Pooja Singh founder of ALL TERRAIN STAY (ATS) & Ridingsolo Hike & Trek Pvt. Ltd is an entrepreneur, TedX speaker, and full-time travel content creator. She has been travelling for a decade now and runs a successful hostel chain "All Terrain Stay (ATS)". Here's her doling out some rather interesting insights and fruitful tips for anyone who aspires to build their passion into business.
1. You've been travelling since 2015. You're a travel content creator, photographer, speaker, curator of trips and of course the founder of travel company "Ridingsolo" & hostel chain All Terrain Stay (ATS). How do you don so many hats?
I have a few more hats in the closet that I have donned in the past. These include MBA in Marketing and working as an investor relation (full time) in Reliance.
While traveling, I have worked with many travel companies, and whilst doing that I was stuck with the idea of Ridingsolo & All Terrain Stay (A premium hostel chain in India). I believe that we learn as we travel. Moreover, certain things only come with that experience that we have after being on our own. Recently I opened my 5th ATS hostel branch in GOA. Sometimes all this keeps me busy but comes with the perk of getting to travel the world in a way few get to.
2. Has social media changed the way you travel? Is there a strategy that you would like to share with the readers to leverage the medium?
Has it changed the way I travel? Yes. It is a great way to connect with people who come up with ideas and tips for my journeys. Social media also enables me to reach out to the audience & promote my business simultaneously. While it is a long answer, I will share some tips for those wanting to leverage social media in this space:
- Content is King and Queen. Create authentic and engaging content. Be original, and focus on quality. Think of yourself as a storyteller.
- Develop your own style don't follow trends for the sake of it.
3. Do you think there's competition in the niche that you've carved for yourself? If yes, what do you do to stay at the top of the game?
As a blogger and an entrepreneur, there is a lot of competition; one needs to stay on top of the game since there are so many hostels to choose from. We 'invented' the idea of opening a hostel by providing a prime location stay at an affordable price and no one has been able to clone it yet. There may be travel-themed hostels and cafes, but we will be trying to do our best and focus on providing the best services to the clients.
