer, they were all out on a photo shoot and they said on the first day, you're going to be managing the desk and all the calls. And you need to prepare for the best trends in like the hottest trending belts to, you know, the stylized matching shoes and,matching accessories. So I had to be the person to call all of these people.

So you literally have a fashion monitor and you get the fashion monitor and you have to make the calls. And that's how I developed my confidence. And I managed to do it so well within the first two days that they ended up giving me my own bylines. And that's when I realized I really wanted to pursue my career in fashion journalism.

So when I did finally finish my degree in journalism, I actually then went to the Sunrise Lifestyle Show that was happening at the time, saw the, you know, the current editor at the time and they were looking for an editorial stylist and I hadn't done styling before, but they said that it was a dual role where I'll be able to be on the features desk, styling all the celebrities, but also be able to work in the fashion department as well.

So at the time it was a dream role because it meant that I was able to flourish on my journalist skills, but also be able to, you know, pursuing the fashion and styling side, which I absolutely love. So I was only 23 at the time when I joined the magazine. was there for a whole year, sorry, a whole 10 years, a whole literally a decade.

Yeah. And that's when I then, after that, launched Anisha Vasani Creates. Oh my God, that is just so amazing. I love that journey so much. And I think the thing that stands out, Anisha, is it sounds like it's obviously hard work and discipline, which I think we're from an era, we're both in our 30s, right? So we're from an era where We remember what that's like, like leaving uni, you know, being like disciplined, working hard.

And I think there's obviously a cultural shift now, I think. And I think people think that, you know, they can come become an overnight success of social media. Some people do, very rarely. But how, how do you think like discipline and work ethic has like played into your success, do you think? Oh, completely.

It's definitely the foundation of everything because I believe the more harder you work, the more you'll get results and you will then be able to achieve your dreams. You know, you've got to pursue your dream, but it doesn't come just overnight. As you know, you've got to work hard. You've got to truly love what you do and be passionate about it.

Like every day is so different in what I do. And there's got so much, there's so much versatility. And it's so wide that every day is different. Every event is different, as you know, every celebrity, every photo shoot campaign that you work on is never like the last. And that's what I love about what I do.

And I feel, and that advice I give to everybody is if you don't wake up in the morning and are excited about your job or excited about your day or what you do. And change your career option because you've got to really be passionate. And like you said, you've got to work really, really hard. And my motto is work hard, play hard.

Yeah. And you've got to have that balance because I think if you don't work hard and you don't then have that balance of enjoying your life, then that also is not healthy for you either. Yeah, I completely, yeah, we'll definitely go into that because I completely, agree. And I think also like working hard for us is so different to our parents generation.

Like, I think we come from a generation where our, my, like my parents had like three jobs and they were working so hard, but they never enjoyed them, enjoyed themselves. And I think Asian women now are saying, actually, We do want to put work really like I'm like one of those people, but I think I don't like the word balance, but that is important.

You know, living your life, loving your life is really important. How do you find that? Because if anyone, obviously, Anisha has mentioned, like, I know about events is because I used to also be a wedding planner. Some people might not know that. and I remember doing, events in like Italy, Switzerland. I started doing destination wedding very quickly when I launched my Asian wedding planning company.

And the stress is obviously, as we know with events is wild, like it's insane. and. Obviously, like sometimes, especially in wedding season, there is no balance, there's no boundaries, like it's just go, go, go. So how do you kind of make time for yourself and how do you have those boundaries and like, what does your schedule look like, I guess?

So at the moment we are in full, deep end of the wedding season. We've already done six weddings already. We're very selective in the amount of weddings that we do now. Just to find that balance, I would say so we do about 10 weddings maximum in a year, which I think is great because obviously I've got the creative consulting side side of my business as well.

So it balances out really nicely. And it's just about having a really amazing dedicated team that are there supporting you. because they help to then deal with the admin side or be there on the day to support you. And it's about just working really hard. really well in advance, and you know, if you're not organized and you're not working in advance and you don't have your systems and structure in place, then you can't, there's no way that you can find that balance at all.

And, you know, we don't, we don't have weekends because in events, you're working really late nights, you're working like sometimes, you know, 17 to 20 hours a day from, you're literally on that journey with the bride from start, from the minute you get there, when she goes into hair and makeup right till the end, when all the, the reception is over and we've got a de rig and everyone is then packing down.

So you're literally is full on days. And as we know with Asian weddings, extravagant. So it's a whole week of pre events, civil ceremonies and gates, you know, traditional weddings and receptions. So, you know, that the whole week is going to be, you're fully going to be. engage into one event for this partner group.

And what's beautiful about it is you're on a whole relationship with them from start to finish. And it's a beautiful one. And to see their dream come true, I would say when it all happens and they're so happy and they hug you at the end and even during, you know, that's, I think the most rewarding part, seeing their vision come to life and just knowing that you've been part of that journey to execute it for them.

It's just beautiful. But there's no way that you can produce or plan or coordinate, dream weddings that are extravagant to that, that scale if you don't have the right team in place. Yeah, I completely agree. And coming on to weddings, actually, we've just literally witnessed the Ambani wedding. I think the whole nation, the whole globe, literally the whole world has witnessed the Ambani wedding.

Yeah. And. It's really interesting actually seeing it on Instagram because obviously there's two camps, the ones that are like, Oh my God, it's so amazing. It's beautiful. It's pretty. It's extravagant. There's the other camp who are like, Oh my God, how dare they share their wealth in such a way. in such an insane way.

How dare they invite Kim Kardashian? You've been seeing, right, all the people that have been commenting. There's memes and everything that has been circulating over this last week. It's taken over Instagram, hasn't it? It's literally gone viral on social media. So what are your thoughts on, I mean, I had a really, really big wedding, so I'm not one to, you know, judge, but what are your thoughts on like Asian weddings and the amount of money we spend?

