Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nived Ravikumar. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Nived, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?

How does one go from mere man to Statement Guru? I was always a good writer, yet I had previously always channeled it through creative pursuits, like writing screenplays and short stories. I don’t think I spent more than a couple of hours working on my own personal statements when I was applying to college. And I had no particular experience in the admissions world either. What I did have was a strong sense of story and a creative mind. In the early days, it started as you’d expect, assisting friends and family on their personal statements and statements of purpose. Then, it was friends of friends. I was starting to feel confident in my abilities, so I decided to buy ads on Facebook targeting potential college and graduate school applicants. The only problem was that the U.S. ad rates were steep, especially for someone just starting out. But I noticed that the rates were significantly lower in certain other countries, like India, Bangladesh, Pakistan. So I did a South Asian ads blitz. I got some inquiries, had some back-and-forths. Eventually, a guy named Piyush in Delhi hired me for his M.S. in Computer Science statement of purpose. We became pretty friendly, and he even connected me to a couple of his friends who became my clients as well. I helped Piyush get into his top choice school, and he’s doing quite well these days. There’s been hundreds of clients since, but he was improbably my first real customer.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

While everyone has heard of SAT tutoring, the idea of a personal statement tutoring might seem a bit strange, but the reality is that it’s standardized tests that are going optional or outright not requested in many universities these days, not the essays. Admissions essays are often your one chance to stand out from the crowd and show that you’re more than just stats. Yet the reality is that most applicants are wholly unprepared for their personal statements. It’s a type of writing that’s not really taught anywhere, and relying on what you’ve learned writing term papers and lab reports will only make things worse. That’s where I come in. I’m an expert at every stage of the admissions essay writing process from brainstorming to final draft. A lot of applicants come to me for a comprehensive package, but many have a particular step that they’re stuck on, and they need guidance. In the end, you’ll have high-quality essays that are authentic to you and your unique story. I’ve worked with people from all over the world applying to every type of program imaginable. I pride myself on my flexibility and ability to help anyone tell a great story. There’s no employees, nothing automated. You’re getting the Statement Guru every time.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Getting results is the most obvious thing. In the admissions essay game, it’s pretty clear-cut in that sense. Did the applicant get into their top school choices? I have a track record of helping to make that happen more often than not. I also am dedicated to the work. With a lot of online tutoring and writing services, you pay them, they do the assigned task, and that’s it, whether you’re happy with the results or not. With me, I’ll see it through to the end right alongside you. I also make myself as accessible as possible, which means hours-long in-person brainstorming sessions or zoom calls in the middle of the night with an international client. I built my reputation the old fashioned way, doing the hard work and truly caring.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Continuing with the theme of the last response, I’ve found that when you do good work and your customers experience success, good things tend to happen. In the early days of Statement Guru, making the sale was no easy thing. I’m not selling a tangible item that I can point to and say, “Hey, check out these handy-dandy features.” My services are speculative in nature. Starting out, I ended up doing a lot of low-cost and even a good amount of free work. I also ran lots and lots of ads, which added up cost-wise and didn’t always translate to clients. Over time, I started gathering glowing Yelp reviews. I was skeptical of Yelp for my type of business in the early days, but it has proven itself over time. That in conjunction with word-of-mouth advertising puts me in a favorable position in which I can sustain my business by reputation. I no longer spend any money on advertising. I can focus on doing what I do best, be Statement Guru.

Contact Info:

• Website: statementguru.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/statementguru/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/statement-guru-santa-monica-4

Image Credits
Main Photo: Michael Modecki Second photo, logo, and drawing: Ariel Oye AI picture by profilepicture.ai