In terms of overall growth and revenue, brand building is one of the most important aspects determining popularity and success of firms as well as leaders these days. Started in 2014, Morning Star Brandcom is presently one of the leading PR & Business Advisory firms providing an array of customized services such as PR services, Business Coaching, Communication Strategy, and so on to its clients. A seasoned Brand Consultant and Communication Strategist, Chetna Israni is one of the Co- Founders as well as the Director of Morning Star, leading the firm on the Business, Talent & Communication Strategy front. A licensed Business Coach as well as a strong believer in Women Empowerment, Chetna has made sure to make the workplace safer, women-friendly, and flexible and has been instrumental in the firm’s consistent growth. In an exclusive interview with Women Entrepreneur, Chetna shares her journey, early education and prior industry experience, the underlying idea behind starting Morning Star, and much more.

Take us through your early educational journey & the prior industry experience that you bring to the table.

Being a high scorer, I was pushed into HSC (Science) as a natural choice. When I was expected to be interested in chemical equations and the laws of physics, I found my calling in communication. Mumbai University had, to my absolute good luck, announced a new degree in mass media (BMM) in the early 2000s. So I did my Bachelor of Mass Media in Advertising from Mumbai University.

Alongside college, I worked part-time at a market research firm. From Colgate and Dove to Wheel and Whisper, I had the good fortune of working on some of the best FMCG brands. Armed with a specialized degree in Advertising and three years of research-backed understanding of consumer behavior, I hit the ground running. Between 2007-13, I worked across brands as a brand planner and client servicing manager at one time and a new business specialist and key account manager at another. In 2013, I rose to be the Business Director of New Acquisitions and Key Accounts at a media company.

What led you to Co-Found Morning Star? Tell us about the underlying idea behind the firm & its most unique features?

It was an inimitable combination of choice and chance that led my partner and me to conceive the idea of MorningStarBrandCom. My Co-Founder and partner, Gaurav Jain was already on his entrepreneurial journey since 2010 and had pitched the idea of a brandcom agency to me a few times. In 2013, after I gave birth, I was at home for six months and that gave me a lot of time and opportunity to think things through. Gaurav and I went through a series of discussions to find our niche. Finally, in 2014, we started Morning Star BrandCom together.

We are an eight years old PR and Business Advisory firm and provide our clients (ranging from startups to MNCs), an array of services ranging from PR to business coaching to communication strategy. All our services trace back to reputation management and business growth.

Throw some light on the various roles and responsibilities that you shoulder as the Co- Founder of Morning Star? What are some of the most pressing business challenges that you face in your current role & how do you mitigate these challenges?

Both of us have complementary skill sets. While Gaurav is a pure PR – Media person and can handle execution like a pro, I am an out-and-out business and strategy person. After an interesting mix of assignments in the last 14- 15 years, I have come to realize my true strength lies in building systems and people to achieve business goals. Therefore, at Morning Star BrandCom, while Gaurav holds the fort when it comes to media relations and client servicing, I am responsible for new business and talent at the firm on the one hand and communication strategy for our clients on the other, which is a good balance. It allows us to stay true to our purpose and maintain checks and balances.

Being a young organization and low on visibility, sometimes we face trouble getting the right price for our services, attracting the right talent, and ensuring we stay profitable. I have found the best way to mitigate these is to play to our strengths. We have come this far purely on the back of solid work ethic, stellar client servicing, and glowing recommendations. Another major challenge we faced was during the pandemic where the uncertainty affected client spending. However, we saw this as a time to repair the nets, and today, we have emerged stronger and are armed with a ton of learning.

What are some of the most significant milestones that you have achieved in your professional journey? What has been the driving force behind your success as a business leader?

Having our key clients still being with us for over five years is something I am proud of the most. There is no greater validation than when clients continue to instill their faith in us repeatedly. The other milestone was when clients turned into ambassadors and referred new businesses. We find ourselves placed between the big names and the small boutique set-ups. We have a unique service portfolio, and high-value delivery at a fantastic price point. The driving force behind my success is something I follow in every aspect of my work – business advisory, coaching or consulting, or simply just client servicing and people management. It is to leave them better than I found them.

“We don't need feminism to prove our strength to the world. We just need the world to change the way they perceive our strength”

What would your advice be to young women & girls who also aspire to become business leaders & entrepreneurs in the future?

The advice I would like to give to young women is to stop trying to be a man at work. Be the woman you are. We’re naturally gifted and mostly better at a lot of things. The universe trusted us enough to birth life. There is nothing you cannot do. Keep being you! Truly successful women are generous. When they find a door, they hold it open for others. Remember to keep paying forward. This is the only way we create a better world for other women in the workplace.

Chetna Israni,  Co-Founder & Director,  Morning Star Brandcom

In an accomplished career spanning 14 years in various sectors such as marketing, brand consulting, business and organization development, Chetna has worked for some of the most reputed names in branding, research, advertising, communication, PR, and Media, and is presently working as the Director & Co-Founder at Morning Star. A seasoned growth hacker and solution agent, Chetna is an alumnus of IIM Calcutta’s program in Communication Strategy for Corporate leaders and is also the University topper in Mass Media.