And how do you think it's sustainable moving forward? Like, do you find like couples are spending less money or what are you seeing? So after COVID, we saw after the pandemic, it was really hard and that was probably the most challenging part of our career. Anyone that was in events, I think for the whole world, everything just came to a standstill.

And I think it was not knowing what's going to happen. There was, I know couples that we had to move their, their wedding dates three to four times because The guidelines just like constantly kept changing and it was awful to witness. But I think since then, now we've seen this year that it's all opened up beautifully, everyone we're seeing a lot of destination weddings, more than before.

And I think the reason why couples are going and selecting destination for their wedding, because of the unpredictability of the weather here in the UK. We are in July at the moment and look how awful it is. And brides and grooms have selected these beautiful manor houses with grand, you know, gardens and beautiful, you know, like places where it can be like a staycation for their guests.

And if they're not able to have their event outdoors, unless it's in a marquee, you know. It's just not the same experience and you really feel disheartened for them because Sian, you know, as a wedding planner, we can control anything. We can turn anything around. We have a whole black book, you know, contact, a black book, of contacts for, to resolve anything and find solutions.

But one thing we can't do is control the weather, sadly. And you know, I had to tell my bride like three weeks ago, we're doing a beautiful wedding at the Fairmont Windsor and she's got a heart set on doing the civil ceremony outside. And. We, we, we called it on the week saying, look, it's not going to happen.

It's going to be plan A and plan B. But if we can do plan partial, the, the, some of the events outside partially, we will do it. And as we went to set up the DECO brand and the catering company set up, It poured down with rain again and it's just so disheartening. So I was seeing a lot of huge trend in destination weddings more.

A lot of our suppliers are flying out as wedding planners. We are all being flown out. and with some key suppliers that they want to fly like DJs, hair and makeup artists, photographers, videographers, even some decor and even some, you know, catering companies. So that is trending a lot. We are finding it's a bit of a balance at the moment.

Some couples now, especially the younger generation, they are getting engaged. and they're staying engaged for two to three years, they're saving up for their wedding, but they're doing it very intimate. Some of them are doing it only with 100 people, 150 people. They don't want to invite huge numbers that we used to see back then with, you know, 300 all the way up to a thousand people.

so we're seeing that a lot more. And then we're also seeing where couples now are being very, very selective on how they're doing the wedding. They're not doing them on the seven day week as much. They're just doing it over across three days. A lot of couples are not having their traditional ceremonies.

They're just having their civil, like a pre function, a welcome party. they're doing this one. They're doing the reception. And then we're seeing some on the other scale that are going to town with their weddings and they are still spending, if not. More than they were pre covid and also because the costs have risen.

Cost of rise are not on everything, so, so you know, the venues that used to be getting in London for a set amount of budget now has, it's so, so expensive. And I think that, you know. definitely, I think the wedding industry is here to stay for sure. And I think people are going to continue to spend money on weddings.

Absolutely. I can definitely see there's more quality weddings now. You know, they're going to town on their, you know, food experience. they're doing the afternoon teas, which, you know, you don't see at many weddings. They're going for the bespoke chef experiences, plated food rather than the buffets and, you know, they're going for really extravagant.

Themed, and you know, they actually like looking at then styling themselves according to their outfits. And they really are spending a lot of money more on the hair and makeup artists, their outfits, their jewelry, and not just the brides, the grooms as well, which is really nice to see. And a lot of the couples that we're working with, whereas you used to sometimes make decisions with the parents, both sides of the parents being, you know, part of all the conversations and they still are, but majority we're seeing the shift where the couples are now making.

The decisions. And some couples are being really sensible. They're spending less on their weddings and they're saving up to buy a house. And you can see that, and sometimes they go on pre honeymoons, just like you know, like many honeymoons, and then they're saving up for obviously their big honeymoons because obviously, As you said, costs have gone up.

Yeah. and that I think has had a huge impact on the way that they're making their decisions. But destination weddings are definitely much more popular. We've seen so many more destination weddings this year than ever before. Yeah, because even when I closed down my wedding planning company, I only did a couple of weddings in Italy and Switzerland, but I still get inquiries sometimes.

And I'm like, this is insane. I know, know that it's a massive market. Because the thing with destination weddings is that You know, the bride and groom might not trust Italian suppliers. They may not trust the Spanish suppliers. So they want those trusted suppliers from the UK. And if that means paying a little bit extra to have them there, fly them out, you much rather have that for the biggest day of your life.

Because you just know that it's going to be guaranteed that service. They're going to cater to everything that you require. And you just feel at peace because even some of the couples I've gone for the local suppliers, some of them are amazing. But then you hear about all these disaster stories and it just can make or break a wedding as we know.

And now we're seeing the amazing hype of the Imbani wedding. You know, lots of brides and grooms are feeling under pressure saying, Oh my God, like how many changes did Radhika Merchant just even have? And the kind of scale of celebrities that they had there. Some very questionable, I have to say. It all started off very beautifully and it's so lovely to see, the wealthiest Asian family in the world really showing how Indian weddings should be celebrated.

But let's be real, no other wedding is going to be on that scale for that many days, having that many celebrities. So I feel it did turn into a bit of a media PR showcase, which I think took the, weddings are so personal, takes that personal element, I feel, away. It's all great having celebrities and, you know, famous people singing and performing at your wedding, but it did become a lot, you know, with having all the Bollywood celebrities attending, it seemed like it was more of a PR showcase in the end than not, but I love, because as you know, I love the fashion, I love watching all the fashion.

I love watching how they had, had all the Bollywood stars and had their hair and makeup done, all their jewelry. And that for me was great. And that's exactly what I was sharing stories on of, you know, like doing a little like kind of fashion report of what they were wearing at the wedding for me as because of my background, I loved all that element of it.

