We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sonali. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sonali below.
Sonali, appreciate you joining us today. One deeply underappreciated facet of being an entrepreneur or creative is the kind of crazy stuff that happens from time to time. It could be anything from a disgruntled client attacking an employee or waking up to find out a celebrity gave you a shoutout on TikTok – the sudden, unexpected hits (both positive and negative) make the profession both exhilarating and exhausting. Can you share one of your craziest stories?
One of the craziest moments in my entrepreneurial journey happened out of nowhere and completely flipped my world upside down. Like, in the best possible way though! I woke up one morning to a flood of notifications: a well-known celebrity had been spotted wearing one of my jewelry pieces during a high-profile event. The photo went viral, and suddenly my small brand was thrust into the spotlight overnight.
Imagine the chaos… OMG! My inbox exploding, my website crashing from the traffic, and my heart racing as I realized the sheer magnitude of what was happening. I was exhilarated but also terrified. Would I be able to fulfill the surge in demand? Would the quality I worked so hard to build hold up? It was the perfect storm of excitement and fear, pressure and possibility.
That moment… it taught me so much… it taught me so much about resilience and adaptability. I had to quickly scale up production, manage customer expectations, and maintain my brand’s voice while staying authentic. It was exhausting, but it was also a defining milestone, basically like proof that the unpredictability of entrepreneurship, while crazy, can lead to transformative breakthroughs when you embrace the chaos rather than fear it.
Sonali, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Hi, I’m Sonali Nandwani. A millennial creative entrepreneur, designer, content creator, and storyteller driven by intention and impact. I run two heart-led businesses that reflect different parts of who I am: Golden Soul Era, my jewelry brand, and my work as a paid content creator and UGC across fashion, art oriented spots, ADHD journey, and overall lifestyle.
How It All Started:
My journey into entrepreneurship started from a mix of necessity and soul calling. I was diagnosed with ADHD at a young age, and while it came with its challenges, it also gifted me the ability to think differently, move fast, and see creative connections where others might not. After studying fashion marketing management and advertising with a minor in jewelry design and working in both creative and strategic roles, I realized that what I craved wasn’t just stability…but it was self-expression and ownership that would come from my authenticity and ability to be a trendsetter not a follower. That’s when I started building something of my own, or perhaps still in that route of building long-term.
Golden Soul Era
Golden Soul Era was born in 2019 out of my love for adornment as a form of self-celebration. It’s a jewelry brand where each piece is intentionally designed bold, timeless, often sculptural and speaks to the golden energy within us all. Think power hoops, soul-stirring pendants, and statement rings you’ll pass down. It’s more than just aesthetic, it truly is wearable energy! I design every piece myself, and many of our customers tell us they feel “seen,” “stronger,” and more aligned when they wear our work. That’s what kept me going. We’ve popped up in cities like Savannah, Atlanta, Nashville, Miami, and countries like Panama, Colombia and Mexico. Just overall, been featured in local boutiques, pop-ups, memorable events and continue to aim grow as a movement, not just a brand.
UGC + Influencer Work
Parallel to Golden Soul Era, I’ve built a UGC/content creation business (independent per say, not a traditional LLC yet) but an established identity of mine where I collaborate with brands to create authentic, high-converting content. I specialize in short-form storytelling that bridges the gap between what a brand wants to say and what the audience needs to feel. I’ve worked with brands in wellness, skincare, fashion, and travel… just like, creating everything from GRWM reels to unboxings and lifestyle reviews that bring products to life.
What sets me apart? It’s not just pretty content… Oh believe me, that ain’t it for me. It’s more than that. To me it’s soulful strategy. I merge my experience in marketing, my visual eye as a designer, artrepreneurship, understanding for customer’s needs, and my emotional intelligence as a storyteller to make content that resonates and performs.
What I Solve
Whether I’m creating jewelry or content, or working corporate or any kind of business, you name it, ANYTHING, but I help people and brands feel more seen. For example, my jewelry customers, it’s about self-expression, cultural identity, and personal empowerment. For my content clients, it’s about helping their audience connect in a real, human, and visually compelling way. I bring the same energy to both and to when I work for others like I do still: depth, strategy, and most importantly creativity that is backed by analytics and soul.
What I’m Most Proud Of
I’m proud of staying authentic in an industry that often pushes perfection. I’m proud of running a brand while being neurodivergent and turning that into a superpower. I’m proud of building everything from the ground up. By this I mean, from hand-sculpted earrings to multi-platform brand partnerships. And I’m proud that people feel a spark when they come across my work. That means everything. I also just started my podcast “Spark in the spiral” and episode 3 so far!
What I Want You to Know
If you’re a potential client, brand, or collaborator: I’m someone who merges vision with value. I’m not just here to deliver. ABSOLUTELY NOT! I’m here to elevate. Whether you’re launching a campaign, revamping your brand’s storytelling, or looking for a content creator who gets it, I bring the experience, aesthetic, and heart to make it happen. And if you’re here for the jewelry, welcome. You’re golden already.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was that “rest equals laziness.” For years, I operated under the pressure that if I wasn’t constantly producing, posting, designing, or hustling (I don’t like to use this word but if you know, you know what I mean)… I was falling behind. That mindset was deeply tied to both my cultural upbringing and the entrepreneurial hustle culture I found myself in. But as a neurodivergent creative with ADHD, burnout hits me hard and it comes fast.
A few years ago, I hit a wall. I was juggling my jewelry brand, Golden Soul Era, working on multiple paid collaborations, working 9-5 corporate and indeed also small to medium marketing jobs, trying to manage pop-ups, and still show up online with a smile. Inside, I felt depleted. That experience forced me to slow down and relearn my rhythm… to realize that rest isn’t laziness, it’s strategy. It’s where I hear my intuition, where my best ideas come from, and where my creative power actually regenerates.
Now I actively build rest into my workflow and creative process. I protect my peace like a business asset, because guess what? IT IS. That shift not only made my work better, it made it more sustainable.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Building my audience on social media didn’t happen overnight it was (and still is) an evolving journey rooted in authenticity, experimentation, and connection. I started posting on Instagram in a very organic way, first sharing my personal style and life experiences. Then when I launched my jewelry brand, Golden Soul Era, I began documenting the process not just the shiny final product, but the messy middle too: designing, packing orders, setting up at pop-ups, navigating challenges as a solopreneur.
Over time, I realized my audience wasn’t just following me for what I sold they were showing up for me. My story, my perspective, my voice. That’s what sparked deeper engagement. I started leaning into that showing my creative process, my ADHD routines, what inspired me behind the scenes, and also educating on slow fashion and entrepreneurship. I layered that with paid UGC/influencer content that aligned with my values showing my audience that yes, you can be multifaceted and still stay true to your brand.
My advice for anyone starting out? Don’t overthink the algorithm think about the people. Show up consistently, and focus on connection over perfection. Share your process, not just your product. Let people see you not just as a business, but as a person they can relate to and root for. That’s how you build community, not just followers.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://msha.ke/sonalinandwani/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonalinandwani_/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Sonali.Nandwani
