Nyeree Viegas doesn’t limit her style to one niche (as her bio suggests). She loves to experiment with fashion, nutrition, travel, décor and more. She makes sure that her followers are updated with the best that travel, food, and stay can offer.
She’s easily one of Goa’s top influencers. So let’s get started.
Humans of Goa is our original and official series that shares inspirational stories from the lives of Goans.
Let’s get a glimpse of her life.
Tell us about yourself…
I’m a 20 something lover of all things aesthetic. I love good design, whether it’s a piece of art, furniture, product packaging or even a well color-coordinated Instagram feed. If you look at my Instagram feed, you’ll notice I can’t stick to one genre. That’s exactly how I am in real life too, I have too many interests and I’m always working on the next great idea.
What was that one moment when you decided that, “That’s it! I want to become an influencer”
I didn’t decide, I made my first social media account on hi5 when I was just 12 years old, and I loved the process of taking photos and talking about my hobbies and interests, so when Instagram came into the social media scene back in 2012, I was one of the first few to make an account there and because I was so active and kept posting aesthetic content as compared to regular photos, I quickly gained a following. I didn’t have any content strategy in mind or any plans to turn it into a career, it just happened on it’s own. People were interested in what I had to say and I definitely loved being active on the platform, so it worked out.
Why become an influencer? Why not something else?
I wouldn’t call myself an ‘Influencer’ because everyone to some extent is an influencer. My grandmother who recommends a tailor to her friends is technically ‘influencing’ them to go to that particular tailor. The only difference is that I have an audience of 14k people.
I’m an entrepreneur by profession, I run my own Content and Media company and Content Creation is something I enjoy doing on the side as a creative outlet.
To answer the “Why not something else?” I’ve done my MBA from XIME Bangalore, I’ve worked in marketing for ad agencies, I started my own travel venture at the age of 25, I do thrift sales at least once a year and contribute to animal shelters, I’ve worked as a product stylist, an art director, a graphic designer. I love to learn and I don’t stop at one profession.
A bit about your role models. Any aspects or traits that makes them so…(can be from fashion, media, anywhere)
I have different role models for different aspects of my life. When it comes to work, I look up to my late father. He built a thriving business empire from scratch and that always inspires me. When I look at my mother, I’m awed by the way she has overcome so many hardships and has managed to adapt to every situation and obstacle thrown at her.
They say dream big, but both my role models are the people who raised me and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Two other strong women I really admire are (1) Michelle Obama, she’s opened up so many doors for women of color and used her platform and influence to help people and bring about a positive change in the world and (2) Sudha Murthy – I just think she’s really badass and was so ahead of her times back in the day. She’s also dabbled in so many professions and excels at them all.
I’ve also had the opportunity to meet her and was awed by how down-to-earth she is and that’s something I really respect.
What was the biggest challenge when pursuing this as a fulltime career? And how did you overcome it?
Content Creation isn’t something I do full-time. Instagram and YouTube are both creative outlets for me. It’s something I enjoy doing and yes, I do earn from it. But it’s not my primary source of income. A challenge I faced and still face in Content Creation is that I’m always looking out for perfection, I’m always critiquing my own work. I always feel like I could do a better job when I watch my videos. But I think everyone who’s in the ‘art’ or ‘creation’ space feels the same.
What role did family and friends play when becoming an influencer? Any quick incident you recall that helped you overcome a hurdle or challenge in life?
Family and friends have always been extremely supportive. My mom has helped click photos and take videos of me in so many instances, my friends have always been there when I’ve asked for help in shooting my content and they’ve been extremely supportive with sharing my work as well. I’m grateful to have such positive influences in my life.
What is the legacy you want to leave behind? And for whom?
Ultimately it isn’t the work you’re remembered for, it’s the person you are and the way you’ve impacted the people in your life. Although I’d love to leave behind my work to be remembered by, it’s more important to me to be remembered for the person I am.
You can catch a snippet of this conversation ItsGoa‘s Instagram page. Humans of Goa is our original and official series that shares stories from the lives of Goans. ‘Humans of Goa’ celebrates the spirit of every Goan.
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