Some of them just nailed it beautifully and some of them got it. So wrong. And it's like you need to stack your stylist. This is what I think. I think with the Imbani wedding, it's so interesting because I do think things were questionable, such as I think it was, I think her name is Anita Imbani. She was just, she was, she was holding Kim Kardashian's hand and bringing her down like almost like the Kim Kardashian was the bride and Kim was obviously loving it because she's in her element.

At what point do you think? Asian weddings become too showy or too grand or do you just think that's not a thing? Yeah, because it was, I think nobody understood why she was holding her hand and bringing her into the event and it must have been a wish of one of the children to have Kim Kardashian there.

for sure. And yeah, they can pay to have anyone there. So they did. But I just think that went a little bit over the top for me. Yeah. Normally you'd walk in with your family members, your daughter in laws, your daughter, your family members to walk in. And I think at that point, that's when it went. That's when it was fully questioned over by all the professionals and everyone on social media.

Okay. We know you've got Kim there. We know you've even got some of our ex prime ministers, Boris Johnson, and some of the babas were dancing and it just started to become a little bit over the top, very circusy. And you're just like, it just doesn't need to be like that. And not all weddings are like that.

For anyone that's never seen an Asian wedding before, they're probably thinking, wow, is this what it's like? And it isn't. beautiful rituals and elements that are, I think, really personal and emotional to you. And they're sentimental. And I think they lost moments like that, in the whole kind of Like you said, the circus showcase, I don't think it needed to get to that extreme.

And I still think like, honestly, like I'm, I'm, I'm obviously Punjabi and we love big Asian weddings. And I think it is good to have big weddings. I know there's like a debate, like, you know, Asian weddings too expensive. Should we be having the, but it is our culture and it's how, how we do things. And people If you've got the finances to do it.

Yeah, a hundred percent. Then absolutely go to town with it, you know, but then if you attend a wedding, which isn't so spectacular, but it's got those most beautiful intimate and, you know, it plays with your emotional strings. Sometimes those are the most beautiful weddings, you know, doesn't need to, doesn't, you don't need to show wealth through all the materialistic elements of it.

I think, I think sometimes it's about less is more. Subtle touches that I think make more of an impact than going to town every day. Cause you're just like, how are you going to top this now? How are you going to top Rihanna? How are you going to top Justin Bieber? And they had David Greta doing a big, you know, reception music set, like, you know, so.

I get it. You know, they can do it. They are the most renowned, successful family in the world. It was definitely fun and interesting to watch, purely entertaining. But I just think for me personally, it just lost that little bit of that elegance and that classiness. A hundred percent. I completely agree, Aneesha.

So moving on from the Avanis and talking about confidence, because something that I think I've only met you a few times, but you come across so confident and so, Assertive in a really nice way. By the way. You get assertive. People that aren't very nice don't have good energy. . We know about that. And I just think

Yeah, we'll come to that. And I think, you know, you are very, what's the word? Yeah, assertive, confident, calm. And I know cnce is something that you develop over time. It comes with the experience, it comes with wisdom. But if someone's. struggling with confidence, what would you say to them? Because obviously you meet so many influencers, so many incredible names you've worked with, you've worked with, you know, you work with families who have, you know, big budgets for their weddings.

So how do you think you've developed your confidence? I think I was always confident from a young age. And luckily, because it's all about your The way you've been raised and having really inspirational, mentors in your life from a young age. And my mom is very strong and she's very independent. and so is like my cousin's sister and a lot of my sisters and family members.

And you almost, I looked up to them and used to admire their confidence and their strength. Because as you know, our parents worked really, really hard. They truly grafted, you know, my parents were born in Uganda. So, yeah. My parents were born, my grandparents were born in India and when obviously that whole coup with Idi Amin happened, they had to leave everything behind and overnight they were told that all Indians need to leave Africa.

And when you think about You know, the history and what our families went through. We never felt, me and my brother, my younger brother's six years than me, that we were ever underprivileged. My parents worked so hard and they grafted. And I think that ethos and just witnessing that growing up, I think has basically, you know, you, you, you look at that as inspiration and that's been embedded in you.

So, you know, Sean, I know you don't know me very well, but anyone that you meet that does know me, they know I will graft. I work hard. I'm not shy of working hard. There's nothing that I would ask my team or my assistant or my interns to do that I wouldn't do myself. It means going and making a cup of tea or a coffee or doing things myself as in dressing the celebrities myself.

I will do it. And I think my family always taught me just always remain humble. humble and remain true to yourself and be authentic. But sadly, in this industry, we are judged quite a lot and assumptions get made based on the lifestyle that people think you lead. You know, I've been judged a lot. You know, people have said to me that we, you know, you seem arrogant.

You're not approachable. You're quite intimidating. And that really breaks my heart because I'm not any of those things. And you've made assumptions and judgments based on what you think, you know, just because I was the former editor of a magazine and you're basically portraying me just like, you know, and, you know, in the films, Devil Wears Prada, Or like some of the biggest, you know, magazine editors out there, but I am not like that.

I was young at the time, normally editors are much older, and I learned as I long as I went along the way. So I developed my confidence both, both personally through my family, And, you know, my inspirational role models that were really empowering for me. But then also, when I did all the work experience, I learned that you've got to have confidence.

Otherwise, if you don't have, and it's the right balance of confidence, you don't also want to overstep the mark. You will go unnoticed. So you've got to develop that confidence. And if you truly believe in yourself, because it starts within you, confidence starts within you. If you truly believe in yourself, that confidence will just start to grow and develop.

And that's what happened with me at Asiana. The minute I started doing things naturally, organically, I could see that I was making a transformation with the magazine, even without knowing it. And I wanted to see the change because I wanted to be, I wanted to appeal to my readers of what it was that I wanted to see as the audience or that reader.

