We recently connected with Mahima Tripathi and have shared our conversation below.

Mahima, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Covid has brought about so many changes – has your business model changed?

Prior to Covid, Saleint was a Sales & Marketing agency focusing heavily on traditional means to grow revenues like sales calls, trade events, and trade show participation. Our clients and their clients were accustomed to the in-person meetings and interactions which is what we had to cater to. Digital acceptance came with Covid which has allowed us to encourage our clients to look at digital marketing as the means to grow their brand awareness.

As a result, we have amended our tactics and added several digital marketing services like content creation, social media marketing, landing page development, email campaigns, webinar hosting etc.

During the pandemic, we had to learn quickly and evolve rapidly in our offerings. Most of our team members were working remotely even prior to the pandemic which is what made it easier for us to collaborate and continue working full swing despite the lock-downs.

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

I have been part of the industry since I was 8 or 9 years old. My dad tends to disagree because per him I was inducted younger; possibly when I was 9-10 months old. With him being a banker, we moved around the country a fair bit (in India then) and I got to experience hotels, hotel stays, and various cities across the country. I learnt to appreciate various cultures, the local experiences, and its people at a rather young age. I liked hotels because of the glamour and glitter that we were exposed to as guests; which is what lead me to Hotel school.

I am a trained hotelier with 12 years of experience in the hotel industry. From luxury 5-star virtuoso hotels to Ayurveda resorts, boutique hotels, and formerly Starwood hotels, I have worked in various positions mainly within the Sales & Marketing department.

In 2006, I relocated alone to Canada and began anew in a land unknown; but continued to aim for employment within the hospitality industry even then. Guess, the love of this industry was sown in quite deep.

In 2012, when the then hotel that I worked for was being demolished (to be converted to a condo building), I lost my job. After 15+ interviews where I was always the next best candidate (I was applying for a sales manager’s position when my previous role was that of Director Sales & Marketing), I decided to go out on my own. I knew then that promoting destinations  would be one of the things I’d like to offer as one of the services. My stint with Direction Ontario reaffirmed this for me where in my role I was encouraging Tourism businesses in Ontario to purchase ad space for a Francophone magazine. I was part of selling Ontario as a destination for Francophone travelers.

In 2013, I received a government grant to learn about business and how to think critically as a business owner. This is when the business idea was streamlined; and I received the tools to do just that. In September 2013, Saleint was born and we offered business development and marketing services to our clients.

Today, we are a full-service marketing agency that provides digital and traditional marketing services. From full marketing campaign to supporting with specific elements of it, we plan, strategize and execute the business generation and brand awareness campaigns. Our services include and are not limited to PR, Social Media Marketing, Website Development, Graphic Design, Branding, webinars, Virtual/Hybrid events (B2B), content creation, email campaigns, UGC promotions and growing.

What sets us apart is that we were born in this industry. We have been a part of it growing up and we understand the various facets which are what we bring to the table along with our passion for this industry. While we are outsourced, we work as a seamless extension of our client’s teams. Most of all, we step into the shoes of our customers providing service like it was our very own business.

What am I proud of? Everything we have or have done and achieved is on our own merit. An immigrant with no connections in this country has not only managed to survive but also create a name in the industry because of our dedication and hard work; never give up attitude comes a long way.

What I would people to know is that you may not have heard of us till today; now that you have, it is a pleasure meeting you in this virtual world and we look forward to connecting soon!

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

2020 was when I took a big risk; where some people I know in the industry called it an audacious move. In May 2020, I decided to launch a Global Virtual Trade Show which will bring the industry together. Sujit partnered up and encouraged me to take this Global and not to keep it regional as I had intended it to be.  In 120 days, we turned the show around. From a concept to an event where we had over 38 exhibitors and 600+ registrants, this was one heck of a journey.

Everyone who was a part of UNITE 2020, I am grateful for their contribution. This is my story when we talk about how powerful can collaboration be.

Through this, we were also able to raise money for MPAHT.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

As a 24-year-old, I moved to Canada with 2 bags and a carry-on. A friend of mine moved from Ottawa to Toronto just around the same time I was relocating to Canada. With no family in town and a little guidance from my friend, everything I have achieved is a sign of my resilience.

First I had to battle the lack of Canadian experience. A call center is where I began my career to gain the Canadian experience; despite which several hotels turned my application down; including one such where I ended up getting hired 2 years later as a Sales Manager. This was one of the toughest parts of my journey. At an interview with an HR manager, I was questioned about the lack of Canadian experience to which I asked what it truly meant. Sales is sales I said, do I need to learn how to shake hands with my feet, or do I need to know how to stand on my head and gain perspective clients’ attention? What is so different about selling a hotel in Canada vs India was my question to the HR manager. I am glad I asked as this is what landed me my first hotel job after 9 months of applications and interviews with hotels.

One would think that it was happy life after that. Of course not! But yes, I did get a breather.

Lost a job in 2010 because I questioned the general manager 1 day before my confirmation about his intentions. He had the tendency to pass sexual and condescending remarks while boasting about how young women get attracted to him; mind you, he was as old as my father and in a work environment this is not appreciated. This time my question lead to the loss of a job.

Come 2012, I lost the job again with the hotel being sold to a condo developer.

2020 – we all know how hard the industry was hit then. I am still here. The business survived and came out on the other side with a new look and feel.

Each time, I returned better and stronger. Every failure was a lesson learned. Every disappointment has taught me how to survive with one.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.saleint.ca
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saleint_inc/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahima-tripathi-saleint/
• Other: Saleint: https://www.linkedin.com/company/saleint-marketing-agency/