Dear Reader!
Hope you’re doing fab and flourishing every day, bit by bit! It’s your girl Divya, aka Graphics Queen, as the boss likes to call me 😛
So, here’s the scoop – I recently hit my one-year mark at Hyppy, the coolest boho lifestyle brand around. Buckle up, 'cause I'm about to spill all the tea on my journey here! Promise it'll be a hoot! 😀
Fun fact: I'm a national-level cricket player turned designer. Born & brought up in a small city like Raigarh, Chhattisgarh had its own challenges of a women’s team though. In 9th grade, the school cricket coach sparked my interest in forming a girls' cricket team. I was the only girl to have a place in the school boys team (I still pat myself on the back for this one :)). I managed to play a few State matches & got into Nationals. But my parents were not really onboard which made me change my plans. The change of plans did work out to be pretty cool too though I still wonder what it would be to be a part of the ‘Women in Blue’.
I've always loved design since childhood. I was into art & craft classes, sports, and a roll-ball player as well. I stumbled into graphics during graduation days and eventually delved into UI/UX designing because, well, being a girl, who doesn't love a bit of multitasking? Transitioning from the cricket field to the design desk wasn’t exactly a walk in the park for this sporty gal. But hey, I thrive on challenges!
So, here's how I got into Hyppy. After my parents shot down my cricket dreams, I needed a Plan B. Cue the online creativity journey! I'm all about learning and trying new things, so I dabbled in freelance gigs while hunting for online jobs. Then, I stumbled upon Hyppy on LinkedIn, and applied for a graphic designing role. I didn’t get a revert there, & then I DM-ed them on Instagram, for the last try & that’s how it all started.
One fateful morning, my phone rings, and it's Sawni from Hyppy. I'm like, "Wait, who dis?" It had been ages since I reached out! 😂 And just like that, my interview kicked off. Now, here I am, celebrating my first year at this cosy, pinterest-y home decor brand.
Still remember the first time I did grace the office with my presence armed with a box of ‘Theobroma-assorted brownies’ to sweeten the deal. And boy, did I get a warm (and slightly hilarious) welcome from the guy near the door who insisted it was "Hype-py's office"! 🤣 (I might get fired for this🙈) Anyway, being totally clueless about office protocol, that first face-to-face with my boss was a good one :p We were just a small team back then, but now we've grown to eight strong. Haven't met them all in person yet, but hey, we have our daily virtual hangouts! 😛
Starting out as a lone wolf, I've been holding down the fort from home in our tiny but mighty team of three. While we've grown since then and I've found some amazing teammates, I'm still rocking the work-from-home life.
Sure, there are perks to my home office setup (think: comfy pajamas all day), but I do miss the office buzz, the banter with colleagues, and those good ol' in-person meetings. But hey, remote work isn't all bad! Our virtual hangouts feel like a chill session, brainstorming over coffee about how to take over the world. And don't even get me started on the excitement when those orders roll in!
Fun fact: during meetings, me and Shruti, the Brand Manager, always cheer, "Yeay, Order aaya!!" Then we crack up about being stuck on long calls just to snag more orders. 😆
Fast forward to today, and man, what a journey it's been! From dabbling in social media graphics to curating those wall prints you all adore, I've had my hands in pretty much every pot here at Hyppy. But let me tell you, it's not all rainbows and sunshine. We got short of a customer support person back in June 2023, so I handled the calls, & seriously, it's gutting when something you've been waiting for arrives damaged :( We bend over backwards to make sure your Hyppy experience is nothing short of amazing.
From being clueless about the backend stuff to now understanding the whole online ordering shebang, it's been a wild ride. My respect for D2C has skyrocketed! Shoutout to the whole team—from frontend to backend—for keeping the wheels turning. And let me tell you, the hustle ain’t always easy – there were days when our sales count barely hit double digits. So yeah, it's a rollercoaster indeed.
From managing orders to crafting those oh-so-cute order updates you receive, yeah, that's me behind the scenes. And let me tell you, we genuinely mean every word of those messages—100% sincerity, folks! 😉
But wait, there's more! Alongside these marketing shenanigans, I poured my heart and soul into revamping our website for a smoother ride on your end. Have a look! (slide into my DM if you like it :p @divyyaaa._ you’ll get a surprise code for shopping @12% off) Trust me, it's worth a peek! 😄
Through the ups and downs, the wins and losses, I've seen this team evolve and kick some serious butt. And guess what? I'm finally getting to meet everyone in person soon, and I couldn't be more pumped about it. Get ready for some behind-the-scenes action – I'll make sure to spill all the juicy deets! :p
P.S. Got lots of plans with our content strategies, new products on wall decor & new categories that we’ll be launching soon! Excited to bring new stuff for you all to shop :)
Until then, stay tuned for more updates!
Signing off for now!