What is it that my generation of women want to see? We're working professional South Asian women that love our Western fashion and our designer wear, but we also love our Asian fashion and it was, how do I combine that of the two of our worlds, East meets West, and then. Putting in the magazine where it becomes relatable to my audience.

And then when I knew that's what I wanted to kind of deliver to my audience, that's when everyone started to relate. And suddenly you realize that you've got a voice and you know, you're making a difference. And. I'm proud to say that I was part of that change and that transformation that when any woman, because we used to have the lifestyle magazine and then we used to have the wedding magazine and when they would tear, you know, pages from the magazine and go and give it to their designers or to their hair and makeup artist saying that we want exactly this look or this cover look.

That for me was a proud moment because that was when I feel there was that evolution. Of the change where the South Asian, you know, women could relate and embrace their culture at the same time. Yeah. And be proud of it. I love that so much and I really, really resonate with that. Did you, did you feel fearful when you were ever Adriana?

Because when you are the change maker, the pattern breaker leading the way, being a trailblazer, you know, these things haven't been done before, so you are always the first one to do them. Yeah. Which is quite scary. So did you have any fear that came up for you? Absolutely. I was very young when I was promoted.

So I was working there from 22 to 23 as editorial stylist. And then when my publisher and my managing director at the time had called me into the office and they want to speak to you. I literally thought, Oh my God, I've done something wrong and I'm going to get some sort of warning or maybe they're going to get rid of me.

And they sat me down and they said, Aneesha, we have been observing you, for a few months now and we really feel, you know, you are now ready for the next step. And I said, what step is that exactly? And they're like, and you know, I'm so nervous and I'm, my heart's beating so fast and they're like, we want to promote you too.

And I thought they're going to say, fashion editor, because I've gone from editorial stylist to, you know, editorial director to then the next, the next promotion is fashion editor. And they said to be the editor of the magazine. And honestly, Sian, I froze at the time. My whole body went numb. I can still see it like it was yesterday.

And that feeling was just like, I thought I was having like in a dream. And I said, Do you mean me? You mean me? I'm, I'm only 23 years old. There's no way I can be the editor of the magazine. And no, I'm not ready to do this. It's a huge responsibility. Like, and I'm not ready for this yet. I've got so much to learn and grow.

And I was evolving in my journey. And they said, Anisha, you've been transforming the magazine with the design, the layout, the content, the photo shoots, you know, you've been out networking, you've been the ambassador of the magazine already without even knowing on it. And you are the perfect phase. And We think this is perfect for you.

And I was like, I don't think I'm ready for this. So at the time I said, can I go away and think about it? I need to speak to my parents. And they said, absolutely sleep on it. Come back. And when I went and told my family and friends, they were absolutely like just so happy for me. And they said, you cannot, you know, you've got to take this opportunity.

Don't turn it down and just, just go with it. And I was thrown at the deep end and I had to learn a lot very quickly. But a lot of it because it just came so natural. it just happened, but there were moments where people had been part of the team for so many years, Sian. I was one of the youngest and I was a woman.

Yeah. That wasn't easy. Then suddenly telling, you know, a group of men what to do that are much older than you, and there's someone then coming in as a female who's younger. in a senior role now telling everybody what to do. That was really hard. And it came with those challenges. It wasn't easy. You know, things were not always taken, you know, direction and, you know, when we, we would, I would want something done.

It wasn't always, there was a lot of opposition and it, at times it got really, really challenging, but it was like, okay, we are all one team. We're either going to work on this together. Let's do it. So that you guys are happy. I'm happy. And we're getting the results of the magazine. And it's finding that that middle ground of I will respect you, but then I would love it if you could respect me back and earning that respect.

And then it was fine. But along with that, you know, as they say, it gets much lonelier at the top and it's a cliche saying, but it's a popular saying. And the more I think the success rises, the more you see who your true friends are and you know, even your industry associates at that point, there's two or three kinds of people you're going to meet.

There's going to be people who are going to see what they can get from you. and how they can use you, to get where they need to get to in life. and I always used to see the good in everyone. I still do. I think it's the Libran in me. and then there's other people that will be really friendly to your face, but will then be, I think, like basically not being very nice about you and talking about you behind your back.

Or there's those people that I just threatened by you, intimidated by you and don't want to see you succeed, which is really, really sad. And I'm a big advocate just like yourself about women supporting women. And that's when you asked me to come on this podcast, I said, I've got to do it because I want to support you like you supported me.

You know, when I had my fashion bunch, you come to support me when you had your event, I came to speak. And I think more and more women need to do that because I've seen it all. It's not been nice. And those are probably being the down. I think the downside of our industry, because as you know, it's very cutthroat, but you've got to be very, very thick skinned.

And it really used to get to me, Sian. I used to really care what people used to think. Anything bad that was said about me, it really used to affect me mentally and emotionally. But now I think I've just grown stronger from that and you're not going to be able to be everyone's best friend and you're not going to be everyone's cup of tea.

And, you know, You have to just make peace with that. And the people that want to know you and know you for your authentic true self will know the beautiful soul that we are. And the ones that don't, I just say, you know what, it's your loss. Karma. Karma completely. And that's, that's probably the the hardest challenging part of my career is seeing people go, come in, come into life.

I think that's so interesting that you say that, Aneesha. And I completely resonate with that because I think what you said about assumptions is so true. Like people have, I mean, I don't know what the assumptions are about me out there, but I'm sure people have their assumptions about me. And obviously you said people had assumptions about you.

And I think the thing is that people also sometimes forget that we are like human beings and we have emotions. We are not these people that are like, you know, super, super, super thick skinned or like robots or we don't feel anything like we do. And I think the thing is when you become more and more successful, like the stakes are so high, the pressure is more, you know, like I always feel it around, you know, anything I launch or my events.

Like I think, you know, I've had. So many thoughts before events like, is it going to go well? Is it going to run on time? You know, just so many things. And I think it's sad when especially Asian women don't support other Asian women. And I genuinely believe there's enough out there for everyone. Absolutely.

There's enough food out there for everyone to eat and just support one another. Because when you support one another, You know, amazing things happen. You can collaborate with people. You can connect with people. You can grow your business. You know, you don't know who's going to pass on that connection.

And that, that lead to you just by networking, just by meeting people, just by supporting people. And that's why when I left Asiana, I was always forever seeing a lot of wedding. events. And to be honest, it was quite overwhelming. There was so much out there for the brides, but there was nothing out there at the time for women, businesswomen, just female entrepreneurs, or just women that love fashion and love shopping.

And that's why I launched the Fashion Brunch with that very, strong message that I want to launch on International Women's Day. I've just obviously celebrated my fifth year. And it was, and it's growing, you know, more and more every year and it's been evolving and all the women love to come to it.

And the reason why I wanted to do it was because I always encourage women, whether I'm mentoring or whether I'm creatively, you know, directing and styling all my campaigns for my clients, you've got to support each other. And I love bringing like newer small businesses that have emerged. with the more established businesses and sharing and getting them on the same platform because they love, and they learn and they look up to all these established designers as inspiration.

And then you're on the same platform as them. And I love it. And when I do. like creatively direct and plan the fashion branch. One thing that is the most rewarding is seeing how many connections people make with one another during that and how much they learn and how much they feel empowered. And hence why I have so many mentors to come on to really, really help them.

Whether it's mentally that you're struggling, emotionally, physically, they are then, I hope everyone takes away something from it. Just like your event, you know, it's so empowering to see. And it's lovely how much women are supporting women, but there's still that percentage of women that are not supporting.

They're trying, but then you see, and you're just like, I don't want to be judged anymore. Please get to know me. Yeah. I'm not intimidating. I am approachable. I am just as friendly. We are just human. We go through day to day things that every other woman or, you know, any human goes through. And we've just, like you said, women with feelings and emotions.

Yeah. So please just get to know us. And if you hear anything, let us know. Why don't you pick up the phone, get it all, you know, straightened out, be transparent, have those awkward conversations rather than holding it in. Because when you hold it in, you know, the only person that's going to be your biggest enemy in that is yourself.

Yeah. By letting it get to you. So go on that spiritual journey. I've been, I've become very spiritual over the last few years, Sian, and I think that's been my biggest awakening is to make peace with yourself. Can you share a little bit about that? Yeah. Cause I went on the. When I first left Asiana, it was a real struggle because I worked in this big team, this, I've had this amazing lifestyle for 10 years.

Suddenly that goes, then you're not got a team, you're suddenly working on your own and you're having to do everything on your own. You play all, you play all the, like you have to wear all these hats now that you're, you're, you're managing your accounts, you're managing your social media, you're managing your marketing, you have to go out, you have to show up all the time.

You've got to be visible. So it's like. You've got, if you're not ready in that mental and emotional headspace, you're not going to be the best version of yourself to be able to focus and deliver on what you need to do. So I went on the Art of Living course, which my cousin's sister at the time advised me to go on.

and to go with, you know, Sri Ramachandra and go on that spiritual journey was amazing. So I feel like when I meditate now and when I breathe and do my breathing in the morning, It completely changes and transforms my day. Because it's the way you think when you manifest saying, I'm going to have an amazing day.

Everything's going to work out for me. You've already got it. That truly transpires. It really does. It honestly, you send it to the universe and the universe brings it back to you from a day when you're constantly miserable, you're whining. or you're moaning and you're just not showing gratitude. You know, there's so many people out there that are so far worse off.

You know, they don't have foods over their heads. Like, look at what's going on with Palestine at the moment. It's so heartbreaking. Be grateful every day you're waking up and a bed, you're getting fed, you're, you've got a roof over your head and you're working, right? Just be grateful. I think when you show gratitude and you actually implement that into your manifestation and your meditation every day, it is honestly, it just transforms your day.

I love that so much. Oh, it's so amazing. And yeah, I've definitely been on my spiritual journey. And I think it just helps, isn't it? Because when, what I felt is when I first started my wedding planning business, I felt like, cause I was really like, you know, building it up from the ground and it felt like so much pressure just on me.

to make this succeed. And I, I don't come from like a well off family at all. And after our wedding, like I really didn't have much money at all. And I've been really honest and open about this story. And I remember I started getting into the manifestation work, spirituality work. And I think having, Being spiritual, believing in the universe, God, or whatever you believe in, you know, what your faith or your religion is.

It just takes that pressure away from you, knowing that like there's an outside force who wants you, you know, the universe wants you to succeed. The universe loves you. You are a child of God. And just having that is so powerful because it's not just then all on you. You are playing in like the quantum field and people are supporting you and people are helping you out there.

Like, I truly believe that. You know, we all have an ancestral team. We have angels, we have guides. I know this sounds really crazy. I believe in it, all of it as well. And do you hear sometimes their voices? Oh yeah, my ears will constantly ring. Constantly, you're being guided. If you really, truly go deep into it, they will be, I call it my, my spirit guide or my angel will constantly be telling, Do that or don't do that.

Mm. And you'll just get the answer you need. And sometimes I'm, I'm guilty of this as well. We don't follow our intuition enough. Yeah. You are always being guided and you are always being, you know, told whether this is a right or wrong thing to do, and you get those butterflies in your stomach and you get that not in your stomach.

That is your intuition. Trust it, it will never, ever misguide you. Mm. You know, it is, is there for a reason and I think your intuition always is telling you. What is the right way to go? But I believe it. You have got our amazing angels and our spirit guides and our beautiful ancestors, whether it be our grandparents or, you know, anyone that we've lost, they are always guiding you and trust the process.

God has a plan for everybody. Just trust it. Your time will always come. And you know what? I think God doesn't give you anything that you're not resilient enough to have. And we've, I've had to really become resilient. over the years. Cause it's not easy being in this industry and juggling so much. And you know, when everyone says to you, how do you plan events, plan weddings, do PR and marketing to influence the marketing and then do all the creative campaigns.

But that's all I ever have known, Sean, from when I was at Asiana, I was presenting on Asiana TV. I was directing the catwalks. I was producing two significant magazines, Asiana Lifestyle and Asiana Wedding at the same time. That's all I ever knew. And then was going out in the evening and networking whether it would be attending awards or gala dinners.

So if you've only had that embedded in you for the past 10 years. It's going to be a no brainer for you to then adapt it into your business. So that's why when I left the launch Anisha Vasani Creates, which has been running now for eight years, I knew very clearly right at the beginning that I am going to, you know, call it a creative consultancy because you can create anything bespoke for whatever your client wants.

wants you to create. Secondly, I love that I've got a wide scale, and variation where I'm working with my B2B clients, but I'm also working with the consumers. So when, like one of my fashion brand brands has launched a beautiful campaign, I can then direct that bride and say, Oh my God, they've got the most amazing collection, the most amazing jewelry, and it works.

And they trust me because they know I've worked with that brand. I know how their ethos or their processes work. I can then guide them truly and give them the most best advice because I'm dealing with the brides. And then I can then pass that feedback for what the bridal couples want to my industry. So I feel I've got that lovely position in between where I can communicate with.

Both of them, and transition both, like, beautifully with both of them as well. Anisha, you're one of a kind, honestly. I don't know how I do it though. The work, the work you do is honestly incredible. I've always been a big fan of your work. And I think it's so funny that you said about assumptions. I keep coming back to this.

I remember, like, when I met you, because obviously I knew about you before, for a really long time. And I think our, just our paths didn't cross. And then we went to that event in December at the Houses of Parliament. And I, I must admit, I was a little bit, and I think with me, and this is the work that I need to do, so this is totally on me, I am always, because I have been burnt in the past, through various business relationships, I'm very, very wary of my network.

you know, who I speak to, who I don't speak to, you know, I don't have loads and loads of friends in the industry. I have amazing community. I have amazing, lots of amazing clients, and they will show up for me. But if we look at like, you know, really kind of businessy friends, I don't know, I don't have loads to be really honest.

I'm well connected and people will show up for me, which is absolutely incredible. But I remember being at that event and, I saw you and you came up to me and, you know, Before that I was a bit like, Oh, like, I'm not sure, like, you know, what Aneesha is going to be like, but not like, you know, not anything like, Oh, she's going to be really nasty, nothing like that.

And then like, you were just so nice. And the gut feeling I got from you, because I always go on gut feeling and you were like, Oh, you know, I'd love to come and speak at your event. And I remember we exchanged a few messages on WhatsApp and on WhatsApp, you are quite, cause I'm, if you'd like message me on WhatsApp, I'm always very chatty, but with you, you're very, and I can understand why you're like this because so busy.

And I'm sometimes like that with my team because my team had feedback for me last year. They were like, sometimes like you send like messages like really short and abrupt and I'm like, Oh my God, I don't mean to be like that. It's just that I've got so much going on. I need to get the brief over to them.

And. I just knew that you were a really nice person and obviously you did such a fantastic job at my event and obviously I came to the brunch and I loved it and now obviously you're back on my podcast and I think sometimes like we have to let go of the assumptions that we have of people to progress because I think sometimes, you know, I speak to so many different people from so many different walks of life and what I've learned is don't assume anything about anyone.

Don't assume that they don't have money, don't assume they have money, don't assume they're gonna invest. Don't assume that they will invest and same about personalities. Just don't assume anyone until you've actually met them and you don't make judgment. Yeah, I think don't make judgments. You know, somebody else's experience with that person will be their experience with that person.

And there's always two sides to every story and they will base it on one kind of version and of their perspective of what they went through with that person. But when you then explain your perspective and what you have, and I've had this with a lot of. other female entrepreneurs like you, that now I'm so close with, but they had their reservations with me based on what other people had experienced or what other people had said.

But when then that topic arises and you explain it from your side, yes, there's certain things you could have probably done a bit better. And I think you're always learning and evolving. No one's perfect. I'm not perfect. You're not perfect. Perfect doesn't exist. But it's how do you learn from that experience, turn it around and make it into a better experience to be the best version of yourself.

And energy, Sian, is everything. You can literally pick up someone's energy just by talking to them. In the first five minutes, you just know, but you don't want to judge them even on that because they might be having a bad day or a good day. You almost want to give them that chance. I say, don't literally rule out anyone until you've given them a chance.

And, you know, I like to sometimes give, you know, one, two, three chances to me because that's the person I am. I'm very forgiving and I'm I like to see the potential in people. Yes, sometimes it comes to bite you back in, you know, the ass, but you know, you've just got to, I think, go with it. But the other thing I'd say is I've also been burnt.

Yeah. So I understand completely because that's why your guard goes up when people have burnt you through business relationships and, you know, business partnerships, even people that you thought were your closest of closest friends and they let you down. It really hurts because you've not only just lost a business partner, you've lost that amazing business connection, but you also lost a friend.

And it really, really, that for me, I think has been the hardest, how to separate the friendship with the business relationship. But now I can say, as they say, as you get older, you can, you can count. Your true, genuine friends, best friends on your hand. And I started off with having thousands of friends, which then went down to a hundred friends and now I've got a handful of friends.

I know I can call them at any point and they will be there for me and they'll be there to guide, support and give me the best advice and true advice. Sometimes even advice that you don't want to hear, but they'll just keep it very real with you and keep you grounded. And I think once you stay grounded.

I think there's just a beautiful, you can just be, show up for yourself all the time. And if you're not okay, it's okay not to be okay. Ah, yes. It's okay. Because now with social media and the pressures of social media, you feel you've got to live this certain lifestyle. Mm. And I think the more and more people are sharing their bad days or things that are relatable or life experiences they've gone through.

The more and more you're seeing a different version of that person, and the more and more people are actually resonating with these people. And I think we sometimes get so fixated in, you know, portraying this beautiful, industry and social media life, which we know doesn't exist. No, and I completely agree.

I'm, me and Kajal were just talking about that before you came into the studio. I think that. I think social media can be so dangerous because of the reasons you said people curating a specific lifestyle and then people feeling bad because they're like, Oh, I don't have this lifestyle, or I'm not always happy, or I'm not always joyful, but actually life is gonna life.

I used to think, honestly, Anisha, like eight years ago, nine years ago, I used to think once I'm successful, once I've got everything sorted, my problems are going to go away. I just used to think that there was going to be this magical day that was going to arrive. I'd be successful and that's it. But what I've actually realized is As especially as Asian women, as we evolve as women in business or in our life, life is gonna life.

Life is gonna throw so many challenges, especially when you've got Asian parents. You know, you might have family members that pass, you know, women, I've worked with so many women that, that are not Asian. have, you know, fertility issues. And, you know, all these things come together. And I just think the more we can be open and honest and not pretend everything's perfect, it's so much better because people then believe this lie of perfection.

And that's why at my event, I actually, I never shared it on Facebook. Instagram, because some of my family members didn't know, but I ended up in hospital at the end of last year with a really bad infection, like, for five days before Christmas, and I had to share it at my event. And it's more about who you become from those challenges rather than, oh, look at me, I'm so perfect.

Because last year I had, you know, a really bad year, like my uncle unexpectedly died, who we didn't used to talk to. So that had a lot of guilt. And then my brother in law passed away. Nearly died. He ended up in ICU and they were like, he's going to go. Then I ended up in hospital. It was just honestly such a bad, bad, bad year.

And I think from that, you wouldn't really know if You saw me on social media because things are still running. It's just the type of business I've built up where things still run if I'm not around. But I think that we need to be honest about challenges because we all have challenges. We all have shit going on in the background and we just don't win.

It's not all gonna be on social media. And of course, but you know some things there's not a place on social media. Like we had a, fortunately we had a recent deaf in the family. someone, you know, passed away who was really, really, really, really young, but it's not right to put that on social media because you want to respect the parents.

Because there's certain things that you do want to keep private. Yeah. And you don't want to share everything and anything on there and that's okay. Yeah. and some people just want to put, you know, be out there to represent their brand. I get that. But don't, don't feel pressurized by social media.

Social media is great. And as you know, it's a big part of what I do in terms of my campaigns and PR and marketing, but it's always great to be visible for your brand. It's great to have, you know, consistency and always just showing up and showcasing your brand in the best way that you can, but don't always feel the pressure that.

These people or group of people or this one person is leading the life I want. Be inspired by it for sure. But don't pressurize yourself because you want it so much that you drive yourself insane because it can affect you mentally and emotionally. So sometimes if you're ever feeling on a low and it's just getting all overwhelming, just have a social media detox.

I had one, in December. I completely went off Instagram, went away on vacation and came off my social media for three weeks. And it was the best thing that I did. And then you come back in the new year, start fresh and just think, right, these are, you know, the beautiful things I'm grateful for in my life.

Make a list. And these are the things that, you know, I want to achieve. Do a vision board, a mood board, like, you know, you encourage all your, clients to do. And that's it. Manifest it. You know, and just hit the ground running in your own pace. Don't compare your timeline with somebody else's timeline, because we're all on our own journey.

All of us. I 100 percent agree with that, Aneesha. And also there's this pressure now, isn't there? Like, we see a lot of successful YouTubers like in their 20s. I sometimes look at YouTubers and I'm like, Oh my God, if I had access to that, like when I 20s. You know, I don't know where I'd be now, but there is this pressure.

Like, it's like a race. And I think in the Western culture, we really encourage that. You know, it's a race, success is everything, hustle is everything. And I think, yeah, those things are important in life, of course, but don't forget to live your own life because that's just, that's what it's all about at the end of the day.

Exactly. And make time for your family members. Your parents are getting old, you know, we're getting older, our health, I don't feel. as healthy as I did back then. And I know I've got to work harder. And it's about having that balance to make time for yourself to be the most healthiest and be the most, you know, fittest in terms of your mind to your physical body.

Cause sometimes we take our bodies for granted. We do. We're just on the, you know, adrenaline run all the time, going from this event to that event or producing this event. or doing this and we're overworking sometimes not getting enough rest. And then what happens to me? I crash, I burn myself out so much that I crashed that, that now this year, I promise myself I'm going to be very selective with who I work with, where I go, what events I attend.

And if it's not going to benefit me or the brand or in any way, or I can't benefit somebody by going and adding value. then sometimes it's okay just to say no. Because you burn yourself out. When you burn yourself out, you're not good to then anybody and then it affects your work and your impact. And I really want to spend more time with my family and friends and, you know, really want to focus on that because everyone's like, Oh, she's such a career woman.

does she even have time? for her family and friends or a relationship. Yeah, I do. Just because I don't showcase it to the world that we're doing that. Cause sometimes your family members don't want to be on social media and they don't want to be part of the world. And that's when you're showing up.

You're just being, I'm just being Aneesha at those events. I'm not here as Aneesha Vasani creates. I'm just here as Aneesha Vasani today. Yeah, I love that so much. And you're so true as well. Like my husband does not want to go on socials. He's a very private person. He works in the professional world. He, you know, he doesn't want to do reels of me or take pictures.

He just doesn't want to. And, and I think that's the other thing about assumptions. You just don't know what. What people are doing in their lives because, you know, not everything needs to be shared. And that's everything. Yeah. You don't need to share your every minute. I had this for breakfast and then I had this for lunch and then I went and had this for dessert.

We all used to do it. We were all guilty of like literally like just scanning our iPhones onto our food. But not everyone wants to know that. And some people do and sometimes you're going to be invited on press days where you're going to go to restaurants or you're going to go on, you know, beautiful holidays or lovely properties and it's okay to share things that you feel are going to add value.

And if somebody does want to, you know, ask you where was that restaurant or where was that beautiful stay, then that's fine, but do it with the right intentions when you're posting always do it with the right intentions. Yeah, I love that so much. Aneesha, time has flown by. We could sit here talking to you forever.

I know. Now I just feel like we just need a cup of coffee and just to catch up, right? Because we just, this is the thing, we don't get to see each other as much when we're in the industry. And it's just been so lovely to be on this with you because I feel like, you know, you've, when you've got so much to share and even at your event, I was so overwhelmed with the amount of people that queued up afterwards just to come and say hello because they resonated and, you know, they felt it was okay to be approached, for me to be approached and to talk to me and ask me whatever we can do.

Cause you know, PR and marketing is My forte and with what the amazing work you do with your clients, I can then help them in the next stages. How do you market yourself? How do you put yourself out there where you can create the most amazing, social media campaigns? Because as we know, Sean, our Instagrams are now our website and you need to have amazing content.

So I always encourage brands, and I know you do too, invest in your marketing. You will forever grow when you see that return coming back in, but you have to invest in it initially to create this amazing content and visibility in terms of your social media, because now your consumers, your clients, your brides, whoever they are, they're going straight away onto your Instagram.

And if your Instagram doesn't showcase or represent your brand in the best way, then you're not doing it justice. Thank you. Yes. And that's when you're then going to get into your loophole. And that's why we encourage influencer marketing as well, because I feel, and I've tried and tested it, as you know, you've got to go with the right influencer that is aligned with your brand.

A hundred percent. Because there's different types of influencers there. There's different influencers that are just focused on beauty and fashion and jewelry, but then there's, Food content creators, and then there's, you know, you know, travel content creators, so you've got to find the influencer that is right for your branding and the influencers that you feel are authentic and are going to get the true engagement that you really require.

But PR like cross PR marketing, I think is great. I've tried and tested it on my own events with my own campaigns. When you collaborate with that influencer and with your brand, you are then literally. showcasing your brand and marketing your brand to their audience and vice versa, their audience is also then now going to come on to your audience.

And that's why it's so powerful. It's the new way. And I had to do the whole transition as well, because it was all before when you're invited to an event, it was always, we're going to invite the press, the editors. Now it's press, editors, bloggers, but also leading business mentors, that are doing so well in their networking groups because they are just as powerful like your network group, my network group, and so many other people's networking groups are out there.

And when you see them all come together, especially at the fashion branch, I love it because they're all bringing their groups. To connect with other groups and other individuals. And that's where it grows. And I feel that's why networking is also so important. You just don't know where that lead or that connection is going to come from.

You just don't know. So I would definitely, my three, three tips of advice would be influence marketing, invest in your campaigns and your content marketing. It's really important and also go to as many networking events as you can, because that's also when you're going to establish those networks that can also increase in your business as well.

And I know you probably echo all of this to your clients. And this is how, again, look, we connected through that. So we are the perfect example. So that's why I definitely would advise. And if you're not sure, and some people have had really bad experiences with influencers, and likewise, influencers have had really bad experiences with brands where they've told, they've been told, you know, they've done their deliverables, they're going to, they've been told they're going to get paid and they don't, and vice versa.

They've reached out to an influencer, sent them the item or the product to create reels, and then don't hear from them again as well. So that's why, I always say I'm that in between person that's going to protect the brand, but also protect the influencer. And it's okay, you know, the agreements are all in place.

You're going to get your fees that have, has been approved. And it's my, then my responsibility to ensure that the influencer delivers on everything that you wanted them to. And vice versa, you then also as a client deliver for the influencer. And we've got that agreement. So I'm the middle person that comes in, that's got a good relationship with both of the people and then.

make sure that everyone delivers and everyone is happy. And that's why managing celebrities and influencers isn't the most easiest. But once you build a rapport with them, it's about trust. That trust element is always going to be there. And then they're going to be willing to go above and beyond for you because you've built up that relationship with them.

So, you know, we take that stress away so you don't have to. And we're very, very honest about their following, who's authentic, whose engagement works.who's converted for my brands and businesses before. And we will always say, and these are the ones that we highly recommend. So it definitely, definitely works.

And I definitely, yeah, would say definitely, definitely invest in doing things like that. Those three elements. I 100 percent agree. I'm such a big advocate for investing in yourself and your brand. So everything you're saying, Anisha, is absolutely right. music to my ears. And obviously the work that you do is amazing.

I'm sure we've got a campaign. We've got to do this. We've got to do, but watch this space, right? Cause we were wanting to do something together for a while. So how do we get together and create something that's going to be super important. Yeah. I can't wait. So watch the space guys. But Anisha, it's been such a pleasure.

Time has literally flown by. Yeah. And we've literally, literally gone an hour when we said we're going to go 30 minutes. but where can everyone find you? so I, you can follow me on my Instagram handle, which is, Anisha Vasani Creates. and there you'll be able to see all my, work, all the recent events I'm doing and managing the PR and marketing for.

My website is www. anishavasanicreates. com. And yeah, just feel free to connect, DM me, message me, and I'd love to work with you all and create magic. Aw, thank you so much, Nisha, for being here. It's been a pleasure. Thank you.